Page 56 of Taking the Heat

Inside my suite, I was shocked to see it was still in one piece; the glass sliding doors weren’t even cracked. The power was out, but that wasn’t an issue. After spending the night in shock on a crowded mattress, my bed looked like a paradise of pillows and white sheets. I flopped into it, submitting to sleep, hoping that when I woke up, I would have a plan to make things right with Chris.

***

Banging roused me. ‘Tara! Open the fucking door!’

I squinted in the late-afternoon sun, slanting in through my windows. Grumbling, I rolled out of bed and let Clara in. ‘I was asleep, just so you know.’

‘I don’t fucking care, just so you know.’ Despite her tough words, Clara was all sweetness and light, bouncing happily inside and jumping on my bed. ‘It’s a free-for-all out there, fucking candyland—why are you in here sleeping?’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I thought you might have missed the message.’ She grinned cheekily. ‘All filming is suspended until they can get the lights back on. There’s no working cameras and the touch restrictions are lifted. It’s fucking awesome!’

‘I take it you’re staying with Toshi, then.’

She jiggled with sexual energy. ‘You bet your sweet Aussie ass, I am. I thought I was going to fucking die when that storm hit.’

‘Oh god, were you hurt?’

‘Fuck, no! I was sitting on Toshi’s face, about two seconds from coming like a fucking freight train—’

I clapped my hands over my ears. ‘Jesus! Clara—TMI!’

‘Oh, grow the fuck up. Anyway, the storm ripped the tent off and left me hanging like a randy bitch. And being stuck in the storeroom all night, with everyone around us, we couldn’t do anything. Well, hardly anything, just fingers …’

‘Clara …’

‘Just fingers! God, what’s your fucking problem?’ She rolled her liquid eyes at me. ‘So, this morning, they told me my cabin is trashed and that I could stay with Toshi. We’ve been going at it all day. I swear to fucking god, I’m so sore, I’m walking like a cowboy.’

‘That’s very nice for you,’ I said straight-faced. ‘So, why are you here? Did Toshi run out of steam?’

She stretched her arms high. ‘Oooh. That’s better. He’s napping right now, so I went out to find food, and I ran into Chris, working like a fucking Mexican with the crew down at the bungalow. I figured you guys didn’t know about the touch restrictions being suspended, otherwise he’d be cock-deep in you right now, so I dropped by to tell you.’

There was so much to process in that paragraph: the casual racism, the mention of Chris’ penis, and the fact that she was actually doing something nice for me. ‘Thanks, Clara, but it doesn’t make a difference. Chris doesn’t want to see me right now.’

‘Are you fucking dense? That guy fuckingexistsfor you.’

‘Not since last night. You saw what happened when he left, right?’

‘You mean, did I see you melt down like a fuckingAmerican Idolcontestant when they get the ass?’

‘Yes, that.’

‘Of course I fucking saw it. You were pretty fucking hard to ignore.’ She examined her nails casually, inspecting for chips. ‘It looked like Jen and Henry had you covered.’

‘That’s the thing,’ I tried to explain. ‘When Chris got back, he just saw me with Henry and he freaked out. He thought I ditched him, just because he was gone for a few hours.’

‘That is the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard! Of course you weren’t hooking up with Henry!’ She was on her feet, eyes flashing in righteous anger.

‘I tried to tell him, but he wouldn’t listen.’

‘So, what? You just give the fuck up?’

‘No. I just don’t know what to do next.’ I stared at the carpet, void of feeling. I’d ruined the one night I had allowed myself to enjoy, and that was all on me.

Clara made an announcement. ‘You need to see him. Go in an hour.’

‘Clara—’

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