Page 85 of House of Deceit

Making my way around the house I announce there is a fun activity in the kitchen for anyone who would like to take part while Keith goes to ask his wrangler about an exception for those of us on restriction. Cain, of course, completely ignores me, but I prefer that to his normal glare. Plus, he hasn’t participated in a singular house event since we got here that was not contractually obligated.

Penelope, Jayden, Parker, and Rebel crowd around the island waiting to find out what we are going to do.

“So, Keith and I thought we should have a cookie decorating contest,” I announce.

“Production said anyone on restriction can decorate them but not eat them. Sorry about it. There will be a lot for those of us who aren’t on restriction,” he says, smiling at me.

“I hate you,” I tell him before turning back to the others. “Everyone will get six cookies. The decorations will be graded on creativity, cohesiveness, and execution.”

Jayden raises his hand.

“You don’t have to raise your hand,” I tell him.

“Oh, sorry. Could I help bake the cookies?” he asks, his face earnest.

“Sure! I’d love the help while the others make some buttercream and royal icings.”

We split off into teams after a few instructions on how to make the various icings. I grab aprons for me and Jayden while he grabs the stand mixer and brings it over to the island.

“Do you know how to make sugar cookies?” I ask him.

“My grandma and I used to make cookies for all of our neighbors every Christmas,” he tells me, grabbing various ingredients from the pantry and fridge.

“So, you’re totally going to kick our asses,” I joke.

His face looks even younger when he smiles, but the joy is so evident, I’m already glad we decided to do this activity.

“Hopefully,” he says, tying the apron around his waist.

The kitchen is an utter disaster as we all move to the dining room where the cookies have been cooling as Jayden and I pulled them from the oven. The icing team is covered in powdered sugar after a small tussle over the bag.

Penelope spoons icing into different bowls with makeshift piping bags available, everyone getting the same options. We all sit at our various decorating stations.

“Everyone has one hour,” Keith says. “Three, two, one!”

We all scramble to decorate our cookies. I decide to go with a dinosaur theme including a comet, two different dinosaurs, a dinosaur egg, a volcano, and Earth.

Grabbing the food dyes in the middle of the table, I mix various colors into my buttercream on the plate in front of me.

“Who does everyone think will end up on another television show?” Rebel asks.

“What do you mean?” Parker asks, hunched over his cookies.

“There’s always one person from each season who seems to end up making reality shows their job. Who will it be for us?”

“Lucas,” Penelope responds, sucking a drop of icing from her thumb. While she and the Olympian were fighting toward the end, I wonder if she misses him more than she lets on.

“Oh, that’s a good one,” I say. “I think it’ll be Parker.”

He looks up at me, an eyebrow raised. “What? Why?”

“I just have a feeling you’re going to end up on a dating show or something. Can you imagine the stack of applications to get a piece of the towering Viking man?” I tease.

Rebel and Penelope smile and look at Parker.

“They would have to hide the filming location to get people not to show up,” Rebel says.

“Wait, I thought you guys were dating?” Jayden says, looking between us.

---