Page 7 of Surviving Love

I smiled. “Right? Grade school all over again.”

The crew had to stop to fix something on one of the cameras, so I decided to try and chat Larry up a little. He seemed friendly enough, and since Jack was choosing next, and I was certain he’d pick Larry, it couldn’t hurt to try and get him to connect with Harold. They were going to be together on Jack’s team, and if I was friends with both of them, there was a chance the three of us could form an alliance for when the tribes merged.

Glancing around to be sure no one was paying attention, I leaned in and said to Larry, “When Jack picks you, you should befriend Harold right away. Tell him I told you to talk to him.”

He frowned at me. “Harold? Is he the guy with the beard?”

“Yeah. He’s a cool guy. When the tribes merge, maybe the three of us can form an alliance.”

Of course, my plan all hinged on Harold still being around when the tribes merged. He might be voted off before then, or worse, I might be. Not to mention, Harold could end up forming stronger associations with people onthattribe. We hadn’t been able to spend much time together, so our connection was fragile. All I knew was, Harold had suggested we be in an alliance. It made sense to at least try to see if Larry was interested in working with me and Harold.

“Just talk to him. I think you’ll like him,” I nudged.

Larry nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll talk to him, if Jack chooses me.”

I snorted a laugh. “Oh, he’ll pick you over me. Don’t you worry about that.”

“You can’t be sure—”

“Sorry for the interruption, everyone,” Shep’s voice cut in. “The humidity messes with the equipment.”

“No worries,” Rosa called out. “We’re only trying to win a million dollars.”

Everyone laughed.

Shep grinned. “You’re feisty now, Rosa, but let’s see how feisty you are on day thirty.”

She smiled. “I hope I’m still here.”

“I guess that’s up to you and your tribe.” Shep glanced over at me and Larry, and then he addressed Jack. “Okay, Jack, it’s your turn. Who will be your last tribe member? Will it be Mason, who you’ve already butted heads with, or Larry, who the crew has nicknamed Likeable Larry?”

Larry raised his brows. “I have a nickname?”

“You sure do.” Shep smirked. “You all have them, but they’re not all as flattering.”

I met Jack’s enigmatic gaze, and I lifted my chin, trying to show him I couldn’t care less if he picked Larry over me. It wasn’t that I liked being the last person picked. Naturally, that was a bit of an ego slam. However, I sincerely had no desire to be on Jack’s tribe. There was no way we could live harmoniously with each other.

“So.” Shep rested his hands on his hips. “Who are you going to pick, Jack?”

Jack rubbed his chin, narrowing his eyes. “Let me see…”

I almost laughed. Was he actually trying to pretend there was a choice here? We both knew he’d choose Larry. Maybe he was just trying to build the suspense for the TV audience? He did seem to be a bit of a ham.

“Hmmm.” Jack continued the act. “It’s not an easy decision.”

Yeah, it is.

I dug my bare feet in the warm sand and glanced up at the dark clouds bearing down on us. The scent of rain was in the air, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before the storm reached us and let loose. I really hoped Jack would cut his Academy Award performance short so we could get to camp and start building our shelters.

“I pick… Mason,” Jack said gruffly.

At first, I assumed I’d heard him wrong. But when everyone looked at me in surprise, I realized I hadn’t. I snapped my head toward him and rasped, “Excuse me?”

Jack smirked but didn’t say anything.

“Okay, Mason, it looks like Jack isn’t afraid of a challenge.” Shep chuckled. “Go ahead and join your tribe.”

Larry leaned in. “Psst, hey, Mason. Will you still keep me in mind for an alliance when our tribes merge?”