actually be fun to be around.
Cindi laughed at his enthusiasm and put her hand on his arm. “Perfect! You can feel free to help me out any time you want. I won’t argue.”
“I’m really looking forward to doing stuff like that, too,” insisted Jessie, trying not to sound belligerent. “I think that’s part of the fun of being here.”
“Oh, I see,” said Cindi thoughtfully. “You guys are here for fun.” She lifted her eyebrows into two wicked darts. “It’s got nothing to do with winning a million bucks?”
Both Jessie and Malcolm laughed out loud.
“Let’s face it,” said Cindi, “we’ll probably end up backstabbing and betraying each other at the end but at least we can start out as friends, right?”
Jessie grinned, her misgivings about Cindi falling away. The girl was brash but at least she was up front about it.
“I’ll be honest with you,” Cindi went on, “I really don’t care about the money.”
“Yeah, right,” scoffed Jessie cheerfully.
“No, really,” laughed Cindi. “I’m in it for the fame. I’ve been trying to get my break as an actress for years and you can’t beat this kind of exposure.”
Malcolm and Jessie looked at each other.
“I believe her.” Malcolm shrugged. “I’m not really in it for the money, either. I just want to prove to myself that I can do it.”
Jessie spread her arms. “This is great. I am in it for the money, so why don’t we just agree that I’m the winner?”
Malcolm laughed. “I would but my wife would kill me. She’s pregnant and a million dollars would make a great nest egg.”
“Ooh, congratulations,” cooed Jessie and Cindi. Emboldened by their interest, Malcolm pulled out a photograph which was tucked into a small, plastic sleeve. “This is my Debbie,” he said bashfully. “That’s us on our honeymoon, in Miami.”
“She’s lovely,” said Jessie. Okay, Debbie wouldn’t be gracing the cover of Vogue anytime soon, but the couple had their arms around each other and the Malcolm in the photo looked just as besotted as the one standing in front of them. “You two look really happy.”
“We are,” said Malcolm, taking back the photo. “Married almost three years.”
“No husband or kids for me, thank you,” said Cindi. “I like the single life way too much. How about you, Jessie?” She picked up Jessie’s hand. “I don’t see a ring. You married? Or got anyone special?”
Jessie hesitated. That question would have been so much easier to answer only twenty-four hours earlier.
She was thinking about what to say when she realized that both Cindi and Malcolm were looking past her shoulders. She turned to see Nick bearing down on them, Lois hot on his heels.
2
JESSIE STRAIGHTENED HER spine and licked her lips nervously as Nick and Lois re-joined them. Kenny circled around so he could catch Nick’s arrival.
“Okay,” said Lois, crackling with authority. “Jess and Nick, I love this sexual tension thing you two have got going on and we’ll really play on it later but, for now, let’s just put it on hold until we get the practicalities sorted out.”
Jessie was horrified, even more so when Cindi nudged her and made kissy noises.
“There’s no sexual tension,” Jessie and Nick said in unison and then their eyes met in dismay.
Lois laughed delightedly. “Right,” she said. “Obviously. Anyway, I’m going to give you the rundown and I’m only saying it once so listen up everyone. We’re trying to keep the camera presence as unintrusive as possible. Even though this is a special we’re maintaining the feel of the regular Survive This! show, so Kenny will be the only handheld following you. Unless you have to split up and then we’ll bring in temps. Apart from that there are cameras scattered around the island.” She smiled. “We call them the Island Eyes.”
“Where are they?” asked Jessie.
“You don’t need to know. Now, you’ve also got the confession cam in the tiki hut, which is beyond the coconut trees at the end of the beach. Contractually, you’re obligated to do ten minutes, twice a day, but you can go in more often if you like. Remember, it’s no-holds-barred in there. Talk about life on the island, each other, what’s happening, any problems you’re having. If you’re thinking it, we want to hear about it.” She waggled her finger at them. “No holding out on us. And remember, that’s also your chance to address the audience directly. Which leads me nicely on to my next point.”
She looked down, checking her clipboard. “Nick will be setting challenges for you while you’re here and there’ll be a certain amount of points going for those. But sixty percent of your scores will come from audience votes so in the end, they’re the ones who will really be deciding who wins.”
Jessie nodded along with the others and then risked a peek at Nick. He was looking down at the sand, apparently listening, and she let her gaze linger on his face. The blue-green eyes framed with dark lashes, the thick tousled hair, the laugh lines at the corner of his eyes matched by the brackets on either side of his mouth. His features were so familiar from all those evenings on the sofa laughing along with his modest self-deprecating comments that she had to remind herself that he was a stranger to her. Then there was also the fact that, much as she’d told herself not to have any expectations, she hadn’t been able to resist the occasional fantasy regarding what would happen on the island. She’d imagined that, as she met each challenge with grit and determination, Nick’s admiration for her would grow and one night as they were gazing into the fire he’d suggest that just because their adventure was coming to an end didn’t mean their friendship had to.
“I’ve shared more with you in two weeks,” he’d say, “than with people I’ve known my whole life.” And then maybe he’d take her hand in his and lean towards her…
Except that now he thought she was some sort of hysterical bimbo.
Great start.
She suddenly remembered Kenny’s camera and she turned her attention back to Lois, hoping Kenny hadn’t caught her looking too moony.
Lois was still talking. “The first show goes out in two days, on Friday, and it’s going to be one hour a night every night after that, made up of edits from the handhelds, the Island Eyes and the confession cam. That’s what I’ll be spending my days doing, just in case you think I’m going to be out there drinking piña coladas on deck while you’re scrounging for grubs and berries here.”
They all smiled dutifully.
Lois came over to Jessie and handed her something that looked like a button on a shoelace. “Here, wear this around your neck.” She showed her a small black box. “This is the transmitter. Just clip it onto your dress or underwear or whatever. I want you all miked-up all the time, though please remember to take them off when you go in the water. Say something, Jess.”
“I prefer to be
