Island Survival

Helen tried yet again to reconcile with Tom, saying he should celebrated as the hero who saved them all, not sitting in the background shadows.

"I'd prefer to focus on saving our marriage, but you seem more concerned with the whole media circus."

"We can make a lot of money from that circus, and I want to be proud of my husband who saved us, with us together as a couple like the others are. I didn't do anything to be ashamed of, I don't see why I am the pariah, at least I was honest about my desires. Mary...

"Mary what?"

"Errm nothing."

"What is it?"

"Well she was hardly innocent, her and Margaret started giving the guys hand jobs way before the comfort arrangements were agreed. That's what started the whole thing in the first place and yet she comes out of it like a saint, her marriage happily intact."

Tom was shocked and in a dilemma: should he tell Bill? Helen might be lying or exaggerating to set herself in a better light.

***

The launch of the book was nearing; not even Tom could avoid the launch event which would also mark the signing of a film deal. A supporting TV special would involve interviews with them all.

Tom and Bill scratched dressed in suits they couldn't get used to wearing anymore. Their wives however looked absolutely stunning; the weight lost and deep natural tan from their time on the island enhanced by elegant evening dresses.

Helen hugged Mary as soon as they saw each other; they immediately caught up on the state of their marriages. They saw Adam, Dan, Greg and Steve at the far side of the room. Zack remained in a long-term rehabilitation unit.

"God just look at them, they are like a walking wet dream all scrubbed and cleaned up. Do you miss Dan, you know... the sex."

Mary stalled, looking around before whispering, "Honestly yes, he was young vigorous and handsome, to be honest the sex was a revelation and I do miss it, but things are still delicate with Bill."

Helen replied, "We're way beyond delicate, Tom is positively frosty, I can't seem to get through to him at all."

"Give him time, it's a hard thing for them to come to terms with, we can't claim to be faithful wives anymore and we weren't exactly reluctant."

"Honestly Mare, I think we are done and if that's the case I might as well see if I can give Adam another run out."

***

It was Bill who began the storm that followed, after seeing yet another video clip of Adam saying he provided most of the food for the group; he proclaimed loudly,

"What a load of bollocks.... Tom did everything Adam just described."

The publishers rushed in and tried to gloss over the outburst, saying recollections differ and how everyone had their own perspective. Bill was ushered away but Adam was furious at being shown up.

By the time Tom settled Bill down and they returned to the main room, Adam and Dan were talking to Helen and Mary.

Tom approached the small group, "And what do we have here?"

"Just getting reacquainted with your wives."

"Is that right, maybe me and you should get reacquainted outside."

"Oh come on Tom, don't be like that, we know each other... intimately after all. Any way we were just asking if Helen and Mary were going to the after-party in the publisher's suite. I guess you guys won't want to come having contributed so little to serialisation, despite it earning us all a lot of money."

Tom turned towards Helen, "And you want to go?"

Helen shrugged her shoulders without reply.

"Go to the party or go with the arsehole?"

"Well it's not like we've have had sex since we came back. Unless of course you want to take me back to your bed as your wife, I would be delighted if you did."

"You're still making the same choices Helen, no survival excuse this time."

Adam chipped in, "Come on Tom, it's nothing new, we had sex hundreds of times on the island, and I seem to recall Helen always enjoyed it."

"Mary was alarmed, she drew Bill to one side to speak quietly, "Ignore Helen, she is trying to make Tom jealous so he will take her back, it's just a party.

"And you want to go?

"Yes, it's no big deal and part of media requirements, given your earlier outburst it might be better if you didn't come."

"I understand, bye then," he looked at her hoping she wouldn't go.

If Mary hadn't been looking at Dan, she might have seen Bill's stare or realised he had said 'bye' instead of his usual goodnight. As it was, she turned with the others and left.

Adam looked around at Tom and smirked as they were leaving, he had every intention of fucking Helen, and yet again there was nothing Tom could do about it. He was pretty sure Dan would be having another shot at Mary as well.

Tom and Bill reluctantly dragged themselves to the bar defeated, their last hopes of their wives returning fading rapidly. They sat in silence for a few minutes... it felt like hours!

"Are we are agreed then?"

Bill replied with a long sigh "Yeah agreed."

***

The following day, Helen and Mary rushed straight to the official publicity event; a series of 'round robin speed dating' style interviews with various press outlets. Mary was still kicking herself for falling asleep exhausted after her time with Dan. Still, she could convince Bill it was all innocent and the publishers put them up after a late finish.

Helen and Mary's first interview with a national TV station began with introductions and some warmup questions.

"So Mary, what was the secret to your survival?"

"Well. I'd say working together through the hard times; we looked after each other... that was our guiding principle."

"Were there any areas of conflict Helen, there must have been some tensions with survival at stake?"

"Some, but we got beyond that and focused on the important things."

"And how have things been since your return home?"

"It has been difficult to adjust if I'm honest. I think we are all still coming to terms with what happened to us."

"There is some news breaking in the morning papers that you really looked after some guys more than others."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Your husbands have just published an extract of their own island memoirs; it suggests the women on the island were quite... accommodating."

"What, Tom! He can't have..."

"Do you know who the father of Kelly's baby is?"

"What... Oh my god... Kelly is pregnant?"

"And how are Adam and Dan doing Mary, we understand you were with them just last night?"

At that point, bedlam broke lose: Mary running away crying as more press crowded in to ask questions, the publishers trying hard to rescue the two women.

***

When Bill had reluctantly agreed with Tom he commented, "I never thought Mary would go off with them again. Thanks for telling me about what she got up to on the island; Margaret admitted the truth of it as well when I cornered her."

That had given them the go ahead. The old ship's log which Tom had maintained detailed all of the events on the island. On his return home, he handed it over to a friend who worked for a Sunday newspaper. His friend had worked with Tom and Bill on draft articles and a major serialisation. The paper was itching to release, especially as it would totally undermine the official version of a major publisher, but they needed the corroboration of Tom or Bill. They were worried Tom would withdraw but accepted holding off would make it a bigger story. They could piggyback the official launch publicity and use it to drive up sales with a salacious scoop. Serialisations and tie ins would be worth a fortune.

Tom had held off for concern for Mary and Bill but that all changed, Mary's decision to go to the party sealed all of their fates.

The true story was out in no time at all, press speculation about what had happened was rife and they started dubbing it 'love island.' The wives were shamed, when Helen and Mary read the papers, they cried

"Oh my god this is worse than I thought, it makes us look like complete sluts."

Adam, Dan and Steve fared little better, shagging the wife of the guy who saved your life and taking credit for his actions left them shamed and ostracised.

***

Finally, Tom and Bill agreed to meet their wives on the understanding they would sign the divorce papers the lawyers had been hammering out.

"Why did you do that to us Tom?"

"What, tell the truth? You said you had nothing to be ashamed of and you had done nothing wrong, so I shared that sentiment, just the same way you announced your little vote on the island."

"Jesus Tom, you ruined us, me Mary and all the others."

"I think I gave you about the same consideration as you did to me on that fucking island. I have no sympathy for any of the women or the guys who fucked you, at the same time as living off the back of our hard work. Bill and Mike were the only ones I was bothered about, and they were on board with it."

"Mike, what did he have to do with all this?"

"Well it turns out Kelly was making plans to run off with Steve if he was the father of her child, you're all as bad as each other."

"I didn't realise we had hurt you that badly."

"You didn't care more like. Anyway, I should thank you."

"What for?"

"You gave me the incentive to set out and get rescued; otherwise we'd all still be there. All be it some of us having more fun than others."

Mary interrupted turning to Bill, "I tried to be discreet and protect you Bill, it was about survival; is there any chance for us?

"None whatsoever, you giving out hand jobs was a revelation, then you were at it just as much as Helen but behind my back. At least she was honest about it, that night at the reunion showed your true colours, don't bother denying it."

Mary looked down blushing, "I don't love him."

"No, I guess you don't, but you couldn't wait to get that little fucker back between your legs could you? Not loving him makes it worse, it means you threw us away for a fuck, I hope it was worth it."

Mary began sobbing, "Of course it wasn't worth it, I got greedy and stupid. I want our life together, to do all the things we had planned. I'm begging you to take me back Bill, I will do anything you want."

"What I want is the wife I had before that trip, but you can't offer that anymore, she's gone! So what I want now, is for you 'the cheating slut wife' to leave me alone forever.

That comments brought on hysterical crying from Mary. Helen was made of steelier stuff, refusing to cry but she couldn't quite manage to keep her head held up.

Tom finished the meeting, "Goodbye Helen, and please... don't stay in touch."

***

Money became an issue for the survivors, the official book had to be withdrawn as it was so discredited and all offers were withdrawn. The publishers also pursued claims for damages to recover their costs. The accident insurance payments kept them afloat.

Tom and Bill had no such issues as their memoirs became best sellers. They put off negotiating further deals until after the divorces were settled.

Reputations were another matter; the wives were shunned in their hometown. Mary's conservative family completely disowned her, she moved away only to be pursued repeatedly by the press at every turn.

Helen tried to bluff it out, responding in the press that she did nothing wrong, "We survived, without those 'actions' we would have been fighting and working against each other. People shouldn't comment until they have been in that life-or-death position!"

Her response actually won her a few supporters. She was infamous and became a popular target for young lotharios; although no one would risk the real relationship with her that she craved... she just couldn't be trusted.

Tom and Bill remained best friends and continued their traveling adventures, being wealthy made things easier and the adventures were bigger, neither needed to work now. There was also the added adventure of meeting women whilst on their travels, neither was in a hurry to settle down and both were a bit gun shy, but they were optimistic that it would happen in due course and in the meantime, practicing was turning out to be quite fun.