Good, I thought. Let him win. I sure didn’t want to.
Minutes ticked past, and I continued to mock-fumble with my hula hoop, pretending I was having more trouble than I actually was. Blood was spattered all over my clothing and every ounce of skin, and my hair was now sticking to my head in a nasty mess. I wasn’t the only one suffering—Katy’s stand was closer to Liam’s than mine, and she looked like she’d been dipped in blood. Nobody had won yet, either. I bent over, peering at the bag in my now-gore-splattered vampire’s mouth, but it was less than half full. Jeez, this was a long competition. Someone needed to just win already so we could head to the showers.
Grimly, I picked up my hoop again and continued to soldier on, ignoring the sticky gunk on my hands and continuing to hoop faster. I stole a peek down the line to see how everyone else was doing. The woman I’d pegged for a soccer mom was holding a hand on her side and breathing heavy. The woman with the crazy gray hair? Wasn’t even trying. The guys were trying harder than most of the girls, with Liam in the lead and Brodie and two others close on his heels. I looked back down at my hoop and got back to it again, so no one noticed that I was watching the rest of the contestants so closely.
Five minutes later, I heard the buzzer sound. I looked up, wiping red gunk off of my face (I was pretty sure it was in my nose and ears at this point) and looked at my vampire’s bag. Still only half full. I glanced down the line and noticed Liam’s stand had lit up underneath. He dropped his hoop with a whoop and pumped a fist in the air. He’d won.
I clapped politely, letting my hoop fall to the ground as I stepped off my stand. Katy flew past, throwing herself into Liam’s arms. He grabbed her and swung her around, laughing, and they shared a sticky kiss of excitement.
Yeah, I could guess who Liam’s partner was going to be.
“Congratulations, Liam,” Becky Bradley’s voice piped in over the intercom. “You have won the first Power Play of the summer!”
We all clapped again and then waited for instructions, studying each other warily.
“As the player with Power this week,” Becky said, “you may now choose your partner.”
“I choose Katy,” he called out and let her back down on the ground. She hugged his side, grinning, her smile bright white in her red-stained face.
“There’s a shock,” Brodie called out, and I laughed despite myself. Glad I wasn’t the only one thinking it. Brodie glanced my way and winked, and my goodwill toward him went right out the door again. Ugh. He was so cocky.
“Now that the first pair has been selected, the rest of you must be partnered up. Liam, please proceed to the far end of the challenge area. There, you will find a case. In that case, you will find the key to the Power Room. That room is yours and Katy’s for the week.”
Katy clapped her hands as Liam detangled himself from her side and headed for the case. He pulled out the key and looped it over his neck.
“Also in the case,” Becky intoned, “are five other keys and five locks. The men will each select a lock, and the women a key. If your lock matches someone’s key, that person will be your partner until you are instructed otherwise. You will room with your partner, receive rewards with your partner, and compete with your partner at your side. If your partner is nominated for eviction, you will be nominated as well. Liam, please pick up the box of locks and keys and have everyone select one.”
Liam grabbed the case, popped it open, and went to the nearest stand—mine. I grabbed one without really looking at it and watched as Liam held the box out to each person.
Once they were all distributed, Becky’s voice sounded through the speakers again. “Make your matches, contestants. Oh, and you might notice that each lock has a room name on it. That’s where you’ll be staying tonight with your partner. If your lock has no room name on it, you’ll be sleeping on the couches. Have fun, House Guests, and I’ll talk with you soon.”
“Bye, Becky,” we chorused automatically.
The challenge area went silent for a long moment, and we all stared at each other.
“Well, I’ve got good news and bad news,” Brodie said, stepping forward and breaking the silence. He held up his lock in one bright red, goop-smeared hand. “The good news is that if your key matches my lock, you get me as a partner.”
How is that good news? I wanted to retort, but I bit it back. Honestly, Brodie was the last person I wanted to pair up with. Ugh.
“And the bad news?” someone called.
“The bad news is that I didn’t get a room, so we’ll be couches,” Brodie said with a grimace.
Bad news all around if you asked me.
That broke the weird tension, though, and people began to move around, greeting each other. I automatically headed for my friend with the great smile. He made a beeline for me, too, and raked a hand through his dark, gooey hair. “Sorry you didn’t win,” he said, holding his lock out to me. “My name’s Jendan.”
“I’m Kandis,” I told him with a smile. “And that’s cool. You can’t win them all. I’ll just have to win the next one. Now cross your fingers and hope this works,” I told him and tried my key in his lock.
It wouldn’t go in.
I gave Jendan a disappointed look. “No go.”
“Shoot. I was hoping it was you.”
He sure was cute. I gave him a flirty smile. “I was hoping it was you, too. Doesn’t mean we can’t work together anyhow.”
“I like the way you think,” he said with a chuckle. “We’ll talk later.”
I nodded and glanced around for someone else. The elderly man was standing nearby, so I held my key up gamely and approached him. “Do you have a partner yet?”
“Not yet,” he told me. “Name’s Casper.”
I introduced myself again and tried my key. No go. “I am just not having much luck today,” I joked, and I headed for someone else.
When the next key didn’t work, I began to get nervous. Oh no. Surely I wouldn’t be Brodie’s partner. Surely not. Surely I wasn’t that unlucky. Anyone that had watched The World Races would know that Brodie was a total first class jerk, and they’d be gunning to get him out of the house. Heck, I wanted him gone already myself.
I turned around and saw Brodie standing nearby. He waved his lock at me, that cocky smirk on his face. “Wanna give me a shot, beautiful?”
Ugh. He really was obvious. Might as well get it over with, though. I headed his way, a tight smile on my face. “Does that ever work?”
“Does what ever work?” he asked.
“That smarmy schtick of yours? Hitting on anything with a pair of tits and hoping you’ll get a response?” I held my key up, indicating that he should hand me his lock so I could try it.
“You tell me,” Brodie said, still grinning despite my acerbic words. “You interested?”
“Only in booting you,” I said sweetly, unable to hold my tongue when it came to him. It didn’t matter if I made an enemy of Brodie; he wouldn’t be around long enough for me to care if I needed his help or not.
To my horror, my key slid into his lock with a perfect little snick.
“Looky there,” Brodie said, a drawl evident in his words. “We’re a match made in heaven.” His arm went around my shoulders and he hugged me against him, ignoring my stiff body and shocked face. “Guess you can’t boot me unless you have a deathwish, huh, beautiful?” he whispered in my ear.
House Guests was officially off to a shitty start.
Not only was douchey Brodie from The World Races here, but he was my partner and we had no room this week.
The only way it could get worse would be if someone came up and slapped me in the face.
Considering Brodie Short was my partner, I wasn’t ruling it out as a possibility.
~~ * ~~
The bathrooms, I was happy to see, had been converted into something slightly more modern. The bathroom tiles were a blood red, and the walls were a deep, ugly purple. The fixtures on the sinks were black, and there were two booths nearby for t
oilets and two booths for showers. The toilet booths had solid doors to allow for some privacy, but I noticed that both showers had doors that only covered the occupant from mid-calf to shoulder.
I guessed they’d be filming in the bathroom after all. Fun.
I hadn’t been the first back to the bathrooms, so I was forced to sit and wait for a shower to open up. I grabbed one of the dark towels and joined the others sitting atop one of the counters, waiting as Mickey and Casper showered, washing the red gunk off. Katy and Liam had disappeared as soon as the challenge was over, no doubt to check out Liam’s private room. I was guessing he had a nice shower up there.
Which left me down here with Brodie.
I curled my sticky legs under me and rolled my eyes, thinking about my partner. I’d last seen him a few minutes ago, wiping splatters off of Sunnie’s face and flirting with her like she was his partner. Tool. I hated that I’d been paired up with him. Hated it. But there was nothing I could do except try to make the best of things and lay low.
Someone hopped up on the counter next to me. I looked over and smiled as Jendan sat next to me.
“Hey,” said Jendan. “Think they’ll use up all the hot water?”
I raised one of my sticky hands, eyeing it with distaste. “I don’t even care at this point. I think my fingers are glued together.”
He laughed and leaned in, his voice dropping. “So who’s your partner?”
“Brodie,” I whispered. “I’m screwed.”
His eyes widened, and then he gave me a sympathetic look. “Oh man. You are screwed.”
“I know,” I said unhappily. “He was the last person I’d have chosen.”
“You know the rest of the house is going to be gunning for him and Katy and Liam,” he whispered back. “They already won money on another show.”
Brodie didn’t win, I wanted to point out, but Brodie was, well, Brodie. No one wanted him around for long. So I nodded.
“Don’t worry,” Jendan said, nudging my shoulder. “I’ve got your back.”
“Thanks.” I nudged him back, and grimaced when my clothing stuck to his. “Man, we are really gross.”
“We are,” he agreed. “But I’m used to getting dirty in my line of work.”
“Oh?” I smiled politely as the older woman with the crazy hair came and sat down next to us, eavesdropping on our conversation. “What do you do outside of the house, Jendan?”
“I’m a stuntman,” he said proudly, and he nodded at the newcomer as way of greeting. “You need someone lit on fire for a scene or someone to jump out of a burning building? That’s me.”
“Wow.” I was impressed. “That’s such a cool job. What are you doing here on a reality TV show?” Jimmy’s words before the show rang through my head—superfans, mactors, or broke-ass bitches. Jendan didn’t seem giddy with excitement about being on the show, unlike Jayme or Mickey. That meant Jendan was a broke-ass bitch or a mactor. I studied him. He was good looking. Mactor?
“Same thing as you,” Jendan said. “I want the money. You can’t be a stuntman forever.” He turned to the new woman and extended his red-splattered hand. “I’m Jendan, by the way.”
“I’m Lenore.” She took his hand and gave him a smile, revealing a gap between her front teeth
Broke-ass bitch, I categorized automatically and then felt a twinge of guilt. “What do you do, Lenore?”
“I’m a psychic.”
I laughed, surprised. “A psychic, huh?”
She focused her gaze on me, sharp and bird-like. “Don’t believe me? I can tell your future. Give me your hand.”
Oh boy. Here we go. I obediently extended my dirty hand, giving Jendan a wry look. First we were rooming in a haunted house, and now one of the House Guests was a psychic. What next?
Lenore’s finger traced down the center of my palm. “You’re very athletic and you love to dance.”
I snatched my hand away, giving a nervous laugh. “You got that wrong. I’m a klutz. Jendan will tell you all about how I fell on him.” God, way to sell me out on day one, lady.
“So what do you do for a living, Kandis?” Jendan asked me.
“I’m a student,” I lied.
“No, you’re not,” Lenore said.
I wondered how bad it would look if I attacked a psychic on the first day? I just kept smiling tightly and ignored her. “Whatever you say, Lenore.”
“You’re also going to find your true love in this house,” Lenore told me. “I know these kinds of things.”
“I’m not here to fall in love,” I protested, and that was the truth. I wanted that money.
Lenore shrugged and wandered away.
Jendan and I exchanged a look, and I twirled a finger at my ear, indicating questionable sanity. “So I thought Brodie would be the worst one to partner with. Now I’m not so sure.”
Jendan chuckled at my words. “She does seem a few bats shy of a belfry. Speaking of, where is your partner?”
“Somewhere out there flirting with Sunnie.” I shrugged. “Don’t know, don’t care. As far as I’m concerned, I’m playing this game solo.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Oh?” I perked up. Jendan looked as if he was here to play the game to win, just like me. Some of the people here seemed as if they were on the show to hang out or hook up. Mactors. Jendan was here with ambition—it was evident in every line of his face. He was a kindred spirit. “What are you suggesting?”
He gave me a subtle smile, glancing around to see if anyone else was looking our way. No one was. “You have to have someone to trust in this game. You and me—final two deal. Secret alliance. We take each other to the end.”
“I like the way you think.”
“Like I said, I’ve got your back,” Jendan said.
“I’ve got yours,” I agreed quietly, and then I leaned in. “So who’s your partner?”
“Marla,” he said. “Short hair. About thirty.”
“Soccer mom?”
“That’s her,” he said, grinning. “She’s nice. I just worry she won’t be great in challenges.”
“You don’t know that,” I told him, glancing at the showers again. They were still in there. And men said women took a long time showering? They’d clearly never met Mickey or Casper.
“Well, look out for Marla. She’s spear-heading the ‘get out Katy, Liam, and Brodie’ movement.”
“I’ll look out for her,” I told him. “Thanks for the heads up.”
I wanted them gone as much as the next person, but since I was saddled with Brodie, I needed them around. As long as Katy and Liam were here, they’d be a bigger target than Brodie because they’d already won money. And I didn’t want to be the first one out the door.
“Kandis, please come to the confession booth,” a voice piped in through the intercom. “Kandis, please come to the confession booth.”
“Ugh. I can’t even shower first?” I made a face and hopped down from the counter. “Save me some hot water, Jendan.”
“No promises,” he called back after me, and I padded through the house in dirty, bare feet, a towel wrapped around my dirty, sticky body.
There was a locked door in the living room with a red light on it. It flicked to green as I watched, and I tested the handle. It opened, and I stepped through, eyeing my surroundings. There was a long, shadowy hall, and at the far end of the hall, there was a door labeled “PRIVATE”.
The confessional. I headed toward it and knocked. No answer. I tested the handle, opened the door, and saw a comfy chair seated in front of a half a dozen cameras and a TV screen with the House Guests logo, just like in the living room. I unwrapped my towel, laid it on the chair so I wouldn’t get it dirty, and then thumped into the seat.
“Kandis,” the voice piped in. “This is the confessional booth. It’s completely sound proof, so feel free to share your private thoughts and let us know what you’re thinking. Your castmates will not see any confessional information.”
I drummed my fingers
, feeling twitchy. “Got it.”
“So tell us what your initial thoughts are.”
I smiled tightly at the cameras. “My initial thoughts? If I have to depend on Brodie for a partner? I am completely and utterly screwed.”
~~ * ~~
An hour later, my confessional had been taped, I’d gotten my turn in the shower, and I’d changed into a pair of dark blue yoga pants and a white sweatshirt with a loose collar that left one shoulder bare. My wet hair was pulled into a loose knot atop my head, and I’d scrubbed off all the heavy makeup that casting had put on me.
I was in the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water, when hands touched my shoulders and began to rub.
I yelped, jerking around in shock.
It was Mickey with a sexy—or at least, I figured it was his version of sexy—smile on his face. Mickey had curly reddish hair, big ears, and a wide, square jaw. He looked unusual and friendly, but I was wary of any guy that grabbed chicks when their back was turned.
“Did I scare you?” he asked, his voice implying that he was amused more than apologetic.
“You startled me,” I admitted, rubbing my shoulder to get rid of the creeped-out goosebumps covering my skin.
“Sorry,” he said in a voice that seemed anything but. “The others told me to come get you. We’re having a house meeting in the living room.”
“Already? Is something wrong?”
“Liam wants everyone to get to know each other.” Mickey grinned at me and nudged me with his hip. “I wouldn’t mind getting to know a few of my castmates better.”
Ugh. Creepster. I kept the smile on my face, though it was difficult. “Shall we go to the living room, then?”