The two women in matching athletic gear - and okay, matching ponytails - bounded forward and took their places on the beach next to the other couples.
“Team Four - also from The World Races, Kissy and Rusty.”
An older couple with matching graying mullets moved forward. In contrast to everyone else that was lining up on the beach, they weren’t in great shape. Kissy (who I assumed was the woman) was dumpy and Rusty had a bit of a gut, but they were smiling and looked thrilled to be on the show. That made me warm up to them a little. They seemed nice and genuinely pleased to be participating.
“Team Five - Jerry and Saul from our first season of Endurance Island!”
I recognized the two guys. Big, meaty firemen. They were both slightly older than the rest of us, being in their early forties, but were in great shape. They’d also played a mean-ass game and stomped the competition. I was actually surprised to see them, since I’d heard their mean-spirited play had soured a lot of viewers on the show and only the big romance in the second season with Abby and Dean had turned the ratings around.
“Team Six - Alys and Christopher from Endurance Island season two!”
Not the lovebirds I’d remembered from that season, but solid competitors. I was also starting to get really uncomfortable as the line of contestants narrowed down. There were four people left standing, and they were all from my season. Last season. Myself, Kip, Leslie, and Emilio. Leslie was an older woman with a salty mouth and a sour attitude. Emilio was as sweet and personable as Leslie was rotten. They’d been an odd couple to become friends, but last season, they’d been incredibly tight and had a secret alliance together. I’d been surprised to watch, every week, as they made decision after decision together in private while keeping their distance in public.
Did that mean I was going to be teamed up with Emilio, then? I liked Emilio - he was strong and athletic, and a super-fast swimmer. I would be totally fine with being Emilio’s partner. But something about that struck me as odd. Why would the producers separate the two of them?
That only left Kip as a partner for me…but surely not…
“Team Seven - Emilio and Leslie!”
And there was my answer. The producers wouldn’t separate them, which meant that I was Kip’s partner. We were team eight.
I’d been lied to.
Chapter Three
“I felt sorry for Annabelle with that whole beach scene. Cute girl, seems strong. Sunnie’s a sweetheart, but she’d rather lay around on the beach and work on her tan than figure out how to win this thing.” — Jendan, Endurance Island: Power Players, Day 1 Confessional
“Absolutely not,” I yelled out, striding forward even though my name wasn’t called.
“Please be quiet—” Chip began as the production assistant looked up from her clipboard and frowned in my direction.
“No way,” I said, my angry footsteps spraying sand as I marched over to Chip and the woman in charge. “It’s in my contract that Kip and I are supposed to be on different teams.”
“I can assure you that it’s not in your contract,” the production assistant said with a sniff. “Teams were outlined with legal yesterday.”
“Yes, but the casting director promised me…” My voice trailed off at their expressions.
A smirk crossed the production assistant’s face and was echoed on Chip’s. “The casting director, huh? She has no say over who is teamed up with who,” the production assistant told me. “If she did, it would have been in your contract. Did you read through all of your contract?”
I blinked for a moment, stunned at her nasty expression. I hadn’t combed through the contract word by word. I’d just assumed…
Damn it. Gullible Annabelle strikes again. You know what they say about assuming. I really was my own worst enemy, wasn’t I? “I don’t know if it is or not.”
“It’s not,” she informed me in a snide voice. “Please go take your spot. As I said, teams are not negotiable.”
“I refuse to be on Kip’s team,” I said through gritted teeth. I should have felt betrayed by the casting director, but all I really felt was embarrassed. It was my own fault that I hadn’t read the documents thoroughly enough.
“Are you forfeiting?” The production assistant asked.
“What happens if I forfeit?”
“We have to find another contestant and you’ll be charged for each late day of shooting.”
Uh. “How much does each day of shooting cost?”
“A couple hundred grand.” She smiled tightly. “It’s all outlined in your contract.”
Hell. I looked over at Kip.
He smirked.
I wanted to punch his face. I was stuck, and it was my own fault. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what I could do. If I walked, I’d be stuck with who only knew how much money in debt. I didn’t want to stay, but it wasn’t sounding like I had a choice.
“Don’t forget about the twist,” Chip said in his fake announcer voice. “You’re teamed up, but you’re still competing against each other.”
Oh yes. Pandora’s Box and the post-Judgment competition. Maybe we’d get lucky and lose the first round and I could beat Kip in a challenge. Maybe.
I hesitated, then moved over to the line and stood next to Kip, my hands clenched with helpless fury. I’d endure, if only for the chance to vote Kip’s ass off.
“Good,” Chip said, smiling over at me as if I’d made the right choice. “It looks like our lineup is going to stick. This is going to be a great season, guys.”
I looked over at my partner, then down the line at the others who were starting with a buddy already. I wasn’t so sure about that whole ‘good season’ thing. It was clear I was going to be flying solo on an island of two-man alliances.
“Ready? Let’s start filming again.” Chip made a motion with his hand and all cameras lifted. The game was officially back on again. As we waited, one cameraman panned his camera wide, getting a shot of us, lined up on the beach. “Ready for the next twist?”
A cheer rose from the contestants, some more enthusiastic than others. I clapped halfheartedly, my joy for the day already gone. If they’d lied about Kip, had they lied about the fifty grand, too? Ugh. Had I fallen for a con hook, line, and sinker? I hadn’t even questioned it - I’d just assumed everyone was telling me the truth.
Again.