Episode 90
EPISODE 90
SEEKING EMILY
Ariel
I can’t believe Emily didn’t come down to say goodbye to Sienna. That’s not like her. At least…I don’t think it’s like her. I guess we don’t know each other as well as I thought we did.
I’m supposed to have a lunch date with Sebastian at some point because of the blind man’s bluff game on the catamaran yesterday. I can’t help smiling to myself. I’ve already been in Sebastian’s bed…and I know that’s farther than Emily got with him the first night. I felt badly about choosing him on a whim when I won the game, but now?
I realize it’s every woman for herself here. June clearly doesn’t care that I had a spectacular time with Alex on our date. Once I left his suite, she didn’t waste any time shoving her tongue down his throat.
I’m still a little pissed at Emily for basically kicking me out of River’s suite so the grownups could talk, but she’s still the one I feel closest to here, and I don’t want to lose that. After grabbing a light lunch in the kitchen, I walk up the two flights of stairs to the third floor and knock on Emily’s door.
No response.
“Em!” I call. “You in there?” I pound harder.
Another door opens, and June peeks out, looking refreshed and beautiful, of course. That pissy feeling crawls up my spine faster than a rabbit on roller skates, but I tamp it down. After all, I just fucked Sebastian Tate, the most famous of the four. I need to stop being so petty.
“What are you making so much racket about?” June asks.
“Have you seen Emily? She was supposed to come get me hours ago.”
June furrows her brow. “Really? I haven’t seen her. Did she go to the hot tub after Heather and I left? To say goodbye to Sienna?”
I shake my head. “She didn’t. Not that I saw, anyway.”
“Damn…” June walks out of her room and toward me. She’s wearing a yellow romper and her feet are bare. “I just got out of the shower, but I was hanging out on the deck after Sienna and Brett left. Come to think of it, neither Emily nor Misty were there.” She bites her lower lip. “I don’t want to get involved with Misty in any way. I’m still not sure I’m on solid ground here, if you get what I mean.”
Oh, I get what she means all right. But Alex made his feelings known. June can stay, no matter what Evangeline or anyone else says.
June made sure she cemented her place on the island by sucking Alex’s big dick.
And there goes that pissy feeling again. This time I have a hard time holding back the pettiness. I have to bite my tongue. Actually, like sink my teeth into it. I don’t want to deal with June right now. If I have to, I’ll get pissy, and I don’t want to do that. That’ll only prove to June what she probably already thinks—that I’m too young and immature to be here.
I wave June away and knock on the next door, which used to belong to Ginger, but of course I get no response. “Emily!” I call again.
June has disappeared back into her room, and I’m just as glad, because when I turn to look down the stairwell, Heather comes bounding up from the second floor wearing nothing but a sports bra and leggings. Her hair is damp. Clearly, she either just had a swim or a shower, but there’s no mistaking the glassy eyes and flushed cheeks.
She’s been fucking, and the only thing I know for certain is that she wasn’t with Brett, because he’s with Sienna. I suppose I can rule Sebastian out as well…though I left his room over an hour ago, so maybe not.
“Hey,” she says, wiping her forehead. “What are you yelling about?”
“I can’t find Emily. She and I were supposed to—” I sigh. “Oh, never mind.”
All I can think about is that Heather had a great date last night with Sebastian, and I fucked him this morning.
“You okay?” Heather asks.
I open my mouth to answer her, but nothing comes out. This has all become so awkward. It’s almost incestuous, in a way. None of us are related, of course, but everyone is fucking everyone else. I had a threesome, for God’s sake. Me. Little Ariel Tanner. Hayseed mermaid had a threesome with an underwear model and a billionaire. Can’t say any of that was on my to-do list even a month ago.
I’d be lying, though, if I said I wasn’t having fun. And as much as I liked Brett’s and Alex’s attentions, Sebastian is the one who gave me what I ultimately wanted.
A good hard fuck. A cock inside me. The one thing that always makes me come.
“Ariel?” Heather prods.
“Sorry. I’m looking for Emily. I don’t think she went down to say goodbye to Sienna, and that’s not like her. Plus, she was supposed to find me a couple hours ago. I haven’t seen either her or Misty, and I’m getting concerned.”
“Misty…” Heather lets out a sigh.
“You know something?”
“Only what June told me.”
“About what?”
“I probably shouldn’t say anything.”
“You mean about the threesome with the basketball guy?”
“Oh. You know.” Heather sighs. “I’m thirsty. I need some juice. Come with me to the kitchen?”
“But Emily…”
“We’ll come right back. Come on.”
What the heck? I follow Heather back down two flights of stairs. Once we get to the kitchen, two staff members, a man and a woman, are laying out groceries. No Emily or Misty, not that I expected either to be there. No Alex or Sebastian either.
“What’s all this for?” I ask, gesturing to the food.
“Evangeline has an activity planned for later,” the male staffer—his name tag says Marc—says. He has gorgeous dark-blue eyes.
“An activity involving food?” Heather asks.
“Yes.”
“What is it?” Heather again.
Marc smiles. “She’ll have to tell you. Is there anything we can do for you in the meantime?”
“Yeah, actually,” Heather says. “I’d like an apple and kale smoothie with nonfat yogurt and vanilla protein powder.”
“Right away.” The female staff member—name tag Katie—nods to me. “One for you as well?”
“Kale?” I shake my head. “No thank you. I’ll take some apple juice, though. With nothing green or anything else in it.”
“Absolutely.”
“Kale is really good for you, Ariel,” Heather says.
“I’m sure it is,” I reply dryly. “Still, no thanks.”
Katie prepares our drinks while Marc continues laying out the groceries. This kitchen is so big. It’s bigger than Mama’s whole house.
The buzz of the juicer hums in my ears, and a moment later, Katie hands me fresh apple juice. I’m not sure I’ve ever had fresh apple juice. It’s always out of a bottle or from frozen concentrate. I take a sip and… Wow. It’s like biting into a crisp apple on a sunny day. I may have to get a juicer for Mama when I get home. If I snag a billionaire, I’ll buy her way more than a juicer.
Once Heather has her smoothie—which is the color of leafy sludge—in hand, we venture back up to the third floor. She takes a drink, and I can’t help myself. I look at her teeth to see if they’re green. They’re not.
“You check Emily’s room, and I’ll check Misty’s,” she says.
“I already checked Emily’s. She’s not here.”
“Maybe she returned while we were in the kitchen.”
“Not likely,” I say. “We would have seen her.”
“Not if she was in someone else’s room.”
“Good point.” I knock on Emily’s door once more. “You in there?”
No response again. I turn to see Heather still standing behind me. “I thought you were going to Misty’s.”
“I decided we’re safer in numbers.” Heather takes another sip of her awful-looking smoothie.
I don’t blame her for hesitating. Misty creeps me out a little too, but I figured it was just because I’m so young. It’s nice to know Heather’s a little wary as well.
We head toward her door, walking more slowly than normal. Just as we reach it, I gasp as it opens.
Emily saunters out. “Ladies,” she says.
“Where have you been?” I demand. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You were supposed to come get me after you—” I stop. Emily may not want me spouting off that she and I were in River’s suite earlier making demands.
“I did,” Emily says. “But you weren’t there.”
Oh. Right. I was fucking Sebastian. No big deal. Still, what was she doing in Misty’s room?
“What were you doing in there?” Heather asks. “You know Sienna left, right?”
“I know. I wanted to go down, but…”
I put my hands on my hips. “But what?”
Emily flashes a grin, but something’s off. I’ve seen Emily’s smile. It’s a bit standoffish, but genuine. This one is… I’m not sure. Laced with concern or something else.
“What?” I ask again.
Emily grabs my arm. “This whole thing just got a lot more interesting.”