The Lies of Dan and Terry

Dan eyed his colleague from behind his desk, he was leaning back, hands folded behind his head. “It’s 50,000 dollars prize money, we can give it a shot.”

Terry stared back at him, she didn’t really like Dan, he was arrogant and lazy, she had to cover for his long boozy lunches many a day, and do the work. He had an annoying air about him, and he always got away with his wayward behaviour. But the money was very tempting, and she knew him well enough, she thought they might just pull it off.

“Run it by me again, it’s a dating competition reality show, and then what.”

“Yips, all we have to do is answer a few questions about each other to qualify. Then we get flown to an island for challenges against other couples, you’re a good sport Terry, we can do this. We get a free holiday, and fun in the sun.”

“These reality shows are never fun Dan, they’re hard work and it’s going to be televised.”

“So what, we’ve been working together for years, we know each other well Terry. I’m signing us up, who knows maybe we don’t even qualify. Getting all huffed for nothing, as usual,” He gave her a dirty look, and then a smirk and started typing away on his laptop.

Terry said nothing, but she did ignore him for the rest of the day, as much as you could ignore the loud-mouthed idiot, everyone always had to know he was in a room.

Weeks later as she walked into the office, Dan was grinning and excited from his side of the office.

“Terry, Terry come check this out,” he turned the laptop towards her “We did it, we’re in, can you believe.”

“No way,” Terry was incredulous “It’s not even possible, how in the hell…” she trailed off.

“Never mind what, where, how” Dan laughed “Friday night it’s you and me and the first round of eliminations. Imagine girl, out of thousands of entries, we got shortlisted to the next round.”

“How did you pull it off? What did you say in the entry form.”

“They just asked a bunch of questions about compatibility. I know you Terry, this is going to be a breeze.”

“You’d better send me what you wrote, I don’t want to get caught blindsided.”

“Already done.” Dan smiled.

Terry read the entry form application, straight forward enough, they’d met in the office, fell in love, had much in common, were happy, blah, blah, blah. The last paragraph surprised her. The question was “What makes this person the one, your go to person.”

Dan had written “Terry is not only gorgeous and fun to be around, she pushes life to the next level, she loves adventure and living on the edge. She can drink me under the table, isn’t jealous, not that she needs to be, but she just isn’t. Even after two years we still have extreme dates, we take turns thinking up ways of challenging ourselves to another dynamic. Like for example, we’ve been skydiving, bungee jumping, mountain climbing, cave diving, diving with sharks...” Terry’s eyes opened wide, she stopped reading right there.

“Are you flipping insane, we haven’t done any of those things, I wouldn’t even dare. Neither have you Dan, you’re too chicken shit. Now you go and lie, and they will call us on it. No way, I’m not going.”

“Terry, Terry,” Dan often repeated her name, it was irritating. “Let’s go just for the fun of it, see how far we can push it. Take a chance with me, we have absolutely nothing to lose.” That stupid grin again, she glared back at him.

“Nothing to lose, but make idiots of ourselves on national TV, and never to be seen out in public again.”

“Well then, aren’t you glad we have to wear masks these days,” laughing he said ‘I’ve already accepted, there’s no turning back now.”

“You’re such an idiot,” Terry was livid, but despite her anger, there was a spark of tangible excitement, of daring, she liked the feeling. “Fine, but only Friday Dan, no further, you’re lies will be the end of the both of us.”

“I’ve already told the office we’ve been secretly dating for years, just in case there’s a slip-up or come back. The boss man isn’t too happy. But he said if it hasn’t interfered with our working relationship to date, and we’ve managed to keep it low key, he supposed it was okay. He’s actually on board with the competition, quite excited, and there might even be some free advertising for the company, well he reckons anyway.”

“Nobody in this office will believe that we’re dating Dan,” she blurted exasperated, “I would never go for someone like you."

“Actually they all bought it,” and now he was laughing hard.

“I can’t swear because we’re in the office,” was her reply “but you know what I’m thinking Dan.”

He just laughed harder, infuriating her even more. She got strange looks from everyone in the office for the rest of the week, she chose to ignore them.

Friday came soon enough, and Dan picked her up, he was smartly dressed in a suit with open collar, he actually looked very elegant. Not as casual as he dressed for the office, always the hideous golf shirts and slacks.

“You clean up nice Dan, not too shabby.”

“Touche my sweet, love of my life, loving the little black number.”

“Thank you and piss off.” Was her curt reply, but she knew she was looking really hot.

*************************

The studio was a hive of activity and excitement, the crew running around like crazy, things were happening fast, both of them marveled at the energy of it. They were in make up, then hair, they felt like real celebrities. Finally they were waiting in the wings, nerves got to them both. Even Dan, usually so confident and full of himself, looked white in the face. He clutched Terry’s arm for comfort and support, she just stared straight ahead, this stuff was real. They were so wrapped up in their own thoughts, they missed their call up. A crew member pushed them out into the studio.

“Welcome my dashing and daring friends, the host said, come take a seat.” Dan was ashen, but Terry managed a tight smile, they sat on the couch opposite him.

“So my friends, what made you decide to apply for the show?”

Terry looked at Dan and she could see pure panic in his eyes. “Damn this man.” She gritted her teeth. Could see she was going to have to wing it alone, she wasn’t about to be made a fool of, not tonight.

“Well Steve,” she said, her voice and mouth smiling, despite her fear, “Dan and I are very competitive, we second guess each other, and we love to take chances, I think we’d make a great team on the show. We can definitely win this.”

Dan was staring open mouthed at her, but he nodded, closed his mouth and just smiled for the rest of the show. After what seemed like an eternity of questions, Terry fielding them all and Dan nodding, it was all over, and everyone was shaking hands. She was mad at Dan for having lied so much, and now here she was, corroborating them.

“Thanks, we have all we need, we’ll be in touch,“ he pointed at Dan, “doesn’t this one speak?”

“He’s the brawn, I’m the brains,” was her curt reply, and with that, she grabbed Dan’s hand and they left.

Seething in the car Terry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “What the hell Dan, no support from you.” She glared at him, he was staring straight ahead, jaws locked, hands tight on the wheel.

“We need a drink,” he wasn’t asking, he was telling, he parked the car easily into a tight space and they walked into the nearest bar, it was noisy and busy, but Dan found them a table at the back. He seated Terry, then went to get drinks, came back with flavoured vodka shooters and glasses of dry white wine. They both said nothing, but when the wine started to work it’s magic, Dan began to relax.

“You saved my butt out there, I completely froze, that was live TV to the whole nation.”

“I noticed,” was the tight reply. The sarcasm wasn’t lost on him, he looked sheepish.

“I’m sorry Terry, but you handled it brilliantly, you spoke so much crap, I definitely think we’re a strong contender to get in. You’re a natural. Who knew you were so fierce girl, you’re normally so uptight.” Now he was smiling.

“I always thought you were an arsehole, and now look, I was right. It’s over Dan, this isn’t going any further, I don’t even know what I said, there’s no way they’ll consider us. You had to go and lie on the application, and now I’m in on it. I’m not facing the office again… ever, I’m leaving.”

Dan burst out laughing, and maybe it was the wine, or maybe just that he was so different outside of the office, maybe that she’d seen his vulnerable side. Terry didn’t know, but she started laughing with him, and the rest of the evening was fun. They got really drunk and had to Uber home, he was the perfect gentleman, walking her to the door, with a friendly goodnight peck on her cheek, then staggering back to the taxi.

*************************

A few uneventful weeks later, work as usual and getting on with their own lives, Dan got the call. Terry didn’t know who he was talking to, but he suddenly looked very tense, the scared little boy coming out again.

“I see, yes, yes, thank you,” he leaned forward, head resting in one hand, phoned pinned to the ear with the other. “Wait, what? When?”

Terry was watching him, wondering what now, this man could really over-exaggerate the drama. They’d actually become friends over the while, now that they knew each other on a better level away from work. He sat silent for a long, long while, hunched over, hands clasped between his knees, the phone still in them.

“You okay Dan,” she asked, “looks like bad news, wait I’ll get water.”

He stared at her long and hard, their eyes locking. “We’re going to the islands it seems,” he whispered. Terry stared and stared, she definitely didn’t hear right, she thought he’d said that they were going to the islands. It dawned on her, that was exactly what he’d said.

“No, no, I’m not going,” she backed her chair away from her desk, “Dan, there’s no way. Call them back. That man said we’d be parachuting into a remote island, have to swim shark-infested waters to get there or something, make our own bungalow home, find treasures and our own food. Nuh-uh, I can’t, it’s all over. I’m not playing Tarzan and Jane with you in the jungle Dan, forget it.”

“Terry, Terry wait, let’s think about this. We’ve made it this far, that says something.”

“On lies Dan, all lies. I have a snake and spider phobia, I like my creature comforts. It sounded like idyllic island life in the beginning, but like the host said, this competition is going to be tough and difficult. No Dan, forget it.”

“Terry, Terry just listen, it’s 50,000 dollars, that’s like 750,000 in our currency or something, it’s a fortune. Girl, we might even be able to do this.”

“Dan, let me ask you something? The most sporting thing you’ve ever done is play the odd round of golf with clients, and not very well. How in the hell are you going to climb ropes, swim for hours, run on the beach, shimmy up trees. The host said we have to be very fit, and you said on the application that we were. What the hell man.”

“Terry, Terry, we have 6 weeks to get in shape girl, we got this.”

“What the hell is wrong with you, are you hard of hearing. I said no, final word. You freeze up on TV, and there will be lots of cameras following us around.”

It took Dan the whole afternoon to make Terry come around, and an expensive dinner, a long boozy one. Alcohol seemed to be the catalyst with Terry, she actually became really fun. By the end of the evening, Terry was regaling him with stories about how she was going to make them clothes from banana leaves, there was nothing to worry about. Apparently, they were going to the islands.

Their boss was delighted, he sponsored their kit, all branded to the business, the name was everywhere. Dan didn’t like the matching pink outfits, but he had to suck it up, nothing he could do. They trained really hard together, cross-fit, this fit, that fit, a personal trainer, and their bodies became toned and buffed. They watched what they ate, they cycled at lunch or ran for miles, they were so ready for this. Six weeks shot by in a heartbeat.

They had to meet the rest of the competitors and crew at a hotel the night before departure, spend the night together in a room. Terry nearly gave it away by insisting on separate rooms, but Dan kicked her hard. Over dinner, it was time for briefing and what they could expect, their schedules were given out, and the excitement everywhere was tangible.

They did have to parachute into the island, Terry nearly freaked out, but it was a tandem jump, so they were attached to skydivers, she handled it, and they all landed safely. Crew and gear came in by helicopter, and it was just them and the other competitors on the island, exciting stuff.

Terry and Dan did well in the competitions, they worked well together as a team, and aced the challenges, he didn’t even mind the cameras. Every week couples were being eliminated and leaving, the game was constantly changing. It was after the second week that their dynamics changed. Dan began to snore very loudly in their makeshift little bungalow, and Terry got very little sleep. She would kick him all night, and wake him, so he was overtired, irritated and edgy with her. By the third week, they couldn’t stand to look at each other.

Off set, when the day’s shooting was done, Dan would spend all his time with one of the competitors, a blonde bombshell, who giggled at every word he said. The blonde’s boyfriend in turn would come over to Terry, bemoaning the fact, and telling her to get her boyfriend under control. This irritated her even more, Dan was a problem, a big one, she spoke to him about it one night, told him to lay off, eyes were always watching. He just fobbed her off, and turned his back on her, quickly falling asleep and snoring loudly.

One evening, the boyfriend came over to her again. “It’s getting too much, I can’t even get near my girlfriend to discuss our strategy for tomorrow. You need to fetch your boyfriend, and take him away. It’s every night.”

“He’s not my boyfriend” she hissed, and immediately regretted her words. The man’s eyes widened, then narrowed into slits. Terry could see the cogs in motion, they too were a strong team, good contenders for the prize. “What I mean is, we’re fighting so much, I don’t think we’ll be together after this.” She knew it was too late, the damage was done, she could’ve kicked herself. She never said a word to Dan.

The next morning, they were hauled before a tribunal, Terry’s heart sank, Dan didn’t know what it was about.

“It’s come to our attention, that you two might not be a couple,” one of the judges said.

“Nonsense,” Dan said, thinking sheepishly that they’d noticed him spending too much time with the blonde, “We’re a couple, have been for years, we love each other very much, ask anyone.”

“We will be doing an investigation, asking family and mutual friends personal questions, we need clarification. One of the team members has come forward and reported you.”

Terry’s heart sank, she knew who it was, she had to think quickly, had to save the day, if the panel did an external investigation, their cover would be blown. No-one she knew had ever heard of Dan, and vice versa.

“Brilliant strategy don’t you think, they’re trying to get rid of us because we’re going to win this. Now you’ve removed us from the competition on hearsay, it’s probably that idiot and his blonde bombshell,” she saw the judge's eyes widen. So there it was, clarification. “That woman has been hitting on my man since day one, you can check video footage. She’s trying to put us off our game, and she’s making us argue. I actually don’t think they’re a couple, they’re the ones needing investigating.”

She grabbed Dan’s hand and held it tight, he was staring at her in newfound awe. Like he was seeing her for the first time.

The one judge eyed her. “I think you’re right, go back to the game, there’s still time for you to participate in today’s competition. The cameras love you guys, and ratings are sky high, I shouldn’t be telling you this, but you guys have tremendous audience backing as the favourites.” He turned to Terry and said, “hold onto your man, he’s quite the gorgeous.”

“Thank you, but not gay.” Dan said smiling.

Terry looked at Dan with new eyes, he was actually gorgeous, the man was right. After that, they stuck together as a team, and fought hard. They went on to win the competition, became household names and stayed together. For the sake of the game they said, for legal repercussions. But it was much, much more than that.