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I’m tempted to grab it and give it a good yank, but considering she made me turn around before she’d get in or out of the water, I know she won’t appreciate my attempt at humor. It’s too bad, really.
I shake water from my hair and motion her to go ahead of me. “You can have the shower. I’ll rinse off out here and meet you in the house.” We need to have a serious talk about what’s going to happen tonight.
Specifically what’snotgoing to happen.
I rush into the pool shower and change into comfy jogging pants and another of my endless supply of t-shirts. The guys give me no end of heat over my attire, but I don’t give two flying figs. I like my t-shirts. Nothing wrong with them.
I hear Trina moving around in the bedroom as I make my way through the living room and down the hallway. I avoid the cameras and try not to let it show that I’m running from their beady little eyes.
Trina gasps and grabs for the towel when I open the bedroom door. “Liam!”
“What?” Nothing’s out of the ordinary.
She snaps the towel in my direction. “You scared me to death.”
“Did not,” I pop back at her while mimicking her hands on hips stance. “You’re very obviously alive.”
“You know what I mean.” She smooths her hair and tugs a strand over her shoulder. “You said you would meet me inside.”
“We are inside.” I hold out my hands and peer around. “Did someone teleport us into another world where inside is outside?”
I shouldn’t tease her, but it’s so stinking fun. And now I know her cold looks and sass are hiding a gold mine of humor.
“You’re ridiculous.” She’s dressed in flannel pajama pants and a long-sleeve matching flannel shirt.
I snort out a laugh. “Flannel? Really? And you call me ridiculous.” I motion at her. “You’re cute in flannel.”
“What?” She plucks at the sleeve, all at once uncertain and blushing. “I didn’t know how things would turn out and hotel rooms are always cold.”
“And it’s a good way to hide from your fake husband?” I keep my voice pitched low enough that the microphones can’t pick it up.
She nibbles her lip but nods and tosses the towel into the hamper. Neither of us know what we’re doing. This whole thing is spinning out of control. Trina didn’t even read the full contract, which means she’s in for a few surprises along the way. Like what happened today. “Look, we’re in our safe place, okay?” I stretch out my arms. “No cameras, and as long as we’re quiet, even the mics won’t hear us. So, if there’s anything that needs to be said away from the public personas we’re playing, we’ll do it here.”
She nods once, the move precise and almost relieved.
I sit on the edge of the bed and pat the space next to me. When she shakes her head, I roll my eyes. “I promise I won’t bite. We need to talk about tonight.”
“Tonight?” Her voice squeaks. She takes a step back and clutches the shirt tight around her neck. “There’s nothing to talk about. You’re sleeping on the couch.”
“No, I’m not.” I need her to see reason so I go straight for the jugular. “If I sleep out there, everyone will see we’re not taking this seriously. We won’t get the votes. And we won’t win.” She gave me the key to success earlier and didn’t even know it. I saw the gleam of competition in her eyes and heard it when she talked about playing field hockey years ago.
She wants to win. There are only a few ways we can make that happen.
I wiggle my eyebrows and hold up my hand in a stop motion. “I’ll build a pillow wall between us. You won’t even know I’m here.” I jab my thumb over my shoulder. “They gave us a tiny house with a king-sized bed. It’s perfect.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Plus, I’m way too tall for that couch. Did you even see it? I’d have a crick in my neck the rest of the week if I tried to sleep out there.”
I watch her think it over. I could keep talking, but I’m too close to shooting myself in the foot.
Why risk it?
“I’ll call Marg and see if they have a cot or something. I’ll sleep on it and save your poor neck.” She reaches for the phone.
“How will they get it past the cameras?” I flop backward on the bed and wiggle in deeper. “Ooh, it is a nice bed.” With a kick of my feet, I scooch all the way up with my head on the pillows. My feet almost dangle off the end despite the enormous size.
Trina twists her hair into a knot at the base of her neck and eyes me like I’m a leper sure to give her cooties.
I stretch my arm out toward her side. “Look. There’s so much space.” I roll over onto my stomach and keep going onto my back again and I still haven’t reached the other side.
Her huff of annoyance is enough to send me rolling back over. I snatch all the pillows except for the two we’ll sleep on and pile them into a line down the center of the bed.
