Page 4 of Taking the Heat

With his wide mouth, he smiled at me. ‘Congratulations on making it through.’

‘Oh, go to hell,’ I spat back. ‘What are you doing here anyway?’

‘I’m auditioning, same as you.’ He gazed around the auditorium casually and I felt my irritation growing.

‘Were you always going to try out? Was it your plan to make me feel bad so you’d have one less person to compete against?’ I was sure I was right. Why else would he be there?

He turned his aqua eyes on me and I read hurt inside their cool depths. It dissipated as he said, ‘I never gave you my name. I’m—’

‘Don’t bother,’ I said. ‘I’ve already christened you Douche-face.’

‘Creative.’

‘Thanks.’

We stared at each other for a minute and I wished things were different. It would have been so much less complicated if I hadn’t been auditioning for the show. We could have drunk our tea and coffee, chatted, arranged another date. In a few nights, I could have been fluttering around, trying on the perfect outfit, choosing to wear my nice underwear, just in case …

Instead, I stood there, conflicted by feelings of indignation and lust and something more confusing. Connection? I wanted to kiss him as much as I wanted to slap him.

Before I could do either, a production manager got up on the stage. ‘Hey gang! Can I get you all to come and sit, please?’

Rolling my eyes at Douche-face, I stalked off to the other end of the seating, as far away from him as I could get.

In his nasal American accent, the manager went on. ‘Okay, so I’m Matt, and you guys are the final twenty contenders for the entire city of Melbourne!’ I smiled at his pronunciation—MelBOORN.

A raucous cheer went up, and Matt waved down the noise. ‘Now, now, don’t get too excited. We’re only looking for two people from Australia and we’re auditioning in Sydney as well.Erotic Islandwill be made up of ten different nationalities, and held on a private island at an undisclosed location, and with a guaranteed million dollars for each contestant, we’re being pretty picky about who we cast.’

I looked around at the other people in the room. To be fair, we were all young and good-looking. The girls flicked heads of shiny hair around, while I’d have been happy to take any of the guys to second base without a second thought.

So I knew the final selection wasn’t going to be based on looks: it would come down to who would make for more interesting TV. Smoothing my straight hair down in a calming fashion, I steeled myself.I’ll give you interesting …

Matt consulted his iPad. ‘We’re asking each of you to jump up on stage and tell us why you think you’ll make a great addition toErotic Island. You’ll be filmed, so bring your A-game.’

He twirled his fingers at the camera guy at the back of the seating. ‘Let’s start with Kylie Merton.’

A giggling girl with dark blonde hair scampered up onto the stage, and became the first person of eighteen people to say almost exactly the same thing.

‘So, I really want to go onErotic Islandbecause I’m fun and sexy and this is such an exciting show and I’m totally looking for love and I’m up for anything!’

The repetition was painful. No one mentioned the obvious—the gigantic cash prize.Do they really think anyone will believe they’re here for the experience?When Matt finally called my name, I still wasn’t sure what I was going to say, but I knew it would be different from the rest of them.

‘I’m Tara. I’mnothere for love and I’m not up for anything—in fact, I didn’t even find out sex was involved until after my friend signed me up for this thing.’ I aimed that last comment in the direction of my least favourite barista. ‘I can’t say I’m looking forward to having sex with a stranger on TV for cash, but I’ll do it. I don’t have a choice.’

I took a ragged breath and tried to ignore the piercing stare from Douche-Bob Coffee-Face sitting in the back. ‘I’m here for my sister. She got into an accident last year. She went out with her friends and the designated driver had one too many drinks. It was wet and he misjudged the corner. Ella … she survived. But she’s a paraplegic now.’

To my horror, I felt my throat growing thick with the emotion, and tears I had no intention of letting fall flooded my eyes. ‘Ella is stuck in a government-funded rehab facility in rural Victoria. She’s only got three months left before they kick her out, and she’s got nowhere to go. Our parents can’t look after her—they’re retired, but they live in a caravan and they only make enough from the pension just to make it through the week. So I’ve been saving as hard as I can to buy a house where we can both live, but even if I manage it, I’d have to quit work to care for her.’

The tears spilled, despite my best efforts. I felt their hot tracks trail down my chin, which I lifted, and I said, ‘So, that’s why I’d make a great addition to your show. I don’t want to be here, but I’ll do it for her. Thank you.’

When I was finished, no one clapped, the way they had after the other contestants.Screw you guys.I walked back to my seat, indignant at the silent room. Jutting my chin, I sat and stared straight forward at Matt as he reclaimed the stage.

‘Jesus …’ I heard him mutter. He typed something on his tablet, then said, ‘Okay, lucky last, Christopher Carson.’

The alliteration rolled off his tongue, as I realised I’d just learned the name of my nemesis. Like a lithe panther, Douche-face leaped up onto the stage.

‘I’ll be quick,’ he said, eyes zeroed in on me. ‘I’m here for one reason. To win. And I’ll fight, kick, yell, punch, screw or do anything I have to, in order to walk away with the prize I’m here for.’

I rolled my eyes at his bravado.If only he wasn’t so infinitely do-able.He could have his million bucks. I just wanted mine.

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