AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I finish up quickly, then step aside. “It’s all yours.”
“Thanks,” she says, but based on her tone, that’s Canadian for ‘go screw yourself.’
Stepping aside, I say, “Karen, about our conversation at lunch, I never should’ve said any of that stuff. Not in front of Ty.”
“But you did.”
“I know. And I just wanted to apologize. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“That’s exactly what you meant to do,” she says.
Okay, she may not be wrong about that. “Well, I am sorry.”
“Be as sorry as you like, but it doesn’t matter. It’s game on.”
Crap. Karen’s not going to let this go, is she? “I don’t see any reason for us to compete against each other, not when there’s nothing to win. Mr. Sterling isn’t going to change his mind about the funding.”
“You’d like it if I thought that, wouldn’t you?”
“It’s the truth.” I shrug.
“You know what’s true? You’ve been gunning for us this entire time while you cozied up to Ty. But that’s over now. You’ve shown your true colors and it’s my turn now, so step off.”
Step off? Are we in a 90’s dance movie? “Believe me, I have no intention of … stepping on.”
“You better not.” Glaring at me, she adds, “I didn’t win Miss Canada by being nice.”
“Huh, I would’ve thought that’s exactly how you’d win Miss Canada.”
“Well, it’s not,” she grinds out.
I hold both my hands up in surrender, then go put my brush away.
Seriously, why aren’t transporters a thing?
20
The Sharing Circle (a.k.a. My Worst Freaking Nightmare)
Ty
I should not have insulted Gwen like that. She’s basically stopped talking completely, which I’m guessing is what she does when her feelings are hurt. Or she’s pissed off. I never should have implied she was being stupid. And I know I upset her with everything I said about how she treated Niles and Karen. She certainly didn’t have to go after them like that, but then again, I didn’t have to go after her. Not when I hold all the cards. She’s desperate and she’s got a lot of pressure on her. Her entire team is probably relying on her to save their jobs. Plus, she’s just bought a house she won’t be able to pay for. Urgh, maybe I should be sporting a twirly mustache.
I’d like to make it right, but it really is a conversation that needs to be had in private, and privacy is a little sparse right now, and likely will be until sometime tomorrow, what with us all sharing an open-air tree house. So for now, I’m giving her some space and biding my time until I can get her alone.
I make my way over to Thiago, who is standing near the fire holding the iPad. Everyone else is already here except Gwen, who hurries over and takes a spot on the far side of the group. Yup. She’s mad.
Thiago presses play, and Richard’s face appears on the screen yet again. “Welcome to the Amazon rainforest, a magical, mystical place alive with beauty, danger, and life itself,” he says. His smile is a slap to my soul, reminding me yet again that he’s gone forever. “This is where you come when you want to connect with the planet, and with yourself. If there is any place on Earth that forces unabashed honesty, it’s here, because it will challenge you in ways you’ve never been challenged and will force you to face your demons. With no television, no internet connection, and no ability to communicate with the outside world, you are stepping back even further in time than the Incas. Life out here is only about one thing—survival. You will be stripped of your ego and of everything you think you know. And tonight is the start of that. We will share this space around the fire, and you will enjoy the meal together that has been prepared with ingredients found only within walking distance. You will also share with each other who you really are, your essence when everything you have is stripped away and you are merely a human. Tonight, you are not a CEO or a researcher or an accountant or an assistant. You are just a human. Equals around the sharing fire. These are the questions you will answer: What’s the one thing that hurt you the most and how does it still impact you today? What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done? What are you most proud of? What are you most scared of?
“So, open up, talk, share stories, and I promise you, tomorrow, the world will be a little different. And Ty, of everyone here, you need this the most. So, be brave, share your story, and unburden yourself in this safe space. It’s my last wish, so you have to do it.”
Thiago shuts off the video. “Okay, first go get your meal from Ian. Then take a spot around the sharing fire.”
The sharing fire? Really, Richard? If there is a heaven, he’s up there right now laughing his ass off at me because he knows how much this whole thing is making my skin crawl. And believe me it’s crawling like the rain forest floor, which is literally covered with, well, things that crawl.
I stand and wait in line for my bowl of wild boar stew, grumbling internally about Richard’s video. Unburden myself in this safe space? The place is anything but safe. It’s teeming with spiders. And pumas. And crocs. And probably some sort of land piranhas I’ve never even heard of that are going to hop up to me and attack my ankles. And as far as it being safe to ‘share my story?’ In front of people so desperate they’d probably resort to blackmail to get what they want from me? Yeah, no. I don’t think I’ll be sharing my story. Not tonight, Richard. You already got me out here. Don’t keep nickel and diming me to death with your last wishes.
I take a stool in between Karen and Savannah, and across from Gwen, who is sitting alone on the other side of the fire. I almost feel sorry for her. Actually, I do, but it’s not like I can act on it. I’m making smart decisions for the rest of the trip, which means hanging out over here, with women I have absolutely no connection with, and therefore will have no trouble saying no to, and no problem forgetting when this whole thing is over.
