Page 13 of Wandering Wild
Gabe wades in to break up our stare-down, saying, “We’re so pleased you two were able to meet us today, especially since this introduction wasn’t on the itinerary. But I thought, since we’re all here, it might be nice if we get to know each other a little before tomorrow.” He gestures between them both. “Are you hungry? Shall we grab a late lunch, then stretch our legs on a short bushwalk? That could be fun.”
“So much fun,” Charlie says. Her smile doesn’t come close to being genuine.
“We could go on the cable car,” Ember says enthusiastically, as if trying to cover for her friend’s inexplicable attitude. She points beyond the lookout’s railing. “Or whatever that terrifying thing is.”
I follow her finger to see the glass-bottomed Scenic Skyway ambling across wires high above the valley. The hotel concierge said it’s different from the cable car, though both offer views of the rainforest canopy, ancient ravines, and waterfalls. I grin at Ember, causing her to blush as I cast my vote with hers. “That sounds good to me.”
She looks like she’s going to faint from joy—and Gabe looks like he’s going to faint from something else entirely. He’s never been comfortable with heights, despite having a high-rise office, which he claims is different. A quick glance at Charlie, and I can’t tell how she feels about riding the Skyway. All I know is that, given her disposition toward me so far, it doesn’t take a genius to realize she might not be here of her own will.
Anxiety grips me, since not once did I consider that the person accompanying me on tomorrow’s adventure might not actuallybea fan. Ember won the competition, and it’s clear she is, but Charlie...
If I can’t get her to like me, or at least play along while the cameras are rolling, then there’s no way I’ll convince the studio that I’m worth keeping around. My career—mylife—is in her hands, and she doesn’t even know it.
Worse, I have a feeling that if she did, she wouldn’t care.
My palms turn clammy, but I keep my features carefree as Gabe suggests we find a place to eat, prompting Charlie to look at her friend and confirm she’s happy to leave. Seeing that, a plan forms in my mind. Charlie is obviously here because of Ember, so the best way to sway her into liking me—or at least losing the passive-aggressive vibes—isthroughEmber. Thankfully, unlike Charlie, Ember doesn’t seem inclined to push me over the side of the lookout, so I step closer to her and, in a dorky move that I’ll have embarrassed flashbacks to later, I bow at the waist before offering her my arm.
“My lady, let us be away to the feast,” I say, in for a penny, in for a pound.
A startled giggle leaves her. “Why, thank you, kind sir,” she says with a curtsy.
As Ember wraps her fingers around my elbow, I sneak a look at Charlie and see her face soften at her friend’s clear delight. Feeling more confident in my plan, I continue lavishing attention on Ember as I escort her away from the lookout and along the street. Even after we step into a quiet cafe and place our orders, I keep asking questions about her life, learning how her family immigrated to Australia when she was little, and then how she and Charlie became neighbors ten years ago and have been inseparable ever since. Nostalgia hits me as I think about my own best friend, and it quickly turns to melancholy as I remember that Maddox never responded to the voicemail I sent before I left. This time hurts more than all the other unanswered messages combined, given what he knows of my past, and what I’m walking into tomorrow.
I shake myself back to the present when our meals arrive, taking a bite of my burger and listening as Ember talks about her many childhood adventures with Charlie. My eyes shift frequently to the blue-haired girl sitting opposite me, but she mostly lets her friend speak and focuses on eating her own lunch—at least until Ember reaches their teenage years and stops abruptly, seeming uncomfortable for the first time since we met. She turns to Charlie with a strange, almost pleading look, and Charlie jumps to her rescue.
“This must be so boring, hearing about our lives,” Charlie says, faking a laugh and fiddling with her napkin. “I’m sure there are a million other things we should be talking about.” She nudges her empty plate. “Sidenote: is it just me, or was that the best burger you’ve ever tasted?”
It’s clearly a ploy to distract us from whatever caused Ember to freeze, but since I’m eager for any points I can get with Charlie, I nod eagerly and say, “The pineapple really kicked it up a notch.”
“Yuck.” Ember pulls a face. “Hot pineapple is a crime against nature. No one can convince me otherwise, not even my favorite actor of all time.”
It was a throwaway comment, but her praise still makes me flush with pleasure.
“Charlie’s right, actually,” Gabe interjects, leaning forward beside me. “There are things we should discuss about the next few days.”
“We read the info you sent,” Ember says, wiping condensation from her glass. “It was pretty vague.”
“That’s by design, I’m afraid,” Gabe says. “Hawke’s team likes to surprise his guests, so the details we have are sparse.” He turns to Charlie and me. “I do know you’ll be collected from the hotel lobby at six a.m. and taken to a rendezvous point where you’ll meet the executive producer, Scarlett Quinn, as well as Hawke himself. Then after a quick photo op, you’ll be away on your adventure.”
I wonder if I’m imagining the look of dread on Charlie’s face, or if I’m just projecting my own feelings. She can’t know—no one can know—how much this trip is going to require of me, mentally and emotionally. The only people whodoknow are Summer and Maddox, and only one of them seems to give a damn about me anymore.
I grit my teeth against a stab of heartache, but at the prickling sensation of someone watching me, I turn to find Charlie’s eyes. The curiosity in her gaze worries me, so even though I’m grateful that she’s not emanating belligerence right now, I still wish she hadn’t caught me in such an unguarded moment. I force myself to relax, casting all thoughts of my best friend aside so I can refocus on the conversation.
“Can I go with Charlie to meet Hawke in the morning?” Ember asks.
Gabe scratches his jaw. “I assume we can both accompany them to the rendezvous point, but I’ll call Scarlett tonight to make sure.”
Ember looks pleased—and excited—and I wonder again why she’s not the one joining me.
“Now,” Gabe continues, speaking once more to Charlie and me, “Hawke’s team will outfit you both with all the gear you need, partly to keep their branding in the spotlight, but also because they know exactly what you’ll require. You sent through your sizes, yes?”
I don’t answer since Gabe sent mine, but I’m amused when Ember chirps out a “Sure did!” and Charlie looks surprised before frowning, as if wondering what else Ember might have done behind her back.
“Excellent,” Gabe says. “So just wear your hiking boots and something comfortable in the morning, and everything else will be given to you.” He grins and adds, “Assuming you’re still standing when you return on Friday afternoon, we should indulge in a celebratory ‘You survived!’ meal that night before we all depart on Saturday. Sound good?”
“Soundsamazing,” Ember says, turning to her friend. “Right, Charlie Bear?”
Charlie doesn’t blink at the cute nickname, though her voice is strained as she replies, “It sure does.”
