I don’t know how long I stood there before a hand fell on my shoulder. Rachel stood behind me, concern in her eyes. I fell into her outstretched arms, sobbing. Behind us, the stall door remained firmly shut.
She stroked my hair with one hand. “Shh. It’s okay. Let’s not spend all day crying in the bathroom.”
Like a calf to the slaughter, I followed her to into the sitting room. I didn’t notice the School Room door open until Ariana emerged, looking like the cat that swallowed the biggest canary. “Awesome dramatic moment, Jen. Way to go. The viewers are going to love this.”
Like hell they would. The viewers would never get a glimpse of Dominic if I had anything to say about it.
“I don’t have a boyfriend, and I don’t know why he’s here. But I’m going to find out.” Already calling for Leanna, I raced down the stairs.
She met me at the bottom.
“Can we talk outside?”
Wordlessly, she motioned toward the front door, and I followed. “What’s going on?”
“You tell me. Dominic? What the hell?”
Her brow furrowed. “Look, I know you’ve got a thing for Justin, but you listed this guy on your contact sheet. Said he was your ‘serious boyfriend.’ Was that not true?”
Oh, shit. I’d totally forgotten. At the audition. One of the stacks of forms they’d handed me. Now that she mentioned it, I saw myself adding “serious” in front of boyfriend, so the producers would know I wasn’t just listing a fling. What a naive idiot I’d been.
“It was true at the time,” I said. “We broke up the next day.”
“You never updated your contact sheet.”
“I didn’t know I was supposed to!”
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that, but when we called, Dominic went on and on about how you’re the best thing that ever happened to him. Sounds like he wants to get back together. Doing it on the show would be great for ratings.”
For a long moment, I forgot how to speak. My mouth opened and closed, but no sounds came out. “Nope. Nope. Nope. He can’t come here.”
“It’s too late. He’s in town,” she said. “If you don’t want to see him, lose the challenge.”
“What?”
“Let someone else win. I’m sure Rachel would love to see her mom. Or Ariana her BFF.”
Although my natural competitiveness screamed at her words, I couldn’t deny the beautiful simplicity of it. Lose the mini-challenge, don’t see the douchebag who ruined my life, make up with Justin. Simple, right?
If only I had any idea how.
* * *
When Leanna gathered everyone to explain the rules of the mini-challenge, I remained on the bed in my room, staring stubbornly at the inside of the canopy. They said on Day One mini-challenges were optional; they couldn’t make me play their twisted game.
Rachel came back after the game. “Justin won. His sister’s coming.”
“Thanks.” For almost a heartbeat, that lifted my spirits, until I remembered that only the winner got to see the guest. Not that Sarah would want to see me once Justin told her what happened.
“Ariana’s down there right now, sinking her hooks into him. You should go talk to him.”
I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me through the curtains. “It doesn’t matter anymore, Rach. I can’t fix this if he won’t talk to me.”
She sighed. “Well, at least I’ll try to keep Ariana away from you. You’ll figure something out.”
“Thanks.”
A member of the production staff popped by to tell me not to venture into the second floor sitting area until Sarah left. Briefly, I dreamed of bursting in to say hello, to make them both listen, but the PAs had eyes and ears everywhere. Still, they couldn’t stop me from using the bathroom, and we only had one.
On my way past the changing room door, an arm snaked out and dragged me inside, slamming the door shut. I swallowed a yelp as I stumbled over my own feet.
Inside, I found myself nose-to-nose with Sarah.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” I joked.
“We need to talk,” she hissed. “We’ve got sixty seconds?”
The steely look in her eyes made me swallow my laughter. Nodding, I moved farther into the cubicle, pulling the door shut behind me. All the times I’d dreamed of locking myself into a tiny room with a hot, green-eyed blond, and not once had I imagined it would wind up like this.
“What’s going on?” I kept my voice low, mimicking the urgency in Sarah’s voice.
“Are you toying with my brother to win the game?”
Her words sent a shockwave through me. It never occurred to me that Justin had the same doubts I did. “No! If I’d known we’d get a second alone, I’d have asked you exactly the opposite question. Remember when we met? You said he’d do anything to win.”
“Oh, hell.” She ran her fingers through her curly hair. “I just meant he’d have no problem streaking or eating bugs or whatever. Not this. He really likes you, but he’s worried it’s not real. That you’re just trying to get more screen time.”
I didn’t know what to say. Hearing that Justin really liked me made me feel lighter than I had in weeks. But if he didn’t trust me, either, how could we make it work?
“Dominic and I broke up weeks before the show started. Right after the audition. I swear I don’t have a boyfriend. Serious or otherwise.”
She stared into my eyes so long I feared the timer would kick on and we’d be locked in. “I believe you,” she said finally.
Relief flooded through me. “Thanks.”
“Wait. There’s more. But we’re running out of time.”
“Hold on a sec.”
Checking to make sure the coast was clear, I dragged her into the other changing room, buying us another sixty seconds.
“Here’s the thing,” Sarah said. “Justin had a serious girlfriend in college. They loved each other, or he thought they did. He was planning to propose after graduation, with all our friends and family. Except her family never showed up. She lied about her parents, her siblings, everything, because she was ashamed to come from poverty.”
“That’s awful.”
“He wouldn’t have cared that she was poor, but she’d racked up huge debts on her clothes, makeup, hair, etc., all so she could snag a husband from a rich family. Which we’re not—except compared to her. It hurts to find out someone only likes you for your money. He hasn’t been serious about anyone since.”
Poor Justin. My heart bled for him. That explained why he was as hesitant to start things up as I was.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t know.”
“That’s why I’m telling you. He likes you. Right after the show sequestered you guys, your ex’s wife showed up all over the media. Did an exposé for some paparazzi blog, talking about how you stole her husband, you’re a home wrecker, etc. It went viral.”
I’d never understood what someone meant when they said the blood drained from their face, but I grew lightheaded. Leaning against the wall for support, I clutched my microphone.
“That’s why the viewers keep voting against you. Danielle painted a really bad picture.”
“Who?” I asked.
She glared at me. “You didn’t even know her name?”
Oh. Duh. “She was mostly naked when we met. I didn’t stick around for introductions. But I swear, I had no idea. Her appearance came as a complete shock.”
“That’s fine, but Ariana’s fans are playing it up. Say you know how much she likes Justin, and he likes her, too, but you’re in the way, trying to make her look bad.”
“I knew it,” I said. “I mean, I didn’t know, of course, but I knew there was something going on. Did you tell Justin?”
A voice sounded from the speakers. “Girls? What’s going on in there?”
We ignored them. Sarah started speaking faster, leaning closer to me. “I tried, but the producers warned me not to t
ell him anything about the outside world, so he wouldn’t hear it.”
“So why are you telling me?”
“I’ve been reading the forums. You’re probably going home soon, and I wanted to give you a chance to tell Justin the truth.”
“About Ariana?”
She snorted. “He knows what she is. Tell him how you feel, dummy.”
Feet pounded up the stairs.
Sarah flung the door open and greeted the production staff at the top of the stairs. “I’m so embarrassed! I thought that was the bathroom. Scared the hell out of poor Jen by walking in on her changing.”
“Uh-huh,” Curly Beard said.
He winked at me and ushered Sarah back behind the curtain where Justin presumably waited. She grinned and waved at me over her shoulder.
Back upstairs, I spent a long time thinking about Sarah’s words. Justin liked me. Not show-liked me; he liked me, liked me. Doing “anything to win” didn’t mean exploiting me. And no matter how much I swore I wasn’t going to develop feelings for my competition, I liked him. A lot.
Before I got eliminated, Justin needed to know the truth.
* * *
The second Sarah left, I made a beeline for Justin. I found him in the kitchen with the others. My heart plummeted.
“So sorry you didn’t get to see your serious boyfriend,” Ariana said.
“Leave her alone,” Justin said before I could reply. “They broke up.”
Our eyes met, and my heart lifted. This wasn’t the time to talk, but we were going to be okay. He believed me. I poured myself a drink and sat at the counter, joining the conversation.
“Hey, guys?” Ed said some time later. “What’s going on outside?”
The kitchen had been growing steadily darker, which I attributed to the setting sun. But now I turned and realized the producers had hung sheets over the kitchen windows.
“An evening challenge?” Rachel suggested.
“We’ve never done two in one day,” Ed said.
“That doesn’t mean we couldn’t,” I said.
Justin went to try the door, but it wouldn’t open.
“This is stupid,” Ariana said. “I’m going to find someone to tell me what’s going on.” She strode into the house, calling for a member of the production staff.
“Should we help?” I asked Justin. “The sun is setting. We’ve never been locked inside overnight.”
He shrugged. “I guess it’s better than sitting here waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’ll go check the front door.”
While he did that, I wandered around, calling out to the cameras. “Leanna? Hello? Anyone there?”
Wham!
For what must have been the fifteenth time that summer, a glass wall clipped the side of my foot, smashing my pinky toe.
With a groan, I hobbled into the kitchen and sat on a barstool. Ed made something that filled the room with the scent of garlic and basil.
A moment later, Justin wandered in. “The front door’s locked, too.”
“I give up, guys. There’s no challenge this week. Or, it’s a secret challenge, and the one who walks into the fewest walls wins.” I picked up a bottle of Cabernet. “I lose. But the one who walks into the most walls get a free bottle of wine.”
Justin plucked it out of my hands. “That’s Rachel.”
“Yeah, good point. But I hurt my foot. Gimme.”
He set the bottle out of reach, then brought me a frozen bag of peas and a hand towel. He gently stretched my leg to the adjacent bar stool, then wrapped the peas in the towel and set it on my toes. “Try this.”
My hand brushed his when I reached for the peas. My heart beat so loudly he might hear it. Our eyes met, and for a brief second, I knew we thought about the exact same thing. But I needed to clear the air.
“Listen, about before—”
“Don’t,” Justin said. “Sarah told me everything. I get it.”
The spell broke when Ariana poked her head through the doorway. “Leanna’s here. Come on.”
Justin and I exchanged a look but followed her. Our fingers brushed as we walked, sending tingles up my arm.
“Hello, my Fish!” Leanna said. “Interesting day, huh? This week, we’re doing something different. The challenge for the Final Five Fish is a temptation.”
What did that mean? Were they going to show us delicious food we couldn’t eat? They should have done that before dinner. Or maybe I’d have to sit inches from Justin without being allowed to touch him. I’d fail that temptation.
“As you know, the winner of The Fishbowl will win $250,000. And as you may also know, there is no prize for second place.” She paused to let that information sink in.
“Or is there? We’ve placed a television screen outside by the pool. Outside, you will find five bowls, each containing a fish with your name on it. For the rest of the night, we will flash prizes on the screen: Trips. Cash. Cars. It could be anything. The first person to take his or her fish and throw it into the pool wins that prize. You will also leave The Fishbowl immediately.”
They would pay one of us to quit? Would it be enough to make it worth leaving?
“If none of you succumbs to temptation, Rachel, Ed, Justin, Ariana, and Jen will complete a challenge tomorrow, and the game continues. If one of you leaves, a former contestant will take your spot.”
She gestured toward the large glass doors. The sheets covering them inched downward as she spoke.
“We asked America to choose which eliminated Fish they most wanted to see come back to The Fishbowl. And they voted for—”
The sheet dropped, and the outdoor lights blazed. Sitting in the hot tub was—oh, no. Not him. Bring back anyone else.
“Joshua! Welcome back, Joshua!”
Fuck.
“Everyone, go outside and get your fish. It is now exactly eight o’clock. I’ll be back at midnight, or when a fish hits the water, whichever comes first.” She waved far too happily for someone who had just dropped such a bomb on us.
No. No. Nonononono.
America wanted to see more of that jerk? Really?
Rachel, of course, beamed and smoothed her hair. I’d almost forgotten they’d been friends. She walked right past the big pink fish with “Rachel” on the side, stripped off her sundress to reveal her bikini, and jumped into the hot tub.
A speaker crackled overhead, and Overalls spoke from the control booth. “Rachel? You’re not allowed to interact with Joshua unless he re-enters play. And you can’t touch him. Move to the other side of the tub.”
“Okeydoke. Sorry.” Rachel dutifully shifted a couple of feet to her left.
The speaker crackled again. “Thank you, Rachel.”
She gestured to indicate she’d heard.
At the moment, the screen said, “Please stand by.”
“Hey, Ed,” I said. “Do you want to quit the game in exchange for some ‘Please Stand By?’”
He tilted his head to one side and rubbed his chin. “A very generous offer, Jen, but I think I’ll have to pass. Now, if you had some ‘Hold on a Minute,’ we’d be in business.”
As I hobbled to the lounge chairs farthest away from the hot tub—and, more importantly, Joshua and Rachel—I realized I still held my wineglass. On one hand, the idea of letting the cheating jerk back into the game made my entire body tense, and wine relaxed me. On the other hand, I didn’t want to agree to leave for a party hat and a slice of pizza because I got drunk.
The screen changed. “Please Stand By” vanished, replaced with “$500.” Did they think any of us would sell our opportunity to win a quarter of a million dollars for a mere five hundred bucks?
After a few minutes, Justin and Ed came to sit with me, carrying their own wineglasses, plus a fresh bottle. Ariana had gone back into the house. No way would she leave. The fans loved her.
“What do you think?” Justin asked.
I gestured at the screen. “I’m not sure. Some o
f the prizes aren’t bad. I mean, I’d love a trip for two to Hawaii. But with $250,000, I could buy about sixty thousand trips to Hawaii. I could go every week.”
Justin nodded.
“The thing is, I’m unemployed. My severance package barely covers this summer. I need first and last month’s rent and security for a new apartment. And I’ve got some bills I’d love to pay before I’m fifty.” I sipped my wine and sagged back into the chair. “I don’t know.”
The screen behind me offered a brand-new Toyota Prius. Now that tempted me, if only because of the resale value. I didn’t need a new car; public transit took me everywhere. Also, I didn’t actually possess a driver’s license. Living downtown meant never needing to learn how to drive.
“I guess it comes down to two things,” Ed said. “Do you think you can win, and how much would it take for you to accept the sure thing?”
“But those aren’t the only considerations,” Justin said. “Only one person can accept the offer, so you also need to think about who else wants it.”
“Do you want it?”
“No,” he said. “Maybe I won’t win, but I at least want to know I gave it all I had.”
I turned to Ed. “What about you?”
“Oh, I want to win,” Ed said. “The gay guy never wins these things.”
The screen now read “$10.” They weren’t giving us much time to think. Of course, ten dollars wasn’t a real offer. The amounts would have to increase significantly to make it worth giving up my last week with Justin.
“There’s no way Rachel will leave if Joshua might come back. She’s the only one he was ever nice to, and for some reason, she likes him.”
“Right,” Ed said. “He was only a jerk to everyone else. What about Ariana?”
“No way. America likes her: She’s already been saved. Twice. No one else can say that. If the viewers have a say in the finals, she’ll win.”
“You never know,” Justin said.
“That’s the problem. What I do know is America put me up for elimination three times, and never put Ariana up for elimination at all. They saved Ariana twice. The other people they wanted eliminated are almost all gone. If it comes down to a viewer vote, I’m out. So, I need to consider what offer I’d accept.”
America's Next Reality Star Page 24
