“I checked the tree for mail earlier and there wasn’t anything,” Shannen reported. “Why don’t one of you guys go check it now?”
“Later,” said Jed.
“And we’re almost out of bait,” continued Shannen. “Somebody should go to that place farther down the beach and see if more clams have washed up. That’s the best bait on the island.”
“Later,” murmured Rico.
“We can check for tree mail and then swing down for clams after we fish, Shannen,” Lauren suggested.
“I just thought maybe someone else would like a chance to do the daily errands around here,” murmured Shannen, adding tersely, “for a change.”
“Remember how those idiots in the other tribe ate some bad raw clams instead of cutting them up for bait?” Konrad sniggered. “Man, were they sick! When they tried to hang on to the rope in that tug-of-war between the tribes, they fell flat on their faces.” Clearly, it was a fond memory for him.
“Our tribe won every single contest, forcing the other tribe to keep voting off their own till they were all gone,” observed Jed. He began idly doodling in the sand with a stick.
“We won all the contests, so our tribe was able to stay intact a long time, and it’s mainly thanks to you, Jed,” Lauren said, her voice filled with admiration.
Jed nodded his head. “True.”
“Partially true,” corrected Shannen. “You forgot to add that you couldn’t have done it alone, Jed. I didn’t hear you say that all of us did our part to win, either. Did you forget that we’re a team?”
“Jed isn’t a team player—he doesn’t want to share credit for anything,” Cortnee called between deep breaths. “He really believes he does everything better than anybody else.”
Jed opened his mouth to speak, but Rico beat him to it by sighing heavily, gaining the attention of the cameramen. “I just want to say that I don’t miss the other tribe because I barely knew them, but I do miss Keri and Lucy from our tribe.” Rico sighed again. “I really bonded with them. They were probably some of the best friends I ever had in my life.”
“You voted them off the island without blinking an eye, Rico,” Shannen pointed out.
“Untrue!” protested Rico. “Maybe it looked that way because I hid my pain so well, but I’ve been torturing myself for getting involved in this unholy alliance with you guys. You made me turn against my friends!”
His face a portrait of agony, Rico stared soulfully into the camera that had been turned on him the moment he began to speak. He pouted when the camera abruptly shifted to Shannen, who was now baiting the hooks, frowning in concentration.
“Cut to the evil twin. Nice move, Ty,” junior cameraman Reggie Ellis whispered to Ty, who was filming Shannen. “Makes for good TV. She looks distinctly unmoved by Rico’s brooding torment. Like she’s remembering how Rico was the first to suggest that they ‘vote off those schemers Keri and Lucy because they’re allied against us.’ The viewers will remember, that’s for sure.”
“Rico wants to show the talent agents who’ll be watching that he has range,” Ty said dryly. “That he’s not just a song-and-dance man.”
“Yeah, he’s good at brooding and backstabbing,” Reggie observed. “The kid does have that slightly sleazy manner about him, too. A handy survival trait in showbiz.”
“I can see Rico winning an Oscar someday. Unless he decides to run for political office instead,” murmured Ty. “He’d do well in that arena, too.”
Having completed her task of baiting the hooks, Shannen looked up and saw Ty filming her. She shot him a withering glare before looking away.
“Looks like she’d enjoy baiting those hooks with pieces of you, Ty.” Reggie guffawed. “Y’know, for somebody who volunteered to be on this show, she sure hates having the camera on her. I think I’m starting to be able to tell which twin is which, just from that. Lauren doesn’t pay any attention to the camera, but Shannen looks as if she’d like to shove it down your throat.”
“You noticed that, too?” Ty was casual.
Reggie nodded. “We’re not the only ones to wonder. I logged onto the Internet last night, and there’s a debate going on as to why the twins auditioned to be on this show in the first place. Especially since Shannen looks eternally ticked off because she’s here.”
“Remember their interview tapes? Both twins said they did it as a lark,” said Ty.
He didn’t add that he wondered himself why the Cullen twins had auditioned for the show. The “for a lark” reason didn’t ring true to him. Nine years ago Shannen’s behavior had been quite purposeful. Filming her every day here on the island didn’t contradict his impression that she was a person who rarely made an unplanned move.
But there had been nothing calculated about that hot kiss they’d shared last night. It had been as impetuous as it was passionate. Ty tried to tamp down his nascent arousal.
“Maybe Lauren did it as a lark, but Shannen doesn’t strike me as the lark type.” Reggie chuckled. “If we’re talking birds, she’s more of a shrike. You know, the one that impales its prey on a stake. Oh, Ty, quick, pan over to Cortnee. She has her back to us and is touching her toes. Every red-blooded male in the audience is gonna love that. And she’s wearing that pink thong bikini that almost caused a meltdown on the Internet the first time she put it on.”
“You can have the pleasure of filming her, Reg. I know you’re one of Cortnee’s top fans. I’ll keep my camera on the twins and Konrad. Looks like they’re going fishing.”
Each carrying a primitive bamboo fishing pole, Shannen, Lauren and Konrad walked briskly into the ocean. Ty followed close behind, camera whirling.
“Do you think we should go out in the rowboat?” asked Lauren as the surf broke around their knees. “We might have better luck catching fish in deeper water.”
“Yeah, but then we’d have the fun of swimming with the sharks when that leaky old tub sinks,” growled Konrad. “Remember when those two idiots in the other tribe took the boat out and it went down like a stone with them in it? Had that big dramatic rescue ’cause they couldn’t swim. You know Slick Bobby and Clark Garrett woulda rather seen them drown. And now they claim the boat’s fixed, but I don’t buy it. They’re still hoping to get lucky with a fatal accident.”
“That’s entertainment for those two human piranhas,” Shannen pointed out.
“Never mind the boat, then, let’s try our luck right here,” suggested Lauren, casting her pole. “Oh, don’t look now, but we’re on camera again. I was sure the whole crew would stay on the beach filming Cortnee. Doesn’t she do her jumping jacks after touching her toes? None of the guys want to miss that.”
“Gets old when you see the same stuff day after day.” Konrad shrugged. “Me, I’d rather hang out with you two, even though I don’t know which the hell is which.”
“Konrad, how gallant!” Lauren smiled sweetly.
Shannen turned her head to see Ty standing less than a foot behind them. She swung her fishing line at him, clipping him with the clam bait.
“Oops.” She snickered. “So sorry.”
“You’re only sorry that your aim was off.” Ty turned off the camera. “You meant to smack me in the face with the clam guts. But you missed, Shannen,” he added, saying her name with alacrity.
“You’re sure I’m Shannen?” She looked ready to whip the pole at him again. “How do you know I’m not Lauren?”
“Could