Page 29 of Taking the Heat

‘Thank you, Nik. You’re very kind.’

The two of them stared at each other, lost in their own little universe, and I smiled, happy for Meghan.

Waiters descended with plates of food, and I tucked in, not worried about being a third wheel when I had crispy-skin salmon and snow peas to keep me company.

As I ate my fish, I observed Toshi and Clara across the room. They were sitting as close as possible, staring adoringly into each other’s eyes. Toshi speared a snow pea with his fork and fed it to Clara, who closed her lips over the food sensuously. I wondered if it was legal to touch someone using a fork, but since no one screamed,‘strike!’I figured it must be okay. It also raised some interesting implications for the use of tools or other items for contact.Feathers and silk scarves, anyone?

After the plates were cleared, Nik and Meg came up for air and the three of us argued good-naturedly about which of our three nations follows the best code of football.

Just as Nik and I were beginning to win the ‘Is it called soccer or football?’ debate over Meg, the gong sounded and Miles took the stage. Everyone groaned.

‘Now, now!’ said Miles, laughing. ‘Is that any way to greet your esteemed host? How was date day, people?’

A mixture of responses filled the room, from cat-calls to unenthusiastic moans. ‘Good to hear! So, dates will occur every second day while you’re here on the island—and challenges will happen on the others.

‘But on date-day evenings, we’ll be playing a different game …’ A large screen flickered on behind Miles, and words appeared.

What you don’t know!

‘What does that mean?’ asked the French girl who wasn’t Babette. With her dark locks and more modest body language, she was definitely my favourite of the two. She sat across from the other American guy, the one I hadn’t met, who looked distinctively like a banker/Wall Street type.

‘Good question, Pauline. We all have secrets we’d rather keep hidden—but here on Erotic Island, no secret is safe. Every second night, we’ll be revealing a secret from our female competitors, and one from our men as well.’

Tension descended. All over the room, people began to fidget and twitch. I don’t have anything to hide, so I wasn’t worried, but the sweaty brows and concerned faces around me told a different story.

‘So, tonight, let’s start with our French competitors.’

Both girls sat up straighter. Miles narrowed his eyes. ‘Would you believe, one of these lovely ladies has a very interesting day job, working as a prostitute?’

People gasped. I bet I can freaking guess who,I thought, looking at Babette, with her boobs practically falling out of her shirt and her lips as scarlet as the Moulin Rouge windmill.

Miles indicated the screen. ‘Folks, may I present the lovely Sabine! Available by the hour or for weekends, she is apparently the pride of the Champs-Élysées.’ An image of Pauline filled the TV, in a black evening gown split to her crotch. She lay atop a grand piano, her breasts spilling over, while her eyes invited everyone to share an evening of classy, expensive sex.

Horrified, I looked back to where Pauline sat. She had her arms crossed, but the look on her face was one of indifference. ‘It matters not to me that you reveal these things,’ she said, head held high. ‘I’m not a common whore, I’m the most expensive courtesan in Paris. I’m good at what I do, so I should be proud, no? I already told Chase today on our date.’

The banker piped up. ‘She did, folks. Hey, I’ve had gals in New York sleep with me because I paid for dinner or bought them a necklace—at least Pauline is honest about it. If anyone has an issue with her, they can speak with me.’ He smiled pleasantly at Pauline, and her elegant face softened. ‘How about a little less judgement, hey Miles?’

A grin was frozen on Miles’ face. This was obviously not going the way he expected. ‘No judgement from me, my dear boy. I am simply the messenger.’

The screen fell blank, and Miles cleared his throat. ‘So, now it’s time for the gents! You all know Toshi is a martial arts expert, but would you believe he is as good with a bow staff as he is with his, ahem, other staff?’

I watched Clara stiffen and look at Toshi, her huge eyes like giant question marks.

‘Interestingly, these two decided to use their first strikes on each other this very evening. But, my dear Clara—didn’t you ever wonder why Toshi really broke your heart? Was it, perhaps, a guilty conscience? Let’s watch!’

A lovely Japanese girl with pink hair appeared on screen. She spoke in Japanese while subtitles flowed across the screen.

Toshi and I met at a karaoke bar. He was there with work friends and I thought he was so handsome! He was very drunk, and he told me he had a girlfriend, but I knew he wanted me. I took him into the bathroom and gave him a blowjob. The way his cock felt in my mouth, I knew we were meant to be together.

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?’

---