Sink or Swim

Cassidy slipped her gaze to his leather shoes. If Josh hadn’t been engaged, they could have been an item. Instead, they’d been good friends until that one evening when the cameras were off and they almost kissed. They’d both realized their mistake and backed away. Things were strained until Josh walked the plank a week later. Tonight, not only did Cassidy have to face Josh, she would probably meet his fiancée.

Her cheeks heating, Cassidy focused on the competitor beside Josh as a distraction. Adam Horton sat erect, hands folded in the lap of his olive green khakis. He wasn’t military, but he dressed like an Army wannabe. His reptilian eyes drilled into Cassidy, his angular face revealing the shape of bones underneath. A blond goatee darkened his pointy chin. Cassidy shuddered involuntarily. Adam never said much, but he made her uncomfortable just the same. She’d sense someone watching her on the ship and Adam would be lurking in the hatches. Luckily, he only lasted on the show two weeks.

“Before we catch up with our former contestants, I’d like to congratulate Cassidy on a job well done,” Gabriel said in the middle of the circle.

Applause thundered from the audience and a wave of excitement crested over her. Cassidy offered a smile for the cameras as Gabriel finished, “I’m proud to present you with your prize – a luxury vacation for two to the Bahamas on a real cruise ship with $3,000 spending money!”

Dumbfounded, Cassidy watched as a video depicted a majestic ocean liner on the large TV screen. “Set sail with us to the Bahamas, where you can swim with dolphins in turquoise waters, relax on sugar white beaches and explore the island’s history as a haven for pirates,” said the female announcer in a voice-over. “On your voyage, you can enjoy our ten lounges, two outdoor pools, luxury spa, casino, cinema, dynamite shows, and glass walls and elevators that get you up close to the ocean views.”

Another boat? More ocean views? Were they friggin’ serious? A frozen smile hovered on Cassidy’s lips. Too bad she’d already seen the counselor that afternoon and he’d attested that all her screws were still in place. This travesty might be enough to unhinge her.

As the video montage ended, boos erupted from the crowd and several people jumped to their feet.
“No fair!”
“Give her a real prize!”
“Cheapskates!”

The thrill of the jeers rippled down Cassidy’s spine, their zealousness stunning her. Granted, her little brother had been the heckler to yell “Cheapskates,” but the other supporters weren’t relatives.

“You seem to have some disappointed fans,” Gabriel remarked as a camera panned the crowd. “What do you have to say about the prize, Cassidy?”

She bit down her real opinion and replied, “I’m overwhelmed people care, but this cruise looks a lot more relaxing than my time on Sink or Swim.”

“We knew you’d enjoy it,” Gabriel said. “Who wouldn’t welcome an opportunity to be pampered on a luxury ocean liner?”

Cassidy scoffed inwardly. Perhaps someone who’d been trapped on a schooner for three months.

After the broadcast, Cassidy escaped the sound stage before she blurted out something ungrateful. She glimpsed a production assistant leading her mother, brother, and other special guests off the set, weaning them away from the audience members who’d obtained free tickets for the taping but weren’t invited to the cast party.

When Adam touched her arm in the hallway, the hairs bristled on end.
“I missed you, Cassidy,” he said. “I’ve been counting the days till this reunion.”
“Hi, Adam,” she said with resignation. “Good to see you.”

Reggie lumbered by them in a dark brown suit befitting a Mafia hit man with his broad shoulders and sunken neck. He pivoted and walked backwards. “Hey, Horty, I’m surprised you showed. What’d you last, two episodes? Remember when you spilled paint on the deck and cost our team fifty points? What a klutz.” Laughing, he swaggered down the hallway.

Adam’s mouth pinched into a scowl and red flushed up to his peach fuzz crew cut. “You should have gotten first place. Not him.”

It was nice to be supported, but this guy was too intense. Still, he didn’t deserve to be the butt of Reggie’s ridicule.

“Thanks,” Cassidy said. “Don’t listen to Reggie, he’s a creep. We all thought so. Catch you later, okay? I’ve got to find my family.”

She ducked downstairs to the cafeteria. Balloons and streamers transformed the surroundings into a glittering cascade of blue and gold, the colors in the Sink or Swim logo SOS.

Cassidy accepted a wine glass from a black-coated waiter and glanced around for her mother and fourteen-year-old brother. They’d reunited briefly at the hotel that afternoon, sharing a few hugs and a quick lunch, then Cassidy had to rush off for counseling, hair and makeup. Her family was probably getting a VIP tour of the studio.

Cassidy found herself near a blue and gold decorated table, showcasing an elaborate sheet cake of the Atlantic Devil, her home for the past several weeks. She downed her white wine in one long gulp.

Gabriel slithered up beside her. His dark tailored sports coat hugged his slender build. “I’ve been meaning to tell you, I’m sorry for your loss.” He sounded as if he was extending condolences at a funeral. He hadn’t been that sorry when he’d ordered her to the plank.