She raises her eyebrows. She totally would.
‘If I so much as suspect that you are communicating with him in secret, I will sack him and I will edit this show to make sure neither of you ever work again. You’re a teacher, right? Who will hire you after they’ve seen you cussing live on TV and sleeping with every single guy in here? We go out to over ten million viewers. Including the UK.’
I gulp. ‘But that’s not true. I never swear. Well, just that once. And I’d never sleep with anyone, especially not on TV.’ I’m starting to panic now. I’ve seen the show. I’ve seen how misrepresented they can make the islanders seem. I’d be just another bitter islander that no one would believe because the damage would be done. There’s no smoke without fire.
We lock eyes. Hers are hard and full of mal-intent. Mine are full of panic and worry for mine and Cam’s professional futures. I feel faint and reach out to steady myself.
‘You have ten seconds to decide,’ Porscha says coldly. ‘Are you in? Or out?’
I am struggling to know what to say. ‘So, let me be clear. You are threatening to ruin my career if I leave the show?’
‘Correct.’
‘And you are threatening to ruin Cam’s career if I have anything to do with him, romantically or not?’
‘Correct. You are not to encourage him with this childish crush you have developed. Do you not think we see this all of the time? He is a nice guy. Why get him fired just because of some unrequited feelings you have for him. Poor man. Such a shame for him to suffer because of your selfishness.’
‘That isn’t… that’s not how it… you’re wrong. You can’t do this. You can’t blackmail us like this.’
‘I can and I am. You signed all your rights away before you came here. It’s all in the small print,’ Porscha lets out a bored sigh. ‘Your time is up. In or out?’
Oh my God. I feel so confused. I wish my sister was here. All of a sudden, I yearn to be back home. Back at home with her and Tyrone, laughing and joking, hanging out, watching films. My simple, safe life.
‘What if I leave quietly? I leave tonight. I don’t see Cam ever again. He keeps his job, and nobody’s careers get damaged?’ I plead.
‘Don’t try to haggle with me and stop telling me how to do my job. We’ve had double the viewing figures since you appeared on screen with your ridiculous and pathetic carrying on. For some reason, the public seem to like your car crash approach to life.’
Oh God. Has the whole world been laughing at me?
Porscha flicks her shiny mane of red hair over shoulder and leans towards me. ‘I’ll spell it out for you. More viewers means more sponsorship. More sponsorship means more money. More money means another series. Simple. Now answer the fucking question. In or out?’
I lower my head. Every instinct inside me is to fight back but this seems like an impossible situation. The gamble that I leave, and she ruins our careers, is too high a risk. I need more time to assess the situation to find a proper solution.
‘I’m in,’ I say, looking her square in the eye. ‘But you have to promise not to sack Cam. None of this is his fault. He hasn’t done anything wrong. You’re right. I tried to approach him… but he never… he’s very professional. There’s nothing going on between us.’
Porscha tries to weigh up whether I’m telling the truth. It will suit her to imagine that I came onto Cam, and that he is not interested in me.
‘Done. I don’t want to see you two within a mile of each other. Is that clear? Now, slap a smile on it because you have a hunky French man to drool over. I expect you to make Carlton andGiovanni jealous but not a word to Amber or Mimi. Not that they’d figure it out, the empty-headed bimbos.’
I feel sick.
‘And by the way, you will be sleeping in the communal bedroom with the others from now on. No more being a hermit. It’s time to be a team player.’
Chapter 24
As soon as Porscha hands me back the microphone pack and leaves, I burst into tears. I smother the microphone to disguise my noisy sobs.
I feel powerless.
My tears are barely dry when I hear an almighty commotion outside. Everyone seems to be arguing with everyone else.
I wipe my face with a nearby tea towel and step cautiously outside. All the islanders are shouting while the two girls and two boys in the throes of being dumped on national TV drag their cases to the huge heart. They are being forced to go back the way they came, minus the huge hopeful smiles they arrived with.
Amber looks distraught. Mimi looks bewildered while Kassy and Binky are forcing smiles onto their tear-streaked faces as though they have clearly been ordered to battle through it.
‘EVERYONE CALM THE FUCK DOWN,’ bellows Porscha. ‘I think you’re all forgetting this is a game. A FUN game to winone hundred thousand dollars. ONE. HUNDRED. THOUSAND. FREAKING. DOLLARS. Can we all remember that, please?’
There’s a fresh burst of tears from Kassy. ‘I wanted to win so much.’
