Instead, I kept finger-combing my hair and wondering what Jendan would say when he saw me.
I’d lost nearly fifteen pounds while playing the game. It didn’t seem like too much, but considering I’d lost it all from my tits and my ass and I hadn’t used soap or a toothbrush in six weeks? I was feeling pretty gross and unsexy. Combine that with the grilling we’d gotten from the jury, and I felt pretty low overall. Jendan hadn’t met me when I had my makeup on and a sexy dress. All he’d ever seen was grubby, unwashed, sand-covered Annabelle.
And she’d been a betraying ass**le. So why on earth would I think that he’d ever be attracted to me? I must have been crazy. It had just been a game. We’d been caught up in the moment and caught up in what we couldn’t have. Now that we were about to head back to the real world, it’d all be over.
But at least I was a little wiser about things now, and I didn’t assume they were reality just because the show was called ‘reality TV.’
Someone offered me a bathrobe to wear, and I suddenly realized, for the first time in six weeks, that I was na**d and surrounded by people with clothing on. While in the game, I’d compartmentalized it and put the thought of nudity aside, but now that the game was officially over? It felt…weird. Despite the grime of my body, I tucked the robe close around my body and pulled my palm frond clothing out from underneath when all my girl bits were sheltered once more.
“All right,” the nurse told me. “You two are cleared to head into the lodge. I’m told they’re serving ice cream sundaes tonight, so you should probably go claim a couple of bowls.”
“Ice cream?” I whispered, my mouth flooding with saliva.
“God, I hope it’s not coconut flavored,” Alys said, clutching the sleeve of my bathrobe. “Let’s go.”
We linked arms and headed for the main kitchen area of the loser lodge. Even before we entered the room, we could hear the happy murmur of multiple voices. Alys hesitated, and I pushed the door open.
A chorus of cheers met us.
Surprised, I looked around. I knew the ‘loser lodge’ was just what the crew called the hotel they rented out for the show. Most of the time, the cast and some of the jury tended to hang out in the restaurant or bar area, near drinks and food. This place had a bar and lots of tables were set up, all of them filled with people. Most of the celebrating people were the crew themselves - Chip’s makeup artists, production assistants, camera-men, the challenge assistants - all were there and enjoying the wrap with bowls of ice cream. They were pleased to see us, at least. In the far corner of the room, I saw a booth filled with familiar faces - several of the Endurance Island contestants. Saul, Leslie, Emilio, and of course, Kip.
Bitter, party of four.
That was okay - I didn’t care about talking to those four ever again. Actually, I could cheerfully leave the island and if I never talked to anyone except Jendan again, I’d be okay with that.
I looked around the room. No Jendan. Maybe he’d gone to bed early? It was late, the filming for Judgment happening at night (it made things more dramatic). Plus after spending two hours in medical, the night was no longer young.
“There you are,” Kissy’s voice said, and she and Rusty came up and gave me and Alys hugs. “You two are so skinny!” As she hugged me, she patted me on the back. “And you smell terrible.”
“Six weeks on the island will do that to you,” I said wryly, and while Alys chatted away to Rusty, I squeezed Kissy’s hand. “No hard feelings?”
“Oh, I’m upset I didn’t get the million,” she said with a big, gap-toothed smile. “But they told me there’s an All-Star edition of something or other next year and they want me and Rusty for it, so we’re good.” She gave me a wink. “Apparently these two old coots are feistier than they thought.”
“That’s awesome,” I told her sincerely. “I really meant it, by the way. If you’d have gone to the end, Alys and I would have been toast.”
“Which is flattering as heck,” she told me. “Now, you two skinny minnies, go get yourselves some ice cream!”
Laughing, I headed toward the ice cream serving table. Everything looked incredible. There were big tubs of ice cream - chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry - and every topping imaginable. Bowls of chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, cherries, nuts, syrup, and cookie crumbles dotted the table. A man stood behind it with an ice cream scoop and picked up a bowl. “What do you want?”
“Um…one of everything?”
“You got it,” he said, dropping a scoop of each flavor into my bowl and then shoveling the works on it. I watched, stomach growling, as the mountain of food grew higher, and then he grabbed a can of whipped cream and began to shake it, making a swirl on top. By the time the swirl was done, I was pretty sure I was going to have an orgasm just from staring at that ice cream monstrosity.
My hands trembled as I reached for the bowl, only to have my hopes crushed when someone swooped in and grabbed it away before I could touch it.
I looked up in shock…into a pair of laughing gray eyes.
Jendan.
“I’d give that back if I were you,” I said in a shaky voice. “If I harmed you for snatching a starving girl’s ice cream sundae, no jury would convict me.”
“I had to think of a way to get your attention. I’ve been trying to flag you down from across the room for the past five minutes.” He handed the bowl to me.
“Oh? You have?” I clutched the bowl to my chest stupidly. God, he looked good. He even smelled good. Over the overwhelming sweet scent of the ice cream in my hands, I caught a hint of aftershave. How was it possible that he smelled better than my food?
“Yeah, I saved a seat for you at the bar. Want to come sit and eat?” He gestured at it behind him. “I figured we could finally sit and talk. I think we’re overdue for one.”
“Probably,” I said softly, then looked around for Alys. She was off at the ice cream table, chatting animatedly with Kissy and Rusty, and Saul had approached to give her a big bear-hug. She’d be fine.
I turned toward the bar, and Jendan’s hand went to the small of my back, steering me. Just that soft, confident touch was enough to make my knees weak.
Man, I wished he’d greeted me with a kiss.
Man, I wished I’d brushed my teeth in the last six weeks. Maybe that was why we hadn’t kissed.
Running my tongue over my choppers, I sat down at the barstool he’d saved for me and was pleased when he sat down right next to me.