The room exploded in protest until Greta cut through the din. “So our careers hinge on letting Troy off scot-free? Do our corporate overlords know I already can’t compete tomorrow?”
Zara pursed her lips. “The network is aware of that, Greta. And while the settlement fee specifically is capped, that doesn’t stop any of you fromnegotiatingadditionalterms… Maybe right of first refusal onBeverly Blondeas long as it airs, or even a role on—”
“A scripted show?” Greta whispered, awestruck.
“I’d also request a producing fee for the finale. There’s nobody I can get here by tomorrow who knows this beast like you. I can’t believe I’m asking this, but will you help me?”
“Fine,” she said. “But just because I’m behind the scenes doesn’t mean I’m not the star.”
“What about the other cast?” Imogen asked. “Shouldn’t they know what Troy did?”
Zara shook her head. “The network wants it locked down. Limit the impact.”
“They don’t think it impactedShawn?” My voice was louder than I intended.
“Shawn’s getting a settlement too, along with Melange. That should close the loop.”
“I need to tell Shawn first,” I insisted. “He can’t hear this from some random lawyer.”
Zara nodded, then addressed the room. “I hope you all sign. This business is vicious, but it would be worse without each of you.” She caught my eye. “Even if only for one more day.”
She brought me to call Shawn while everyone else perused the paperwork, but it was a formality. We would all sign, me included. Prize money aside, I had promised Erika I’d compete, and I wasn’t going to deny her. As long as there was a final, I would be in it.
“Just so you know, the NDA doesn’t prevent you from leveraging what happened in your divorce settlement,” she said, firing up her laptop in the production office. “What he and Troy did is fair game as long as you don’t comment on it publicly. I made sure.”
“I’ll deal with that apocalypse after this one,” I sighed. “But thanks.”
“I’d also be shocked if Barnes isn’t competing tomorrow. The network has him over a barrel, and he’ll agree to anything to avoid a lawsuit. If it’seven a pale imitation of the deal he signed in Shanghai, then itwillaffect you, understand?”
“You can’t say more?”
She paused, debating. “Just remember there’s more to your life than this show.”
Neither her riddle nor her loaded expression comforted me, but I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, especially when it was only getting later in California.
The laptop camera lit pinprick green, and Shawn’s confused face materialized beneath the popcorn ceiling of his apartment, a dreamcatcher on the wall behind him with Polaroid photos tucked in its web. A joyful gasp escaped him before his face fell. “You got eliminated.”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Oh, thank God, sorry, I’m just surprised to see you. Wait, let’s start this over properly…” He smiled, eager and soft and heartbreaking. “Hi.”
“Hi.” I’d fallen in love with him. I had. No stupid video would change that. That wasn’t this person.Thiswas my person, and I was about to devastate him. “Shawn, something happened, but before I tell you, I need to say something else.”
He cocked his head, dread washing back in like the tide. “Okay?”
And for one second, nothing else mattered. “You can’t know how much I miss you.”
47
2015
SEASON 20, EPISODE 11:
“… And Start Getting Real”
When embarking on a perilous journey, the last thing you want to see is Drew Ecklund in a puffer jacket laser-printed with the Sistine ceiling. “Welcome to ‘Keys of the Kingdom!’” He grinned.
“This gauntlet of mental and physical hurdles will determine who wins Season 20. You’re each wearing a belt with a hook and a carabiner that’s attached to a retractable leash,” he explained as I toyed with the leash, testing the distance it afforded, ultimately about five feet. “Along the way, you’ll have opportunities to chain yourself to your competitors. Once linked, you automatically go where they go. If they complete a task and you haven’t, then you’ve bought yourself a free pass to the next stage.”
