[i]Congratulations!

Due to your exceptional reputation, you have been nominated by our production team to take part in this summer’s hit reality TV series:[/i] Oceanside Strangers! [i]We would like to personally thank you for giving us your time this summer and for helping to make our cast more diverse with the addition of your unique personality. All of us from Empire Entertainment are excited to see what is in store for both you and your eager fanbase this year. We can’t wait to meet you!

Filming begins on May 20th at 7:00PM, so please be sure to arrive on set in Malibu, California at that time to get moved in. The house where you will be staying is located on 11846 Ellice St, Malibu, CA 90265. All of your production-related expenses will be covered by Empire Entertainment throughout the duration of the show. If you have any further questions, contact Benjamin Hoof at (323) 555-3701 or b.hoof@empire.com.

See you soon!

[right]Empire Entertainment Production Crew[/right][/i]


Jett Olliston stuffed the letter back into his pocket and stared out the window of the limousine, watching as the tropical California scenery passed by. Coming from the steel-and-cement city of New York, NY, he found the natural greens and blues refreshing. Trees and other plants lived in harmony among the manmade buildings, giving the area a relaxing, laid-back atmosphere. It was a nice break from the busyness of his home state, where everything that breathed seemed to be in a hurry to get from one place to the next. He smiled as the ocean peeked into view at the edge of the horizon. The TV production he had joined would only last for the duration of the summer, but hopefully this rich, beautiful paradise would give him plenty of memories to take home once it was all over.

As a professional singer and songwriter who had built up quite the reputation around the country, he had been invited to take part in this show as one of the celebrity guests. The director had phoned his agent personally, spewing off a list of reasons why he would want to take a summer off from touring to participate in this series instead. Money, connections, and a growing fanbase were some of the lures he’d tried to use, but Jett didn’t care about any of those. To him, the biggest attraction had been the [i]experience[/i]. Sure, he’d been on TV before, doing interviews and performing in front of the camera, but participating in a season-long reality show? That was new.

The drive from the airport was long and slow as the limo driver battled against the dense California traffic, but after an hour or so, they arrived at the house addressed in Jett’s letter. Both driver and passenger exchanged a look of surprise when they saw the building. Just the front side of it was enormous. Palm trees lined the driveway and the path to the front door, giving it a tropical resort kind of feeling, and small landscape lights casted a majestic glow on the walls. Jett let out a whistle as he climbed out of the limo. [i]Damn. I knew it was gonna be nice, but no one said we’re staying in a multimillion dollar house![/i] The whole thing made his luxury apartment in Manhattan look homely.

“Alright, folks! Participant number nine has just arrived,” a man with a cordless microphone announced to a cameraman standing nearby. Jett looked pointedly away from them, pretending to be caught up in gathering his luggage from the trunk of the vehicle. It was bad form to stare at the camera after all, and he had an image to keep up for his audience.

“Jett Olliston: a 25-year-old musician,” the announcer went on. “We were quite lucky to have caught him in-between jobs! With his looks, who knows what kind of spice this young man is going to bring to [i]Oceanside Strangers[/i]? I know I can’t wait to find out! Ah—! Here he comes now.” As Jett began walking down the path that led to the house’s front door, the announcer intercepted him. “Jett Olliston! A star such as yourself must be very busy, but do you think you can spare a moment to answer some questions for your fans back at home?”

“Well, I’m not busy now,” Jett shrugged. “Of course I have time.” [i]I guess it’s that kind of reality show, huh?[/i] He let himself face the camera and smiled, playing it up for his audience.

“Wonderful!” the announcer beamed. “Many of the lovely people watching tonight will be following your story all summer, so I just want to ask you a few things that will help them get to know you better before this rollercoaster starts.”

“Shoot,” Jett said. “I’m an open book.”

“Fantastic! First question, then: Where are you from?”

“New York, New York. The city that never sleeps.”

“Excellent! Second question: Why did you join this humble little show of ours?”

“Honestly? It sounded like an interesting change of pace for me. And besides,” Jett glanced back at the gigantic house behind them. “Who wouldn’t want to live in a place like this for a whole summer? I was lucky to have gotten that phone call.”

“Very true, very true! So, do you have any hobbies? Say… long walks on the beach or watching the sun set?”

Jett couldn’t help but laugh at that. This interviewer really wasn’t holding back. “Those are fine and all, but I actually like to play sports like Ultimate Frisbee or Soccer. Being a musician, I also spend a lot of time practicing in my studio, of course.”

“Ooh, I can’t wait to hear you perform for us! I’m sure you know that we have a few other artists in the group as well. But enough about that; you’ll meet them soon enough. In the meantime, I must ask you the question your fans are dying to know the answer to…” he paused for dramatic effect. “Do you have a special girl in your life?”

“I don’t,” Jett scratched the back of his neck.

“Really? A handsome devil like you: single? I’m shocked!” the announcer grasped at his chest in astonishment.

“I guess I just haven’t met the right girl yet,” Jett shrugged, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the interviewer’s over-the-top behavior.

“Well then… do you think you’ll meet her here?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I didn’t come here looking for a relationship, but you never know when or how that sort of thing will happen.”

“Very wise,” the announcer nodded sagely. “Anyway, those are all the questions I have for you for now, Jett Olliston. Head on in and meet the rest of the cast! We’re just waiting on a few more people before we turn you all loose for the summer.”

“Can’t wait,” Jett grinned. He turned and headed up the path to the open front door, eager to see who and what laid inside.