Chapter 110: Chapter Thirteen

Demetri

“I want to know how the hell I ended up on the pink bunny team?” I shouted so everyone could hear my irritation.

I was shirtless and showing the entire world my nipple rings like some escaped convict. But I didn't care. I'd go naked if that's what it took to prove my point.

Demetri Daniels does not wear pink shirts with fluffy bunnies on them. Bunnies? Were they high when they thought up this idea?

Alyssa came up behind me and jumped on my back. “Aw, is someone a poor sport?”

Ignoring her I pointed in Jaymeson's direction. “If anyone should be the bunny, it's him. He's the one screwing like a rabbit every second of every—”

I stopped mid-sentence when I noticed Alec's shirt.

“You were saying?” He pointed at his shirt and shook his head in disbelief.

“Pink bunny team sounds good.” I nodded and turned just in time for him to see me laugh my ass off. Alyssa put her hands over my mouth from behind, but I still couldn't stop laughing.

“Right. Laugh it up,” Alec called out to me. “At least I don't have to wear a bunny tail.”

From behind, Alyssa dropped a fluffy bunny tail in front of my face. “Aw, hell.”

“You think your fate is any better?” I heard Nat tease. I watched as she pulled out a pair of glittery wings and handed them to Alec. “Come on, good fairy, put them on.”

“How the hell is this teambuilding?” Alec jerked the fairy wings from her hands and lifted them into the air. I could tell he was about five seconds away from setting them on fire with his mind.

“Well…” The producer of the show, aka the host, stood in front of each of us and clasped his hands together. “I'm so glad you asked.”

“Kill me now,” Alec muttered as we gathered around. “Chris Harrison has nothing on this dude.”

“The Bachelor? Are you seriously comparing our fate to The Bachelor?”

“It's the only show that's close enough to Hell I can come up with.”

“How do you figure?”

Alec shrugged. “Catty women that all look like Angelica.”

“Agh…” I nodded. “Solid point.”

We both looked in Angelica's general direction. She was trudging through the sand in nothing but cut-off shorts, a bikini top, and a frog hat.

“Guess her and Jaymeson are the freaky frogs?”

“Toads, man,” Jaymeson corrected me. “We're toads.”

“Like I care.” I smirked as Jaymeson pulled the ugliest green shirt over his body and held out his hand to Angelica.

She nearly tripped on her feet as he tugged her closer to his body in the protection of his arm. Geez, seriously. I couldn't do that. Not even if it was my job to pretend to play nice.

“As I was saying…” Ruben, our producer, clapped again. “This week is teambuilding week.”

“We know,” Alec said under his breath.

“And, in order to make it interesting, we've divided you into teams for the viewers to vote for. We polled the fans and these are the team names they chose for you, so try to be a bit more positive.”

“Well, no sense touring then, since our fans HATE US!” Alec all but yelled.

Ruben ignored him and cleared his throat.

“Dude…” Alec hit me with his elbow. “No offense, but I will freaking drown you and not think twice about it. I need that time with Nat.”

“Wow, I feel loved.” I nodded. “Thanks for the warning.”

“Let me win,” he begged.

“Nope.” I shook my head. “Not gonna happen. Alyssa and I need some downtime too.”

“Hmm…” Alec squinted in Jaymeson's direction. “Then let's destroy them.”

“Good talk.” I hit him on the back.

“Today will be all about teamwork with your partner. People watching the show will vote for whatever team can keep from fighting over the course of the twenty-four-hour period.”

“Got that in the bag.” I high-fived Alyssa next to me and nudged Alec. “Haven't you and Nat been getting in a few… tiffs? The honeymoon's nearly over, huh?”

“Bastard.”

I smiled gleefully and swept Alyssa off her feet, literally. “Winning!”

“I haven't told you what your task is today.” Ruben cleared his throat.

Alyssa dropped back to her feet. I turned to Ruben and waited.

His smile was too wide and happy. He was going to torture us. I just knew it.

“Um?” Jaymeson raised his hand.

“What?” Ruben groaned. “What do you want?”

“Can I be on my own team?”

“Why?”

Jaymeson looked at Ruben as if to say, seriously, you really don't know why? “My partner keeps glaring at me.”

Angelica rolled her eyes.

“And…” Jaymeson continued. “I'm pretty sure, given the chance, she's going to either throw me into oncoming traffic or poison my bottled water.”

“You're an adult.” Ruben growled. “Deal with it. Thankfully, you've signed a release, so if you die… well… rest in peace.”

“You can tell Ruben really cares,” I muttered. “Huge heart.”

“It's just trapped like somewhere outside his body,” Alec added. “Where souls go to rot and people die.”

“Any more questions?” Ruben asked.

Alec and I both raised our hands.

“Anyone else?” Ruben ignored us and looked at Alyssa and Nat, who were both happily jumping up and down ready to take on the world.

“Right.” Ruben put on his sunglasses. “Each team will start with the canoes. Once you row to your destination on the map, you'll need to start building your castle.

“Once the judges deem your castle tall enough, you'll move on to the next task. Instructions will be at every point. This will last most of the morning before we give you your first break.

My hand shot up again.

“What, Demetri? Make it fast.”

“Why are we doing this?”

Ruben sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Do I really need to explain why shirtless celebrities sell, Demetri? Or do you think you got that one nailed down?”

“You are shirtless a lot on the show…” Alec muttered next to me.

I smacked him on the back of the head and chose not to answer Ruben. Idiot.

“On your mark, get set, go!” Ruben jumped into the air.

None of us moved.

“Go!” he urged again.

“Come on, guys.” Alec called. “Let's go.”

We all jogged to the canoes. Of course, Jaymeson and Angelica were last. She claimed the impact of jogging made her shorter and she needed all the height she could get.

“Come on, Lyss.” I helped her into the canoe and we were off, taking turns rowing toward the first buoy.

“Tell me why we decided to do this again.” She grunted as she pulled the oars.

“Let's blame Alec,” I muttered.

Alyssa's face fell.

I laughed out loud and kicked the bench she was sitting on. “Lyss, come on. You know I'm kidding. I wouldn't change it for the world.

“Seaside isn't an island.”

“Yeah, I was quoting Survivor, trying to get into the mental game of the competition.”

“Quoting Survivor won't make us win, Demetri.” Alyssa rolled her eyes. “You actually have to put effort into it. I swear it isn't fair.

I smirked. “The body of a what?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Never mind.”

“No, really, go on.” I winked. “Want me to take off my shirt again? I can go all Magic Mike on this love boat and—”

“Yeah, I'm going to stop you before you hurt yourself trying to think of more sexual innuendos.”

“Bummer, because I had this really good one about strippers and paddles and—”

“No, Demetri. Just. No. Let it go.” Alyssa patted my hand. “Oh, and do us a favor and row harder. I can't do all the work.”

“Fine.” I put my back into it and soon we were passing Jaymeson and Angelica, but to be fair, it looked like she'd gotten a sliver and he was in the middle of trying to set her on fire.

“Yes!” Alyssa pumped her fist into the air. “Faster!”

I groaned. “I'm trying but it's not like this is easy. I'm sweating.”

“Poor baby.” She mocked and then grabbed a bottled water. “We only have a bit more to go. Besides, no way are we catching up with Alec and Nat. They would kill on The Amazing Race.”

“You'd think with all their competitiveness they'd want to kill each other,” I muttered. “But clearly they're still blissed out.”

“Yeah.” Alyssa began playing with the paper on her water bottle.

“Uh-oh, what did you hear?” By now sweat was pouring down my face. Alyssa stretched her arms above her head, giving me quite a pleasant view of her tight little body. Maybe rowing wasn't so bad.

“Nothing.” She waved me off. “Or, I don't know, maybe it's something. I don't know. You know Angelica.”

“Angelica?” This had to be good. “What does Angelica have to do with anything?”

My muscles burned as I kept the rowing motion up while my eyes were trained on Alyssa. She would tell me if I was going to hit something.

Alyssa looked above my head. “We're gaining on them.”

“Focus.” I snapped. “What did Angelica say?”

Alyssa shrugged. “This morning after breakfast she was just telling Nat how fickle guys can be and how Alec wasn't always this tame.”

“Tame? Alec is anything but tame. He's just… housetrained.”

“Like a dog?” Alyssa glowered.

“Like all men should be when they settle down with their woman,” I countered. Crap. I think I just pulled a muscle. Was it bad to cry in front of a girl?

“Anyways.” Alyssa took a swig of water. “Angelica was probably just trying to make Nat feel jealous or something.

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

“There's the flag!” Alyssa shouted. “Faster!”

“If you say that one more time…” I ground out. “Please tell me you didn't let Nat know you knew about Alec's pills.”

“I feigned indifference. I didn't think it would be smart to tell her how worried you were. It would just make things worse.”

“Did they fight?” The shore was coming fast. Finally. I was ready to burn my own damn canoe.

“Nat didn't want to ruin team-building day, and she didn't want to do something on camera, you know?”

“Good call.” I put in a few more good pulls on the oars and then stopped when I hit the shore. I helped Alyssa out and took her hand.

With a low whistle, I nudged Alyssa. “Yeah, I think they're having that important chat in front of God and everyone.”