Bedroom Games Read Free Page A

“All
right, then.”
    I hobbled over to the stools and found the
one marked ‘Kandis’ on the front row and thumped into my seat.
There were a few other contestants already seated, perched silently
on their stools. The one I’d met—the cute guy—winked at me from his
place in the back row. There were three rows and I counted
seats—twelve in all. Four in my row, four behind me, and four in
the back. No one else was sitting in the front row but me.
    As other contestants moved through the doors
and headed to their chairs, I rubbed at my now-throbbing ankles.
Stupid shoes. That was what I got for trying to be sexy on national
TV. Now I just looked like a fool. I began to unbuckle the shoes,
propping up one foot and keeping busy to cover my embarrassment
while the others entered the house. Some people blushed when they
got nervous. I got fidgety.
    I undid the jillions of buckles on both shoes
and pulled them off and then held them in my hands politely,
waiting for the okay to go find a garbage can. I crossed my legs
and swung one of my feet anxiously, glancing behind me. Both of the
rows in the back were full, but I was the only one on the front
row. The three seats next to me were still empty. Curious, I
glanced at the names on the seats.
    There were only initials: LB on the far end,
KS in the middle, and BS next to me.
    So there were three more contestants. Where
were they?
    The lights in the house flickered to get our
attention, and for the first time, I paid attention to my
surroundings. The house was…interesting. It was very bright inside
despite the menacing exterior—no doubt because we were filming in
here. Light fixtures had been set in the ceilings. The floor
underneath our stools was hardwood, and the walls were a dark,
patterned purple. Picture frames lined the walls in several dark
colors, but each frame was filled with a two-way mirror or dark
glass that I knew shielded a camera on the other side. Each window
had been shuttered with old-fashioned coverings since we were
supposed to be isolated. There was a large fireplace with a big
mantel across the room, a grandfather clock, and lots of old
Victorian couches with little wooden legs. At the far end of the
big living room, if I craned my neck, I could see a long, wooden
dining table surrounded by old fashioned chairs. Very gothic.
    Our stools were facing a very large TV that
covered one wall. As of right now, the TV was blank. That would be
where the host addressed us, then. I glanced over at the empty
stools once more, curious, and shared a shrug with my friend in the
back. He didn’t know what was up, either. Well, at least it wasn’t
just me.
    The large TV in front of us
flashed the House Guests logo, and then cut to a screen. A smiling blonde
woman with a huge bouffant of hair beamed at us from the other
side.
    “Hello, contestants! My name
is Becky Bradley, and I’ll be your House Mother for this season
of House Guests !
Welcome to the show!”
    We all clapped politely. Someone behind me
whistled.
    Becky smiled, clearly
unfazed by our enthusiasm. She continued on. “In just a few
minutes, we’re going to lock the doors, and this summer’s session
of House Guests will begin. Your first week in the house will be a free one.
After that, however, you will compete in the Power Play. Whoever
wins Power receives their own private room and will nominate two
other players for eviction at the end of the week. One by one,
you’ll be voted out until only two of you remain. Those last two
contestants will go head to head at the end of the summer and
compete for the million-dollar prize. Are you excited?”
    We all cheered, myself included. It was hard
not to get excited at the thought of a million dollars by the end
of the summer.
    “Before we go, though, I
have to warn you. Every season of House
Guests is full of twists.” Becky’s smile
was coy. “This season is no different.”
    I wasn’t surprised. Anyone
that watched House Guests knew that the