Taking the Heat (11 page)

The screen went thankfully still, but the image of the other woman stayed frozen in full view. Everyone waited silently for Clara to react.

She stood with total dignity. Without saying a word, she walked out.

‘Clara, wait! Please …' Toshi followed her, pleading.

When they were out of sight, Miles stretched his lips wide in a gruesome smile. ‘Well, that was exciting, wasn't it?' No one answered him. ‘Now, contestants, you are free to enjoy the rest of tonight, and we'll see you on the beach tomorrow for challenge number two!'

For a moment, we all sat like mannequins. Nik was the first to move. Standing, he threw his napkin on the table in disgust. ‘Megs, can I walk you home?'

‘Please. Good night, Tara.'

‘'Night, guys,' I said absently.

With all the fun sucked out of the room, everyone began to drift out. Henry waved tentatively as he left, and I gave him a tight smile in return.

I stood awkwardly, wincing at my sore knees as they protesting against weight bearing. ‘Can you walk okay?' Chris materialised by my side.

‘I'll be fine.' I walked unevenly past him, but my ridiculous shoes almost caused me to fall again. Staggering, I gripped the back of a chair for support.

‘You won't make it on those,' he said, amused. ‘Sit down. Let me help.'

Too sore to argue, I did as he said. Chris kneeled at my feet and took my shoe in his hand. Carefully, so he didn't touch my skin, he slid the high heels slowly from my foot. I shivered slightly at the intimacy of the act.

‘I'm sorry about before,' said Chris, looking up at me, his icy eyes contrite. ‘I didn't mean to go off. I just hate seeing you hurt.'

‘I know,' I said. We stayed like that for a moment, alone in the bungalow. Well, alone if you didn't count the crew carefully documenting our movements.

‘I'm not going to hassle you. I just wanted to make sure you made it back to your room okay. I made a production runner grab a wheelchair for you, only if you want it. He's waiting with it on the walkway.'

I hate being treated like I'm handicapped, or like a little girl, but the agonising throb in my knee saw my indignation dissipate. ‘Thanks.'

He slipped off my second shoe, and shadowed me as I stood again and made my way to the exit.

Once I was in my wheelchair, I said, ‘Thank you, Chris. You didn't have to do this.'

‘Yes, I did.'

‘I'll see you tomorrow?'

‘Yeah. Sweet dreams, babe.'

He loped off down the platform, and my body shook, desperate to follow him.

Chapter 11

Transcript of Tara M's video diary: Day 4

Standing on the beach the next morning, I stretched carefully. Thanks to some strong pain meds and a decent night of sleep, plus a full plate of medicinal bacon for breakfast, I was feeling pretty sturdy again. As the other contestants made their way onto the sand, Henry approached me cautiously.

‘Tara, I'm so sorry.' He held out a hibiscus flower, a vivid red to match my bikini and beach dress. ‘I really did think I was doing the right thing, but of course I acted like a total knob. Can you forgive me?'

I melted. ‘Yes.' Taking the flower, I tucked the stem in the band of my low ponytail. ‘It wasn't your fault, anyway. I'm the klutz who shouldn't be allowed out in heels.'

‘I do find high heels on a woman very attractive. It would be a shame for you to give them up permanently.' His face flushed, as he awkwardly tried to flirt.

‘No promises,' I told him, smiling at his shyness. ‘What do you think they're up to today?'

‘I have no idea, I'm sure.'

The rest of the contestants arrived and people stood around, chatting in small groups. The African girl I hadn't met yet wandered over to us. She smiled at Henry and me, her teeth almost violently white against her luminous skin.

‘Hello. It is nice to meet you both! I am Jendayi.' Her accent was lilting and wonderful. ‘You can call me Jen, if you wish.'

‘Hey Jen, nice to meet you too. I'm Tara and that's Henry.'

‘Yes, we've met. Hullo again, Jen. The last time we spoke, you were telling me about the orphanage you want to start.'

Jen nodded vigorously. ‘Yes! In Harare, there are many, many children who have lost parents. With my prize, I will make a safe place for them in my city.'

‘Wow!' I was impressed. ‘That's wonderful, Jen. That's a great reason to come on the show.'

‘Oh no,' she rushed to explain, ‘I didn't apply for Erotic Island because of my dream. I only found out about the money later.'

‘Then why did you audition?' Henry's full bottom lip was pushed out in confusion.

‘Why, because I am a diagnosed sex addict!'

Nothing surprises me anymore in this place. Jen didn't act like her revelation was a big deal, so I played along. ‘That must be really hard to live with. Right, Henry?'

I looked over at the Brit, and found him opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish. His eyes were just about bulging out of his head. ‘Uh … I, um … well …'

Jen answered. ‘It has been hard, I will not lie. In Zimbabwe, there are many people with HIV. Also, among my family and friends, a woman is not supposed to have sex before she is married. I am very glad to be here, among people who are like me.'

She grinned widely at Henry, who blustered out with, ‘Well, we're not all like … what I mean is, you have a very unique condition, and I don't … I'm not addicted to sex. I hardly have any, actually.' He glanced at me, and backtracked. ‘I mean, compared to Jen. I have plenty and I like it and I'm quite good at it. I think. Oh, gosh, what I meant was …'

‘
Stop,
' I hissed at him.

Jen was unperturbed. She laughed and said, ‘I like you, Henry! You are very funny.' She wiggled her hips at him. ‘I hope very much to win a key today.'

‘Yes. Yes, good, then.'

Thank god Miles started talking so Henry had to stop. ‘Good morning, contestants! There are four keys up for grabs, and today your challenge is one of endurance. Just how long can you hold on—literally!'

He bared his unusually big teeth at us in a trademark smile. ‘The rules are simple; you'll be paired up with a competitor of the opposite sex. All you have to do to win, is make sure the lady stays off the ground. If her feet touch the sand, you're out! The last two couples left win the keys. Easy, right?'

The idea of climbing onto the back of a sweaty stranger in the hot sun wasn't exactly appealing, and I raised my hand with a question. ‘Hey, Miles! What about me and Beau? We have our keys already, so are we sitting this out?'

‘My darling girl, where would be the fun in that! No, no, competitors with keys will still participate.'

‘What's in it for us?' Beau called out from the back of the crowd.

‘If you have a key already, and win a second challenge, you'll be rewarded with a name—the name of a person who isn't your fantasy cabin partner.'

Suddenly, I had a very good reason to compete. If I could cross a name off my list of ten possibilities, I would have a better chance at guessing who I would be potentially having sex with. And, if I wasn't going to be paired up with either Henry or Chris, it would be nice to know and prepare myself.

‘To choose your partners today, you are all required to wear a blindfold and put a hand out in front of you. The first hand you grab will be your partner. Unless you manage to pick someone from the same sex, of course!'

Runners appeared with the cloth blindfolds and arranged us into a loose circle. Once my eyes were covered, I heard Miles shout, ‘Contestants! Hands out!'

People giggled and pushed as our fingers all connected in a big tangle. I kept my hand relatively still, the other palms sliding over and under me.

The second I felt a tingle, I knew whose hand had found mine. The wide palm squeezed me gently and I laced my fingers through his. After being deprived of male touch for a couple of days, I revelled in the warmth that lanced up my arm.

‘Alright, everyone! Do you have a hand? Babette and Mila, that isn't going to work, girls—surely you can tell you're not holding hands with a man?'

‘We just think we'd have better luck with each other than a man,
da?
'

‘No deal—swap please. That's better! Okay, blindfolds off!'

The sun was shockingly bright as the cloth was whipped from my eyes. Chris stood across from me, a content smile tugging at his sassy lips.

‘I knew it was you,' I said.

‘And how did you know that?' He pulled me a little closer, taking full advantage of the lapse in our physical regulations.

‘Because you have gigantic ham hands.'

He slid them down to the small of my back and rubbed little circles on my skin. ‘All the better to hold you with, my dear.' He looked like a big bad wolf, his eyes flaming hungrily.

‘Contestants! Please select a platform!' Ten circular raised platforms lay on the stage, each covered with fake grass and about the size of an extra-large pizza. We all stepped up and scattered to the circles.

‘If the man moves off the platform, you are disqualified. If any part of the lady touches the ground, you are disqualified. So, the man must stay on his feet and the lady must stay off hers. Good luck! We begin in ten … nine … eight …'

‘Quick, jump on my shoulders,' Chris said, crouching down.

‘Wait!' I pulled off my dress. ‘You'll have better grip without it.' In only my bikini, I slid my thighs over his broad shoulders, feeling his thick muscles tense as he stood up.

‘… Three! Two!
One!
' The gong rang and Miles began a commentary. I could barely hear him. My senses were overloaded.

Between my legs, Chris' head brushed against my stomach and I rested my hands lightly on his mahogany hair. The powerful scent of clean man swamped my nasal passages; I breathed him in, desperate to see if he tasted as good as he smelled. My feet were locked tightly behind his back and his hands were on my ankles, which he rubbed gently.

I'd never thought of my ankles as being an erogenous zone, but as Chris massaged my Achilles tendons, I felt sparks down to my toes and up to my knees. A wave of dizziness caused my legs to relax and I tipped backwards.

‘Shit!' Chris tilted back as well and we both began to fall. Every muscle working, he pulled forward, his feet staggering. By some miracle, we stayed on the platform.

‘Goodness me! The Aussies were almost out! Better concentrate, kids.' Miles wagged a finger at us.

‘Tara, please don't do that again.'

‘Please don't rub my ankles again, then!'

‘Okay, okay. I don't mean to touch you. It doesn't seem to be something I have any control over.'

I couldn't see his face, but I could hear the genuine confession in his voice. ‘I know.' My body was exactly the same. Despite the cameras aimed at us, my nipples were rock hard in arousal and the gusset of my bikini bottoms was definitely damper than the rest of my suit.

Trying to concentrate, I looked around at the other competitors. Some, like us, had gone for shoulder-rides. Others were cuddled in piggy-backs or cradled in arms. Two platforms down from us, Henry stood in extreme discomfort, with Jendayi wrapped koala-style around him, chatting and laughing.

After ten minutes or so, four couples had lost their footing or strength and had been knocked out. After fifteen minutes, two more were gone, and Chris suggested, ‘Hey, do you want to climb down into my arms for a while? My neck is getting pretty sore.'

‘Are you calling me fat?' I teased.

‘Well, I didn't want to say anything, bacon-girl …'

I poked him in the side with my toe and he squeaked in a very unmanly fashion. ‘Oi! Do you want to win or not?'

‘Yes,' I said, twisting and sliding down from his shoulders. Chris has huge arms, and they supported me as if I weighed less than a pillow. He gently arranged me until I was splayed against his chest and belly, my arms interlocked behind his head and my legs pressed to his backside.

If my body was excited before, it practically wept with joy now. My nipples scraped against his chest and I moaned slightly as they grew even firmer, swelling in pleasure. Between my thighs, it was a full-blown pants party, and I could feel a bulge developing under Chris' swimsuit. He shifted and groaned.

He ran his hands into my hair, winding his fingers through the strands. ‘I never want this game to end.'

‘Me neither.' I leaned my head towards his and he rested his forehead on mine. Closing my eyes, I revelled in the way his breath played on my lips. Sweat ran freely down our skin, the heat burning between us.

‘Tara, listen—'

‘Toshi! That was a foot off your platform, my Japanese friend! You and Mila are out! That leaves only three couples left in the running! Chris and Tara, Jen and Henry, and Nik and Meghan!'

With the announcement, I tore my head away from Chris to see how the others were doing. Nik and Meghan looked set for all eternity; she was curled up like a tiny doll in his arms as he held her effortlessly, his eyes adoring. The sight of the new couple made me ridiculously pleased.

Meanwhile, Henry was struggling. His arms were shaking and his legs wobbled as Jen struggled for a better grip. I figured we only had another few minutes before it was all over.

Chris spoke in my ear, his deep voice sending little shockwaves down my solar plexus. ‘We should forfeit.'

I was enjoying the feel of his words so much, I almost missed their meaning. ‘What? Why?'

‘Because you already have a key and Jen desperately needs one.'

‘What about Henry?'

‘I'm not doing it for him.'

‘But … what if I win? And they tell me you're not my cabin mate?'

‘Is that going to make it easier to go in there?' A muscle jumped in his solid jaw; I could see it caused him pain to even think that.