He flops backwards onto the bed, trying to catch his breath.
‘You know what, I think it’s bolted together,’ he tells me, his voice quiet now. ‘And to the floor or the wall or something – maybe it’s a cruise ship safety thing.’
‘Yeah, maybe,’ I say, sitting down on the bed next to him. ‘You tried.’
I give him a patronising pat on his sticky, sweaty abs. My God, they’re rock solid.
‘You know… there is a plan B,’ I tell him, nodding towards the fancy free-standing bath in our room.
Brody lifts his head up just enough to look before flopping back down.
‘Be my guest,’ he tells me.
‘Oh, no, no, no, dear boyfriend,’ I reply. ‘I already took the bath last time, remember? It’s your turn tonight.’
‘A princess, as always,’ he replies. ‘Tell you what. We’ll take itin turns. I’ll sleep in it tonight, you can take it tomorrow night – you’ll be begging to get in bed with me.’
‘It seems like no one has to beg to get in bed with you,’ I tease.
‘Yeah, you definitely googled me,’ he says – to himself, I think.
I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.
‘Right,’ he says, pulling himself to his feet. ‘I’m going to nab some cushions from the sofa, that might help. At least you were drunk when you slept in the bath…’
Again, I’m saying nothing. I just sit there and watch as he walks, shirtless, into the living room.
‘Oh, hi,’ he says, so I’m guessing Todd and/or Nikki is in there. ‘I’m just grabbing some cushions – I’m doing a bit of overambitious exercising. I’ll bring them back in the morning.’
Silence.
He comes back in, cushions in his arms, and closes the door behind him.
‘Well, they look awkward as hell, so our little performance at dinner must have been convincing,’ he says.
‘I guess so,’ I reply.
He starts chucking cushions into the bath, almost filling it, to the point where I’m not sure his muscular frame will fit in there too but he just about makes it work.
‘Chuck me a pillow from the bed, will you,’ he says.
I grab one and carry it to him.
‘I’ll give it a go tonight, seeing as though you asked so nicely,’ he says sarcastically. ‘But I guarantee you’re not going to want to sleep in here. Not a chance. You’ll be trying to seduce me, so that you can get in bed with me, I can see it now.’
‘Oh, I highly, highly doubt it,’ I tell him. ‘I’d sooner get in with Todd and Nikki.’
‘Ouch,’ he says, laughing it off.
Nothing ever seems to really rattle him.
I head into the bathroom to get ready for bed, shutting the door behind me before looking at myself in the mirror.
What are you doing, Jessa, huh? What do you think is happening here? What do you think is going to happen?
Honestly? I have no idea. I flip back and forth between thinking this is the best idea anyone has ever had and this is a terrible, terrible plan. A plan where someone is going to get hurt, and I’m worried it’s going to be me.
The thing is though, I already have been hurt, by Todd, and now I’m just here playing the hand I’ve been dealt, and my teammate is Brody Ryan.TheBrody Ryan, it turns out. He’s handsome, jacked, charming in his own way, he’s got a good job and an even better sense of humour… but I know his type and I could never fall for someone like that. Still, all the better to have a fake relationship with him, to use him to make Todd regret breaking up with me – and to make Nikki wish she’d never let Brody go. Honestly, I really feel like those two deserve each other.
