by Amy Vansant
He plucked at the garment. “This? It’s a joke. I don’t really… You don’t think I did this to turn you on do you?”
Tears began to well in Emily’s eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead took a sharp breath. Her face grew warm as the tears fell.
Stop it. Stop it.
She couldn’t stop. Her relationship with Sebastian had been shattered by a twenty-second video. But this wasn’t twenty seconds of tears. Months of stress exploded, escaping from her body in wracking sobs.
“Emily,” Sebastian sat up. He looked terrified. “What’s wrong?”
She pressed her lips tight, willing herself again to stop crying.
Unable to speak, she shook her head.
He stood, a shower of flower clumps tumbling from his body. “What is it?”
He took a step toward her and she held out a hand to ward him away.
Emily swallowed, trying to regain control. In a romantic comedy, this would be the part where I run out of the room, leaving him wondering for days what he did wrong.
She wasn’t sure how that happened in books and movies. Her feet felt rooted.
Sebastian took another step forward. “Emily, please. What’s wrong? You’re scaring me.”
She stared at him through watery eyes. She’d thought this man was her soul mate. This man—
This man standing before her in a black negligee.
She erupted with a sudden, wet sputter—a laugh-cry—she regretted immediately. She sounded like a crazy person.
“Okay, now you’re really scaring me. Can you breathe?”
I’m going to end this here. No reason to drag it out. Rip off the Band-Aid.
She shook her head, squelching the emotion roiling in her chest until she was able to utter a short, tight phrase.
“Where were you last night?”
Sebastian looked around the room, seemingly bewildered. “What? Maybe you’re allergic to flowers? I thought we could finally have a romantic evening—”
He hadn’t heard her. She tried again.
“I said, where were you last night?”
“Last night—” Before he could say another word Emily watched realization cross his expression.
He knew.
His gaze locked with hers.
He knew she knew.
“You know I talked to Greta,” he said.
She nodded. “I know you talked to Greta.”
He held his hands against his chest. “I’m sorry. I should have told you. She called me and she was upset and I thought I’d go and get it over with once and for all.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“There was no reason to upset you.”
“But you didn’t get it over, once and for all, did you?”
He shrugged. “No. Probably not. She’s more crazy than ever.”
“Of course she is. And you’re up here throwing around flowers you...you...” Her gaze swept over the flowers again, and she realized they looked a lot like the flowers lining the driveway that led to the hotel.
“Did you steal these from the hotel landscaping?”
He offered her a sheepish smile. “That was Garrett. I asked him for help setting up a romantic room while we were running around with egg guns and he improvised a little.”
He looks entirely too adorable.
She stomped her foot and cut him short. “How can you treat this so lightly?”
Sebastian’s brow knit. “I can plant them back where he got them. Most of them still have the dirt—”
“Not the flowers. The baby.”
“The what?”
“Your baby.”
“My baby? What are you talking about?”
“Greta. Greta’s pregnant. I saw the clip.”
“What clip?”
Emily sighed. “During Egg War I hid in one of the production vans—”
“Ooh, good idea.”
She sniffed. “Thank you. There was a guy in the van working on a clip of film, turning it into a commercial for the show. It was a clip of you and Greta meeting in her room. She was wearing”—she gestured at him—“what you’re wearing, basically, and she told you she was pregnant.”
He gaped at her. “There was a camera in her room?”
“That’s really not the important part.”
He moved toward her again and she backed until she hit the wall. He stopped and shook his head.
“She’s not pregnant.”
“She said she was.”
“She was trying to get a rise out of me. She was lying. She—”
He stopped and froze, staring at the wall behind her, frozen like a statue.
Emily wiped at her tear-stained cheeks. “Sebastian?”
He refocused on her. “It was a setup. That’s why she called me. I thought it was some last-ditch attempt to get me back, but it was a setup. She wanted our conversation on film. It was a trap.”
“So she’s not pregnant. You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. Doesn’t the fact that there was a camera there prove it was all a trap?”
She chewed her lip. She wanted to believe him but...
“How do you know?” she asked.
“I didn’t give her a test, if that’s what you mean.”
“That isn’t funny.”
“I’m sorry. I pointed out she’d just finished a shot contest with you—pretty odd behavior for a pregnant girl—and she admitted she lied.”
“How could she do something like that? Lie about being pregnant? And on film?”
“She’ll say and do anything to get her way.” Sebastian approached and this time Emily stood her ground. He wrapped his arms around her. “I am so sorry you had to go through all this.”
She slid her arms around his sides.
Part of her felt she should still be mad. That she should yell at him for sneaking down to see Greta in the first place—but no part of her wanted to wail. Her relief was so great she suddenly felt exhausted.
“I’m still mad you went and talked to her without telling me,” she muttered, just to have it on record.
Sebastian rocked her back and forth. “I wasn’t trying to hide it, I swear. I just didn’t want her poisoning us. I felt like even mentioning her name might ruin our day.”
She laughed. “It doesn’t help.” She looked up at him. “What are we going to do? She’s not going to stop until she ruins everything we have.”
“That’s not going to happen. We’re going to ignore her...” Sebastian’s attention drifted once more.
“What is it?” she asked.
“The commercial. They’re going to run that lie as a commercial.”
She nodded. “Her telling you and the world you’re a daddy.”
He paled. “Oh god. My mother will die. He tilted his head. “Actually that’s not entirely true. She might be thrilled, though she can’t stand Greta so maybe not. It’s a tough call.”
“We should talk to Nicole.”
“We should.” He stared down at her. Unmoving.
“So...we should go?” she prompted.
His expression softened. “You scared me.”
“I scared you? I thought you’d sneaked off for a rendezvous with your baby mama.”
He hugged her tightly. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
Emily parted her lips but found herself speechless. Sebastian seemed sincerely flustered.
Suddenly he was kissing her and she kissed him back, each of them clinging to one another as if they were afraid letting go would mean losing the other forever.
“I’ll never not tell you something just because I think it would hurt you,” he mumbled, tugging her shirt over her head.
She pulled down the straps of his negligee. “I’ll try and trust you before I assume the worst.”
He wrestled out of the lingerie. “This outfit was a stupid idea. I wanted to make you laugh.”
“Promise me you’ll never put this on again.”
“I promise.”
They collapsed on the bed, plants bouncing around them. Emily straddled his waist, bent over him, her lips desperate for his.
He rolled, taking her with him, kissing her neck and chest. Beneath her, she felt dirt from the rooted plants scratching her back.
“Ow.” Sebastian suddenly leaned up and slapped his leg. “Oh no.”
She felt flushed and light-headed. She didn’t want him to stop but something felt wrong. His expression telegraphed horror.
“What is it?”
“Ants.”
“What?”
“I’m covered in ants.”
Emily looked at the bed and it seemed to be moving.
They scrambled to their feet and frantically brushed the dirt and insects from their limbs.
“My back. Brush my back,” he said, pointing. She did and then turned so he could reciprocate.
“Your brother must have brought in a whole ant nest.”
“Ohmygod. No, no, no.” Sebastian began dancing in place.
“They’re everywhere,” said Emily, awestruck by the number of critters crawling across the sheets. She heard a noise and turned to find Sebastian jumping up and down, slapping at himself as if his own body had turned on him. His eyes were wild.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m allergic to ants. I’m freaking out. I have to get out of here. Is my face swelling?”
She stared into his face, considering his question. “You know, now that you mention it...”
He yelped and ran into the shower, nearly tripping on the black peignoir tangled around his ankle.
Chapter Twenty-Six
After his shower Sebastian had nearly refused to don clothes, for fear the ants had already setup a stronghold in his luggage. She’d talked him off the wall as he regaled her with stories of the last time he was attacked by fire ants during a trip to Florida and the terrible reaction he’d had to their bites.
She had to admit. His face did look a little puffy.
Once they’d regrouped, Emily and Sebastian went to knock on Nicole’s door to tell her about Greta’s clandestine video.
No one answered.
“Call your brother,” suggested Emily.
Sebastian already had his phone in his hand. “On it.”
Emily watched him dial and turned away so he wouldn’t see the smirk creeping to her lips. She was recalling him in the shower, thrashing as he wiped the mostly non-existent ants from his flesh. He didn’t know it yet, but he might never live it down. If she became an actress and was called to spontaneously laugh hysterically, now she had just the mental image on which to call.
Garrett answered and Sebastian asked for Nicole’s whereabouts. A moment later he hung up, his lips pressed into a hard line.
“What is it?” asked Emily.
“He’s at home with the kids. He said she’s here, though, so she has to be around.”
“Let’s check the bar.”
They hopped back on the elevator. As they emerged into the lobby, Sebastian stopped so suddenly Emily smacked into his shoulder.
“There she is.”
Emily spotted Nicole sitting in an oversized chair in the lobby, working on her laptop.
“What are you doing out here?” asked Sebastian as they approached her.
Nicole looked up at him. “More light down here. It just seems depressing working in my room.”
Emily smiled and sat in an adjacent chair. “You need some flowers.”
“Huh?
Sebastian glowered at her before turning his attention to Nicole. “Do you have an EpiPen by any chance?”
“No. Why would I have an EpiPen?” Her brow knit. “Wait. What’s wrong with your face?”
He raised a hand to his cheek. “What? What do you mean?”
She nodded. “It’s, like, puffy.”
“Oh no.” Sebastian squeezed and pinched his face, staring at Emily with wild eyes.
“You’re fine...” Emily assured him.
“What’s going on?” asked Nicole.
“Do I sound like I’m breathing funny? Listen.” Sebastian took a deep breath and exhaled. Emily did her best to listen but exploded with laughter before he could take a second breath.
“It’s not funny.”
Shaking her head, Emily covered her mouth to hold back her cackling and turned away, her eyes beginning to tear. “I’m sorry. The stress has given me the giggles. Give me a second.”
“What is going on?” repeated Nicole.
Sebastian lifted a hand into the air. “I’m going to die and she thinks it’s hilarious.”
“What are you talking about?”
“We need another room.”
Emily watched Nicole’s scowl deepen.
“Do you need an EpiPen or another room? You just got that room.”
Sebastian nodded. “I know, but it’s full of ants.”
“Ants? The hotel has ants?”
“They do now,” muttered Emily.
Sebastian sighed. “I asked your husband to put flowers in the room as a romantic surprise for Emily, and he pulled up all the hotel’s landscaping, ants, dirt and all.”
Nicole dropped her head in her hands. “Oh my god. I’m going to kill him. And you’re a moron.”
“I’m a moron? I was just trying to be romantic.”
“You asked Garrett to do something romantic.”
“Good point. I am a moron. So about that room—”
“They’re booked. We took every room. They moved you to be near the others and then sold your old room to me so I could put some of the cameramen there.”
“Seriously? Can we stay with you?”
“I have a single king bed. A few of the other contestants have double queens though. You could stay with your friend. Kady and Marc have two queens, I think.”
Emily nodded and reached for the phone she was allowed to possess when they weren’t competing. She looked at Sebastian and motioned to Nicole. “I’ll call Kady. You tell her our other problem.”
Nicole’s eyes grew wide. “You have another problem?”
She moved to rise and Sebastian put his hand on her knee to stop her.
“Wait. I have something important I need to talk to you about.”
“Please tell me this one doesn’t involve Garrett destroying property.”
“No. You have a guy working on a commercial for the show that has me and Greta in it.”
“You and Greta? I don’t know anything about that. What are you talking about? Who told you that?”
“George.”
“The video guy with the beard?”
Emily nodded.
Sebastian continued. “Emily hid in his van during the last competition—”
“I’m not sure that’s legal.”
“That’s the least of our problems. While she was in the van, he showed her a commercial where Greta tells me she’s pregnant.”
Nicole’s jaw dropped. “She’s pregnant?”
“No. She just told me that so she could get it on film. How else can you explain why there was a cameraman hiding in her room?”
“Wait. Why were you in her room?”
“That was the part I had trouble with,” mumbled Emily as she stood, listening to Kady’s phone ring unanswered.
Sebastian sighed. “It was stupid. She tricked me. She called all teary and...whatever. I thought if I just talked to her once I could put an end to the drama.”
“Good luck with that,” said Nicole.
Sebastian agreed. “Bottom line, we need to stop that commercial.”
Nicole closed her laptop. “I didn’t see this commercial and he’s supposed to run everything through me, so it shouldn’t be a problem. He’s still got it and I’ll kill it when it gets to me.”
“Can you be sure—”
Nicole cut Sebastian short, raising her hand to wave. “There he is now. George!”
A rotund grey-bearded man turned at the sound of his name and headed toward Nicole. He re
cognized Emily and nodded to her. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
“Do you have a commercial with a girl telling a guy she’s pregnant?” asked Nicole.
George’s gaze moved to Sebastian. “Yeah. This guy.”
“Exactly. Throw that one out. We don’t want it.”
George’s expression clouded. “Uh oh.”
“Uh oh?”
“Karen asked me to send that to her directly.”
Emily recalled hearing that name before. Karen was Greta’s aunt.
Oh no.
Nicole sat up and moved her computer to the table next to her chair. “Karen has it already? How? When?”
“She called me yesterday. Told me to send that clip directly to her.”
Nicole grimaced. “Okay. Thanks.”
George nodded his goodbyes and wandered off.
Sebastian watched him go and then turned to Nicole the moment George was out of earshot. “What does this mean?”
“It means Greta’s Aunt Karen helped her setup the ambush and she wants to air the clip.”
Sebastian groaned and flopped back in his chair, licking at his bottom lip. “I think my tongue is starting to swell.”
“There’s no way to stop it?” asked Emily.
“That’th why I wanted the EpiPen,” lisped Sebastian as he pulled at his tongue.
Emily rolled her eyes. “I mean is there no way to stop the commercial.”
Nicole appeared uncomfortable. “I mean, I can ask, but there’s nothing I can do if she turns me down.”
“Why is Greta’s aunt out to get me?” moaned Sebastian.
Nicole chuckled. “For one, who knows what Greta has told her, true or not. And for two, it might not be about you.”
Sebastian scowled. “How could it not be? Greta’s only here to make my life miserable.”
“I don’t think Karen would have slipped her in just to make you miserable. I think she’s using Greta to stir up drama for ratings. You’re collateral damage.”
“Or singled out by Greta, but not necessarily by her aunt.” Emily cocked her head as an idea occurred to her. “Hey, if all Karen cares about are ratings, maybe we could give her something juicer to use so she doesn’t use your clip.”
“Why wouldn’t she use them both?” asked Sebastian.
Emily considered. “Because this clip is a dead end. Greta isn’t pregnant and they won’t be able to trick you into continuing this story line.”