2.Lights-out rules enforced. (Time varies by night.)
3.No cell phones. No emails. No texts. No communication with the outside world.
4.Violence will not be tolerated. Any violence will result in immediate elimination and potential law enforcement involvement.
5.Smile! You’re on camera.
A chill runs down my spine. Creepy.
Beside me, Sara Claire gasps. “We’re roomies!”
I look over at her packet and then quickly flip to the third page to catch up.
ROOM 6:
Sara Claire
Cindy
Addison
Stacy
“I hope Addison and Stacy are nice,” Sara Claire says.
I peer over my shoulder to where Addison sits a few rows back, whispering to another woman.
“That might be asking for too much,” I mutter.
I flip back a page to find it labeledSUITOR BIO.
This season’s suitor hails from an iconic family known for their fashion empire.
What? The possible heir to a fashion empire? “Did you see this?” I ask, pointing to the bio.
Sara Claire peers over my shoulder. “I wonder what brand it is?”
“I don’t know, but the fashion industry is a smaller world than you’d expect, especially for the big luxury names.” I continue to read, searching for a hint.
The suitor is known for his sharp-witted humor and business savvy. He might be vicious in the boardroom, but he’s a total softy with the ladies. His hobbies include sailing, water polo, high-stakes Scrabble, and returning his mother’s phone calls. He’s ready to upgrade from his single lifestyle and finally settle down with a woman who will challenge him and help represent the family brand.
Sara Claire taps her pink nail against the page. “Playboy reputation rehab.”
“Huh?”
She turns to me and in a low voice says, “These guys are always some kind of archetype. Country boy with family values looking to settle down? He’s really a right-wing nut with mommy issues. Free-spirited adventure seeker looking for his soul mate to plant roots with? Immature daredevil who thinks he’s more special than everyone else. You gotta read between the lines.”
I tilt my head, looking at the bio once more.
She points to the second line. “Sharp-witted humormeans ‘sarcastic jerk.’High-stakes Scrabble? More like a gambling addiction.Single lifestyle? Sounds like he’s got a thing for one-night stands.”
I look at her once again, trying to size her up. Sara Claire is not what I expected. “How do you know all this?”
“I’m in the business of business. Hedge funds. Family business in Texas. Daddy calls me his BS radar. I go to meetings and look pretty. Everyone underestimates me, and I hear all the things their mouths aren’t sayin’.”
“Whoa,” I say. “That job sounds wild. What are you even doing here?”
She shrugs with a smile. “Would you believe me if I said true love?”
