Saved by the Celebutante

by Kirsty McManus

  But that’s not the strangest part.

  The whole place is a mass of writhing bodies.

  Writhing naked bodies.

  All having sex.

  “You didn’t plan this?”

  “How on earth could I have planned this?”

  “I don’t know. It just seems like something a guy would do.”

  There are a variety of combinations. Men and women, men and men, women and women. I even spot a few threesomes, and even a foursome and a fivesome. I don’t know where to look. And just when I think I’ve discovered a safe place to park my gaze, smiling at a man in a button down shirt in the corner, I realize he’s naked from the waist down and, er, entertaining himself.

  This is the Earth & Fire I’ve heard about. I’m not a prude, but it’s a little unsettling to find yourself in the middle of an orgy without any warning.

  A woman dressed in feathers comes over.

  “Hi guys! Welcome to the Love Zone. Make yourselves comfortable.” She points to Matt’s camera. “But I’m afraid we don’t allow photography in here.”

  “Oh, right. Yes, sorry. We were trying to escape the dust storm and accidentally ended up in here,” he says.

  She lets out a tinkly laugh. “That’s a new one.”

  “Uh, I think we’ll leave. Sorry for the intrusion.”

  “No need to apologize. You’re welcome to stay if you want to give me your camera for safekeeping.”

  “No, thank you.” Matt heads towards the main exit and I follow closely behind.

  Once back outside, he looks at me, seeming genuinely embarrassed. “I’m really sorry about that.”

  “It’s okay. It was just a bit of a shock. I wasn’t expecting it.”

  “Me neither.”

  “All right then. What now?”

  He doesn’t answer, but starts walking in one direction and then shakes his head before turning the opposite way. “Sorry, I lost my bearings for a second.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  He doesn’t seem fine. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes!” He keeps walking, his mouth set in a tight line.

  Okaaay…

  “Have you been in there before?” I ask tentatively.

  “Yes. I have.”

  “With who?”

  He stops and looks at me, his mouth curving up in a smile. “Why do you want to know?”

  “I’m just curious.”

  “Well, the last time I came here was when I was twenty-seven. I went in once.”

  “With a girl?”

  “Yes.” He doesn’t seem to think it’s weird I’m asking that question.

  “You didn’t feel uncomfortable being naked around all those people?”

  “Nope. You can’t have any modesty out here. Haven’t you seen the bath house?”

  “No. Remember, I was only planning on staying here for one night?”

  “Well, I’m afraid until you leave these grounds you’re one of us. Just embrace it.”

  I like how he says I’m one of them.

  “I’ll try. Unless that means walking around naked and getting a UFO painted on my chest. You don’t want me to do that, do you?”

  He chuckles. “Only if you want to. But no. You don’t have to be an exhibitionist to be a proper Earth & Fire guest. Just be open to the experience.”

  “All right. I will.”

  “Good, now come with me so I can finish taking my photos, and then we’ll go have some real fun.”

  Ooh. I like the sound of that.

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  Once Matt has finished working, it’s almost midnight – so we head over to the pyramids where a dance party is gaining momentum.

  A DJ is perched on a platform raised twenty feet in the air. The surrounding area is a mass of swirling bodies, not entirely unlike the Love Zone from earlier, only this time everyone is vertical – and at least half the people are fully clothed. I am still taken aback by how much nudity there is here. I’m cool with bare chests (both male and female), but it’s the completely naked men I find off-putting.

  As Matt and I begin dancing in the middle of the crowd, a particularly tall naked man lurches around nearby. His body is completely covered in dust except for the rivulets of sweat dripping down his body.

  I try to keep my back to him, but he keeps bumping into me. Matt finds it hilarious. “What? You don’t appreciate having a man rub his junk all over you?”

  “Uh, no. Not unless the guy has at least bought me dinner first,” I shoot back.

  “You know, I think I saw a burger van somewhere near here…”

  I swat him. “Watch it, you.”

  He laughs. “I’m just kidding.”

  The pounding music builds to a crescendo. Everyone is in a frenzy. It reminds me of that episode of True Blood where the maenad induces everyone into a mass orgy. Actually, it’s not really any different at all.

  Every now and again, I catch Matt looking at me when he thinks I’m not watching. I don’t know what to make of it, but I can’t say I mind.

  We dance for what feels like hours. Everything takes on an even more surreal edge. I need to drink some water, but I’m enjoying myself too much to go find any. My skin is dusty and my lips are chapped, but I’m having more fun than I’ve had in months.

  I glance at my watch. It’s already 3a.m.

  Matt sees me checking the time. “Are you tired?”

  “A bit,” I admit.

  “Come on then.”

  “What?”

  “Just follow me.”

  We push our way to the outskirts of the rave and walk back to the camper.

  “Having fun?” he asks.

  “Is that a serious question?”

  “I just wanted to check.”

  “Yes, I am. What about you?”

  “Yeah. I’m actually surprised by how much I’m enjoying myself. I’d forgotten how great this place is.”

  “Why did you stop coming?”

  “Oh, you know. You grow up, I guess. Settle down. Work gets in the way.” His face clouds over, and I worry he’s going to fall into another mood. I want to ask about his relationship situation. Does he have a recent wife or girlfriend? Or even a current one? I can’t assume anything here. How do I broach the subject without risking a negative reaction?

  We reach the camper and go inside. Oli isn’t back yet.

  “What do you think your brother’s up to?” I ask.

  “He’s probably in the Love Zone. Or getting stoned somewhere.”

  “Don’t let me stop you if you want to go and do either of those things,” I say lightly.

  “Uh, thank you, but no. It’s been a big day. I’m ready for sleep.”

  I point to the seat near the dining table. “So, does this convert into a bed or something?”

  “No, why?”

  “Oh. Then is it all right if I sleep on the floor? I’m happy to do whatever.”

  He looks at me, amused. “There’s a perfectly good double bed here, Chrissie.”

  I blush for what feels like the millionth time today. “I just didn’t want to assume anything…”

  “Hey, we’re both adults. I’m quite capable of sharing a bed with a female without losing control. I promise not to maul you.”

  “No, it’s not that…oh God…I…”

  He laughs, although not unkindly. “Just relax. You are welcome to sleep beside me in the bed. Oli can find somewhere else to crash if he comes back, which I highly doubt will happen at this hour. Besides, I’m betting you snore less than him. I’d be upgrading.”

  “As far as I’m aware, I do not snore,” I confirm.

  “Then come on. Less talking. More sleeping.”

  I look down at my arms. “Ugh. I feel so gross.”

  “You can check out the bath house in the morning if you like. I don’t think it would be open now.”

  “Cool.” Something Matt said earlier about the bath house niggles at me. What was it again?


  The thought is immediately erased from my brain when Matt lifts his t-shirt over his head, revealing a smooth, tanned chest. The guy is fit. He kicks off his boots and socks and then steps out of his shorts. Thank God he keeps his boxers on.

  I self-consciously take off my shoes and socks and then face away while I swap my clothes for a fresh t-shirt.

  Matt jumps into bed and slides over close to the wall, leaving plenty of room for me.

  I gingerly climb in under the covers. It doesn’t seem completely foreign, seeing as I spent a bit of time hiding in here earlier, but it’s still nowhere near a comfortable situation.

  Matt switches off the overhead light. It’s so dark I can’t even see my fingers when I wave them in front of my face.

  I feel Matt roll away from me. “Goodnight,” he says softly.

  “Goodnight,” I whisper back.

  I lie there, staring at the ceiling. Of course, now I’m not tired at all.

  I’m reminded of Dean, a guy I was obsessed with back in my final year of college. We used to be pretty good friends but we never hung out alone, and I never let on how I felt about him. One night, a bunch of us went to his place to watch the Super Bowl and everyone stayed over. I had somehow ended up in his bed in a very similar situation to this one, and hoped that by being so physically close to him, he might suddenly realize he had feelings for me. But nothing happened. Not even an accidental brush of the foot. I spent the whole night with my eyes wide open, only inches away from his back while he slept like a log. I lay there for hours – taut with anxiety – until I finally gave up and snuck out before the sun rose. A few days later, he introduced his new girlfriend to the group and that was that. I never asked if she existed before or after that night, but I suppose it didn’t matter. A guy doesn’t ignore a girl in his bed if he likes her.

  Part of me wants Matt to make a move, but the other part thinks that would be crazy. I know nothing about the man other than the fact that he’s a photographer and he’s moody.

  My mind drifts to when we found ourselves in the Love Zone earlier. It was so confronting to see all those people having sex. Not to mention hearing Matt’s admission at having spent time in there previously. I have to admit, a tiny part of me wondered how I would have reacted if he had tried to kiss me right then and there.

  Which is silly. He hasn’t said or done anything that would lead me to believe he’s even interested in being more than friends except for a little flirting. And that could just be the kind of person he is.

  I sigh loudly.

  “You okay?” Matt whispers.

  “Yeah, sorry. Just finding it hard to switch off my brain.”

  “Ha. Yeah, I get that too sometimes. Just do some deep breathing.”

  I smile in the dark. “Thank you, oh wise one.”

  I practice breathing the way I saw Gia doing it at the meditation center and feel my mind finally slowing down. As I float off to sleep, in that haze between worlds, I think Matt creeps his fingers across the bed and gently intertwines them with mine.

  TWENTY-NINE

  I wake up with my face squished up against the wall. A purple velvet curtain hangs a few inches above my head.

  Hang on. How did I get on the other side of the bed during the night? There must have been some seriously acrobatic tossing and turning going on for that to happen.

  I peel my face away from the side of the camper and roll over. A dark blond head is facing the other way.

  Except it’s not Matt. I quickly sit up.

  “Oli!”

  “Morning, princess.” He turns to face me, grinning lazily.

  What on earth? “Um, where’s Matt?”

  “I don’t know. When I came to bed, he was still here. You were practically lying on top of him, so I figured there was more than enough room for me to squeeze in.”

  “Right,” I murmur. “Oh God.” My mouth feels like a dust bowl, and my lips hurt when I talk. My eyes are scratchier than I have ever known. It’s like there’s sandpaper inside my eyelids.

  “Jesus,” he says, leaning back and seeing me properly. “You look like hell.”

  “Yes, thank you for pointing that out. I obviously didn’t plan for an extended stay in the desert.”

  “Clearly. But even if you were just coming for one day, you should at least have brought goggles, a dust mask and some lip balm.”

  “I know,” I sigh. “This whole thing was poorly executed. But at least I achieved what I came here for.”

  “You want me to drop you at your van soon?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “All right, let me just wake up properly and I’ll get dressed.” He stretches his arms overhead, revealing his bare chest. It’s impressive, but not as impressive as his brother’s.

  “Did you have a good night?” I ask.

  His face lights up. “The best. I wish life was like this all the time.”

  I contemplate how I would feel if life was like this all the time. Maybe if we weren’t in the middle of the desert it would be more tolerable. But even then, I’m not sure I’d cope very well. I think the lack of structure would get to me eventually.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to be a rebel and stay?” he asks.

  “No. But thank you.”

  “Cool. Throw your stuff in the back of the pick-up and we’ll head out in a minute.”

  I gather my cooler, water and suitcase and stack them in the back of the truck, all the while wondering where Matt has disappeared to. Even though we’ve technically only known each other for sixteen hours, it wouldn’t feel right to leave without saying goodbye.

  I take my time, lacing up my boots and hoping that he returns soon. But after fifteen minutes, I run out of delaying tactics and Oli is clearly getting impatient.

  “Come on princess, what’s taking so long?”

  I scan the surrounding area one last time. No Matt.

  “Sorry, let’s go.”

  Oli hands me a blanket. “I think the only way I can sneak you out is by hiding you in the back with your stuff.”

  “That’s fine.” I climb in and wedge myself in the corner with my luggage, pulling the blanket over my head. Oli straightens the edges to make sure I’m completely covered. “See you in a few minutes.”

  The ride out is bumpy. I much preferred hiding in the bed on the way in yesterday. There’s no padding underneath me this time and every jolt rattles my bones. And of course I’m feeling unsettled because I didn’t get to say goodbye to Matt. I know it shouldn’t be a big deal, but it is. I guess I’ll just have to ask Oli to say it for me.

  I feel the truck turn out of the gate and drive straight for a bit. Oli then pulls over and opens the car door.

  “I probably could have gotten you out in the passenger seat,” he tells me. “There’s no one checking the exits, only the entry.”

  I sit up. “Oh well. Better to be safe than sorry.”

  He shields his eyes from the sun and looks down the road. “So where did you leave your van again?”

  It’s only then that I realize we’re not actually near the van.

  “Uh…” I look back in the direction we came and see we’re about the same distance away from the gate as where I thought I left it. It’s not like there are any trees or mountains obscuring the view, so it quickly becomes apparent my transportation has disappeared.

  I start to panic. “Shit! Do you think it’s been stolen?”

  Oli looks perplexed. “I don’t know. Maybe?”

  “What else could have happened?” I squeal. “Oh my God. Paulie and Gia are going to kill me!”

  “Hang on, hang on. Let’s think about this rationally. You’re sure you left the van parked here?”

  “Yes!”

  “Okay. So let’s say someone didn’t steal it. Do you think the festival people might have just moved it out of the way?”

  “But how would they do that? I have the keys!”

  “They wouldn’t need keys if they towed it.”

&nbs
p; Of course. Why didn’t I think of that? I point at Oli manically. “Yes! They might have just towed it inside somewhere because they thought it had broken down and they were doing us a favor! Good thinking! We’ll have to go back to the entry gate and find out.”

  “But you still don’t have a ticket. You’ll have to hide again.”

  “That’s okay. And sorry to do this to you. Damn, I can’t even remember the license plate.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll describe it to the guy. I can’t imagine there are too many vans that look like yours.”

  “That’s definitely true.”

  “Back in the truck then.” He points a thumb at the tray.

  My heart hammers the entire way back to the ticket gate. When we stop, I listen to Oli improvising a cover story. “Uh, my friend had a little car trouble yesterday, so she left her van on the side of the road, but now it’s gone. Do you know what might have happened to it?”

  “Yeah, any vehicles left outside the grounds overnight are towed to either Gerlach or Reno. Your friend should have let us know earlier – we might have been able to help her out.”

  “Oh. Right. I guess she thought it was too late in the day to do anything about it then and wanted to wait until this morning to sort it out. So how would she go about contacting the towing company?”

  “Here’s their contact details.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem.”

  Oli drives back to the campsite and I jump out of the truck before he’s completely stopped. “So?”

  He hands over a piece of paper. I quickly discover the only ways to contact the tow company are by phone or a mailbox that gets checked at nine each morning. I check my watch. Nine thirty. Damn.

  “Well, I can’t call them unless I use the police phone,” I reason. “But then the guy at the gate said they only respond to matters of life or death anyway, and I’m not sure a towed van would qualify. I also don’t want to end up getting in trouble for not having a ticket, so I guess I’ll have to leave a message in the mailbox. And that means I probably won’t be going home today.”

  “Sweet! Now you can relax and enjoy yourself properly.”

  I smile weakly. “Yeah, I guess.”