Rescue Me (8 page)

"We've won most of the challenges so far. If we carry on the same
way, we won't even make it into the vote."

"He's gonna be watching us closely, Seth."

"Then we'd better give him a show. Come
on,
get your butt in the shower. We've got to meet the rest of the crew down in
reception in less than an hour."

Early afternoon found them on the east coast of the island, where the
Caribbean Sea gave way to the Atlantic Ocean and the waves formed big rollers,
ideal for surfing. The teams were deposited along the beach half a mile from
each other. From there, they had to construct a raft from the supplies
provided, paddle out to a buoy moored a mile off the coast and bring back a
team tag hidden inside. The next stage would require them to jog to a point on
top of the hill and attach their tag to the leader board before anyone else.

Seth and Alice got down to the task, their confidence high, but things
didn't go to plan. Neither of them had slept very well, and it showed. Seth had
half his usual strength and stamina, and Alice was having trouble concentrating
and spent most of the challenge on the verge of tears. Constructing the raft
took a long time, and Seth was sure they were way behind the pace by the time they'd
retrieved the tag and started the short run to the finish line.

They came in fourth in a field of five teams. Seth wanted to laugh but
couldn't muster the humor or the strength. They'd been worried about Ben
sabotaging their chances, but they'd done it to themselves.

Alice walked away as soon as they crossed the line. He saw her shoulders
slump and knew she was probably upset and blaming herself. He followed her,
aware that the cameras were still rolling.

"Alice, wait up."

Seth caught up with her and pulled her into his arms, intending only to
comfort her, but Alice had other ideas. Her lips found his before he knew what
she was planning. The kiss wasn't intimate or even very nice, but he couldn't
shove her away in front of everyone and make it obvious they were nothing more
than friends. Alice broke the kiss and hid her face in the crook of his neck.

He wanted to ask her what in the hell she thought she was doing, but he
still had an open mic clipped to his vest and couldn't risk being
overheard.
 
Alice slid out of his arms
and turned to walk back to the rest of the crew.
 

Seth turned to follow her down and spotted Maya standing beside one of
the bright yellow Mini
Mokes
the crew had driven up
to the location, staring right at him.
 
There was no way she'd missed the little show Alice had just put on for
the benefit of everyone watching.

She must have been hiding from him because it was the first time he'd
laid eyes on her all day. Guilt crawled up his spine, and the urge to explain
what she'd just witnessed before she got the wrong idea almost overwhelmed him.
He took a step toward her then stopped dead in his tracks, remembering that she
probably didn't give a damn who he kissed anyway. He held her gaze and
shrugged, letting her think whatever the hell she wanted.
 

Maya climbed into the jeep and drove away without even acknowledging his
presence.
 
Seth watched her drive off,
angry that he was still so crazy about her that he cared if she got the wrong
impression, even after all that had happened between them.

That anger hadn't left him by the time he got a chance to talk to Alice
alone later that evening.

"Do you mind telling me what the fuck possessed you back
there?"

"Calm down. The idea just came to me. I couldn't warn you before
because we were still filming."

"Well you should have checked with me first."

"What's the big deal? I did it for you as much as me. After that
crappy performance today, I thought we'd better pull something out of the bag
to keep us in the game and get Ben off my back."

"Problem is
,
Ben wasn't the only person
watching."

"So?"

"Maya was there."

Alice groaned and put her head in her hands. "Don't tell me you're
still carrying a torch for her. I thought you were over that. You haven't
mentioned her in days."

"There wasn't much to say."

"Well, then you've got to go find her and explain."

Seth let out a harsh laugh. "I can assure you, she doesn't give a
damn."

"Yeah, but you do."

"What can I say? I'm an idiot."

Alice patted the bed. "Come sit down so we can compare notes on our
fucked up love lives."

By the time Seth headed back to his room just before midnight, he'd told
Alice everything. Some of what he'd said had earned him a punch in the arm for
being "dumb as a box of rocks". She seemed convinced Maya wouldn't
need to be such a bitch to him unless he was getting under her skin. Alice
didn't buy any of Maya's lame excuses and told Seth that, in her opinion, the
woman was as crazy for him as he was for her. She wouldn't let him leave her
room until he promised to go speak to Maya first thing and tell her why she'd
caught him kissing another woman.

Sleep didn't come easily. Seth lay staring at the ceiling, trying to
force his brain to shut down and stop weighing the pros and cons of talking to
Maya. The urge to run the few miles up the beach and get it over with tonight
got him out of bed and into his running gear. But when he looked out of the
window and saw the hotel compound was silent and dark, Seth remembered how late
it was.
 
He undressed again and flopped
back on to the bed.

Alice seemed sure Maya was in love with him, too, and was probably alone
in her room crying her eyes out over what she'd seen. Seth still wasn't
convinced, but he couldn't take the chance of ignoring the advice in case it
was true. No matter how she might react when she found him back at her door,
Seth had to make sure Maya knew the truth.
 
If she was just afraid of her feelings for him, as Alice had claimed, he
sure as hell didn't want to give her another excuse to push him away.

He woke just after dawn and dashed to the bathroom before throwing on
his running clothes and heading out into a bright, peaceful morning.

Seth started his jog up the coast along a network of beautiful beaches
that were all open to the public.
 
The
sea had shared its riches during the night, and the beachcombers hadn't yet had
a chance to collect the seashells, sea-fans, and driftwood dotted along the
crystal white sand. A small, purple shell caught his eye, and he scooped it up.
Maybe Maya will like it?

He tried to keep his emotions under control, but as the blood starting
pumping through his veins and his adrenaline levels rose, he couldn't wait to
see her again. If Alice was right, and he prayed she was, he wasn't leaving
until Maya listened to what he had to say.

When he got to her door forty minutes after setting off from his hotel,
he found her patio doors open wide. Seth tapped on the glass, scaring the maid
who was changing the sheets.

Seth smiled in apology. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on
you.
 
I was looking for Maya Franklin,
but I guess she must have left for the day."

The maid eyed him up for a moment.
 
"Miss Franklin checked out last night."

Maybe she's decided to move into the hotel with the
rest of the crew?

Seth raised his hand in thanks and ran around to the front of the
building to flag down a passing taxi. After a hair-raising ten minute death
race down the seacoast road, he got back to his hotel just as the
crew were
finishing up breakfast.

He looked for Maya but saw no sign of her in the dining area and headed
over to join Alice at their regular table.

Seth dropped down on the seat opposite her. "Jesus! I hope you feel
better than you look."

"Don't worry about me. I'm just tired. Where the hell have you
been?"

"I went to speak to Maya, but she'd checked out."

Alice went even paler under her tan. "I know."

"How?"

She leaned forward, gesturing for him to come closer so they wouldn't be
overheard. "The
crew have
had their heads
together whispering about something since they got up. I knew something was
going down, and I was worried it was about me and that girl. Turns out, Maya
went to see Ben last night and resigned."

"What?" Seth leapt to his feet, sending his chair clattering
across the terracotta tiled floor.
 
"I've got to speak to her."

Alice grabbed his arm and forced him to sit down in the remaining chair.

"Texas, I'm sorry. There's nothing you can do. She's already on her
way back to LA."

Chapter Nine

"
Thanks,
come again."

Maya palmed the tip and scooped the empty glasses from the table on to a
tray and carried them back to Larry.
 
She
tossed the ten dollar bill on to the bar and pointed to the tip jar on the back
wall by the till, gesturing for him to put the money in it. Larry tried to give
it back to her, but she refused.

"Keep it for the other guys. You'll be able to give them a bonus
this Christmas."

"You won't let me pay you, so at least keep your tips."
 
Larry grabbed her hand, forcing her to meet
his gaze.
 
"Please."

Maya ducked her head, hurt by the concern etched into Larry's face.
"I don't need it. I'm a long way from broke.
 
I've had plenty of job offers, Larry. I'm
just not sure what I want to do next, or if I even want to stay in LA. I'm
getting sick of this town and the people in it, and I swore I would never let
it change me, but it has. Until I come to a decision, I would rather hang out
with you than sit at home feeling sorry for myself, but if you don't quit
clucking over me like some mother hen, I'm gonna have to stop coming
here."

"Sorry."
 
Larry snatched
his hand away and picked up the dirty glasses to put them in the dishwasher.

She'd hurt his feelings, that much was obvious. Maya sat on a spare
stool and waited until he looked at her again.
 
"You're my best friend, and you've stuck with me through thick and
thin. I swear I'm not shutting you out. It's just I really can't bear to talk
about it yet, okay?"

Larry smiled, and she knew all was forgiven. "It's not me you need
to talk to. It's Seth."

"I'm pretty sure I'm the last person he wants to speak to."

"Girl.
You know that boy's in love with you. Stop your foolishness."

Maya tensed, ready for another lecture from her friend. She'd told him
everything in the week she'd been back, leaving nothing out, not even the awful
way she'd treated Seth.

When she got to the part about catching Seth kissing Alice, Larry had
laughed. "So the man took you at your word when you said you didn't want
him, and did what you told him he needed to do to win, and now you're
upset?"

When he put it like that, it did sound crazy, even to her. "Okay,
but it doesn't matter how I feel about him. I let things go too far and put us
both at risk, which is why I resigned without giving my boss a good reason. I
can find another job, but he needs that money for his ranch.
 
I couldn't let him throw away a chance like
that because of me."

Larry had nodded, letting her run out of steam and explanations and then
told her what he really thought. "You know what I think? I think you're
terrified of loving anyone else the way you loved Phil. They're not all alike,
Maya."

Phil had been her first true love, the only man she'd ever completely given
herself to. She hadn't known about his cocaine addiction at first, or his shady
business dealings, until their lives were intertwined and it was too late. His
problems had become her problems, and she’d been left to clean up the physical
and emotional mess on her own when he’d died in a drug deal that had gone violently
wrong.

Larry had been right, as usual, but she couldn't handle another painful
trip down memory lane. Not right now.

A few more people walked in to the bar, doubling the usual crowd for a
typical Tuesday night in a quiet area of LA. Maya leapt to her feet and grabbed
a tray, making her escape by following the customers to their table to take
their order.

By the time she got back to the bar, Larry was damn near hopping from
one foot to the other, his face alight with excitement as he gestured for her
to hurry over.

Maya laughed, wondering what juicy bit of gossip he'd managed to uncover
that he was dying to tell her.
 
"What's gotten into you?"

"Table five needs you to take their order."

"Is that it? That's what's got you so hyped?"

Larry flapped his hands in the direction of the booth by the wall,
telling her to hurry up and not keep them waiting. Maya threw Larry a glance
that she hoped let him know how crazy she thought he was and walked towards a
booth she could see was empty.