Chapter 21 #2
Mindy frowns. “The goal should be to get your opponent dirty, not hurt them. And I didn’t think this needed to be said before, but I’ll say it now: You cannot hold your opponent’s head under the mud. Doing so will disqualify you and might even get you kicked out of the spa.”
Sam raises a hand. “Is there a prize?”
“Glad you asked, and yes, there sure is. Each member of the winning team gets an extra thirty minutes added to their massage session.”
There’s a bunch of oohs among us when she makes that announcement.
Jason turns to Cami. “This is what you planned for us?”
“Isn’t it great?” she says, with absolutely no sarcasm detected.
The group is silent, and Cami’s smile slips.
Who the hell cares if it’s messy and uncomfortable and will render my underwear useless. The bride is stressed and wanted to plan something fun for her friends and family. The least we can do is not make her feel bad about it.
I walk over to her and put my arm around her waist. “It’s a fabulous idea. I mean, how many people get to say they’ve mud wrestled before? Now I get to check this off my bucket list!”
“Mud wrestling was on your bucket list?” Cami asks, her eyes bright again.
“No, but only because I didn’t have the imagination to think of it. But I’m putting it on there and checking it off in one day, so I’m excited to do this.”
The others reluctantly murmur their approval.
“All right, everyone,” Mindy says. “We put your names in a hat to select the teams, and it just so happens that Cami and Bryan are opposing captains. The people joining Cami are Sam, Denise, and Vanessa. The people joining Bryan are Lisa, Jason, and Willow.”
“Perfect,” a narrow-eyed Denise says as she rubs her hands together.
Lisa points two fingers at her eyes, then points them back to Denise. Bring it, she mouths.
I will, Denise mouths back.
“Go ahead and climb in,” Mindy tells us. “I’ll blow the whistle once every person puts a thumb up in the air to let me know they’re ready.”
As we file into a line to enter at the shallowest part of the pit, Jason tugs on the back of my tank top.
I look at him over my shoulder. “What’s up?”
“Thanks for what you did back there.”
“What did I do?”
“You took Cami’s feelings into account. You made this about her, not us. I just wanted you to know I noticed. And I appreciate it.”
“It was nothing.”
He gazes at me affectionately. “Well, it was something to me.”
Oh God. My heart is racing, and I’m not even sure why.
Maybe it’s because I’m never the nice guy in any scenario.
If there’s mischief to be had, I’m your girl, but bone-deep goodness?
That’s never been me. Still, Jason thinks I’m a decent woman, and I almost wish I could live up to the person he’s built in his head.
If he knew what Lisa and I were up to, though, he’d realize how wrong he is.
“Okay, bring it in for a team huddle,” Cami says, pumping her hands to get us hyped. “We don’t want to overthink this. The point is to have fun. But we should make sure to have each of them covered. I’ll take Bryan.”
“I just bet you will,” Denise says, winking at her sister. “And I’ve got Lisa.”
“I just bet you do,” Cami says, giving Denise a wink in return.
“Okay,” I say, stepping in. “I know there’s no love lost between you and my sister, but take it easy on her. She’s not as tough as you, Scrappy-Doo.”
“I’m sure she can take care of herself.”
“Fine, be that way. Just remember I’m not as nice as she is. And don’t complain when you find yourself tag-teamed.”
“Threatening me with a good time, are we?”
“Ladies,” Cami interrupts. “I need the extra massage time, so set aside your differences and focus on your job: getting the other team mud soaked. Got it?”
“Got it,” we all say.
“Sam, I assume you want to cover Willow?”
“Absolutely,” he says.
“Okay, that means Vanessa’s on Jason.”
Something about her phrasing sends a flutter through my belly, then my mind goes to places it really shouldn’t, imagining me literally on top of Jason in various positions. I fan myself as I pace, willing my unruly thoughts to get the hell out of my head.
“Vanessa?” Cami says. “Thumbs-up?”
“Oh, right.” I quickly place my raised thumb in the air.
“All right,” Mindy says. “I’m seeing everyone’s thumbs, so here’s the whistle in three, two, one!”
Before Mindy’s mouth is even on the whistle, Denise charges for my sister, who slides to the side and hooks her leg around Denise’s ankle, bringing her down in seconds. It’s a thing of beauty, this takedown, and I’m so shocked that I take too long to register that Jason’s eyeing me like prey.
“Watch out, Vanessa!” Cami yells. She’s pretending to wrestle Bryan, but all they’re doing is rolling around in the mud like hogs in heat. “You’re our best chance.”
I circle the perimeter, using my peripheral vision to keep an eye on Bryan’s team, Jason especially.
“Denise is out,” Mindy shouts.
“Damn it,” Denise grunts, wiping mud off her face as she wades to the ladder.
Willow, who opted for a plastic cap, is slathering mud on her body in an apparent attempt to disqualify herself.
“You’re not even trying,” Bryan says to her.
“I’m running a marathon in two weeks. I can’t afford to get hurt.”
“Willow’s out!”
Realizing his girlfriend’s no longer in play, Sam pivots and chases after Lisa. Letting out a loud battle cry, he lunges for her, tackling her so hard she lands face-first in the mud.
Mindy blows the whistle. “Time-out!”
Denise, whose face is beet red, sneers at Sam. “What the hell? That was uncalled for.”
Sam laughs. “Chill. We’re on the same team, remember?”
“Wish I could forget, you asshole.”
I trudge through the dirt to check on Lisa. “Hey, you okay?”
Blinking rapidly, she shakes her head as if to gather herself. “I’m fine. He just caught me off guard.”
I put out my hand to help her up, but Denise materializes by my side and offers Lisa her hand instead. She doesn’t say anything, so she and Lisa simply lock themselves in a staring standoff. Eventually, Lisa relents and takes Denise’s hand.
Jason appears by my side and whispers in my ear. “I think we’re witnessing a breakthrough.”
“Miracles do happen.”
“Checking in,” Mindy says. “Thumbs-up if everyone’s okay.”
Everyone gives her the signal.
“Okay, Camila and Bryan, you’re out. Lisa too. Which leaves Sam and Vanessa from Cami’s team and Jason from Bryan’s team. Whistle on three.”
As soon as Mindy blows the whistle, Jason and Sam both get into a sumo squat.
I edge away from them, fully intending to win this game by being the last person standing.
Jason and Sam charge each other, arms and legs flailing as they try to bring each other down.
Jason’s face is scrunched in concentration, and I’m mesmerized by the way his muscles flex as he and Sam roughhouse.
Denise raises her hands to her mouth. “Finish him, Jason!”
“You’re on my team,” Sam says through gritted teeth.
“You’re a jerk,” Denise yells back.
Jason uses the distraction to his advantage and wraps his arms around Sam’s torso. In an impressive show of strength, Jason lifts Sam in the air and drops him into the mud, then rolls him like he’s making a burrito.
The whistle blows. “Sam’s out.”
Jason’s eyes gleam as he peers at me, his broad chest heaving. Oh shit, I’m the only target left. Maybe winning by process of elimination isn’t one of my better ideas.