Chapter Eighteen

I’ve opened every drawer and run my fingertips across each surface; there’s not a speck of dust to be located in this room.

I’ve lain on an extremely comfortable four-poster bed and peered out at Boob Mountain from a pillow that feels like it’s been handmade out of the stuffing you’d only be able to pluck from a cloud … It’s the softest pillow my head has ever encountered.

Every switch in the room has been flicked on and off at my hand, including the chandelier, which remains lit. I watch the many dangling crystals sparkle above until I spot two red lights in either corner of the room. The camera’s.

Exploration of the walk-in robe was the best part of these impromptu tasks because it’s gigantic and fan-tab-ulous … It would have been even more rewarding if I had the clothes, shoes, and accessories to fill every square inch of it. The wardrobe is about the size of my bedroom back home, which makes me instantly feel like a pauper. The fact we were only allowed to bring one piece of luggage to Heart Key means not even one percent of this lavish space can be filled, which is wasteful in my book. I wonder if the show takes requests for custom clothing?

Arlie stands in the centre of the room as I continue to move from task to task. He doesn’t say a word, but I sense his eyes travelling with my movements. Usually, I’d find this creepy or even stalkerish, but I don’t with him because I like thinking someone like Arlie could enjoy what he sees when he’s looking at me.

Chris said I could change my life story to end how I like, so why can’t I create a tale where Arlie finds me to be enough? Where following me everywhere will bring him happiness while living out his life?

Opening the patio doors allows a light breeze to wrap around my skin. It’s refreshing—not cold, but not hot either. “I’m going to leave these ajar.”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

Oh, his voice. It’s soft yet profound. I could listen to Arlie Blight speak all day and night.

“Did you unpack?” I ask, spinning around to face him.

“Yes, two days ago. I’ve been all over the island and the house—not your room, though … I thought I’d wait for you.”

“The door was ajar,” I comment with a hint of accusation in my tone.

“I know it was. It was like that when I arrived. I did come down this way, but I didn’t enter the room. As I said, I wanted to wait for you. I wanted to see it through your eyes. You’re pleased?”

“Pleased? Arlie, it’s the most amazing bedroom I’ve ever clapped eyes on. I could live in here forever. Hey, do you have a big television on your wall?” I point in the direction of the screen across from my bed.

“I do. Our rooms are pretty much identical. The only difference is your drapes, bedspread, and décor are reds and golds, and mine are dark blues and silvers.”

“Wow! Matching king and queen rooms.”

“It seems so.” Arlie walks around to the right side of the bed, the side I prefer to sleep on. “Watch the television. I want to show you something.”

“Porn?” Oh God. I did not just say that … did I?

Arlie chuckles. “No. Not porn. Watch.” He grabs a silver remote from off a small cabinet below it, and I quickly twist until I stare at the blank screen. The television suddenly lifts and disappears into the wall, only to be replaced by a large portrait of Audrey Hepburn, one of the people I admire.

My chin drops. My mouth hangs open. “Incredible,” I say on a ragged breath.

“I have Frank Sinatra in mine.” There’s silence. “Do you want me to put the TV back the way it was for you?”

“No, no,” I rush in saying. “I love Audrey.”

“Okay.”

“I should probably unpack.”

“Sounds good. After, though, we’ll need to read through those binders on the table downstairs.”

“Have you read them?”

“No. Just the welcome letter and some of the manuals for operating the stove and oven.” He shrugs. “I’ve only been here for two nights, but I needed to cook and eat.”

“How do we even get food to cook here?”

“There’s a small convenient store.”

“Huh?”

“There’s also a chemist and clothing stores.” His eyebrows lift, and he grins. “There’s also a nice jewellery shop as well … So many things.”

Is he having me on again?

“It’s true, I swear.”

“Wait, what? It’s a deserted island. There are not supposed to be other people here.” I’ll go along with his little white lies and see how far he goes with them.

“There are no people running them.”

I cock one eyebrow. “Well, who makes sure people pay for what they buy then?”

“Us. It’s all ours. There was a master key to open everything whenever we wanted included with the welcome letter. We don’t need money.”

“Get the fudge out of here. No! You’re fooling me again. I’m not buying what you’re throwing down, Mr—”

“It’s true. I swear. I’ll take you for a spin around.”

“We have a car?”

He chuckles. “No, but we do have a golf buggy.”

“Do not.”

“Do so. Why do you think everything I’m telling you is BS?”

“Because you seem like a bit of a trickster. I can tell that pulling pranks would be right up your alley.”

He laughs. “Well, what I’ve said is the truth. I guess you’ll need to see it for yourself to believe it.” Arlie rocks on his heels, comfortable and not at all looking guilty. “I might leave you to unpack.”

“You can stay and chat if you want to. I don’t mind.”

“If you're sure?”

“Yes. You’ve probably been lonely if you’ve been the only occupant on the island for the past two days.”

“It wasn’t bad, but the conversation was extremely lagging. There are only so many times I could answer myself back before it became weird and borderline insane.”

I snort. “Well, settle in then and tell me some more about yourself while I put my stuff away.” I throw the suitcase up onto the mattress, then pull it towards me until it rests against the edge of the bed.

“What do you want to know?”

“What about your niece? The one who makes you smell like ginger when you bake. The only niece you have.”

His lips tug upwards. “Okay. Well, I can tell you she wasn’t thrilled I was going on holidays.”

“I could imagine she wouldn’t have been.”

Arlie treads around the left side of the bed as I finish unzipping and opening my suitcase. He faces me before plonking himself against the mattress.

I gasp. No! I reach out my arms to attempt to catch the flying missile but miss. I wrap my hand over my mouth and muffle a scream. “Oh, fuck! Why, CHRIS? Why?” I yell behind my palm.

The rainbow-coloured dildo lands flat-end down, tip-end up. It sways like a bowling pin on the cusp of falling over, but it doesn’t. It remains erect and at attention on the carpet below.

Please God, strike me down with a bolt of electricity. A heart attack … I’ll take a heart attack right about now. My heart pounds hard enough for it to happen.

I stare at the vibrator, then slowly rotate my head towards Arlie who’s now crawled across the bed. He’s knelt on all fours like a dog beside my suitcase. I follow the direction of his eyes and pray he’s either suddenly blind, or for my quick and timely death to arrive.

“What were the chances of your prick stick launching out of your luggage at the same time I threw myself on the bed? I wouldn’t have thought high until now. That’s insane.”

I’m horrified. My stomach launches into my chest and up my airway. I don’t know what to do or say, so I do what any woman in my position would do. I race towards the rogue piece of equipment and swing my foot back, kicking it, launching it like a stiff torpedo towards the pulled curtains in hope they’ll swallow it whole in the way a deep-throating professional would.

This doesn’t happen. Instead, the torpedoing dildo bashes into the frame of the glass sliding doors where we just parted the curtains and comes hurtling back in my direction. I scream. I leap up onto the bed, then fall, landing on Arlie’s back. My arms wrap around his body for dear life, like if I didn’t hold on to him, the dildo would go on attack. We both tumble to the bed in a heap. Arlie chortles.

“Oh my God, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I’m on the brink of tears when I attempt to roll off the back of the man I was honestly entertaining the possibility of a relationship with. Well, that dream’s gone down the shitter, no thanks to Chris and the eight speeds of pleasure he obviously stuffed inside my suitcase before I even left the apartment.

I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill Chris the moment I lay eyes on his stupid face.

“Are you okay?” Arlie chokes out between his hysterical rumblings.

“I’m stuck.” My voice shakes. My throat tightens farther when impending tears roll up, knocking on my tear-duct door. “The suitcase is in my way. I can’t roll over it, and your leg has mine pinned so I can’t sit up.”

“Don’t move,” he says before untangling his leg from mine. With a loud huff expelling from his lips, he rolls underneath me, and I flop like a sausage against his chest.

My entire body weight rests on top of Arlie as his eyes find mine.

“I’m so sorry.” Apologising is all I can think to do.

“Melinda! Are you often that rough with things replicating the male appendage?”

A tear rushes down my cheek.

“Hey! Don’t cry. It’s okay.” His thumb swipes my tear away as he keeps his eyes on mine.

“I-I-I …” I stutter “I’m …” I don’t say another word, because without warning or notice of his intentions, Arlie presses his full lips against mine.

Arlie kisses me in the most embarrassing moment of my life, and I’m left brainless. At first, my mouth remains unmoving, but soon his lips become so enticing I find myself kissing him back. Every swirl of his tongue in my mouth has our kiss deepening, and I know it needs to end, but I don’t want to stop kissing Arlie because it feels so right it can’t be wrong.

He wraps his arms tightly around me and moulds his body into mine. There’s so much passion at this moment I feel as though my heart will explode. Our limbs entwine, and soon, Arlie rolls over with me in his arms until his lips pull away and he’s left looking down on me.

This is where it needs to stop, Mindy. You need to stop this now. Slow and steady wins the race, not fast and furious. My mind is screaming, but my heart soars.

Arlie lowers his mouth towards mine.

“Stop,” I whisper.

He pulls himself away. His eyes disappear. His lips go, too.

What do I do now?