Island Curves (A BBW Romance) (6 page)

“Probably.”

I met his gaze. “It’s okay. I got what I came
for. Actually, a lot more.”

His expression was stark. “I don’t wanna be
here without you.”

Our camera guy hovered, recording every word.
Our romance had made us popular, and we were followed
relentlessly.

“It’s only another week.”

He played with the sand. “I wish they’d keep
you.”

“It’s better that Loren stays. She’s
stronger.”

“I want you to stay.”

I smiled. “We’ll see each other after the
show.”

“Maybe I’ll quit tonight and go with
you.”

“No! You have a shot to win this thing. Don’t
you dare quit.”

“I…really like you, Marissa.”

“I like you too.”

“I have to see you again. I wanna meet your
little girl.”

“You will.” I could hardly believe he was
saying these things to me.

His arms went around my back, drawing me
close. “You totally wrecked my game, Marissa.”

I giggled, “Poor, David. You’re still in
it.”

“The guys don’t trust me. They said I
betrayed them, picking you over them.”

“You’ll beat them with your brawn.”

“I don’t wanna be here without you.”

“It’s gonna be okay.”

He kissed me, tasting of coconut. “When this
is over, I’m coming for you.”

“You better.” We had only a few hours left
together and then it would be over. The feeling was
bittersweet.

That night, at Panel, I was voted out. On the
gently swaying boat, with torches flickering, I grabbed my bag and
waved to the remaining contestants. Our hostess, Charlene Laird,
was garbed in a pretty white dress with immaculate hair and
make-up. I was so jealous of her, and I couldn’t wait to have a
long shower and shave my legs. Before I stepped into the boat,
David jumped to his feet, grabbing me for a huge hug.

“I’ll see you soon, baby.”

“Bye, David.”

“I’m gonna miss you.”

“Me too.”

Every dramatic moment had been caught on
tape, and, as I climbed into the motorboat, the camera guy had his
lens focused on me. I didn’t want to breakdown in tears, but they
fell nonetheless, wetting my face. My stint on the show was
officially over now, America having the final vote in the end. I
would go home and wait, wondering if David and I had a future, or
if our relationship had only been jungle insanity, the effects of
extreme isolation in a confined space.

I caught a flight home the next day, after
spending the night showering and bathing, trying to remove several
week’s worth of grime and gunk from the pores of my skin. My
parents were shocked when they saw me at the airport. I had lost
more than eighteen pounds on the island diet, which consisted
mainly of fish, rice, and fruit. I had indulged in a massive meal
the night before and overate to such a degree, that I actually
vomited in the middle of the night due to a severe upset stomach. I
would have to take it slowly, adjusting to fatty foods again,
although I wanted to retain my weight loss for as long as
possible.

Scarlett was thrilled to see me, screaming at
the top of her lungs. “Mommy! Mommy!”

My mother had spoiled her with lots of
Lalaloopsy Dolls and a carry along playhouse. The first order of
business was seeing my doctor, who confirmed that I was indeed
pregnant, and promptly prescribed vitamins.

When I told my mother about this recent
event, she said, “You’re kidding, right?”

“No. I really like him, mom. He’s just
adorable and sexy and sweet.”

She shook her head. “Where are your brains,
Marissa? You already have one kid you can’t afford. How could you
get knocked up again? Does the guy even know?”

“No.”

Her sour expression said it all. “You didn’t
get enough money off that TV show to pay for this. I just don’t
know where your head is sometimes.”

I waited out the week anxiously, while
applying for jobs around town, praying something would open up. I
had been working at an optometrist’s office before the reality
show, and I was hoping Dr. Jack Greer would hire me again, but he’d
been angry that I had quit to pursue fifteen minutes of fame.

Friday night, after Scarlett had been put to
bed, I settled on the sofa to watch a taped show, when the doorbell
rang. I didn’t want to get up, so mom answered it. I was snuggled
under a blanket with a bowl of popcorn on my tummy.

“Honey.” It was my mother. “There’s someone
to see you.”

“Huh?”

“Is this the same David from the island?”

I jumped to my feet, knocking the bowl over,
the kernels falling to the floor like a waterfall of fluffy
nuggets. “Holy shit!” My heart pounded in my chest. “Where is
he?”

“The living room.”

I squealed and raced passed my mother.
“Omigod!” Mr. Muscle stood before me, shaved, shorthaired, and
tanned. He wore a pair of jeans with a greenish-gray t-shirt. I
flung myself at him. “David!”

His face was in my neck, and he smelled of
soap and cologne. “Marissa.”

My mother observed our reunion with her lips
compressed and a dubious expression on her face. “I’ll be in the
kitchen, if you need me.”

“Thanks, mom.”

“It’s so good to see you.”

“When did the show end?”

“Yesterday.”

“Did you win?”

“You know I can’t talk about that. The
results will be announced in six months.”

I pulled away to look at him. “You came here
first? You didn’t go home?”

“Nope.” He grinned, flashing white teeth.

I took his hand. “We should go to my
room.”

“Lead the way.”

In the hallway upstairs, I paused before my
daughter’s room. “Do you want to see Scarlett?” He nodded. I opened
the door, and we peeked at my little angel, who slept with a pink
teddy bear.

“She’s as cute as her mother.”

“Thanks.” She would have a baby brother or
sister in nine months. “My room’s this one.” I sat on the bed and
played with my hair nervously. David’s knee touched mine. “Who were
the final three?”

He grinned. “I can’t tell you. Sorry.”

“That sucks.”

“It’s so good to see you. The last week was a
nightmare. I’ve never been so miserable.”

“I was hoping we’d get together. I thought
you’d call. I wasn’t expecting you just to show up at my
house.”

“One of the producers gave me your address. I
had to bribe him.”

In a moment of overwhelming affection, I
grabbed his face, bestowing kisses on sweet-smelling skin. He must
have just shaved, because he was baby soft. “It’s gonna be hard,” I
complained. “You live in Dallas.”

“I can live anywhere. I run my business from
my computer. Lake Tahoe is nice.”

“Are you moving here?”

“Somebody’s gotta move, don’t they?”

I stared at him. “I have to tell you
something. Um…shit.”

“What is it?” He tucked a stray strand of
hair behind my ear.

“I…never did get my period, David.”

His eyes widened. “Oh.”

“I’m not on the pill. I wasn’t dating, so…I
didn’t think I needed it. I wasn’t expecting to have sex on a TV
show.”

“I wondered about that.”

“Look, I don’t want you to feel obligated. I
could get an abortion, although I don’t want to. I can’t afford
another kid right now. I can’t afford the first one. I’m such an
idiot. My mom’s so pissed. I’ve totally disappoint—”

“Shush,” his finger was on my mouth, “don’t
talk. Just kiss me.”

I knew better than to object. The glimmer in
his eye assured me that it didn’t bother him in the least that I
was pregnant. My intuition hummed a happy tune, which told me that
I could cast aside my worries. None of them mattered.

As we sat on the stage, upon staggered
benches, I glanced into the audience and smiled at my daughter, who
was with my parents in the third row. The lights were blinding, our
hostess looked radiant in a form-fitting blue dress, and I couldn’t
be happier with life in general, patting my expanding belly and
beaming with joy. An engagement ring sparkled on my finger; the
proposal had happened the night before at a romantic dinner by the
beach.

My fiancé, being in the final three, sat on
the first row beside Loren and Chuck. I was thrilled for my friend
for having made it to the end. Now America would decide their fate.
Whilst the cameras rolled and our hostess addressed the audience, I
realized that it didn’t matter if David won or not, because we had
both gambled and triumphed. He was no slouch when it came to
business, running a successful sporting goods company with his
brother, which grossed three million annually. The exposure from
being on the show had produced a bonanza of sales and profits. I’d
moved to Dallas with him, having decided a change of scenery would
be beneficial. We had bought a lovely home in Keller, Texas with an
awesome view and a pool, which Scarlett loved.

After the commercial break, it was time for
the big reveal, and nervous bundles of energy coursed through me,
in anticipation of the news. I sat with Susan, and we squeezed each
other’s hands for good luck.

“I’ll read the results now,” said Charlene.
“With thirty-six million votes having been counted, the first
winner of
Contest Island
is…” The hush in the audience was
palpable, as her well-manicured hand disappeared into a ceramic
pot. David turned around and winked at me. “Loren Pierce.”

Pandemonium erupted, as Loren shot to her
feet, her face a mask of surprised disbelief. She hugged David and
Chuck, and then she ran into the audience to embrace the members of
her family. I was ecstatic for my friend and happy for her good
fortune.

“Now for the second winner of the three
million dollar prize.” Her hand disappeared into the pot. She held
up a white card. “The second winner of
Contest Island
is…David Komen.”

My heart skipped a beat, as my fiancé got to
his feet and high-fived several men in the first row. Then he
climbed over the staggered seats and hauled me into his arms,
kissing me senseless. My ears rang with the applause of the
audience, as each camera in the auditorium was on us, capturing
every detail of our affectionate celebration.

“I love you, baby!” he whispered in my
ear.

“I love you too!”

He bounded off the benches and ran into the
audience to hug his parents and brother, who were seated near my
parents. While we composed ourselves during the commercial break, I
tried to calm down, knowing that my blood pressure had probably
spiked. The question and answer session was about to begin, and,
when David returned, along with Loren, who was dabbing her
mocha-colored skin with a tissue, they sat and waited for their
cue.

Susan hugged me. “You did good, girl.”

“I did.”

“I knew you guys would work out.”

“So far, so good.”

Our hostess beamed, preparing to grill us
with questions. “Now, David, everyone watching this season was
aware of the romance between you and Marissa. You started off
hating each other, and then something happened. Would you care to
elaborate?”

He grinned cheekily. “Um…she’s totally hot,
Charlene. I had no means to resist her. She basically wrecked my
game.”

“You won the show, David. How can you say she
wrecked your game?”

“I came to dominate and win challenges, which
I did. I didn’t plan on romance. Uh…that was a surprise.”

“Marissa, what were your first impressions of
David?”

“I thought he was an arrogant jerk, no
offense, honey.”

“None taken.”

The audience laughed at this. Every negative
thing I had ever said about him had aired for the entire world to
see, creating television ratings gold.

“That first impression didn’t last long, did
it?”

“No.”

“In fact, from nearly the beginning of the
show you two were together.”

“Not together, but…we slept together.”
Oh,
God. That totally didn’t come out right!
“I mean, we were next
to each other in the shelter.” My face flamed with embarrassment.
My mother would kill me! The audience erupted with applause and
ribald whistles.

“I would say from the looks of it, that you
got a lot closer than that. This is the first time in history that
a baby was conceived on a live show.”

David grinned roguishly. “That’d be my fault,
Ms. Laird.”

She laughed, “Oh, I think you both can share
the blame there. And, from the sparkler on Marissa’s finger, I see
you’ve already gone down on one knee.”

“Yes, ma’am. Last night at dinner.” The
auditorium thundered their approval.

Charlene winked at me. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

After the question and answer session had
concluded, I found myself in a dressing room with my parents and
David’s parents, chatting and sharing champagne. I drank sparkling
water, while my fiancé sat with Scarlett on his lap, my daughter
having adopted him as her new best friend.

One of the producers burst through the door.
“The ratings just came in. This season was the most watched out of
ten years. Congrats, guys. You were awesome.” In typical producer
fashion, she disappeared as quickly as she appeared.

David handed Scarlett to my dad. “I...can I
get a minute with my fiancé, please. We’ll meet you at the
afterparty.”

Mild objections registered, but people began
to file out, leaving David and I alone. He pulled me to him.
“Pregnant chicks turn me on.” He was shockingly erect and it
pressed against my belly.

“Stop it, you dirty boy. Somebody can come in
at any second.”

“I’ll remedy that.” He wedged a chair under
the doorknob. “How do you like them apples?”

“What’s going on here?”

“We’re having a time out.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. Get on the sofa.”