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“Oh no, how will I pass the time?” Stella said with playful sarcasm.
Monica continued her spiel without remark, confirming Stella’s suspicion that all producers had zero sense of humor.
“You’re due for camera time in ten, where you’ll introduce the show. Quinn will join in a moment. Your contract is extremely strict about what you’re allowed to disclose, so make sure you follow the schedule and cues that will be sent daily. Any questions?” Monica looked at her watch.
Stella’s gut clenched at the fact her potential break was moments away. “No, no, I think that covered everything.” Her head swam with information, but most of it had been provided in the packet, so if there was something she needed to review, there was a safety net in the form of a five-pound stack of paper.
After finishing up, she settled in the interview room. There, she told the cameras of the upcoming season and of the twist. She tried a few different ways, finally satisfied after shaking some rust off her TV personality.
When she finished her segment of taping, Stella opened the soundproof door and called for Quinn to join her.
Stella watched Quinn walk in on shaky legs. She mentally prepared to settle her down before jumping into the interview. With the grace of an athlete, Quinn crumpled into the chair across from Stella and crossed her legs. Her smile brightened when her eyes landed on Stella. The shoe on her right foot bobbed up and down.
“If you could rename yourself, what name would you pick?” Stella asked while the small crew adjusted the lighting.
“What?” Quinn stared at her, befuddled.
“Is that the name you would pick? What? That could get confusing.” Stella feigned disappointment, but her lip twitched.
“Okay, I see you’ve got jokes.” Quinn’s body relaxed as she laughed. “No, I would probably pick Juneau. My family went on a cruise to Alaska. It was one of the last times we were all together. The town, with its gorgeous mountain range, ocean, and iceberg, stood out for some reason. Plus, the name.” Quinn tapped her chin. “Yeah, definitely Juneau.”
“That’s much better than What.” Stella smiled, looking down at her notes.
“Was that part of the show?” Quinn looked around.
Stella’s back straightened, having gotten ‘the look’ from the camera person. He was counting down from ten with his fingers. “No, that was to get you out of your head and help you relax. You’ll do great.”
An hour later, they were gathered at the top of the stairs. Stella watched the camera crew milling around, capturing the women. An excited energy bubbled around them as the contestants below strained to get a look of the person whose heart they were trying to steal. They couldn’t see anything yet since Quinn was shaking out her shoulders in the shadows. Stella stood at the back, out of camera range, until they got word to move forward. Quinn stepped to the top stair, poised and ready to meet the group. The technique Stella implemented to help her relax seemed to have helped.
Stella couldn’t see individual faces but she watched as twelve necks craned up, catching a glimpse of Quinn for the first time.
Quinn’s head was held high as she walked steadily down the stairs, each step regal. For someone who played basketball, she was surprisingly average height, but when the cameras turned to her, her back straightened and she seemed a foot taller.
Stella watched Quinn’s light brown hair bounce with each step. For today, she’d let it free from the hair tie and it fell around her shoulders. Stella tucked her unruly red curls behind her ears while waiting for her cue. Murmured voices started floating up as Quinn reached the bottom of the stairs. Gasps rang out when a few of them recognized Quinn. Whispers of basketball and commercials echoed around the foyer.
Following in Quinn’s footsteps, Stella started down the steps. Her eyes darted from one woman to the next, thirsty for their stories. One pair of eyes wasn’t looking at Quinn but instead was locked in on her. All the air completely vanished from Stella’s lungs while her foot hovered over the next step.
Stella’s heart rate picked up as she took in Avery’s equally panicked look.
“Oh, fuck,” they mouthed together.
Chapter 4
Pivoting
The group was huddled around four large vats of pudding. Behind them was a large platform that had each contestant’s name listed on one side with five hooks underneath all their names, and on the other side of the platform were rows and rows of locks holding different letters.
The congealed mess looked like it was hardening on top, making Avery’s stomach turn. She tried to focus on Stella explaining the rules for the competition but found her mind wandering.
Someone must have said to start, but Avery missed it. An elbow to the rib got her moving as she tentatively dove into the vat that didn’t have as many people. Avery swept her hands and feet in the thigh-deep goop. Something grazed across her toe. Bending down, she picked up a tiny basketball. Clutching it to her chest, she looked around, still trying to figure out what they were supposed to do.
Riley was in another vat, throwing something on the ground. Peeking over the edge, she saw the grass littered with discarded objects. A whoop came from behind her as Elizabeth held up a locket with a dangling key.
Avery watched as Elizabeth hopped out of the tub and ran to the platform. There, Elizabeth tried the key in multiple locks that each held a letter. Avery halfheartedly continued to sweep the vat with her arms as she watched Elizabeth whoop when a colorful Q slid free. She ran to where her name was painted on a wall and slipped the letter in the first slot before diving back into the closest vat of pudding.
Understanding cleared her mind and Avery redoubled her efforts in finding the keys that would unlock the letters that would spell out Q.U.I.N.N. It was pure chaos, with elbows, knees, and even a forehead flying around her space.
Avery had just finished her second letter and was knee deep in a vat again when she heard a muffled shout. Trying to clear the pudding from her ear, she saw Elizabeth jumping up and down, Quinn’s full name hanging from the hooks below Elizabeth’s name.
