Chris finally awoke. He'd been sleeping later and later these days because there was nothing for him to do. He stayed in bed to hide out. He finally climbed out of bed, already feeling grumpy, and headed for the shower. He dressed in the kind of casual look that takes a wad of Benjamin Franklins to achieve.
He went to the living room and did a light rehearsal of his lines and his moves. He was quite irritated that Emily had managed to prevent the need for them so far this season, and he was determined not to lose the skill he'd worked so hard to perfect. After all, if he weren't needed at the rose ceremonies, Fleiss might cut him loose. That wouldn't do. After a light breakfast, he walked down the path to the men's quarters. Perhaps they'd be doing something interesting and he could join them.
He arrived to find that Dodge had just returned, Joseph and Emily had just departed, and Mary Ann was in the kitchen with Gilles, cleaning up after breakfast. "Hey, everybody!" he called out.
Chris's arrival usually meant some kind of news, so the men gathered around him to find out what it might be. But when he seemed to want to engage only in light conversation, Bentley finally brought up the subject they'd all been considering.
"Are we going the the US Virgin Islands?" he asked.
"Uh... um... uh... where'd you hear that?" Chris countered, nonplussed because he'd not heard anything like that.
"A little birdie told me," Bentley replied, smiling.
"What little birdie?" Chris demanded.
"A pretty little May birdie," Bentley said, still smiling.
"Well... uh... you know I can't... um... say anything," Chris stammered. "We might. Um. No promises."
Now Chris was even grumpier. No rose ceremonies, and now the birds were telling secrets about which Chris knew nothing? He looked around. The Fleiss mice were scampering for the walls.
"I asked because I've been doing some research," Bentley continued.
"Research? When? Where?" Chris asked.
"Oh, this and that, now and then, here and there," Bentley said. The ingratiating smile was glued to his face. "For example, I found there really are canaries in the Canary Islands. Greenland really has some green land. The Channel Islands really are in the English Channel. There really is ice in Iceland."
Chris and the rest of the men nodded, perplexed as to where this was going.
"So," Bentley continued, "I got wondering whether there are any virgins in the Virgin Islands. And no matter how much research I did, I couldn't find the answer. Because of that, I was hoping the May birdie was right and I could do my own research once we get there."
Chris's jaw dropped. There was a moment of silence in the living room, then the rest of the guys started laughing. Chris realized he should laugh, too, but still wasn't finding any of it funny. From his many rehearsals he knew how to make his face smile on command. He issued that command to his face muscles. They complied, if weakly. He looked at Bentley; that same stupid smile coupled with a fake innocent look returned his gaze. Chris couldn't think what to say.
"I see," he finally got out, and gave the command to his face muscles again. "Well," he said, managing to pull himself together, "many things to do, lots of important decisions to make, much supervision to be done." He turned on his heel and headed for the front door. "See you tonight," he called over his shoulder.
But that night proved to be yet another disappointment. Emily returned without Joseph; it would be yet another night without the need for a rose ceremony. Chris wandered around the house aimlessly, outside to the patio, around the pool, and back up on the verandah. There he found Tanner, once again, with Emily's feet in his hands. Chris stayed in the shadows and listened.
"I got you a present today," Tanner was saying to Emily in a low voice.
"You did?" Emily squealed. "Aren't you just the sweetest thing? What did you get me?"
"I'm kind of afraid to give it to you," said Tanner in a hesitating voice. "Once you have it, you may not want me or need me any longer."
"Oh, I can't imagine that," purred Emily. "You're just a silly worry-wart."
"Well," Tanner began, "today they let us go into town for a little while. I found the most amazing place! It sells books and footwear! So I got you a pair of low-heeled sandals that won't kill your feet. Now I'm afraid you won't care about me because your feet won't hurt."
Emily was thrilled with the idea of comfortable footwear. "I'll always love to have you massage my feet," she assured him. Where are the sandals?"
Tanner pulled a box out from under his chair, opened it, and put them on her feet. The straps were clear, like the glass Lowbuttons, but they were made of some kind of cushioned material that felt soft on her feet.
"Ahhhhhh..." she sighed, looking at Tanner with deep appreciation. "I might want some more of these. Where did you say you got them? Some place that sells books and footwear?"
"Yes," said Tanner. "It's called Simon and Shoe Store."
It went right past her. "I wonder if the owner is related to Paul Simon," she mused.
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