Unattainable

by Schlosser, Jamie

  I’d changed, too.

  My phobias were still very much a part of me, but fear didn’t run my life as much as it used to. In fact, I was sure I could take on anything as long as Aiden was with me. Funny how having him at my side did more good than a year of therapy.

  I rode a horse on a regular basis now. My appetite was better. And physically, I was stronger than ever. My legs were getting toned and I even had a hint of abs forming. Must’ve been all the exercise and sex. My deep tan enhanced the new physique and I’d never felt more attractive.

  I didn’t know what the immediate future held, but my hopes were high and my heart was full.

  CONCERNED BY THEO’S TEXT, I hurried back. The message had simply said that Twila wanted to have a private meeting with us, and all I could think was maybe she’d cracked. Maybe the pressure had gotten to be too much.

  I couldn’t let her quit now. Not this close to the finish line. She had too much potential.

  As much as she’d annoyed me in the beginning, the girl had grown on me in a sibling type of way. I’d never had a sister, but if I did, I imagined she might’ve been somewhat like Twila—talented, tenacious, and a little goofy.

  When the top five and I went horseback riding last week, she’d been the main source of entertainment for us, singing old-timey western songs—and getting the lyrics wrong most of the time—while literally trotting circles around our group.

  Corrie was right—when the show aired, the whole world would fall in love with Twila.

  It was hard for me to think she might want to throw in the towel.

  Winded, I followed Theo’s instructions and went to the parking lot behind the resort. He was waiting there in an SUV, and I could see Twila in the passenger side, mopping at her face with a tissue.

  I hopped into the back seat. “What’s wrong?”

  All I got from Twila was a muffled whimper.

  I’d never seen her so unkempt. Her hair was in a messy bun, her cheeks were streaked with black mascara, and she was still wearing the cocktail dress from last night. The red sparkly material was wrinkled, and one of the straps had fallen off her shoulder. She didn’t seem concerned about fixing it.

  As she loudly blew her nose, I took the spot behind Theo and fastened my seat belt. He was wearing the same shirt as me, so I attempted to lighten the mood by saying, “I guess we’re twinning it today, huh? What happened to all your spiffy suits?”

  “Hadley got me a bunch of stuff from the gift shop before she left. I feel closer to her when I wear it.”

  “That’s really swee-eeet,” Twila wailed, crying harder.

  Theo shifted into drive, and his worried gaze found mine in the rearview mirror. “She won’t tell me what’s going on. Won’t say anything until she’s sure we’re not being filmed or heard.” As we pulled around the front of the building, Theo let out an annoyed sound because cameramen were milling about on the stairs. “Twila, people might be watching. Can you give me a convincing laugh? Look like you’re having fun with us.”

  Throwing her head back, she complied, pressing a hand to her chest as she cackled like a hyena. When we turned the corner and disappeared through the trees, her fake giggling morphed into hysterical sobs.

  I felt kind of helpless and wished Corrie was with me. Maybe Twila needed a girl to talk to.

  “Shit,” Theo cursed. “We’re being followed.”

  I looked behind us, and sure enough, an SUV identical to ours was coming up fast. A camera lens was visible through the windshield on the passenger side.

  Theo accelerated, spinning the tires and spraying mud as he sped forward.

  A chase ensued.

  Quick turns on the winding road. Weaving through traffic once we got to the village on the other side of the island. Breaking a few laws as we ran a stop sign or two.

  By the time we ended up near the boat docks where tourists arrived, the vehicle was no longer in sight.

  “I think I lost them. I’ve got mad skills,” Theo boasted with a grin. “It’s all that go-cart racing we’ve been doing. I’ll keep driving for a little while, just to be sure.”

  Grunting in agreement, I sat back and spent the next ten minutes listening to the low music on the radio and the occasional sniffle from Twila.

  When we made it to the beach near the Taco Tiki Hut where Corrie and I had our first date, Theo pulled into a spot in the gravel parking area, far away from the other cars.

  We had a great view of the ocean. Too bad the topic wasn’t going to match the pleasant scenery.

  “You’re not mic’ed, right?” Twila turned back to look at me with red-rimmed eyes.

  “No mics,” I reassured her.

  She took a deep breath, then said, “I’d like to file a sexual harassment report.”

  Theo’s eyebrows shot up. “Against Jordan?”

  “No!” She violently shook her head. “Jordan didn’t do anything wrong. It’s Ross.”

  My brother’s hands tightened on the steering wheel so hard I heard the leather creak. “He’s been bothering you?”

  She nodded. “From the beginning, he encouraged me to cause drama with the other contestants.” She sent me a guilty glance. “And to hit on you. He said I would get more air time if I did. Sorry.”

  “Apology accepted,” I told her.

  A small, forced smile appeared on her face before she focused on Theo again. “Then about a week ago Ross started asking me out. I said no, of course. Jordan and I were involved by then.” Her blue eyes bounced to me. “We have been since the duet. But even if I wasn’t seeing someone, I still wouldn’t be interested in Ross, and I told him so. Then the blackmail started.” She blinked and fresh tears spilled over. “He suspected a romantic involvement between Jordan and me. He threatened to tell you guys.”

  I ran a hand over my jaw. “He never said anything to me about it.”

  “Me either,” Theo added. “And even if he had, I wouldn’t have been upset.”

  “I figured he was bluffing.” Twila wiped her wet cheeks. “Then last night he told me to come to his room. He said if I did, he would make sure it was Jordan and me going through to the finals. I told him to go to hell.”

  “Good for you,” I said at the same time Theo uttered, “Atta, girl.”

  “But now it’s my fault Jordan got eliminated.” Twila’s sobs started up again. “It should’ve been him in the end. Not me. Ross cut him to get back at me, I know it.”

  Of all the things I thought she was going to tell us, this wasn’t it.

  Anger simmered, making me feel hot.

  Ross rigged my show. He messed with people’s futures. And worst of all, he’d used intimidation and bribery against Twila. He tried to force himself on a woman who clearly wanted nothing to do with him.

  “Am I going to get kicked off the show now?” she asked shakily. “You can bring Jordan back. Or one of the others. I don’t deserve to be here.”

  “No,” Theo replied before I could. “And yes, you do. This wasn’t your fault. You did the right thing. You know that, right?” When she nodded, he continued, “Good. So here’s what’s going to happen. First, we’re gonna get something to eat because I’m fucking starving.”

  Sounding surprised and relieved, Twila let out a genuine laugh. “I’m hungry, too.”

  “And when we get back, I want you to go to your room and get some sleep. Aiden and I will take care of Ross. By the time you wake up he’ll be gone, and you can concentrate on winning this thing tomorrow night, okay?”

  She smiled at him, then me, glowing with gratefulness. “Okay.”

  EVENTUALLY, MY GROWLING STOMACH FORCED me back to the resort.

  Holding my flip-flops in one hand, I jogged the last half mile.

  If I got to the event room before ten, the breakfast buffet might still be set up. They always had scrambled egg and sausage burritos, which had become my go-to island food. These days, my new muscles were demanding more than just shakes and peanut butter as a protein.

 
When the back patio came into view, I took a left turn, heading for the back entrance I was so used to using.

  Dropping my sandals, I slipped them on before stepping onto the orange square tiles. The hallway was brightly lit by florescent bulbs and both housekeeping closets were open on either side, filled with mops, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, and linens.

  I passed the door that led to the basement and followed the smell of food to the kitchen.

  I poked my head in. “Breakfast still out?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Diego, the morning cook, stirred something in a skillet as he smiled over at me. “Got a late start today because of the storm.”

  “Thanks!” I skipped down the hall, taking the long way to the event room through the lobby.

  Right before I could make it through the open double doors, a voice called out, “Miss Harper.”

  Turning, I saw Ross sitting by the fountain. He stood and stretched, like he’d been waiting there for a while.

  “Yes?” My eyebrows furrowed, because he hardly ever spoke to me.

  “A word, please?” He motioned to one of the smaller conference rooms meant for business meetings.

  And a bad feeling came over me.

  I’d only gotten called to the principal’s office one time in my life. It was in fifth grade when I put chewed-up gum on Mindi Pfeiffer’s chair and ruined her jeans. In my defense, she was a snot who’d made fun of Carson for having glasses and she deserved it.

  But a sense of deja vu washed over me, because my march to receive detention for a week felt a lot like my walk to conference room C.

  When I got inside, a familiar man in a gray suit sat at the end of the mahogany table.

  Abe Garner was second in command at NTT. He had dark skin, gray hair at his temples, and kind eyes. He was the one who’d conducted my interview, and I’d immediately gotten a cheerful, grandfatherly vibe from him.

  Unfortunately, he looked anything but pleased as I approached him.

  This wasn’t good.

  Was there something wrong with the tracks I sent to the record label this morning?

  I’d meant to email them last night, but I couldn’t with no Wi-Fi. Surely, delivering them a few hours late wasn’t grounds for a reprimand.

  “Mr. Garner.” I cleared my throat and took a seat adjacent to him. “It’s good to see you again. Are you here for the big finale tomorrow night?”

  Frowning, lines bracketed his mouth and his crow’s feet deepened.

  And was that pity in his eyes?

  “No, I’m only here for the day.” He attempted a smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

  Oh, that was pity for sure. Definitely not good.

  Ross pulled out the chair across from me and sighed. “Where were you this morning?”

  “I went on a walk.” Truth.

  “Alone?”

  I bristled. “That’s none of your business.”

  “Actually, it is.” Ross sniffed, high and mighty. “Especially when it directly impacts the success of this production.”

  Cryptic much? I felt like I was being lured into a trap, and I wasn’t about to take the bait. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “We’re aware that you and Aiden attended the same performing arts academy,” Ross continued. “How well do you know each other?”

  I swallowed hard. There was no way for me to answer that question without lying or blowing my secret. I’d listed Weston on my resume when I applied for the job. They knew Aiden and I went to high school together. Why were they bringing it up now?

  “I’ll get right to it,” Mr. Garner cut in. “Being romantically involved with Aiden Legend is forbidden while you’re employed with NTT on this project.”

  Suddenly, it was like all the oxygen got sucked out of the room.

  I imagined this is what it felt like to be the person in a dunk tank. To have the platform beneath you give out. To be dropped into ice-cold water unexpectedly.

  How much did they know? And how did they know? Did someone tattle on us? It would’ve been their word against mine, so I decided to run with the lie.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I repeated like a broken record.

  “Are you saying this doesn’t belong to you?” Ross lifted an object from underneath the table, and my lungs seized up when I saw the dolphin design.

  I felt the color drain from my face. Just hours ago, Aiden had helped me pack up my things before we left the basement, and we must’ve missed the journal.

  “You see,” Ross continued. “Now that we’re done with the studio, I went downstairs with the building crew to help them deconstruct it properly. And I found this notebook. Curious about who the owner was, I looked inside.”

  “And you read it?” I asked, my blood boiling. Heat replaced the ice in my veins, redness rising to my face when he nodded.

  “All of it, Miss Harper.”

  Oh, God. Not only was it a violation of my privacy—and Aiden’s privacy—it was also humiliating. We’d written intimate things in there. Jokes. Secrets. Dirty talk.

  So much dirty talk.

  I tried to mentally calculate how many times I’d referenced Aiden’s ‘massive cock’ and couldn’t come up with a number.

  “Do you know what we’re talking about now?” Ross taunted with an irritated tone.

  “Yes,” I whispered, unable to deny it any longer.

  Mr. Garner slid a white envelope toward me. “It’s my understanding that you’ve done a good job here, and this project is coming to a close in two days anyway. The network is willing to pay you the full amount, and if you need a reference for a new job, we’re willing to overlook this mistake.”

  I stared at what was probably my severance pay as the word mistake echoed in my mind.

  Aiden wasn’t a mistake. No job opportunity in the world was worth giving up the past couple weeks for.

  But if I understood Mr. Garner correctly, my employment at NTT was hereby terminated.

  “Of course, we’re counting on your discretion.” His voice took on a warning tone. “You signed a non-disclosure agreement that can be held up in a court of law if violated.”

  “In other words, don’t try to sell your story to the tabloids,” Ross piped up.

  “I wouldn’t do that,” I shot back, offended.

  “Fantastic.” Raising his phone to his ear, Ross waited a second, then said, “Bring in the bags.”

  Bags? What bags?

  The conference room door opened, and a concierge came through with my backpack and my rolling suitcase.

  “Wait.” I looked from the unsympathetic Ross to the man who was my only hope. “Mr. Garner… Are you sending me home? Like, right now?”

  Having the decency to look guilty, he nodded. “This is effective immediately. I’m sorry, Miss Harper.”

  He strode out of the room, leaving me with Ross.

  “But—but—I need to get my things from my room.”

  “We already did that for you,” he supplied unhelpfully, motioning to my luggage. “Do you want to check through them to make sure everything is there?”

  “Yes.” I defiantly lifted my chin.

  His smug expression became annoyed. “Please, hurry. There’s a speedboat waiting at the docks to take you to the mainland. Your flight leaves in two hours.”

  So callous. So uncaring.

  I couldn’t believe this. They really were sending me away with zero time to prepare. No chance to say goodbye.

  Aiden. He wouldn’t let this happen.

  Hunching over my suitcase on the floor, I discreetly slid my phone out of my pocket and shot off a text.

  Me: Come to conference room C, ASAP. I just got fired.

  Just typing out the words made the emotions rise to the surface. Blinking rapidly, I tried to keep the tears from overflowing as I unzipped my luggage and sorted through my belongings. I took stock of all my clothes, my toiletries, and my makeup.

  Stalling for time w
hile I waited for Aiden’s response, I opened my backpack and slowly checked over my equipment. My laptop, my headphones, and all my cords were there.

  Looked at my phone—still nothing.

  Me: Where are you?

  “Miss Harper, it’s time to go.”

  Ross was really getting on my nerves.

  “Can I have my notebook back?” I held out my hand, but Ross shook his head and stuffed it into his suit pocket.

  “Evidence.”

  I stood, picked up my backpack, and slung it over my shoulder. “I’d like to see Aiden.”

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

  “Why not? I’ve already been let go, and I can tell you right now—he’s going to be really pissed about this.”

  “I don’t think so.” Ross gave me a patronizing smile, like he felt sorry for me. “Aiden is on a date with Twila. I saw them drive off together about forty-five minutes ago. They appeared to be having a great time.”

  A boulder might as well have hit me in the chest. I knew what he was saying wasn’t true, but the mental picture of Aiden with someone else was unpleasant.

  “I don’t believe you,” I stated.

  “They don’t call him Aiden the unattainable for nothing.”

  Oh, gag me. “You can’t even be serious right now.”

  “I am. The camera crew even got footage of it.”

  With a hard set of my jaw, I pulled out a chair and parked my ass on the edge of the seat. I was gritting my teeth when I said, “Well, I don’t mind waiting for him to get back. I can catch another flight later.”

  Ross sighed loudly, his patience gone. “I really didn’t want it to come to this, but—” He motioned at someone just outside the doorway, and when I saw the security officer come into the room, my mouth fell open.

  “You called the police on me?”

  “I’m going to ask you to come quietly, ma’am,” the large, muscled man said. The khaki uniform stretched over his shoulders as he crossed his arms in a don’t-test-me gesture.