Day 10
After the downfallof Courtney and Gage yesterday, I was dreading the day I would be partnering up with him. But fortunately, I have a few days and I hope he’ll calm down and work through his anger issues before then. He’s Teegan’s problem today. Maybe they’ll be a better match as partners.
Because of all days, I’m not going to let him ruin today for me.
Even if beach volleyball is on the schedule. A game I know I can’t play well. That I will epically fail at, end up with sand in my shorts, and probably my mouth.
It’ll all be worth it because today my partner is Jace.
And I know he’s going to be shirtless.
It’s close to one hundred degrees today, and if I were a guy, I’d go without a shirt. Hell, I’m wearing my bathing suit top and a pair of running shorts with my suit bottoms beneath them. I plan to jump in the pool immediately after the tournament.
Which starts in less than an hour and Jace still isn’t here to practice. Practice I desperately need considering the last time I picked up a volleyball was eight years ago, the same day I was cut from tryouts. He has five more minutes before I go in search of him.
Just as the thought crosses my mind, there’s a knock on my door.
“About time,” I state firmly, wanting to sound irritated but unable to hide my smile at the sight of him.
“Don’t worry, we have time,” he replies, reaching out and taking my hand, pulling me down the path as I pull the door closed behind me. “You look gorgeous today.”
My hair is pulled high on my head and tied in a knot so it’s not in my face, a mistake I’d rather not repeat after yesterday. My ponytail kept swinging in my face and once I started to sweat, it stuck to my cheek. Not to mention the amount of soap and paint I had to wash out of it last night.
“Thanks,” I say, my heart skipping a beat at his comment.
“Are you ready to kick ass?”
“Only if you’re actually good at volleyball because I’m not.”
Pulling me to a stop in the middle of the path, Jace turns to face me. “Are you afraid of the ball?”
“No.”
“Can you do this?” he asks, cupping his hands together, his muscular forearms facing up. Copying his stance, I show him I can. “Then all you have to do is get in front of the ball if it comes your way, but more importantly, let’s have some fun.”
And with that, he takes my hand in his again and we continue on our walk to the volleyball courts.
Everyone there looks stressed. Ed is speaking with the cameramen, and Claudia is talking on her phone, pacing back and forth on the other side of the courts. Bella and Callen are practicing. It doesn’t look like it’s going well. He hits the ball to her, and she tentatively steps toward it before swinging her arms, sending the ball flying toward us. Jace catches it and tucks it beneath his arm as we approach.
“See,” he whispers. “Just let the ball hit your arms. Don’t swing. It’ll bounce, and I’ll do the rest.”
I’m glad he has faith in me because after watching Bella, I realize exactly why I didn’t make the team. I like to swing my arms and make the ball sail in the wrong direction. Hopefully it’s a habit I can break today.
As the rest of the teams begin to arrive, we start hitting the ball around for fun. None of us are very good with the exception of Jace and Natasha. Not only am I incredibly thankful he’s my partner today but also that he’s encouraging. And not just to me. He gives everyone pointers to help them before things get underway.
“Today’s going to be a little different than yesterday. As you can see, we only have one court, so we’re playing tournament style. Round one will consist of three matches, first to 21 points. It’ll be sudden death. If you lose, you’re out of the tournament. In round two, the three remaining teams will each play each other, and the team that has the best record will be declared the winner.”
I don’t like how they have the tournament set up. Each team should at least be able to play twice. What if we all suck? Just because we win by one point, we get to keep going and the other team has to sit around the rest of the day and do what?
That’s when I notice Claudia appear with a crew behind her. Food and drinks on carts. Two picnic tables. And in minutes, the crew sets up a large canopy next to the volleyball courts.
“When you’re not playing,” Ed continues, “you’re expected to be here and cheer on the other teams. You can sit under the tent and stay out of the sun. Stay hydrated, snack, but be sure to actively participate. After your team has been eliminated, and I can’t stress this enough, after that, you are welcome to have a beverage. Not during, not on your break between games. The last thing we need is someone passing out because they decided they wanted vodka instead of water. Am I clear?”
He seems to be taking the rules to the extreme lately. Wonder if that has anything to do with not being able to kick me off the show. I wouldn’t be surprised. He didn’t seem thrilled with the decision the executives made, but he should be. He still has a job.
First up, Milo and Natasha versus Drake and Courtney. It’s an uneven match up. Drake and Courtney are no competition for Milo and Natasha. They go down quickly but neither seems upset as they take a seat at the picnic table where Jace and I have been watching from, each sipping an electric blue cocktail with a little red and white flag.
“Who’s playing bartender if you’re not?” I ask Jace, nodding toward Courtney’s drink.