I can see his childish attempt to provoke me and will not rise to it.
Unfortunately, Phoebe either doesn’t see it or is unable to muster the same restraint.
“Please,” she says. “We were just kidding around. You couldn’t tempt us if you tried.”
“You think?” Deiss looks annoyingly amused.
Phoebe’s eyes spark with challenge. “Give it a shot.”
Deiss’s amusement is muted by a flicker of apprehension. “What?”
“You heard me. We’re smart, savvy, gorgeous women. It takes more than a sex-panther makeover”—Phoebe flicks to indicate his newly bare face before turning her attention toward Mac—“or a decent set of abs to attract women like us. If you really think you’re so irresistible, let’s see you prove it.”
“You want us to come on to you?” Mac looks delighted by the idea.
“Yes,” Simone says quickly, her eyes darting toward Deiss. “That sounds entertaining. I’m willing to participate. For science.”
I snort indelicately, and everyone’s head turns toward me.
“Is that our van?” I deflect the attention by gesturing to the dinged-up scrap of metal that’s rolled to a stop in front of the lobby door.
“Allow me to get the door for you ladies,” Mac says gallantly.
“Well,” Phoebe says, “that’s Mac’s super suave move, so he’s clearly in. How ’bout you, Lucas?”
Deiss slides an arm over her shoulders and hits her with the full force of his gorgeous mouth. “Sure, I’ll give it a shot.”
I groan loudly, but nobody seems to care.
CHAPTER 8
The boat is single-leveled and covered, with benches lining both sides. The middle is empty, presumably so passengers can race from one side to the other when wildlife appears. There’s been a lot of both racing and wildlife appearances. There’s also been a lot of indiscriminate flirting from the guys. I say indiscriminate because the focus of their attention seems to shift with the sway of the boat, although it has been strictly limited to me, Phoebe, and Simone. Never mind the group of four women who are also on the tour, appear to be single, and are far more likely to yield results. The attention would be annoying if it weren’t so comical.
“You know,” Mac says in a deeper voice I’ve never heard him use before today, “I could probably wrestle that croc.”
“That croc?” I point at the seven-foot crocodile the group of women are frantically photographing. Its slow, predatory approach on us is terrifying, as are the guide’s insistent reminders to keep our hands in the boat.
“Yep.” Mac nods confidently. “I’d probably win, too.”
“Probably?” I study his perfect face, taking in the chiseled jaw, straight nose, and clear blue eyes, no thoughts or troubles to darken them. I’m looking at a man who has the flirting capabilities of a twelve-year-old because he’s never had to develop his game. He was lucky enough to spend years with a woman way too good for him, and since then, he’s managed to get by solely on good looks and enthusiasm.
“Definitely,” he says smugly.
“Why are you doing this, Mac? Go flirt with Phoebe.”
He glances over at her. “Deiss is flirting with Phoebe.”
I follow his gaze. Mac is right. Deiss has been flirting with Phoebe since we got in the van. He tossed a little attention Simone’s way when we first got on the boat, but when she slid off her see-through button-up and started prancing around in just the pink cami beneath, he quickly backed off.
“You don’t really expect anything to happen between the two of us, do you?” I ask Mac.
“Nah. But it’s fun trying.” He slides his arm around my shoulders and smiles broadly. “I’ve never been allowed to flirt with you before.”
“Let’s take a picture,” Simone says from behind us.
I turn reluctantly, shifting my sunglasses higher on my nose. At least they cover half my face. Simone’s insistence on projecting my makeup-less image to all 112,000 of her followers feels personal, but of course it’s not. She needs this proof that her life is something to aspire to. There are thousands of people on Friendsta who put up travel photos taken with cameras much more high-tech than her phone. Her brand is all about lifestyle. And I, more than anyone, can respect the importance of branding. Anyway, Deiss’s refusal to appear in any social media has basically made it impossible for any of the rest of us to take such a stand. The last time I tried, Simone lost her temper. Apparently, we were ganging up on her and trying to make her look thirsty.