Page 68 of A Game of Lies

‘So glad he’s okay,’ Lucas says, and Aliyah thinks that maybe the Reverend Lucas Taylor’s relief seems genuine, whereas everyone else – including her – is simply giddy with relief that no one will be exposed during the live section of tonight’s episode. Whether he meant to or not, Ryan has given them all twenty-four hours of immunity.

Jason and Henry decide they should celebrate by christening the hot tub. It’s big enough for six, but Pam demurs (no one wants to see me in a swimsuit, dear) and Ceri takes a raincheck (you know hot tubs are basically skin cell soup?), so it’s just Jason, Lucas, Henry and Aliyah. Aliyah bought a new bikini especially forExposure. It’s blinding white, with strategic boob coverage and complicated straps that cross her taut stomach and tie at the back. Aliyah knows it’s shallow, but an approving look or three from the boys will make her feel a bit better about her life crashing about her feet.

But none of them gives her a second glance. Oh, they’re polite enough – she’s included in the conversation, and Lucas smiles and asks if she’s okay, and does she have enough room – but you know when a bloke’s checking you out, don’t you? And these ones aren’t.

‘He’s twisted,’ Henry is saying. They’re talking about Miles, who has been the subject of ninety per cent of conversations in camp since last night’s revelation. It’s small comfort, but Aliyah thinks that at least the people watching at home will know exactly how she and the others feel about the show’s producer – they haven’t exactly held back.

‘He’ll get his come-uppance,’ Lucas says grimly. ‘There’s a special place in hell for people like Miles Young.’

Aliyah’s eyes widen. She’d thought the vicar was fairly mild-mannered, but there was a definite flash of hellfire and damnation about him just then. He gets out shortly afterwards, and Jason and Henry start talking football, and then wives, and Aliyah thinks she may as well get out too. She’s obviously losing her touch. Or maybe it’s obvious she’s tainted, which is the charming word her ex-boyfriend used when she told him about the escort work she’d done as a student. Aliyah hoped he’d be supportive – maybe even help her come to terms with how ashamed she felt – but he made it a million times worse. Aliyah wishes she could be one of those women who feel empowered by sex work, but she doesn’t. Her dream is to be a children’s TV presenter. That’s why she applied forExposurein the first place – loads of reality TV contestants end up with TV jobs – but it’s backfired badly. How many former prostitutes have you seen onBlue Peter?

As Aliyah towels herself dry, Jason’s talking about his wife, Kat, who he met at work and ‘fell madly in love with’. Aliyah feels even sadder. Will anyone ever talk that way about her? The guys she meets from now on will be split into two camps: the ones who think she’s a sure thing, and the ones who wouldn’t touch her with a bargepole. Aliyah doesn’t want either type.

‘She’s so fit.’ Jason is lying back against his seat, smiling as he thinks about his wife. ‘Perfect tits, gorgeous arse. The full package. And the sex is phenomenal.’

‘Too much information, mate!’ Henry laughs.

‘I love her to bits.’ Jason looks around, spotting a camera and shouting at it. ‘Do you hear that, KitKat? You and the girls are my world.’

All theExposureguys are cool, Aliyah thinks, but Jason’s definitely the nicest.

‘Have you been with your wife for a long time?’ she asks, once Jason and Henry are back in camp.

‘About twelve years?’ He says it as though he’s doubting himself.

‘She’s a lucky woman.’

‘Remind her of that when this is all over, will you?’ Jason says darkly.

Aliyah frowns. ‘Is your secret something to do with your marriage?’

Instantly, the shutters come down. Jason stands. ‘I’d better see if Pam needs help with tea.’

Aliyah files the information away. She wishes she had paper and pens, or a big whiteboard she could make notes on. Is Jason being unfaithful? He clearly adores Kat, so maybe his secret is some other kind of betrayal. An older child Kat doesn’t know about? A second family?

Aliyah is still mulling over possibilities by the afternoon, when she takes a walk through the trees surrounding the central camp. It’s a relief to be away from the cameras and she wonders how long she can spin out her walk before someone is despatched to send her back to the central camp. The perimeter fence is only a few hundred metres from the tents, but the woodland is dense, away from the clearing, and it feels good to be alone. She’s lost all sense of time. This is only the second day, but it feels as though they’ve been trapped here forever. Aliyah follows the fence, trailing a hand along the wire mesh. Henry’s right, they are like caged animals. As she starts walking back to camp, she hears someone calling her name. She stops and turns around.

‘Aliyah!’ Standing by the fence is a man in a fluorescent jacket – the security guard who let them into camp yesterday. Dario, Aliyah remembers.

‘Alright?’ she says.

‘I’ve got something for you.’

‘What’s that, then?’

‘Come closer, and I’ll stick it through the fence.’ He winks.

Aliyah’s mouth drops open. God, men aresodisgusting. Even after she sees the chocolate bar, and realises Dario’s remark had been innuendo, she’s still annoyed. But chocolate is chocolate, and so Aliyah flashes him a fake smile. ‘Chocolate! For me?’

‘For you.’

Aliyah takes a bite, thinking fast. ‘I’ve missed this so much,’ she says, and she knows she has him – he’s practically salivating. ‘I don’t know how much more I can take.’

‘I’ll help you,’ Dario says, just as she knew he would. Men are so predictable.

Aliyah lays it on thick: the confession pod, the spiders she knows she’ll be faced with (to be fair, she doesn’t have to lie about that, she’s absolutely terrified of the things), before delivering her request. ‘Could you find out what the others’ secrets are?’ She reaches through the wire and touches his chest, feeling faintly nauseous at the whiff of aftershave and body odour she receives in exchange. ‘I’ll make it worth your while,’ she promises.

‘I’ll do everything I can,’ Dario says, nodding feverishly. He reaches for her, but she steps back before he follows up on that thought of sticking something through the fence. There’s an ominous lump in his trousers and he’s breathing heavily.

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