I want to reassure him. ‘I’d assume the worst, cameras everywhere. Did you know that they have microphones in the toilet and cameras in the shower?’
Cam looks uncomfortable. ‘Just for the record, I never agreed with that. It’s disgusting, but what Porscha wants, Porscha gets.’
‘Hmmm. I got that impression. She looks the forceful type, that’s for sure.’
‘How do you know what Porscha looks like?’
‘Erm, well, I kind of saw you two together outside your trailer before she came barging inside. And those two workmen had plenty of things to say about her that weren’t entirely complimentary.’
‘She is kind of a ballbreaker, I’ll give her that. But then you have to be, on a show like this.’
‘How long have you worked on this show?’
‘Just since the last series. It’s a stepping stone to what I’d ideally like to do.’ Cam leans an arm across my seat while he twists around to reverse expertly out of the tight spot we are in.
‘Which is?’
‘You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?’ he says, turning back around and jamming the gear into first. He pulls on the steering wheel to navigate the rough terrain.
‘Like I said. I’m a teacher. Being nosy is a huge part of who I am professionally.’
Cam starts chuckling as he swings onto the road. ‘Okay. Why don’t I show you instead? Do you have one more spontaneous surprise left in you?’
'Do we have time?'
'I'll make time.'
Oh, gosh.
‘Then, I love surprises,’ I lie casually as we speed along the isolated road back to our villa.
Who am I? Who is this woman?
Chapter 12
Cam drives a little further on and then turns off the road at a sign for a nature park. We bump along for a few miles until the track opens up onto a dusty carpark and a hut with a small window and a tired-looking fella sitting up, but quite asleep, behind it.
We jump out and Cam opens the boot. He drags out a big camera and a tripod. ‘Hold this please,’ he says. ‘And this.’
Soon we are paying ten dollars entry and are essentially walking into a jungle. My stress levels are climbing. The light is fading. It will get dark soon.
‘Do you know where we are going? What if we get lost? Do you have a phone signal? A first aid kit? Who else knows we are here? Do you have your mobile tracker on? These clothes still smell like fresh kebab meat. Am I going to get my tits ripped off by a pack of rabid hyenas?’
‘For a start, hyenas live in Africa.’ Cam stops to look at me.
I instantly stop panicking at his calm, soothing tone.
‘Huh. Not much of a risk-taker, are you?’
I shake my head. ‘I struggle a little bit with change… and with anything that’s not organised with military precision.’ This is a gross understatement. ‘And… surprises.’
He jokily rolls his eyes. ‘Well, don’t worry. I have you covered. Trust me. Look, it’s just up ahead.’
He has such a reassuring manner that it puts me at ease straightaway. Two minutes later we come to a clearing.
The scene takes my breath away as I sweep my gaze upwards. ‘We’ve stepped into paradise,’ I whisper. Exotic birds are swooping through the air, monkeys are swinging through trees, all manner of creatures are scampering around. ‘Have we just walked into a Disney film?’
Cam laughs quietly and sets up the tripod, fixing the camera deftly on top. ‘I produce nature documentaries by trade. You kinda hit the nail on the head back there with your Silverback assumptions.’
