“That’s a thing?”
“It is now.”
“Damn.”
Dustin moves around the table. “Why don’t we just do the whole fire thing as a scare tactic and call it a day?”
“Spoilsport,” Max grumbles, then pounds his fist onto the table. “I’ve got it!”
“Oh good, the evil genius showed up today,” Dustin mumbles.
Swear on all that’s holy, Max turns to Dustin and goes, “I’m always an evil genius.”
“Pray for America,” someone mumbles.
“Heard that.” Max grabs the remote to Olmec and grins. “This is going to be the best day of our lives.”
Dustin just shakes his head and sighs. “And if they don’t perform the way you want them to?”
“Still a game,” Max answers, “Still fun for the board of directors, and in the end, someone still wins, so why worry?”
“Oh, you know.” Dustin crosses his arms. “Lawsuits. Prison. Those things.”
Max waits a minute, then whispers, “I own the law.”
Everyone looks around the table as Dustin whispers, “Well, that’s comforting.”
“LET THE GAMES BEGIN!” Max shouts as he’s given access to a giant red buzzer that nobody with an IQ like Max should be given access to.
Board members would always remember how Dustin, under his breath, cursed.
“Shit.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jack
So, despite the promise of being able to sink my mouth between my partner’s thighs once we’re done in the temple of doom and death—I still want to shit my pants as we approach Olmec.
I can’t decide if it’s my childhood fear.
Or the fact that it’s Max’s voice coming out of said childhood fear. All I know is that I’m squeezing Ivy’s hand so hard I wouldn’t be surprised if you couldn’t find my DNA on every inch of her skin.
Olmec’s eyes are red like fire.
And then, as if the stupid rock god thing can read my mind, actual fire shoots out of his eyes. I stumble back and try not to fall into the water. That has to be a lost point, right? If I fall into the water I just escaped from.
“You’ve got this.” Ivy grips my arm harder. “Just focus.”
“Focus?” I repeat. “Focus?” I can’t stop saying focus. “On what? His devil eyes or the fires of hell? I mean, seriously? Help me out here!”
“Look at his tiny hands!” she shouts.
A loud noise erupts like a volcano from Olmec’s head. “Tiny hands?”
“Think he heard me?” Ivy whispers.
I just shake my head and then lower it. “This is how we die, and yes, Ivy. Yes, I think he fucking heard you.”
“I was quiet!”
“TINY HANDS!” Olmec shouts again. This time it’s Ivy jumping closer to me, holding on to me, and it’s me being a bit arrogant as the rest of the two remaining groups look over at us like they don’t know what to do. Meanwhile, I’m holding a promised BJ, sooooo I can’t be mad but also still gonna shit my pants.
It’s really the weirdest day.
A conundrum, if you will.
Anderson starts grabbing at his partner. Meanwhile, she’s backing up and trying to get away from the scary statue. I want to yell same girl, same, but I’m too distracted by the perfect person on my left.
Max, or rather, Olmec-Max shouts again; more fire comes, lava follows, and yet again, my brain reminds me that this means death. The lava has to be fake, but it has the correct approach, as Anderson’s partner grabs onto him and then falls backward into the water.
They both splash into it.
A gong sounds, and they’re suddenly escorted out by the temple guards in full garb. Grass skirts, scary face paint, pointy objects. “Is there no end to this nightmare?”
“Focus!” Ivy hisses.
“Did I say that out loud?”
“You’re shaking.” She grits her teeth and grabs me by the chin. “Look at me. Not at Olmec, but me. You’ve got this. We’ve got this; we have three teams left—” Another splash sounds. “Two teams, I mean two teams, and we can—” Another splash happens. “What the hell is happening, oh—” She grips my chin harder. “Do. Not. Look.”
“That’s what people say when you have a spider on you, and they’re trying to grab it!” I yell. “That’s the worst thing to say to someone, and I don’t even mind spiders. What the hell do you mean don’t look!”
“Close your eyes!”
“…Remaining teams, you will now go through the Temple of Knowledge!” Olmec’s voice booms over the loudspeaker as I start to sweat and squeeze my eyes shut. “You’ll need to trust your partner implicitly in this challenge as they will be guiding you up each step. You will both be blindfolded.”
“Oh, thank God,” Ivy whispers.
“Why? Why are we thanking God? Why are my eyes closed?” Look, I want to be a man; I don’t want to be frantic, but what the ever-loving hell am I doing right now?
She elbows me.
I should expect this.
I will have forever bruising.
I hang my head as a blindfold’s put around me, and then Ivy and I are tied to each other by our wrists.