Chapter Twenty-Two #2
“No way. Kill them with kindness,” Madison responds. Then she turns to me and says, “Show them you don’t care.”
But before I can kill anyone with kindness, I notice Andrew standing with the crew in the shade of a pop-up tent. I tell the girls I’ll be back in a sec and hustle over to him.
“Hey, can we talk?” I blurt before he even sees me coming.
His eyes widen in surprise and then concern. “Yeah. Sure.” He scans the crowd for Kristina, but she’s busy talking to Brett. Apparently deeming the coast to be clear, he walks with me toward the dunes, away from everyone.
When we’re out of hearing range, I say, “I just wanted to say thank you again for last night.” And then I realize how that sounds and how I could also be thanking him for whatever the hell it was that transpired between us in the production trailer.
“For stopping things in the hot tub,” I quickly clarify.
He raises his eyebrows, as if he’s curious what else I could’ve been thanking him for, and I silently curse my brain for thinking dirty thoughts.
“You’re welcome,” he says, then nods to the bar area where the rest of the contestants are gathered—specifically, to where Beth Anne is now sitting on Scott’s lap.
“You doing okay?” he asks, and I wonder if he’s heard about their romp on the beach too.
I nod. “Well, besides the hangover and the fact that I forgot that today is the most important day at my lab in years and now I have to compete in a sexy obstacle course, yeah, I’m okay.
I probably should’ve listened to the guy who tried to warn me about Scott, though.
But I figured he was just being annoying and litigious, as usual. ”
The grin is back. “That does sound like him.”
I take a deep breath and say what I really pulled him away to say. “I’m also sorry if I was inappropriate last night and made you feel uncomfortable.”
He looks at me with a gleam in his eye, like he just took back some of the power in this ongoing battle of ours. “If I seemed that way, it was only because you were drunk,” he says, not breaking eye contact, as if he wants to make sure I understand.
“Oh,” I say as eloquently as I can with the world’s sexiest lawyer staring at my mouth.
“I wouldn’t want you to do anything you’d regret,” he adds.
“I wouldn’t have regretted anything,” I tell him.
Andrew’s pupils darken, and I know we’re back on even footing in this ever-changing dance of ours. I see him calculating his next move, but before he can respond, Blue comes over and says to Andrew, “I heard you didn’t get fired. Congrats?”
Andrew steps back from me and laughs. “Thanks?” he says in the same questioning tone as Blue. “I did get a lengthy lecture from Kristina, though.”
I wince sympathetically. “I’m familiar with those.”
Andrew makes sure no one is listening before he says, “She was more upset that she couldn’t use the footage since I’m not a contestant.”
Blue laughs. “That sounds like her.”
But my heart drops. “I’m now remembering what other footage they may have.”
Andrew shoots a look at Scott before saying quietly, “I worked out a deal. Scott won’t press assault charges against me, and we won’t air the footage from the hot tub where he’s taking advantage of an intoxicated woman. Or send it to his employer.”
“You did that?” I’m tempted to throw my arms around him, but Blue is here, so instead I just say, “Thank you.”
“What can I say?” Andrew says. “I’m good at my job.”
“Well, besides the whole punching a contestant thing,” I tease.
“Besides that.” He smirks.
“It must’ve been weird filling out paperwork about yourself and not some infraction of mine.”
“I started writing ‘Grace’ out of habit.” We both laugh, and it’s like we’re in on the same scheme—the way we seamlessly transition to normal banter mode in front of Blue, instead of the weird one-upping of sexual tension we’ve been playing at.
But Blue doesn’t seem to be fooled by our casual act. He’s looking back and forth at us suspiciously, like he’s trying to figure out what’s going on. Finally, he asks Andrew, “How’s your hand?”
“Fine. I had a good nurse.” He smiles, but doesn’t look at me. I can’t help but smile in return.
I catch Blue rolling his eyes like he can’t believe we think we’re being covert. I quickly wipe the smile off my face, right before Blue turns to me. “And you.” He captures me with his glare. “Are you wearing an appropriately indecent bathing suit?”
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. “Yes, Blue.”
Andrew raises his eyebrows at me. But I just shake my head. Blue puts his hands on his hips. “Okay, let’s see.”
“What? Now?”
“Yeah, the challenge is starting soon, and Kristina told me that if you were dressed like, I quote, ‘an old-timey circus performer,’ she’d key my car.”
My skin starts to feel warm at the thought of Andrew looking at me in this skimpy bikini. Which doesn’t make sense—I was dressed much more scantily last night. But then again, Andrew and I were alone last night . . . which somehow made it easier.
I toy with the hem of my cover-up as Madison and Ciara, already stripped down to their bikinis, walk over to tell me the team challenge is starting. When I pull it over my head, Blue says, “Thank God,” as he claps appreciatively. Ciara and Madison whistle and catcall.
“Okay, that’s enough,” I say, turning away from them so they won’t see me blushing, but in the process I catch Andrew quickly looking away, a faint blush on his cheeks as well.
When he meets my eyes, his pupils are blown and he has that same strained expression that he had last night, like he’s trying so hard to be professional.
My stomach flutters as I wonder what would happen if he weren’t.
Blue clears his throat. “If you two are done here, we have an obstacle course to attend.”
I look away from Andrew, embarrassed, only to find Ciara and Madison watching us as well.
I give them a knock it off look, and we follow Blue to where the rest of the contestants are gathered.
When I look back, Andrew is watching me walk away.
He mouths to me, Torture. I smile but quickly try to hide it.
Ciara notices. “I thought you said nothing was going on?”
I shush her. “That was nothing.”
“The hot lawyer that you find so annoying, huh? I knew it,” Madison says.
I shush them again. “I don’t want him to hear you.”
Madison and Ciara raise their eyebrows at each other as we meet up with the other contestants.
I know they’re not going to drop it, so I might as well ask them for advice.
I’m about to try to explain the complicated feelings I’ve been having when Blue claps his hands to get everyone’s attention.
Madison and Ciara look disappointed that the moment has passed, but there’s no need to get distracted talking about Andrew when there’s a task at hand.
If I want to continue being the points leader and work my way out of that damn shack, I need to do well in this team exercise.
We all quiet down as Blue gestures to two identical, complicated-looking obstacle courses set up in the sand.
I was so distracted by Andrew that I’m just now noticing them .
. . and they look like something the military uses to break recruits.
Despite the tranquil oceanside setting, a panic attack threatens to creep in.
I must be hyperventilating because Madison squeezes my hand and whispers, “Breathe.”
“This may surprise you, but the awkward science nerd is not a natural athlete.”
She shakes her head at my self-deprecation. “This isn’t gym class. You’ll be fine.”
“I actually made a deal with my gym teacher senior year. If I cleaned the mats and weights every day so he didn’t have to, he’d look the other way when I read on the bleachers during class.”
Madison laughs. “Of course you did.”
I can still smell the ghost of disinfectant past when Shantae walks onto the beach wearing a designer black bikini and a leopard print sarong.
Seriously, what is this girl’s wardrobe budget?
She doesn’t bother with pleasantries, she just stands on her mark and says, “Welcome to our first team challenge! We’ll split into two teams and compete in the sexy obstacle course, relay race style. ”
When I scan the course, I notice that the producers and Andrew have moved down closer to watch. At first blush, I’m happy to see him. But then the realization that he’s about to watch me attempt athletics sets in and so does a literal blush. Maybe I can offer to clean the mansion bathrooms instead.