Groom Wars

21. Can't Help Flirting With Him

Cadmus and I waited by the starting line. I drank water to avoid dehydration, and he seethed. If Cadmus hadn't teased me when he had, he might have gotten a decent partner. However, after witnessing Cadmus' horrid personality, any honorable man would eventually tire of Cadmus' bull crap and voluntarily lose an elimination to get rid of him.

Nearby, Van discussed something with the producers and kept his eye on the skinny trail leading up the mountain. Around us, leaves danced and twisted. A light slanted drizzle moistened my face and hair. Cadmus seethed some more, cursing me, cursing himself, cursing destiny. He turned to me, disgust tainting his countenance, and said, "You can't even try."

"It's been over three hours, dude, someone's going to come soon. We lost. Let it go."

"You will try on the next one?"

I rose both hands, surrendering. "Yes, I'll try. Now give me a break."

He glowered.

We heard laboured breathing across the parking lot, and cameramen surrounded the start/finish line. Two giants exited the cluster of trees, carrying enormous gold balls. One had maroon skin that glistened with sweat; the other had warm ivory skin. Van asked one of the producers, "What are their names?"

The producer replied, "The dark one is Luke, and the other is Mike."

The young men threw their gold-plated weights on the ground and let out loud, animalistic roars, flexing their muscles as they celebrated their victory. Though they were shirtless, their skin and shorts were soaked with sweat and rain. Van walked over to them, an actor's smile on his lips. "Luke. Mike. You got first place. For winning the first challenge, you both get an additional prize of five thousand dollars." Luke and Mike hugged in exhilaration and stood side by side, panting and laughing. Mike kissed Luke's cheek. No one frowned when they kissed. No one thought they were gay. Some even smiled as if sharing their joy.

How did Leandro and I look like to other people?

Why did they assume we were lovers?

Was it because I was less masculine than him?

The sound of approaching footsteps drew my attention. Leandro and his brother dashed down the pavement, carrying the same massive gold bulbs, veins crisscrossed their exposed arms. Long strands of blonde hair had shaken loose of Leandro's elastic and whipped about his face. He looked dazed and half delirious. His brother, Steven, dumped the gold ball as soon as he crossed the finish line and collapsed to his knees, breathing heavy. His skin was red from exertion. An assistant went over to tell Van their names.

Smiling, Van welcomed the new arrivals. "Leandro. Steven. Excellent job, but unfortunately, you placed second, which means you're not immune at tomorrow's elimination round. Good job, you gave it your best effort, and you got a good time. Today wasn't your day, but there'll be other challenges for you to win, so don't give up and keep trying."

Leandro winced. I could tell he was in pain. They all were. The newly arrived players were either leaning against a tree or collapsed on the ground. Leandro lay on his back, not caring about the dirt beneath him. It was strange seeing him in the wild, not wearing a suit or designer clothes. He was at the mercy of the elements. It made him seem more human—more like me. I got a bottle of water from the staff and brought it over to him. Leandro frowned as I waved the water over his face. He laughed and said, "How the fuck did you beat me?"

I grinned. "I'm a ghost, you know? I have my ways."

"You can levitate? Walk through walls?" Leandro took the water, unscrewed the cap, and poured half of it on his boiling skin. Droplets clung and dripped from his long eyelashes. Groaning, he pushed off the ground with his strong arms and sat on the rough pavement. He drank the remainder of the water in a split-second.

I sat next to him. "I can fly and disappear. I can do many things that you humans could only dream of."

Leandro's brother watched us from a distance, a scowl on his lips. Cameras studied us too; we had two more cameras focused on us than the winners, although they were being interviewed. We were being watched, studied, scrutinized.

Leandro said, "It seems that people think we're gay for each other."

"Why?"

"Maybe because I pushed you onto the bed."

"I thought you tripped."

He smiled. "Maybe I fell. Maybe I didn't. But, you know, and I know, that we're nothing more than brothers. We may fool around from time to time, but we love women. We're both here for the princess."

His words caught me off-guard. How was I supposed to react to something like that? I chose to play the fool and not read into it too much.

I told him, "Well, how could I love someone as ugly as you? Your hair is a mess. And I like women that are smaller than me. Even if you were a lady, you would be a giant lady, and perhaps some giant man would love you, but unfortunately, I don't. Besides, I'm here for the princess. Thanks for sharing your feelings with me, but my answer is 'no', Ms. Goliath."

He yanked my ear, his expression playful as he said, "You have shockingly horrible manners. And apparently, you're partially delusional as you hear things I don't even say. When did I confess to a brat like you? Who told you I was a lady?" He slapped the back of my head, and I rubbed it, frowning. He chuckled and continued, "Anyone who thinks I'm gay for an idiot like you is mad."

"Agreed." I smiled. "But, you know, while the world might not need giants, it needs idiots."

"Why?"

"Because without us, you would have no one to laugh at."

He serious expression gave way to wonder. He smiled and ruffled my hair. "What will I do with you?" As his hand probed my curls, he froze as if catching himself doing something inappropriate. His hand fell to his side. He was acting strange, but I wasn't sure why.

"Are you ill?" I asked.

"Tired. I'm a bit tired. I'm going to use the bathroom." I watched his back as he walked away. He was becoming harder and harder to understand. Something about me made him conflicted.

I sighed and told the cameras, "Princess Anne, if you're watching right now, please let us know if you prefer idiots or giants. I assure you; I would make you laugh twice a day, and that would keep the doctor away."

I wanted the cameras and lights pointed at me to go away, but there was no polite way to dismiss them. When I had signed the contract for the show, I lost the right to my privacy. They thought Leandro and I were gay though we weren't. I had never loved anyone and didn't intend to. It was hard to imagine someone loving me when I couldn't love myself. But it seemed Leandro and I were in trouble, and we had to find some way out of this predicament. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the participants found out why the staff was focused on us.

When Leandro returned, I told him that we should separate for the time being, focus on the game, and he agreed, saying he had been thinking the same thing.

***