Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty Six
Courtney
There’s no sign of Alex the next day, which actually has us all relieved.
He’s like a bad omen. Anytime he’s around, there’s a challenge of sorts and then an elimination.
I know Landon and I can’t be the only ones who enjoy the days of sitting back and earning our stipend.
Winning is the end goal obviously, but even if we’re among the finalists, it’ll be a huge win.
Once the sun starts to set, most of us head inside the main house and look around for meal options when crew members show up.
Instantly, the guys and girls are separated, the guys ushered to some hallway in the house.
I know, it’s ridiculous that this space is so big we haven’t even been able to fully explore it all.
Us girls get sent outside. I don’t know what they have planned for the guys, but when we step outside, we find the seating area has been transformed into one huge sleepover-themed party.
There are beds and fluffy seating options, a classic rom-com playing on a projector, a popcorn machine fully loaded and what looks like a cotton-candy cocktail bar.
It looks like a thirteen-year-old girl threw up out here, but apparently I’m the only one who isn’t losing my mind over it.
Angel, Savannah, Bella and Cora all celebrate, running over to different areas and diving in as Julia comes over with pink silk pajamas for all of us.
They have the Locked In logo on one side and our names embroidered on the back. Cute.
Even Luna is living it up as she strips right here and now, earning a few wolf whistles from the cameramen. Ever the flirt, she shoots them a wink over her shoulder before shimmying into the pajamas.
“Come on, girl! Stop being a stick-in-the-mud,” Luna says as she attempts to take my shirt off for me.
I pull it back down and shake my head. “I’m not looking to put on a show for everyone. I think I’ll get changed inside.”
“Buzzkill,” Luna says, rolling her eyes as some dance-pop music begins playing through the backyard speakers.
I get changed fairly quickly, and when I come out, all the other girls are in their pajamas with a cocktail in hand. Luna waves me over and hands me mine as Bella raises a glass.
“To the best fucking sleepover ever!”
“Yessss!” several girls squeal as we all clink glasses.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe we’re matching,” Alex exclaims, appearing from nowhere in identical pink pajamas.
“You’re slaying that outfit,” Angel says, smiling, ever the kiss-ass.
Alex does a dramatic spin and a pose that has us clapping and cheering him on.
He laughs. “I hope you ladies are enjoying the little spread we put on for you. Falling in love is great, but sometimes a girls’ night is needed, am I right?”
Several girls nod and lift their glasses as if toasting him.
“We’re gonna have you guys play a little slumber-party game before leaving you to your own thing. As it seems you’ve all noticed, we’ve stocked the bar with some stuff a little harder than wine, so go easy, ladies,” he says and winks before walking away.
A guy comes up to us and hands me a stack of cards.
“Dish or dare,” I read from the top card.
“Isn’t that like truth and dare?” Cora asks.
“We’ve already done that. Are they seriously repeating ideas?” Savannah scoffs as she polishes off her first cocktail.
“It’s very on brand, though. We can braid each other’s hair and shit while we do it,” Luna teases as we all head over to the circle of beanbag chairs.
There are only two cameramen that stay out here as well as someone I’m assuming is a producer.
Is it weird that no one has introduced themselves?
I recognize faces and what they do at this point, but as far as actual conversations, they’re few and far between.
Or they just don’t happen at all. Maybe it’s to keep up the illusion that we’re a lot more alone on this island than we actually are? I don’t know.
“Take it away,” Luna says, pointing to me before taking a sip of her drink.
I grab the first card from the deck and turn to Cora to my right. “Dish or dare?”
She thinks about it for a moment. “Dish.”
Glancing at the card, I see two prompts and begin reading the one labelled “dish.”
“Have you and your Locked In partner sealed the deal?”
The card says insert a dramatic wink on the word “deal,” but absolutely not. Cora’s face is already turning beet red from embarrassment.
She ducks her head and rubs her arm nervously before giving a little headshake.
Bella laughs. “GIRL! What do you mean? Connor and I are going at it every chance we get.”
Cora shrugs shyly, and I quickly interject for her, “It’s not a competition.”
“Um, it literally is,” Savannah says with an “Are you fucking stupid?” look. Then again, I think her face might be permanently stuck like that. It’s probably the same look her mother has given her all her whole life before drowning herself in dry martinis.
I give her a deadpan stare. “Well, if the whole point of the show was to spread your legs the fastest, I’m sure you would have already won the grand prize by now.”
My blow doesn’t affect her, and in fact, she smiles proudly.
“You’re right because I had Landon on his knees for me on the first night.”
My unfazed expression drops in an instant, and she smiles triumphantly.
I want to call her out for being a fucking liar, but honestly, I thought she was lying about Noah and that turned out to be extremely true.
She and Landon were attached at the hip before she blew up things with me and Noah.
Is it a surprise that they’ve fucked? No.
I just don’t particularly like that mental image.
At all. Honestly, I think I need some fucking bleach for my brain.
I pass the cards to Cora, and she turns to Angel.
“Dish or dare?”
“Dish,” she says, playing with the ends of her hair.
Cora nods. “Is there any other contestant here who you’re attracted to besides your Locked In partner?”
The audacity of this woman, I swear. Because she doesn’t take a long time, there’s nothing she needs to think over. She turns to face Bella and nods.
“Yes.”
The entire group goes silent while Bella’s face turns to stone. There’s no need for Angel to say anything more—her smirk screams, “I want your man, and I’ll have him if I please.”
I’m not sure what the drama is between these two. It could be nothing outside of them rubbing each other the wrong way, but something tells me there’s more to it.
I wonder what would happen if a locked-in couple broke up. Is that allowed? If they’re looking for drama, that definitely is it right there. They’ve never addressed what would or wouldn’t happen, though.
“Okay, you bitches are getting a little boring. Where are the dares? Come on,” Luna says, quickly breaking up the tension.
Angel takes the cards and looks at her. “Fine, dish or dare?”
“Dare,” Luna says confidently.
Angel reads over the card and smirks. “Give us a show. Perform your best lap dance.”
Luna throws her head back and laughs. “Done.”
Then she jumps up from her beanbag chair, looks at one of the cameramen and smirks. “Can you change the music to something with a little more… spice?”
One guy sets the camera down, pulls up his phone and scrolls for a second, then a sexy, medium-paced song blares through the speakers.
Luna nods to the beat before her eyes settle on me. Oh God. I should have known. She crooks her finger to me and slowly begins sauntering towards me. I decide to play into it and act like every jerk-off in a strip club, spreading my legs and patting my lap.
The girls laugh, apart from Savannah of course, as Luna closes the distance between us, then climbs into my lap.
Holding on to my shoulders, she leans back and moves in a circle before coming an inch from my face and grinding against my lap.
In time with the beat, she undoes one button and then another before standing up and sitting in my lap reverse cowgirl.
For the girls, or maybe the camera, Luna rips her pajama shirt open, sending the last few buttons flying as she grinds her ass against me.
The girls all cheer, either in shock or encouragement as Luna continues humping and grinding on me, tits fully out, before she turns back around to face me.
She smirks at me, cupping her tits together and shoving them in my face in a taunting way, like I’m not going to fuck with her right back.
Her eyes go wide as I drag my tongue through her cleavage.
Screams erupt, but they’ve taken on a more masculine tone. When I pull away from Luna’s chest, I see all the guys standing around with their jaws unhinged.
“Holy fuck. Why didn’t we ditch guys’ night sooner?” Mason asks, running his hands through his hair.
Angel smacks him, and Luna and I laugh as she begins buttoning her shirt with the few buttons she has left.
“If I wasn’t so into dick, I think I’d switch you out for Shane right here and now, bestie,” Luna teases before planting a kiss on my cheek.
I smile. “Maybe we can talk the boys into a switch.”
“Are you really trying to hook me and Landon up? Because I’m sorry, he’s gorgeous, but he’s a little too muscly for me,” Shane says as he approaches us. He drags Luna off my lap, then tosses her over his shoulder and runs to the pool.
She tries to wriggle free of his grasp, but she isn’t quick enough and they both go catapulting in. Mason is the next to grab his girl, followed by Connor and Andrew. Noah goes to Savannah at the same time Landon comes to me.
We cross the patio in no time, then the crisp water is wrapping around us. When we emerge, Landon is grinning at me.
“You know, I’m a pretty fucking jealous guy.”
I laugh. “Yeah? You jealous of Luna?”
“Maybe. I mean, you’ve never licked me like that.” He smiles.
I really want to let it go, but clearly I can’t, and it’s the first thing that comes flying out of my mouth.
“Did you and Savannah fuck?”