Seyoon messes with the tarp more aggressively now, glaring at the creases as if enough ruffling will flatten them out. I watch her, fiddling with my knuckles.
“Explains how your mom got third inForest Feud,” I say. “Can’t get that far in the game unless you really know what you’re doing out here.”
That eases the vein bulging in her neck. Some of my anxiety unfurls, too.
“Yeah,” says Seyoon. “She sure does. But she’s amazing at everything.”
“You must take after her.”
Seyoon stiffens, clenching the tarp and undoing her precious work of smoothing it out. Oh God. Her bewildered, flustered stare makes me want to rip the tarp from her hands and wrap it around my face until I pass out. But I don’t. I look away, then back up for as long as I can stand it, offering a small smile.
“Is thatanothercompliment, Dean?” she asks once she’s shaken off her surprise, a teasing lilt to her voice.
“Don’t think too hard about it.”
“Who knew Mr. Brick Wall could be so sweet?” A smile plays at the corner of her mouth. “Hand me one of those rocks so I can stake this corner of the tarp down. Unless you want to go on about how wonderful and smart I am?”
I roll my eyes. “Maybe another time.”
But I forgot the first rule of reality television: When the going is good, the producers will throw something in to fuck it all up.
In this case, that something is Carter. I see Blake whisper something to him, and then he’s crossing the glade to approach us.
“I’m glad I skipped out on this‘team.’” Carter says, inspecting our setup. “Looks like only one of you is doing the heavy lifting here. Didn’t take you for a pillow princess, Dean.”
CONFESSION TAPE—Beck McLaughlin, Contestant
What’s a pillow princess? Someone who naps a lot? Sounds nice.
Heat creeps up my neck. Vendredi and Beck are set up maybe fifteen feet away—close enough to overhear, apparently, because theystart giggling. I glance over at Blake. She’s directing three camera techs not-so-subtly positioned in the surrounding trees to get a better angle of us.
My brain scrambles for some kind of retort that will make for a good sound bite, but the familiar sensation of Seyoon’s eyes on me reminds me I’ve yet to earn the second chance I was given.
“Seyoon’s been a great guide,” I say, plainly and honestly. “I’m lucky she’s willing to help me out so much.”
Carter’s eyebrow quirks up, his perpetually sleepy gaze now mildly interested. He seems surprised I didn’t take the bait. I’m shocked I didn’t either.
Then a pine cone smacks him in his forehead.
“My hand slipped,” Seyoon says. “I was aiming for your mouth.”
Carter’s face turns pink. “You—” He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Neutral again, Carter lifts his nose and says, “You’d think with two heads, you would have gotten a fire started by now. Maybe Seyoon’s not as good of a wilderness guide as you thought.”
Both Seyoon and I look over to Carter’s area, where there’s a crackling fire. He’s the only person to get one going so far.
She stands up and steps over me to get in Carter’s face. “Quit talking about me like I’m not here. But since you came for a pissing contest, Dean here is just about to get our fire started. On his own.”
“Is he?” Carter deadpans.
AmI?!
Seyoon gives me a pointed look over her shoulder, one that clearly saysPlay along and don’t let this asswipe make a fool of us.I learned my lesson the last time I didn’t back her up against Carter.
I stand, towering over him. “Yeah, I am.”
From where she is, Vendredi throws the two stones she had been banging against each other to try and form a spark. “Well, shit, if you’re giving a demonstration, I want to watch.”
“Me too,” Beck’s quick to say.
