"It is six a.m."
"I'm going to be seen walking in through back entrance, Trevor," I said in a panic.
He furrowed his brow for a minute, thinking.
"Then go in through the front entrance and go straight to the kitchen to eat your breakfast - I don't think anyone's there yet. That way when you walk to your room afterwards, you can tell them that you were eating breakfast and they will think nothing of it."
"That's...smart."
He smiled. "Maybe a little bit."
"But what about you?"
He shrugged.
"I'm not a contestant. I'm a producer and the host. I need not tell anyone where I've been."
I nodded at that in understanding.
"Now go. I'll see you later," he said with a smile.
I then kissed him one more time before I dashed off the trail and headed towards the mansion's kitchen. As promised, no one was there. I laughed in delight at the discovery. I then made myself a ham and cheese omelet and some sourdough toast before settling down to eat my breakfast. While I ate, I remembered the evening before and the night spent in Trevor's arms. It was enough to make me sigh and fantasize like a schoolgirl.
I then remembered Trevor's words about our relationship ending at the closing of the competition and my delight faded. I had to keep him; I had to find a way somehow.
Suzy was positively chilly with me when I entered our shared bedroom twenty minutes later. She looked severe as she packed her bags.
"Where have you been?" she asked.
I didn't like her tone, but I decided it best to answer her anyway less she get catty.
"Eating breakfast," I said in a monotone voice as I opened my own drawer, looking for some lingerie. I so needed a shower.
"That's not what I mean and you know it," she snapped back. "You weren't here all night."
I turned to face her then.
"I was getting away from you, Suzy. You are a terror right now."
Her eyes widened in shock.
"Why wouldn't I be in terror? I'm on the chocking block this morning!" she nearly yelled.
"I've been there, Suzy! I didn't freak out like you've been."
She rolled her eyes at me.
"Oh, whatever. You weren't going to get voted off. Your boyfriend wouldn't let that happen!"
I took a deep breath and held it. The argument wasn't worth the energy I would have to expend. So, I gave her my back and grabbed some clothes before turning around to face her again.
"And this is me leaving...again."
I then walked out of our bedroom and into the adjoining bathroom where I locked the door with a very audible click. I was quiet for moment as I tried to listen in on Suzy. A few seconds later, I heard her sobbing.
"Oh, Suzy," I muttered.
I almost opened the door and went out there to comfort her, but didn't do so. She was already mad at me and I didn't want to embarrass her or aggravate her any further before the elimination round. So, I left her alone as I showered and got ready for the day.
Chapter 16
Unfortunately, things did not improve for Suzy during the elimination round. George Diller beat her by a landslide. Trevor was warm and kind to her as he told her that her time with American Sharpshooter had come to an end. She nodded at that and turned to face us all one more time. With tears in her eyes, she waved at us before walking up the trail that would lead her to the mansion.
Trevor turned to face me then.
"Miss McCoy. You are the final woman standing. How does that feel?"
The camera zoomed in on my face as I watched Suzy walk up the trail. Sighing, I turned to face the show's host.
"Sad for Suzy. Happy for me. I just hope that when my time is up, that I can be as dignified as her."
"Well said," Trevor said with a smile.
With that, our shooting for the day was done. The week had come to an end too. We would not have to shoot the next two days which was nice and we would even be "allowed" to call home. Silently, I wondered what I would do with my time as I walked back up the trail to the mansion along with the others. I knew how I would occupy my nights, which made me smile. But the day part would have to just work itself out, I guess.
Things were a bit somber in the house over lunch that day. We had pizza which was tasty, but Suzy was missed which surprised me a bit. I guess that I hadn't noticed how much she contributed to the group conversation until she was gone.
"Suzy shot like shit. She could do better," said George Diller.
Surprised, at looked at him. He wasn't being negative or hostile at all and was just curious. I took a sip of my soda before speaking to him.
"Last night and this morning, she was a mess. She was terrified."
George nodded his head and sat back.
"That's what does it for a lot of women, I think. They can't handle the pressure."
I stared at him over my glass of soda as I wondered if he was trying to get a rise out of me. He stared back. I shook my head and went back to my pizza.
"What about you, Lauren? Can you handle the pressure?" asked Sam.
Great. I felt like I was being hazed.
"I'd say so," I replied in as neutral a tone as I could muster.
One of the other fellows I didn't speak to much at all spoke up then. His name was Mike and he was a truck driver.
"Will you be able to stand the heat?"
"I don't know, Mike. What do you think? How many times have you outshot me so far?"
A few people jeered and others cheered at my comment. I think I heard Max say, "Get him, Lauren."
I rolled my eyes and grabbed a few slices of pizza and placed it on my plate before standing up.
"And that is my cue to leave, gentlemen. I hope you all enjoy your lunch."
With that, I grabbed my pizza and my soda and headed upstairs to my room.
It was my first time there since Suzy left. Her bed was stripped of its linens; her dresser was bare and it was dark in the room. It was also very quiet.
I set my pizza down on her dresser and sat on her bare bed. After only a few seconds, I found that I missed her.
"You were a better shot than what you showed today. I hope you know that."
Of course, I did not get an answer to that. Feeling suddenly inspired, I pulled my small carryon out from under my bed and opened it. The smells of my oil paints calmed me. I opened the windows, letting the cool air come in to my room. After that, I opened my easel and set my canvas board on it. Smiling in delight, I squeezed some colors onto my palette and gathered my paint brush. Knowing exactly what I was going for, I mixed some red with a little bit of blue and traced my primary shape. After using that, I painted the red on my canvas. I added some yellow to my red and traced that on the canvas too. Sometime during my painting, I put my iPod on and began to listen to tunes as I painted. I painted yellow and white dots on my work too. I also used some green.
Nearly done, I added the beige background to my work that it so needed. The feeling of a hand on my shoulder made me yell at the top of my lungs. Quickly turning around, I saw that it was Max Allen.
Quickly, he stepped back with his hands up.
"What are you doing in here?" I yelled, trying to calm my beating heart.
"I'm just here to see if you want to shoot some pool outside. I tried knocking on your door but you didn't answer," he added in a placating tone.
Just then I heard the sound of footsteps falling quickly and heavily on the stairs outside of my bedroom. Trevor stormed in my room then and shoved Max across the room.
"What in the hell are you doing in here?" he yelled.
"Trevor - it's okay," I interjected, but he wasn't even looking at me.
Max took it like a champ and backed off and away towards the door.
"Settle down, Trevor. No one is hurting your girl."
Trevor took a calming breath and looked from Max to me and back at Max again.
"What am I supposed to think, Max? Our lone female contes
tant screams and then yells at you for being in her room! What in the heck are you doing in here?"
Trevor was much more composed by that point – the host back on duty. Max took a deep calming breath, again.
"As I was telling Miss McCoy before you shoved me," he said with a tone. "I tried knocking on her door for five minutes but heard nothing. I was worried so I walked in."
Trevor looked from Max to me.
"What were you doing? You haven't been seen for three hours."
Looking in his eyes, I realized that he knew where I was the whole time which was kind of sweet. I then pointed to my painting which I had been blocking.
"I was painting. I had my iPod on so I didn't hear the knocking."
Max and Trevor both took a couple of steps forward to look at my painting. It was only a ten inch by ten inch canvas board, but it was good. It was a luscious strawberry on a beige background. I made it look as sweet and as juicy as I possibly could; I was trying to embody the passion and affection I felt for Trevor. I went from staring at my painting to staring at Trevor and Max. Max was smiling at the painting while Trevor stared at it in wonder.
"That is spectacular," said Max with a big smile. "You really are an artist."
I laughed, elated over the praise.
"What? Did you think that I lied for the audition video?"
He shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe you were trying to spin things up so that they would pick you."
I just rolled my eyes at him. I looked back at Trevor who was still staring at it.
"It’s...good," he said with such intensity.
"Good?" Exclaimed Max in a mocking tone. "It's great! It looks like something you would see in an art gallery."
I was still staring at Trevor, though. I knew that he hadn't been talking about the painting - he was talking about us. It made me smile.
"Thank you," I said to him. It sounded so heartfelt.
Just then, the sound of more steps came up the stairs. George and Sam walked in just then.
"Are you guys coming, or what?" said George.
So, the answer was yes, we were coming and yes, I would play pool with them outside. Apparently, the show's organizers had set up some pool tables under the red tents outside. Maybe they felt bad at having us sequestered for two nights without distraction.
It wasn't a bad evening at all. I played some pool, lost repeatedly, drank a little beer and enjoyed the music that played on the speakers outside. Suddenly rain began to fall on the tents, making huge plopping sounds. I sighed in sadness as I stared at the top of the tent. Rain outside meant that Trevor and I would not make it outside for our nightly rendezvous.
"Well folks, it is Washington," Trevor apologetically said to us.
I audibly sighed as I gazed at him. He held my eyes for just a moment before slowly shaking his head. I tried to swallow at the knot at my throat at that. Still, along with everyone else I walked inside the mansion to spend some time with them. Trevor lingered with us too. At around nine p.m., I looked at everyone and wished them a good night before slowly walking to my room for the evening. Looking back once, I saw Trevor watching me leave. Quickly, I turned my back so as to not draw anyone else's notice.
In my room, I visibly deflated. I blinked away tears. I whimpered and lay on my bed. I wanted him. I wanted my lover. I ached for him. Twenty minutes into my pity party I got off my bed. I began to pace my room as I imagined my life without him. With a sob, I realized that I couldn't do it; my relationship with him was almost physically fused.
Trying to contemplate the worse, I calculated how much time we had left. I had two weeks left of the competition and maybe two weeks left of my life (not taking into account the rain) to have him as my lover. The thought horrified me. Crying, I kicked off my boots. I took my t-shirt, jeans, underwear and socks off. Walking naked, I went to the bathroom. I turned the shower on and walked in. I let the sound of the showerhead and the overhead fan muffle the sound of my sobs. I let the water spray away the tears on my face.
Half an hour into my shower, I pulled myself together and washed my hair. I shaved my legs. I exfoliated. After that, I went to bathroom vanity and blow dried my hair. I looked at my face and almost hated what I saw there. My eyes were swollen. My cheeks were pink. My nose was a little red. A part of my mind wondered if the thought of parting ways with Trevor was worth the physical effects. With that thought, I walked out of the bathroom and went to bed after throwing on a tank-top and some underwear.
The softness and the expanse of my bed pained my body. I wanted the grass. I wanted the outside. I wanted Trevor. For so long I had been so lonely.
"And now I am back to that," I said with tear-covered eyelashes.
I turned the light off on my nightstand and prayed to God that the pain would go away.
I don't know what woke me, but something did. My body sat up and threw the blankets off before my mind even knew what it was doing. I looked at the clock and saw that it said two a.m. Then, I heard it again. It was three very soft knocks at my door. In a rush, I stood up and almost ran to my door. Slowly, I turned the lock and opened the door. The sight of Trevor almost made me cry. He was standing there, looking so handsome as he stared down at me.
"Let me in?" he whispered.
I did just that. My heart thumped in my chest as the heavy door closed. He reached for the latch then and slowly turned it - engaging the lock. He then turned around and looked down at me again.
"You came," I whispered.
I reached out to touch him, just to make sure that he was real. Dear God, he was. He reached for me and pulled me into his arms.
"Of course I came. How could I stay away?"
I raised my mouth to his and received his mouth as he lowered his. Carefully, he walked us to my bed while staying connected by our mouths. He then carefully sat me down. He smiled at my clothing.
"Don't you look cute in that lingerie?"
I couldn't help but beam at that.
"How long do you think you have?"
He sighed. "Maybe a couple hours. Maybe three. I'm wearing two t-shirts just in case someone spots me on this floor."
He then looked at Suzy's bed.
"It might make me an awful person, but I'm so glad she's gone."
I laughed at that and then quickly covered my mouth in shame.
"Come on; you know you feel the same way."
I sighed again.
"She hated to go and she was actually pretty unpleasant the past day or so. But the room is very quiet without her."
Trevor stared at me as I stared at her empty bed.
"Let's do something about that, then."
He turned my face to his and kissed me. Quickly, I got into the spirit of things. I kissed him back. I climbed on his lap, straddling him as I kissed him. His hands were all over my back as he pulled my smaller body against his larger body. Minutes later, he pulled my shirt off and paid close attention to my breasts. They weren't large by any means, but that didn't seem to bother Trevor in the least as he kissed, licked, suckled and bit the most sensitive parts of them. I tugged at the hemline of his own shirt which prompted him to pull it off, revealing his beautiful and chiseled chest. I caressed the planes and bumps of it and gently touched the hairs on its center.
"It is so nice to see you in this much light," I said with a small smile.
He smiled back and touched my face.
"You are beautiful in any light," he said.
Not very much later, we were naked and under my covers. He tried to go as slow as he could as he plunged my depths time and time and time again. I was in heaven. Judging by his expression, he was too. After we'd made love, he inspected the scar on my left calf. It was the first time he'd seen it in so much light.
"Lord Almighty, Lauren. The hog really got you, didn't it?"
"The boar? Yes. He got me good. But he got it in the end."
Trevor laughed at that.
"Does it still hurt?"
I shook m
y head. "No."
He set my calf down and covered us again with my blankets.
"You are a tough girl through and through, aren't you?"
I smiled. "I've got my soft parts too, you know."
He groaned and smiled at that. "Oh, I know that very well."
I turned off the lamp then and looked at the alarm clock.
"I've probably got a couple hours," he said with a yawn.
"Good," I said, snuggling closer to him.
We fell asleep together. We woke two hours later and showered together. The intimacy was great. I loved watching him lather his hair with his eyes closed as the smell of my frilly shampoo wafted all around us. I loved washing his back. I loved how his left hand gently held my left shoulder as he used his right hand to tenderly wash my back. I loved looking at how big and tan his hand looked as it was atop of my small, fair shoulder. I loved the way he quickly and efficiently seduced me in the shower. I loved how he handed me a towel first before reaching for one himself afterwards.
After dressing in my bedroom (and wearing his other shirt) he leaned over and kissed my mouth.
"I'll see you in a little bit," he said with a smile.
"Will I see you tonight?"
His smiled widened and he kissed me again.
"Absolutely."
With that, he quietly left my room. I sighed in delight as I closed the door behind him. He came. He came to me last night. He stayed the night. He showered with me. Heck - earlier in the day yesterday he ran upstairs to defend my honor. He liked my artwork.
"Oh, Trevor. Be mine," I begged of the closed door.
Downstairs, I went straight to the kitchen and made myself some breakfast. I enjoyed watching the sunrise outside as I drank some coffee. A while later, Max appeared at my side with his own cup of coffee.
"How are you?" he said on a yawn.
The sky was clear, the grass was green, and the smell of water, flowers and trees all greeted me. I was sated and full. I smiled a brilliant grin.
"I am good."
He nodded at that and then went back to looking at sky's changing colors with me.
The next week passed very quickly. My days were full; during daytime hours, Max and I sent many contestants home. My nights were full of lovemaking. I was happy and content. I knew that I would be able to get Trevor to keep our relationship going once the competition ended.
Nice Shootin' Tex Page 15