Chapter 29
Cam drives the car off the main beach road, onto a dirt track and cuts the engine.
We are set back just enough that we can still see the sun twinkling off the sea as pelicans dive for fish.
It’s a hugely serene and romantic spot enclosed by jungle.
‘We’ll be a good distance from the crew and your sister here.
But we’ll have to go on foot the rest of the way once it is time to do the switch.
You go back to… Christ, what’s he called? ’
I flick through Cam’s notes and put them face down on my knee. ‘Eugene. He’s twenty-seven years old. He’s a dental nurse. He is a single father to a cute puppy called Floppy and he loves boats. He spends a lot of time in the gym when he’s not hanging out with Floppy.’
Cam looks impressed.
‘I have a class of over thirty children every year. I have to get to know them inside out or else they play you like a cheap fiddle. Speaking of which,’ I say, flipping the notes over. ‘This new guy Winston will be perfect for Amber.’
‘Would you miss going back to England if I asked you to stay here with me?’ Cam says with an earnest expression. ‘It’s just that I wondered if you want to… No pressure, but I just thought that it would be good if we—’
‘Yes.’
‘You don’t know what I’m going to ask,’ he says, smiling. Sparkles of joy radiate from his face.
‘It’s still a yes.’
He’s just about to lean in and kiss me when we hear the rumbling of cars going past from our hiding spot behind a dense thicket of trees and vegetation. Cam checks his phone. ‘It’s them. They’re setting up and filming in twenty. We should give them at least half an hour before we approach.’
‘Half an hour sounds about right,’ I say, licking my lips. Cam watches my tongue, so I slow down the movement and give him the look he has come to fear.
‘Oh no,’ he says. ‘Don’t look at me like that.’
I reach out my hand to stroke his thigh.
‘No. Not happening,’ he says, laughing. His eyes are telling a completely different story.
I swirl my fingertips lightly around his crotch area, teasing him so that he hardens inside his denim shorts.
‘You’re terrible,’ he says, looking at me awestruck. He visibly gulps and looks about to check that we are completely secluded.
Without taking my eyes from his, I slowly unzip his shorts. His breaths are coming short and sharp.
‘I’d like to give you something to remember me by,’ I say huskily.
Cam makes a choked sound in response, nodding his head vigorously. ‘Yes. Yes. Definitely. Oh, God, yes,’ he manages to say just before my lips make sweet contact.
* * *
Cam is sitting in a complete daze. It was all over very quickly due to the unusual circumstances, he says.
‘I’ve never been so turned on in my entire life.
That was insane.’ He looks over at me with dark, enticing lovey-dovey eyes.
His pupils are greatly dilated, and I am thrilled at his response.
I feel like a powerful, wanton woman, firmly in control of her sexuality.
‘Let’s rescue my sister,’ I say, getting quietly out of the car.
We make our way along the beachfront, following the sound of the waves crashing.
We step over brambles and duck under tree branches.
The forest is alive with creatures making noises.
‘It’s incredible,’ I whisper to him. ‘It’s such a spiritual feeling to be here surrounded by Mother Nature, and the intricate synergy between all of these plants and insects and animals.
I feel so small in comparison. It really is wondrous, don’t you think? ’
Cam is still giving me goo-goo eyes. At that moment, a snapping sound nearby causes us to stop.
The snapping is followed by a popping sound and a whistle.
I look up and there above us in the tree is the cutest-looking family of monkeys sitting watching us.
Next to them are the most brightly coloured birds I’ve ever seen, tapping away at the branch.
‘Mating calls,’ says Cam. I mean, he would know all about that, wouldn’t he? ‘Quick, look, a flying squirrel.’
‘This place is magnificent. I wish I’d trained to be a conservationist rather than a teacher. Imagine if this was your classroom? Imagine if you could show future generations what we’re losing if we don’t change our ways.’
I’m not sure what I’ve said but Cam is positively bursting to tell me something.
‘What? What is it?’ I whisper.
He shakes his head. ‘I’ll tell you when this is all over.’
A few more steps and we reach the spot where they have already put up a makeshift toilet cabin.
Cam silently points to it, and we make our way over and cram inside.
It seems like an eternity of trying not to kiss each other in the name of being professional before the door creaks open and we see Lois standing grinning at us.
‘Christ Almighty, if I have to hear Eugene say one more word about that bloody puppy getting stuck in the blinds…’
She stops whispering to take us both in. Her eyes dart back and forth, observing and assessing our body language in a split second. And without saying a word her mouth forms an ‘O’ as she does an embarrassing pantomime wink at us.
My cheeks burn and, when I look at Cam, he is equally unnerved. She’s even worse than Tyrone.
‘Say no more,’ she says, holding up her hand as though to stop us divulging our huge secret, even though the first two people we come across have figured it out immediately.
‘I’m so pleased for you,’ she whispers in my ear as she hugs me close.
She reaches into her bag and pulls out the red lipstick she is wearing.
Cam steps outside while we swap clothes.
Once we emerge, Cam indicates that we need to move fast and, before I have time to say anything, he swoops in and places a light kiss on my lips.
‘See you soon,’ he mouths. We part ways.
Me, heart thumping deliciously as I walk towards the sea, and Cam and Lois, scurrying back to the hidden car.
‘Hi, I’m back,’ I say, approaching Eugene. He is talking to one of the camera crew.
‘Hi. They said we can have me talk briefly about what type of woman I’m attracted to, and then we can head back before it gets too dark. Apparently, there are jaguars here that hunt at night.’ He looks petrified.
We are instructed to sit facing the sunset while they do a shot of us from behind. Eugene is staring longingly at the sea with a faraway look in his eye.
‘Floppy would love this. She loves a good sunset over the open ocean. She can sit and watch me fishing for hours and hours without a word of complaint.’
‘She sounds like your ideal woman.’
‘She is. She absolutely is.’
‘So, your ideal type is someone very like your dog?’
‘Yes.’
He’s such a red flag.
‘So, ideally you’re after a woman who is good at cocking a leg, sniffing gates and licking her genitals in public?’
I’m not helping myself here, but Cam has got me high as a kite with his sheer loveliness. I am experiencing huge cravings for him. He has been gone less than twenty minutes and my body aches for him. On the plus side, no one has noticed that I am not Lois.
* * *
We travel back to the villa in eerie silence. All of us are watching out for animals that accidentally stray onto the road. Porscha’s male assistant, River, is driving and our runner is up front. It’s time to start putting Tyrone’s plan into action.
‘Eugene, what do you think of Destiny? She’s awesome, right?’
‘Perfect, yeah. The whole package. Those bangs. So cool.’
‘I’m not surprised she’s with Cameron. They make a very cute couple.’
River twists briefly in his seat before turning his eyes back to the road. It is getting very dark.
‘Who is Cameron? Was he a bombshell?’ Eugene asks.
‘No. He’s one of the executive producers. I saw him and Destiny making out. I thought it was common knowledge. Please don’t say anything.’
‘No. Of course not. He’s a helluva lucky dude to pull her.’
‘And Mimi has said she’s open. Did you know that she volunteers at an animal rescue centre? She’s mad about pets, especially dogs.’
His eyebrows shoot up in the dim light of the car. ‘Really? She never mentioned it.’
‘No, she wouldn’t. She keeps the obsession quiet. You won’t mention it to her, will you?’
‘No. But Floppy could do with a strong female figure in her life. I’ll definitely pull Mimi for a chat. She’ll love hearing about the time Floppy got stuck in the blinds.’
‘She definitely will. Oh, and one more thing. Can you let Winston know that Amber is totally ready to make a commitment? Porscha asked me to tell him, but I forgot. He needs to pick her at the recoupling tonight.’
‘Sure thing. And should we choose each other?’ he asks politely.
‘I really think you and Mimi are a match made in heaven. You’ve got the same puppy vibe going on. Choose her.’
And the first of many seeds is sown.
* * *
Once we arrive, the crew get out and film us entering the villa not holding hands.
I walk straight to the Beach Hut to deliver my prearranged speech that Cam wrote, before heading over to the outdoor kitchen to hang out with the girls who are huddled around the bar.
It doesn’t take me long to slot right back into where I left off, except for pretending I’ve already met the new girls, and pretending not to know that Porscha has given both Amber and Mimi conflicting instructions.
I’m enjoying reconnecting with them. My little escape has reinvigorated me.
I’m ready to have some fun playing Porscha at her own game.
It’s time to fight back against the bullies.
‘Bubbles?’ I ask the girls as I stand behind the kitchen bench busying myself with fake Prosecco bottles. When I bend over to get some glasses, I sneakily reach down to my microphone pack and switch it off.
‘So, you really didn’t connect with Eugene, babes?’ asks Mimi in her silky voice.
‘No. Mainly because he is vibing off someone else in here. Vibing big time.’ I give her the eye.
Mimi looks interested. ‘Who, me? He likes me?’