Love or Lust (LOL): Part 1

Now, to figure out how to beat these other girls at a game I don’t even want to play...

“He’s hung,”Teegan says, taking a sip of her wine.

We decided to have a picnic in the garden. Teegan and Natasha brought the wine while the rest of us brought snacks. It’s been fun so far, getting to know them a little better on a more personal level, but the conversation had since turned in the direction I expected it to.

Right to the guys.

And they’re dissecting them one by one.

Starting with Drake.

“Have you seen his muscles? They’re huge!” Courtney practically yells. The property isn’t small, but her voice carries. If the guys are outside anywhere close, they can hear everything she’s saying.

“You do realize what steroids do to a man’s penis, right?” Natasha asks but doesn’t wait for anyone to respond before continuing. “His penis could be shriveled up. No joke.”

Bella’s face crinkles in disgust as laughter bellows from my chest.

“Um, from what I saw last night, he doesn’t appear to have a problem with shrinkage,” Teegan points out, her voice taking on a seductive tone.

“But if he does, it’s a good thing he’s not the prettiest one. That’s a tossup between Gage and Lennon. It’s all about the eyes,” Natasha says, purring.

Even after sitting next to Gage last night, I didn’t really get a good feel for him. I certainly didn’t notice the color of his eyes. Lennon on the other hand, his eyes are gorgeous. They look like pure gold, and they’re piercing when his sights are set on you.

“What about Milo?” Kyra asks, speaking up for the first time since we did our mini introductions.

“I think he has a thing for Teegan already,” Bella notes, tossing back the last of her wine and holding out her glass for Natasha to refill it.

“Really?” Teegan asks, her eyes widening in surprise as a smirk begins to form.

“He was checking you out last night,” I add.

“Hmmm,” she says more to herself than to anyone else. She obviously likes the idea.

“I think Jace is hot,” Bella giggles to herself.

“Jace is hot. They’re all hot,” Courtney notes as she pops a grape in her mouth, chewing with it open as she continues. “They wouldn’t be here if they weren’t. Same as we wouldn’t if we were plain-looking, overweight chicks.”

She has a point. No matter what your idea of beauty is, the people behind the camera are not willing to put a homely or average looking person on TV. Their ratings come from the shirtless men with washboard abs and the girls with boobs that threaten to pop out of their tops. It’s not a secret. Doesn’t make it right, but still.

We were instructed what to bring with us. How to dress while we’re here. When we were required to do our hair and makeup. The contract I signed was detailed right down to the color of polish on my toes. Red or pink. If we wanted to be a part of this show, a chance to win the prize money, we had to follow their rules, and they thought them out thoroughly.

Because, again, sex sells. Which is why I was wearing an evening gown when I arrived with heels that I could have easily toppled over in. Why the bathing suits I brought with me have less coverage than I’m normally comfortable with. And why I invested in not only a new blow dryer but also a new curling iron, straight iron, and makeup before I left.

Crazy? A little.

Especially since I didn’t even want to do this, but at the same time, since I’d already signed the contract, I wasn’t going to get eliminated on a technicality. If I’m here, I’m here to win.

As the conversation continues to flow, flip flopping from guy to guy, I realize I’m listening intently to each of their assessments.

The nice one? Lennon.

The one who’s probably packing the most? Callen.

The sexiest? Jace.

The one who will turn out to be an asshole? Gage.

The funny one? Also Gage.