Page 18 of Wild for You
The camp fire’s long burned out, with only a large pile of ash in its place, and I can barely see the sun peeking over the horizon. With a frustrated sigh, I peel my clammy body off of Gwen, who seemed to have slept like a baby. Maybe it was an aftereffect of the shock, or maybe she just felt cozy in my embrace, but I don’t miss the trail of drool seeping from the corner of her mouth or how she screws up her face when I dislodge myself from her. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she actually enjoyed my snuggles.
I decide to keep this information to myself, knowing if I tease her, she’ll shut it down for the rest of our time on this island—however long that may be.
On my way out of the tent, I grab my camera and my noodle fishing pole from my bag. Luckily, I always keep this little guy in my backpack in case of an emergency, so I should be able to catch us some fish for breakfast. I only have a few baits on me, so I’ll have to make due until I collect some small fish and worms for a longer-term solution.
I walk several hundred feet from the campsite until I find a rocky cliff. It’s the best option right now, so I’ll take it. I set up my chest camera, bait my hook, and make the first cast of the day. “Good morning! It’s our first cast of the day, and I slept like absolute dog shit last night. You know what I always say, though, ‘An early cast gets you an early win.’ It can only go up from here, right?”
The morning breeze feels amazing on my bare chest, though it’s not exactly helping my cast. I spot a nearby tide pool with several small fish and set my aim just to the left, letting the breeze push me right on target. A few more casts and some on-air pep talks later, I get my first bite.
“Woohoo! Did you see that? Patience is the key here.” I reel in the small fish and hold her in front of my camera. “Would you look at that? It’s a female!” I point to her protruding abdomen. “Ok, Dubbies, usually I’d throw this one back since she’s with child, but we’ve got ourselves a survival situation on our hands, and I’m not going to turn down the extra protein. I hope you all understand.”
After making a line in the water to keep my catch fresh, I make another cast. “Here’s to surviving paradise with the hottest woman in the whole world. Jeez, how did I get so lucky?”
Two hours later, I carry my catch of three back to the campsite. I scan the ground as I walk, looking for any debris that washed ashore last night that I can use. I find an empty plastic water bottle, two left-footed flip-flops, and an old coconut. Maybe if I’m lucky, I can get at least enough coconut water for Gwen until I find a fresh source. “Pro-tip,” I say to the camera, “never underestimate the power of trash in a survival situation.” I hold up my findings. “These things may look like ordinary beach trash, but they could be lifesavers in the right circumstances. Don’t worry, Dubbies, stay tuned and find out.” I switch off the camera as I make my way to the campsite to wake my sleeping beauty.
“Oh, Gwenny-Poo, rise and shine!” I pull the straw curtain back and find her sprawled like a starfish. She jerks up, scanning her surroundings as if trying to figure out where she is. “I’ve got breakfast fit for a queen.” I extend my hand and help her climb out of the cramped space. “I hope you like caviar.”
* * *
“Jack,you can’t be serious. I’m not eating that. It still has eyeballs!”
We’re sitting over our new campfire; this one is much smaller since I only needed to cook the fish. I’ve created a make-shift grate from wet bamboo shoots to use as a grill, and I’ve been slow cooking the fish above the small flame, hoping the smoke will mask some of the fishy taste.
“Eyeballs are a great source of protein, and you’ll need all the strength you can get because, after breakfast, we’ll be scouring the island for fresh water. Who knows how long we’ll be in there.” I gesture to the densely covered row of trees behind us.
“I’m not going in there. Jack. It’s probably crawling with snakes and spiders and who knows what else.” She huffs. “You can find me laying out over here on the beach, getting some sun in the safety of the open air.”
I ignore her, passing her a whole smoked fish on a skewer. “Eat up, baby. We’ve got work to do, and you’re going to need the strength.”
“Do I have to? Don’t you have some MREs or something dehydrated like rice and beans in your magical backpack of wonders?”
I throw my head back and laugh at her backpack reference. “You know, I forgot to bring the beans and rice this time, but I promise next time we’re stranded on a deserted island together, I’ll bring an array of dehydrated food. Pizza, tacos, red wine—”
“Ugh, fine.” She snatches the fish from me and takes the tiniest bite. Her eyebrows rise in surprise, and I can’t help the grin that covers my face. I could record this for the show, but I think I’ll keep this moment to myself.
“It’s not too bad, right?” I wink, then suck an eyeball from the socket with an exaggerated slurp and pass the fish eggs over on a flat rock I’m using as a serving dish. “Caviar for the lady?”
Gwen throws the fish down and stands up. “That’s it. I’m done. You lost me at sucking eyeballs.” She pulls her shirt over her head as she walks toward the ocean.
My mouth goes dry at the view of her gorgeous exposed back. “Um, Gwen. What do you think you’re doing!?” My voice comes out a few octaves higher than usual.
She turns to face me, covering her bare breasts with the palm of her hand and forearm. “I smell like jet fuel and sweat. I’m taking a sea bath before I do anything else.” She drops her bottoms, exposing her round ass, and my mouth waters in response. “I don’t suppose you have any soap?” she calls as she sinks into the clear blue water.
I shake my head, unable to form words from the unexpected sight of the naked woman in front of me.
“I guess I’ll just have to exfoliate with the sand, then.” She plugs her nose and disappears under the water.
Fuck me. There’s no way in hell I’ll be able to keep this erection in check for the rest of the day after that surprising show.
“I’ve got to go check on something. Be right back!” I yell before she notices just how much I enjoyed what I saw.
CHAPTERTEN
Gwen
I’ve scrubbedevery inch of myself with the gritty, rough sand. My angry skin feels as clean as it can get considering the circumstances. I’m not going to lie and say I hate how the salt water gives my shoulder-length hair enough texture to stay out of my face, but I cringe thinking of the irreparable damage I may have just done to my platinum blonde locks. My hairdresser will kill me when she sees the mess I’ve made of her masterpiece—that isifshe ever sees it again.
I know Jack is supposed to be some survival guru and all of that, but I can’t say I’ve got complete trust in his abilities after the flight … and the crash landing. I spent the whole night racking my brain for an idea of how to get us out of here without having to rely solely on the seemingly carefree survivalist I’m trapped here with. I don’t know what it is about Jack that annoys me so much. He’s the opposite of me in every single way, but it’s not just his carefree attitude.
