Page 3 of Surviving Love

“Oh, boy, sparks are already flying.” Shep grinned. “Does it bug you that Jack seems to think you don’t belong here, Mason?”

“No.” I understood why Shep was prodding me. The whole point of reality TV was drama. No doubt Shep wanted me to bare my soul, maybe tell some sappy story about why I deserved to be on the show. I definitely had a story and a reason for being here, but I wasn’t about to spill my guts. Not this early in the game. The last thing I needed was to appear weak to this group of strangers. I needed to prove myself first;thenI could show them my softer side. But that shit had to be doled out strategically. “Like I said, Jack’s opinion means nothing to me.”

“I see.” Moving closer to me, Shep asked, “Do people underestimate you often, Mason?”

I shot a pointed look in Jack’s direction. “Not people with brains.”

It took me by surprise when, instead of getting mad, Jack laughed at my comment.

“What do you say to that, Jack?” Shep asked.

Jack lifted one muscular shoulder. “Look, Mason, I don’t know you. But, in my defense, you don’t exactly look like the rugged type.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t need to be a macho jerk to win this game.”

There was a collective “Ooooh” from the group.

Shep grinned. “Hear that, Jack?”

“I heard him,” Jack muttered.

Shep turned to me. “Your point is a fair one, Mason; you don’t have to be a guy like Jack to win. Last season, Trisha, a sixty-year-old grandmother of five, won the game.” He turned to one of the cameras and winked. “Because truly, anyone can win onDevious Island.”

A couple of the contestants clapped and cheered.

“That’s good news for you, Mason.” Jack gave a cocky grin. “A little old lady won the game last time. Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”

“Very funny.” I scowled.

A thin, red-haired guy named Larry spoke up. “I like to think that what guys like Mason and I lack in muscles, we make up for in intelligence.” He met my gaze. “Right, Mason?”

Relieved to have someone who saw my side of things, I nodded. “Exactly. It takes more than sheer physical strength to win this show.”

Jack frowned. “What are you trying to say? That if I have muscles, I can’t also have brains?”

Before I could respond, Shep said, “Guys. Guys, like I said, anyone can win.”

Jack shot me a surly look but stayed quiet.

Shep moved to stand in the center of the group, rubbing his hands together. “Now, I’m sure you’ve all noticed we stopped the boat quite some ways from the shore.”

“We noticed.” Harold laughed. “How could we not?”

“You’ve probably also noticed there aren’t any boats to take you in to the beach.” Shep laughed.

Harold sighed. “We definitely didn’t miss that. At least, I didn’t.”

Shep’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “That’s because we have a twist this season.”

I met Larry’s uneasy gaze and whispered, “Why is there always a twist?”

He sighed. “Probably because they love to torture us.”

“What’s the twist?” Sherry asked.

Shep grinned. “We’re making you swim to shore.”

“What?” one girl shrieked. “But the beach is so far away.”