Sharkbait Down Under

Nicholas found out pretty quick that wake-up sex just wasn’t going to happen. When I woke to an alarm, I looked a mess and felt worse. I pushed his arm away, stumbling my way to the bathroom. I glanced at the dried drool on my cheek and my unruly hair before washing my face and pulling the hair into a ponytail.

I traded places with him and dressed in my running clothes. The four of us needed to keep up the cardio training, so it was an early-morning run before we had to leave for the television studio. With Fiona unavailable, Nicholas was my primary security, with Carly watching from the car. I’d keep him close, treating him like a new boyfriend for the cameras. No human would know we were more than married already.

The twins had asked about a running course, loading it into their watches before leaving. They set a good pace, and we finished the ten-kilometer run before the sun came up. I was impressed; Nicholas kept up with us, and the girls were in far better shape than at the beginning of the summer.

I ran into the shower first when we got back to our room. I’d just finished my hair when my mate opened the curtain and stepped in with me. He looked bright and chipper while I was still yawning. “We got up at four-thirty in the morning. How can you be so awake?”

“Doctors and fishermen both start their days before sunrise,” he said.

“Models and television personalities don’t,” I said, moaning as he started massaging my shoulders from behind. “That feels so good.” He continued down my back as I stretched to loosen up after the run. It wasn’t just the bond telling me he wanted to go back to bed, but if we did, we’d miss breakfast.

I NEVER missed breakfast. I’d get up, eat, and go back to bed if I needed more sleep.

We dressed and met the rest of our team downstairs for breakfast. I was heading to the Channel 7 studio for The Morning Show, a national morning talk show like Good Morning America in the States, while Amy was going on two local newscasts. The twins were staying at the hotel, calling into a half-dozen radio morning shows to hype our appearances at SeaLife Aquarium Melbourne and two surf shops.

We loaded into the limo for the short drive to the downtown studio. Along the way, Mercedes briefed me on the morning show personalities and what the topics would likely be. She had a dress in a garment bag for me and handed Nicholas a memory stick. “This is from your Brisbane appearances,” she told us. “Thirty seconds of you guys on the beach and meeting fans, and a few minutes Linda did underwater on your dives. They may or may not play it depending on where they want the interview to go. They are entertainers, not hard news, so I doubt they plan to ambush you.”

I changed in the dressing room before the makeup and hair people descended on me. While they worked, Lucy Stefanovic came to do some show prep. She was well-briefed on my foundation and my production company, so she asked good leading questions. “Things are pretty boring today, and the viewers will love you,” she said. “In the first segment, we’ll cover your television and conservation efforts, and talk briefly about shark conservation in Australia. In the second, we’d like to have some fun and play a game.”

“What kind of game?”

“Don’t worry; it will be fun. I’ll see you out there.” The first segment came about after the national news, weather, and sports. She did show the video from Brisbane in the background as we talked about my foundation, shark tracking, and the two documentaries I’d been part of. “I understand you’re planning to produce content now,” she said.

“That’s right,” I said. “I have camera operators following my group on tour for Bodyglove, and we’re diving at every stop we can. It’s going to be a reality show about the four of us and our adventures.”

“Reality show?” Lucy looked shocked.

“Not like THOSE reality shows,” I said with a laugh. “Amy is married to a Navy man, and the rest of us have serious boyfriends, so there will be no drugs, cops, or bed-hopping. Instead, we’ll be letting people into our lives and dives as we travel the world.”

“Lives and dives, I like that,” Lucy said. “Is this young man be your boyfriend?” The producer put up a video, probably purchased from the paparazzi, of Nicholas and I boogie-boarding in Brisbane.

“He is,” I said proudly. “We’re working through the language barrier. He’s Australian, you know.”

That got her to laugh. “More with model and television personality Vicki Lawrence after the break.” Once we were in commercial, Lucy laughed and patted my hand. “You’re a great interview,” she said. “Would you mind if your boyfriend joined us for the next segment?”

I looked over at Nicholas in the studio audience; he was all right with it, so they quickly got him a microphone as a makeup girl dusted his face to knock down the glare from his forehead. She had Nicholas sit in a chair on Lucy’s opposite side, while she checked to make sure the game was ready on her computer.

The director counted in after the break, and the studio audience clapped as Lucy started up again. “We are back with American television personality Vicki Lawrence and her new Aussie boyfriend. Joining us is Nicholas Corcoran, a medical student from Port Lincoln.”

“Nice to be here,” Nicholas said.

“When we saw you two arrive this morning, I knew we had to have some fun, so we’re going to play a game. I will give each of you five words or phrases; for Vicki, they will be Australian slang, and for Nicholas, they will be Minnesotan. As an incentive, for each correct answer, we will donate a hundred dollars to the Sharkbait Foundation for ocean research. Sound good?”

“It’s a fair dinkum game,” Nicholas said. “No helping each other out, let’s play fair.”

“Ya sure, ya betcha,” I said with a smile. We didn’t talk like that in Miesville, but after Fargo came out decades ago, it was just assumed anyone from Minnesota sounded that way.

“First phrase goes to Vicki,” Lucy started. “Arvo.”

“Afternoon!”

“Correct. Nicholas, here’s your phrase. For Pete’s sake.”

He looked confused, then got a smile. “Can’t believe it.”

“Also correct!” She turned back to me. “Bluey.”

I’d heard this in Brisbane. “A Jellyfish!”

“Correct. We also would have accepted a cattle dog or a heavy wool jacket.”

“No wonder it’s so confusing when you have the same word for three things! I told Nicholas I was going to buy an Aussie-English Dictionary.” I laughed; this was fun.

“Back to speaking Minnesotan. Hot Dish.”

Nicholas was clueless. “A frying pan?”

“Sorry,” Lucy said. “A baked casserole. Vicki, have a biscuit.”

“A cookie! I love my desserts,” I said with a smile

“Correct! Back to Nicholas. Minnesota State Bird.”

He shook his head. “A duck?”

“Sorry, that is the Mosquito, or a Loon if you’re literal. Vicki, your word is Mozzie.”

I had no idea. “Someone from Melbourne?” This answer got the audience laughing.

“Sorry, that is ALSO a mosquito.” Crap. “Nicholas, your word is Skol.”

He was thinking hard. “Someone said that at the party. Cheers?”

“Correct! Vicki, your last word is Pash.”

I smiled at this one. “A kiss?”

“Correct! Last one for Nicholas. Have a bar.”

He closed his eyes. “Chocolate?”

“Sorry, it means a pan cookie or brownie,” Lucy said.

“This is why communication is so difficult,” I said with a laugh. “I’m learning fast, though. I love Australia!”

“And Australia loves you. You also earned six hundred dollars for your Foundation; the screen is showing the information for the Sharkbait Foundation if anyone else would like to donate. Where can people meet you today?” I talked through our scheduled appearances, thanked her, and then it was off to commercial.

“That was great!” I got up and hugged Nicholas. “I can’t believe you got three of five!”

“I’ve been doing research too,” he said.

“Thank you for having us, Lucy.”

“My pleasure. I’d like to interview you again if you’re back in Australia again.”

I looked at Nicholas and smiled. “I’m sure that will happen. No matter what, I have your contact information, and maybe we can do something when the shows are coming out featuring Australia?”

“That would be lovely.”

The aquarium appearance was pretty standard, but it was fun meeting the kids and signing photos with the other girls. The two appearances were well-attended, and Mercedes was pleased. It had been a good day, and we were tired by the time we left the second store.

Our day was far from done, though. We had a conference call with Leo, Steven, and the others right after dinner, and I was hungry. We found a barbecue restaurant on the South Bank called San Anton by Bludsoe’s BBQ, and it was pretty good. It served American-style barbecue with ribs and brisket, but the sauces had a unique Aussie twist to them. I was curious and spent some time talking to the owner about my second-favorite subject after sharks.

I was relaxing in my meat coma on the way back to the hotel when my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number; it was in New York State. Few people had my personal phone number. “Hello?”

A woman’s voice answered. “Vicki, it’s Bonnie Carver. I hear congratulations are in order.”

“Luna Carver?” Bonnie was the mate of Leland Carver, Chairman of the North American Council. “I’m sorry, but about what?”

“Finding your mate, of course! It was good thinking with the whole ‘cut my shoulder on a rock’ bit, but he’s sporting a matching bite under that shirt of his if you look carefully. He’s a strong and handsome young man; you’re a lucky girl!”

“Thank you, ma’am.” My mind was racing; thanks to all the paparazzi, hiding my mating bite didn’t work as I hoped. I wasn’t ready for this conversation at all.

“I was hoping to learn more about his family, but there is no Nicholas Corcoran on any of our Pack rosters. Is he a human? A rogue? Are you changing him without permission?”

Oh. Shit. “My leaders are fully aware of the circumstances, Luna. Thank you for calling, and you’re right. I’m a lucky girl who cannot talk of this now because I have no privacy.”

“We’ll talk later, then. Leland has questions of his own.”

“Goodnight, Luna.” I hung up and immediately called Leo, informing him about what just happened.

I’d hoped we would have months to settle things down with the Corcoran family before the Council got involved, and I hadn’t wanted to announce my mating until the Council Summit.

Poof.

There went THOSE plans.