Page 40 of House of Deceit

If I was at my desk, I’d probably bang my head against it at the question.

“I’m a professional, Lorelei, for fuck’s sake. I’m too busy trying to figure out how to make sure the audience loves her so they don’t vote her out if she’s in the bottom two again to try and make moves. Plus, for the third time, I’m not interested in her like that.”

“I’ll let you go with that answer for now, but just know, I have fifty bucks on you kissing her before the end of week four. Tank thinks you’ll hold out until six.”

“I hate you both,” I tell her, and her laugh fills my room.

Alec bursts through the interview room door. His hair looks like hands ran through the strands multiple times.

“You look like you just came from a good snog in the backseat of a car,” I say.

“You’re not British,” he retorts, but doesn’t refute my accusation and for some reason, a small flash of anger that anyone would touch him goes through me.

“Did you want me to sing you the kissing song? I’d have to have the name of the other person to do it.”

“I wasn’t kissing anyone. Don’t be ridiculous.” He rolls his eyes at me as he sits in his chair, running his hands over his hair. While it doesn’t set it to his usual perfect style, it does tame some of the crazier bits. “The audience is really enjoying your antics with Keith. They find the grumpy sunshine dynamic hilarious. They are also thoroughly enjoying that both deceivers so far have messed with the sizing of Ezra’s clothes, and I have to agree it’s pretty funny.” He ticks things off in his notebook as he shares them with me. He promised to report back after every episode on what seems to be working.

“He has such a height complex, it’s crazy. If anyone even hints at the fact he’s on the shorter side, he blows a gasket.”

His gray eyes seem annoyed today when he looks at me, but instead of taking it personally, I decide to chalk it up to his asshole tendencies coming out to play.

“Viewers are also absolutely starved for more flirting between you and Parker,” he says, his annoyance solidifying in a voice of stone.

“We aren’t flirting.”

His eyebrows go up so fast, I’m sure they are going to disappear into his hairline. Embarrassment makes me start sweating. I don’t want this formidable man to think I’m just here for a hookup. Parker is attractive, but there’s something holding me back.

If I met him before the game, before Alec, I absolutely would have been interested in dating him, but no matter how much I’m loath to admit it, the man in front of me has captured my attention and I can’t seem to shake it.

“Well, whatever you want to call your interactions, they are eating it up. I think you should really lean into it and give them what they want.”

“What are you saying? I should kiss him or something?”

While I’m sure the experience would be extremely pleasant, I can’t bring myself to kiss someone just because the audience would enjoy it.

Alec’s face goes stormy and I feel like I messed up on a test I didn’t know I was taking.

“I wouldn’t pull a Penelope and Lucas by any means, but if you want to kiss him, then you should.”

“I never said I want to kiss him.” I pull my feet up into the chair and tuck them under me, trying to make myself a little smaller against the outright anger that’s starting to pump off my wrangler.

“It’s not like I care. Kiss him if you want. Our goal is to get you to the end of the game. He’s not an ogre.”

I perk up at this. A molecule of hope.

“You’re jealous.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“I’m not jealous. Don’t flatter yourself.”

I want to smack him like I did on our first meeting, but I hold back, sure that would get me booted from the show.

“You can admit it. I won’t judge you for it. It makes sense, after all. We spend all this time together talking. You can admit you have a little crush on me.”

All I want is for him to say I’m right. Would I do anything about it? No. But it would make me feel less crazy for the crush I seem to have on him.

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