by Ashley, Ava
I wonder if he planned that. Nice touch. The teams are Mel and Samantha, Heather and Zuri, and Lily and Kara. They seem more excited about this challenge than the other events. Liam hands out the first clues and lets everyone take off. Kara and Lily are the last two out of the room and I step over to intercept her.
“Lily, you okay?” I ask. She doesn’t answer right away and I remember the glasses. I pull them off to look her in the eye, reaching over to touch her arm.
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
But she’s not. I can tell something is up.
“Really?” I want to push her, but I know how she values her privacy. It was probably a huge thing for her to sign up for this show. Her face softens, and I whisper, “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
I mean really talk, and she seems to understand. Just then it hits me: maybe someone saw us last night.
“Okay.” She nods at Liam and follows Kara out the door. The damn cameras caught that.
Once the ladies and camera crew leave, Liam and I start out. I’m sorting through what just happened and he says my name twice.
“So you’re talking to Lily again?” he asks.
“A little,” I lie. I don’t want him in my business any more than he is. I know he has a show to produce, but this thing with Lily is bigger than that. I’ve been careful about meeting her during the night so no one knows, but Liam could have the cameras in the house on at night. He might know.
“Now Rafe...” He turns to me and rubs his hands together. “You’re one of the stops.”
“Oh really.”
“We want to have you wait for them on the beach. It’s all set up so you can relax. That okay?”
“Sure thing.”
I end up hanging out on the beach with a pretty sweet set up: shade, food, drinks, and music. The clues will lead the ladies here for a quick lunch. While I’m waiting, I swim for a bit and then fall asleep as soon as I lie down under the tent. Between the nightmares and meeting Lily, I need to catch up on some Zs.
“Hey!”
I hear the voice talking to me for a minute before I come to and realize it’s Mel.
“Hi there.” I roll over onto my back and try to remember what we’re doing.
“This is nice!” Samantha says. Her dark hair is in a super messy ponytail. I can’t tell if it’s on purpose or the scavenger hunt has been more of an Indiana Jones style chase or something.
“Oh, yeah. Lunchtime! Help yourselves.” I get up and grab a water from the ice bucket. “How’s the hunt going?”
Mel tips her head to give me a sultry look through her lashes. “I don’t know. You tell me.”
I just smile back. Samantha starts detailing their day to me while they eat, and then Lily and Kara walk in. Lily’s in jean shorts and a white tank top that sets off her brown skin. Her hair’s in a ponytail too, and I like it. Having her hair back highlights her face. She looks hot.
“Found you!” Kara says brightly before noticing the other two women.
“Second,” Samantha says.
“Well, you’re all here now,” I say to keep them civil. “And I have the next clue right here...” I hand Mel a slip of paper and tell Kara, “You and Lily get yours after you eat.”
Mel and Samantha leave with smiles, but I notice right away that Lily acts like she’s happy about being here without them.
“So you get to hang out on the beach all day?” she asks.
“It’s not bad,” I agree with a laugh, keeping things light. “Got in a workout, a swim, and a nap so far today. How’s it going out there? Having fun?”
“These clues aren’t that great,” Kara complains. “But we’re getting it. You didn’t write the clues, did you?” she adds, worry creasing her brow. I burst out laughing.
“No, I didn’t have much to do with this challenge.”
Lily finishes a bottle of water and gestures toward the food, trying to hurry Kara. Lily holds my gaze. Her dark eyes are swimming with questions.
“I don’t know what to think after last night,” she mouths more than whispers but I understand. It was hard for her to admit that, to reach out. I know I haven’t made this easy on her. I want to take her hand and sit down and talk, but this isn’t the time.
I step close and whisper, “We didn’t have protection, so it didn’t seem like a good idea.”
She nods, a small frown on her face.
The truth is, that’s more of an excuse but I can’t give her any answers right now. I have to figure out those answers first anyway. So I keep telling myself I did the right thing.
While Kara is still busy, or pretending to be busy for our sake, I lean close again and whisper, “Did someone spot us on the beach?”
“Mel,” she mouths.
I feel my eyes narrow. “She’s giving you shit?”
“She asked if I was stripping for you out on the beach,” Lily whispers and then her mouth twists as she tries to keep her composure. She’s got to be pretty fucking mad about it. I want to let loose with a few words but we don’t need Kara hearing.
Shit, too bad Mel already left or I’d give her a piece of my mind.
I mouth, “How?”
Lily shakes her head slightly, then uses her eyes to point at Kara. She suspects Kara shared her secret? I like Kara, and I don’t see her giving Mel something like that, not unless she’s one freaking good actor and backstabber. I shake my head, trying to tell Lily I don’t think it was Kara.
“Okay, we ate,” Kara says loudly, startling us both. “Now the clue.”
Lily and I turn to her like everything is normal.
I hold the paper above my head and tell Lily, “Is this what you want?”
I want to see her smile, and she does. It comes on slow as she takes three slow steps my way. I can tell she’s about ready to jump for the paper when suddenly Kara grabs it out of my hand.
“And we’re off!” Kara cries, slapping my ass, then laughing as she takes off. “Come on, Lily!”
Lily and I are alone now so I take her by the arms and press a kiss to her lips. Goddamn, I want her. It hits me like a train. She needs to leave but I don’t let go.
“Goddamn, I don’t know how you do this to me!”
She flashes me a big, evil grin and takes off. I go to the edge of the tent and watch her race up the beach to catch Kara. Her hair whips behind her. She’s got great, toned legs and a great body. Lily’s always turned me on. The chemistry has never been an issue, but the emotional stuff sure got fucked up.
I sigh and lie back down, wondering how long I’ll be out here. There’s just one group left... and it takes Heather and Zuri another half an hour to get to my station. I feel distracted at first and force myself to focus on the here and now.
“Has anyone else been through?” Heather asks.
“Yeah... both groups,” I admit. Their eyes pop and they race through lunch. Once they leave, I head back to my house to change and then off to the gym. But my mind isn’t on the workout. I’m turning this thing around in my head, trying to see what Mel is up to. She flat-out told Lily she knew we were on the beach together, and she knew about Lily being a stripper. Was that some kind of threat?
She could be trying to intimidate Lily into leaving the show or something. Mel doesn’t know how much of Lily’s past has been discussed on the show. I wouldn’t put it past Mel. The other possibility is Liam planted that for extra drama and Mel is just playing along.
Liam texts a few hours later for me to come back for the wrap-up. I want to tell him off but decide to talk to him in person about all this.
How’d it turn out? I text back.
Mel and Sam won. Heather and Zuri came in last. Remember you’re announcing.
Ahh, fuck. Make me be the bearer of bad news.
A few seconds later, Liam adds, Lily and Kara were right behind Mel. Dramatic ending!
Man, I bet Lily’s not happy about that, and it’ll be worse when she finds out what the winners get. When I arrive at the beach house, I find
a few more texts from Liam. They’re eating dinner at one long table by the pool.
“Late to the party again!” Liam raises his glass at me. I can’t tell if he’s annoyed or just finds it funny. We definitely have a personality conflict, and I don’t like the things he does to make this show better. He doesn’t care whose toes he steps on or what he has to do. Like sneaking Lily onto the show, and now he probably leaked her past to Mel.
I sit down at the open seat at the other end from him. Dinner smells delicious—perfectly grilled steak and shrimp. The conversations start back up as we eat. Lily catches my eye and lowers her gaze in a flirty way. It’s laid-back until Liam clears his throat.
“Rafe has a few things to share.”
Everyone turns and stares at me. I decide to start with the good news.
“So now for the surprise,” I say, glancing around at each face. “The winning team is accompanying me to an interview.”
As Mel and Samantha squeal and clap their hands, I catch the dim of disappointment on Lily’s face, and I suddenly wish she were the one going with me. She understands how much MMA fighting means to me.
When I don’t say more, I see relief pass over both Heather and Zuri’s faces.
“And...” Liam prompts.
I steel myself. “Heather, Zuri... you’re in last place today. Which means it’s time for one of you to go home.” I don’t really have a preference. Zuri has that dark look I like, but she’s so shy. Finally, I decide I have more in common with Heather, so I say, “Zuri... I’m sorry, it’s your time to leave.”
This is my least favorite part of all this, and I’m sure it’s worse for Zuri. She nods and pushes away from the table.
“Well, it’s been fun.”
I hold my arm out for a hug and get up when she comes over.
“I enjoyed getting to know you. Best of luck out there, okay? You’re a special woman with a lot of exciting things waiting for you.”
We’re quiet as she leaves, and when I sit down, I notice Lily watching me. She gives me a sad smile. One thing I admire about her, she isn’t happy when the others get kicked off. She has a good heart. That’s why she tried to help me six years ago when she called the cops. Lily was just trying to keep me safe. Logically, I know that. Emotionally... that’s another story.
***
Later that day, I’m standing with Mel and Samantha, waiting in the wings for Michael Bryant to introduce me to his viewers. They’re both decked out nice. Mel’s blond hair is teased up, reminding me of Pamela Anderson for some reason, maybe because her makeup is super dark and dramatic.
Sam’s dark hair is super flat and shiny today, and it makes her look like a shorter version of Kara. Honestly, Kara and Lily would have gotten the most out of this. Maybe the truth is I’d rather those two were here.
I’m supposed to go on alone for the first segment, and then Mel and Sam are joining me after the break. Liam is hovering near us, trying to squeeze in a few last tips. I run a hand over my head, then remember to fix my hair.
“Remember, push the show!” Liam says, making fists in his excitement. I nod and wave a hand to include Mel and Samantha. “I know, I know,” he adds, “but make sure you talk about it.”
Goddamn. This was supposed to be about my upcoming fight.
“The fight first,” I tell Liam in no uncertain terms. “Then the show, when Mel and Sam come out.”
The last guest passes by and gives me a thumbs-up. Then I hear my intro, and the staff frantically waves me on stage like I’d forget or something. I walk out smiling.
“Rafe Maddox, here he is! Welcome!” Michael has the perfect look for a sportscaster, although Men’s Minutes is more of a talk show. “Rafe! You’re not going to take me down, are you?” he says, fists up to playfully box.
“I don’t know. Do you need to be taken down?” I ask with a big smile. I take a second to scan the crowd and realize who I’m searching for: Lily. Damn. Too bad she didn’t win this. I would love to have her here, so I could see her face out there and know she was supporting me.
It hits me with sudden clarity: I want to know she’s proud of me.
“Give me a five-minute head start, would ya?” Michael pretends like he’s going to flee, and then drops into the chair behind his desk. “Okay, Rafe, you’ve got a big fight coming up. You finally get a shot to take the title from Jesus Mariaso. How do you feel? I heard you’re recovering from a motorcycle crash.”
“That’s old news, Michael.” I flex my arms. “I’m stronger than ever and more focused, and ready to go into the cage.”
“Well, I have a surprise for today... I usually don’t bring out my next guest this early, but you know him.”
A buzz starts low in my abdomen like I’m going into a fight. Somehow I know who the surprise guest is.
“Jesus Mariaso, come on out!” Michael jumps up, clapping. Everyone focuses on the other side of the stage while a staff member slides another chair next to mine.
Mariaso walks onto the stage, and he’s so beefed out that he seriously looks like he could flex and shred his long-sleeved purple dress shirt. His walk is cocky, his dark eyes focused on me as he crosses the stage. He must have taken care of things from when he was on the news, being chased by the police. I’m surprised when he holds out his hand to me. What is this?
I take it, completely ready to duck or swing my other fist at him if needed. But he gives one firm shake and steps back. He’s trying to be diplomatic—maybe clean up his image after that high-speed chase? Maybe his sponsors threatened to drop him.
“All right, let’s get down to business!” Michael prompts. “Let’s talk about this upcoming fight.”
Now we’re talking. I lock eyes with Mariaso. I’m coming for you.
He smirks right back at me, as if to say, bring it on.
I’ve never been more ready! I stretch my arms and pop my knuckles, suddenly very glad we get this interview. The upcoming bit about the show completely slips my mind for now. This is what I’m here for.
Chapter Five
Lily
I’m lying in bed, thinking about going down for a swim or a walk on the beach, but I don’t feel like doing much of anything for a change. I cannot believe I missed out on an opportunity to go on an interview with Rafe! We were so freaking close!
I wish I could at least have gone and sat in the audience to watch and support him at the interview, but I know he’ll do an awesome job.
I’m not moping. I’m not. It only looks like it. Plus I’m dead tired from sneaking out at night and running around today for that scavenger hunt. I’m tired enough to fall asleep but I can’t let myself. It’s not even dark outside yet.
It’s quiet here. Rafe’s interview has been over for a few hours but Melinda and Samantha are still gone.
When he checked on me this morning, he had such tenderness in his eyes. He was really worried about me. Before that, I wasn’t sure what to think about how things went out on the beach. Actually, I’m not sure about anything between us. I don’t know what’s going on in his head when he shuts me out and then worries about me.
Someone taps on the doorframe, interrupting my musing about Rafe and me.
“Lily?” It’s Kara. Why would she knock on our door—is she worried I’m upset with her? I think back to the scavenger hunt, but I didn’t let on that something was up with me. Maybe she heard me whispering to Rafe.
“You don’t have to knock on our own door,” I say, a little too late, feeling guilty now that I haven’t talked to her about Mel’s stripper comment.
“I didn’t want to startle you.” She walks toward my bed and stops. She slowly looks at me with an eyebrow raised in question. “Who’s that?”
I just then realize I left a photo on my nightstand. It’s the last one I have of Nathan.
“That’s my friend Nathan. He helped me while Rafe was out of the picture, when I had to get out of stripping and get my life on a different track. I had that in my bag but I was worried it was
getting wrinkled.” I pick it up and put it away, finding a spot in the top of my suitcase where it should be safe. I need to get a frame for it sometime soon, before the picture is ruined.
Kara seems to be waiting to see if I’ll say anything more about him. I don’t feel like it now, not when there’re other things up in the air between us.
“Well, Jace from the tech crew is in the big room hooking a camera up to the TV,” she says a minute later. “He’s going to show us something.”
I sit up, full of sudden energy. Everything else is forgotten. From the expression on Kara’s face, we both know what that something is. I jump up and we jog downstairs. When we get there, Heather’s already sitting on one of the couches. Man, the house feels empty with so many women gone and Mel and Samantha out for the evening.
“Lily, Kara, hi!” Liam greets us. He’s dressed casually in jeans and a simple black T-shirt for a change. “I have a little surprise for you.”
Heather flicks her gaze our way. “They taped the interview and we get to watch it.”
Jace, the tech guy, turns our way. “It’s what I taped from the audience, so it’s not what will air, and it’s not edited.”
“Just get it on!” Heather says, her voice irritated. Kara and I give each other an oh, wow look at her snappiness.
“I’m working on it,” Jace says before glancing at us. I’m behind Heather so I shrug. It only took him like a minute so I don’t see why she’s being cranky about it. Maybe she’s miffed about not going too.
“I don’t care. I just want to see it,” I say as Kara and I sit down. We take a different couch than Heather. Mike and more of the staff come in to watch. The room is filling up, creating a buzz.
“Welcome to the raw footage,” Jace says. The TV screen comes to life, showing the stage and Rafe with Men’s Minutes host Michael Bryant. Rafe is wearing black jeans and a rock T-shirt. He went casual, which I like. He doesn’t have to get all dolled up to look nice, not when his teeth are so white and his haircut so expensive. Not to mention he’s ripped from head to toe, and the T-shirt shows off his sculpted arms. Seeing him in his element, looking that hot, gives me a kick of adrenaline right to the stomach. My body tightens and my heartbeat picks up. Heat simmers all over my skin. It’s such a strong, sudden physical reaction that I glance around to see if anyone noticed. They’re all staring at the screen and cheering.