Page 26 of Rock Bottom Romance

She glanced at the tent that needed re-pitching and all the stuff she needed to move up the hill.

Dinner would have been nice since the fox had taken her candy bar, and she hadn’t started a fire.

After watching another YouTube video, she managed to get the tent pitched on the cement slab. A spark of pride surged in her that she’d figured it out. Not easy. The clay soil was so hard it took some major effort to knock the stakes into the ground, but she was getting stronger in ways she couldn’t at the gym.

Exhausted, she went to the bathrooms and took a shower. When she got back to her tent, she spied a box by the entrance with her name on it and the park office address. She hadn’t ordered anything, though. The return label read, “Glamp Campers Boutique.” Some place in California.

She took the package inside and opened the top. The box contained a pair of lightweight cargo pants, a long-sleeved, cream-colored shirt with wildflowers embroidered on the front, and a stylish pair of sunglasses. The multi-colored frame matched the shirt. She read the sticky note on top of a catalog.

We thought you might enjoy some more camp-suitable clothing. Compliments of our store. Maybe we could pay you in the future as an influencer if you make some posts that bring in business.

A ripple of pleasure passed through Crystal. They were giving her free clothes and offering a possible influencer job? Flipping through the catalogue, she found pictures of cute glamping attire. She bulked at the prices. Good thing they’d comped her the outfit. She changed into the clothes, put on the sunglasses, and stepped outside to take a selfie in front of her tent. She posted the shot and tagged the company. Smiling, she went back inside.

A sound came from her screened door like someone was flicking a finger against it. She slid open the zipper and the girl,Angie-who-insisted-on-being-called-Mallory, stood there with an attitude on her face. No other way to describe it.

The plate of food she held smelled amazing.

“This is from my mother. She said it’s payment for the extra work Murphy caused.” Angie thrusted the plate at Crystal and walked away, muttering, “I’m also supposed to apologize.”

She smothered a laugh. Some apology. But it was nice there were people out there who still valued manners, like this poor girl’s mother and Erin. Crystal opened the foil-covered plate of food, and her mouth watered. Baked beans, grilled fish, and a warm biscuit filled the paper plate. Even though she probably shouldn’t have accepted it, she could argue that it was a fair trade. She’d thank Mary tomorrow.

Before heading to bed, she checked her notifications. Holy shit, she’d picked up a ton of followers, flooding her earlier post with comments. The boutique store had messaged a thank you and noted online sales were already coming in. Her belly did a happy dance.

Maybe she wouldn’t need the stupid reality show to gain back her popularity. At the same time, she wouldn’t have had the chance to promote the products if she wasn’t on the island camping.

Her fingers itched. She glanced down. Little red bumps had appeared between them. Oh no, what was that about?

Chapter Twelve

Damn, her fingers itched. She rubbed them together and squinted at the growing rash. The bumps had spread up her arms. Maybe she should try to rinse them in the bathroom, although she’d already taken a shower. As soon as she finished eating, she’d head back there.

The food didn’t disappoint. Crystal’s tastebuds rejoiced, and she forced herself not to wolf down the dinner. She’d have to plan better. No one was going to feed her every meal. The producers had provided some sort of camper’s packet meals that required boiling water. She’d have to start a fire.

More YouTube was needed. At least for tonight she had a full stomach. Granola and dried banana chips would be good enough for breakfast.

No doubt, Zach had a nice meal with his family and wouldn’t miss a wink of sleep. He must be used to all the woodsy stuff. She couldn’t be further out of her element. They had nothing in common, so Jenna’s suggestion that Crystal should kiss him was nuts.

She shut down any thoughts of Grizzly. Right now, she had bigger problems. Maybe scrubbing her arms would help.She picked up her empty plate to put in the dumpster by the restroom. No more animal raids over trash or food in the tent. Who said she was a slow learner?

She dabbed a paper towel on her cheek and frowned at the red bumps. Great, the rash was spreading. She must have gotten something on her hands because that’s where it started.

After washing her face and arms, she managed to get back into her tent without incident. She zipped the flap shut. Mission accomplished, only it was too warm inside. Even with the setting sun, the temps hadn’t cooled. She opened the two screened windows and hoped for a cross breeze. What had she gotten herself into? Someone was sleeping comfortably in her air-conditioned penthouse.

The soft sound of guitar music floated in the wind along with the scent of burning wood. Who would make a fire when it was warm out? Crystal peered out the window at the neighbor’s campsite. Sure enough, a small campfire crackled as Paul strummed a guitar. Mary sat in a chair next to him, stroking the big lab’s head resting on her legs.

Johnny held a stick with marshmallows over the flames. “Why doesn’t Angie sing anymore when you play, Dad? It used to be fun, all of us out here.”

Paul’s fingers faltered on the strings, and he gave a tiny shake of his head. “Not sure. I miss it too.”

Mary placed a hand on his knee and waved at the stick. “Looks like those are about perfect, Johnny.”

Crystal’s heart ached as emotions flooded her. She’d never had a sibling or parents who cared about her.

“Angie, you want some marshmallows? They’re ready,” Johnny called out.

“It’s Mallory, and leave me alone.” The angry, muffled voice came from inside a tent.

Johnny’s face fell, and Paul’s face tensed, but he kept playing.

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