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“So you have no interest in him then?” Savannah asks, popping a grape into her mouth.
“No interest whatsoever. I could never be with a man that cynical.”
“You won’t mind if I take a swing then?”
“Obviously not,” I answer, scoffing a little as if the thought of being with him never crossed my mind.
“Good, because I’m definitely going to swing,” she says, staring at him while she plays with her necklace. “Hard.”
Hmm, I’m having an interesting reaction to that idea. I kind of want to rip her face off right now. When I have a quiet moment, I should probably dig in and analyze why.
Karen looks over at him too, then back at us. “Do you really think sleeping with him would get him to change his mind?”
“Oh, I don’t care about that,” Savannah says. “Unless it’s changing his mind about that girlfriend of his.”
The girlfriend he doesn’t have.
Karen looks at me like I just kicked a baby alpaca. “I forgot he had a girlfriend. I wonder how she would’ve felt about you two being in the hot tub alone in the middle of the night.”
She would’ve felt nothing, Karen, because she doesn’t exist. But, not my secret to tell, even if this does make me look like a woman with what my grandma would call ‘loose morals.’ “I … have no idea, but like I said, I was there first, so it’s not like I went looking for him to try to start something.”
Karen makes a little hmph sound, then concentrates on eating her one tiny pancake while I shovel my six into my mouth, feeling like I should have a scarlet A sewn to my poncho.
Thiago stands and walks over to us. “I hate to interrupt, but we really have to get going to our next destination and before we can do that, we have a video from Dr. Napper. So please finish eating, then come over to our table to watch it.”
I scarf down the rest of my food, not sure when we’re going to eat again, then wipe my mouth with my napkin.
Karen carefully folds up her napkin and puts in on her plate. “Look, I didn’t mean to sound judgmental there. This is a strange situation. We’re all desperate here. All of us are going to be out of our jobs in a few weeks. I really think the best thing would be if we put our heads together and work as a team.”
Savannah smiles at her. “Oh, sweetie, you’re so naive. Gwen’s been playing the game since the moment she showed up at the airport and scared off half the women.”
Karen gasps a little. “You did that on purpose?”
Guilty as charged. “Well, I mean … they would’ve been putting themselves in a dangerous situation. Dengue fever is no joke.”
Savannah gives her a ‘See? I told you so’ look. “She’s way ahead of us, but that doesn’t mean we’re out of the running.”
From across the restaurant, Thiago clears his throat loudly. “Ladies, please! Is there a problem?”
Yes, Thiago, at the moment I have about ninety-nine problems, but a bitchy tour guide ain’t one.
We hurry over and stand behind Niles and Ty, facing the screen.
Thiago presses play, and Dr. Napper’s face appears. “Good morning! I hope you all enjoyed the hot springs last night and slept well. Today is going to be a big, amazing day, and I’m glad I can be both the reason for and a part of it. As you’ve no doubt learned by now, the people on this trip are varied in terms of beliefs, talents, education, and vocations, but you all have one thing in common. No, not me, although you do have that. What I’m referring to is the fact that you will all, like me, die one day.”
Wow, that is not where I thought he was going with that.
He pauses, then says, “I know. It’s a lot to absorb. But it’s something we all must face. We will all die. That’s one of life’s only certainties. The question you have to ask yourself is, what will your legacy be? Today, you will learn about an ancient people who were far ahead of their time in terms of agriculture and feats of engineering. Although the Incas have died off, many of their advancements and much of their knowledge live on today. Over the next few hours, I want you to consider what you will leave behind for humanity, whether it’s something grand—such as I have done—or something small like passing along your favorite cookie recipe so your grandchildren’s grandchildren can enjoy them. Think about what you will leave behind. What will you want people to remember about you? How will you leave the world? A little better than you found it? Or worse off? The choice is yours. Now, make sure you gather your things because the fleet of helicopters is about to arrive. By the way, don’t you just love traveling in a helicopter? It’s my absolute favorite on account of how nimble and convenient they are. Anyway, time is ticking so I’ll stop talking. Now, let’s go have an adventure.”
17
Lessons in Leadership…
Ty
So far so good. I’m playing it cool. Creating a safe distance. Shutting down any thoughts she has about seducing me out of a hundred million. Because that’s all this is really. No matter how things felt last night. She’s here for one reason only—to get my money. She as much as said it. And this morning, she was definitely engaged in some serious girl talk about me. I wish I knew what she told them. Not because I care, but because it would be helpful for me to know. Strategically.
Last night was two beers too many and a lack of sleep affecting my brain. I never should’ve gone out there, never should have gotten in the water with her, and definitely never should’ve almost kissed her. No matter how badly I wanted to. But the good news is, I didn’t kiss her. There was no kissing. Or pulling her to me and pressing her body up against mine. Or running my hands along the curves of her hips and up to her…
