If possible, the inside of the house was even more stunning than the outside. The first room Jett stepped into was thoroughly modern in design, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, a multitude of hanging and free-standing artwork, and a neat arrangement of comfy-looking chairs and a sectional couch in the center. There were few dividers between the different rooms, so the living area and kitchen space overlapped, giving the first floor an open and inviting feeling.

A crew member hurried over to relieve Jett of his bags and waved a hand, gesturing at the bar on the far end of the room where the other participants were all gathered. Jett followed the motion with his storm gray eyes, lingering by the doorway as he took a moment to look over the people he would he living with for the next few months. Right away, he spotted a couple other famous musicians that he knew, Bella Michaels and David Hopper, along with a few celebrities he was familiar with, but had never met in person before. A smile spread over his lips as he watched the small crowd from a distance. Just based on the personalities that had been invited to take part in the show alone, he could already tell this was going to be a wild ride.

Jett murmured a quick ‘thank you’ to the crew member who had just finished collecting his luggage, and then headed towards the group, eager to grab a drink and join in the conversations. As he got closer, he noticed a bartender rushing back and forth to prepare and set out a variety of classic drinks on a quartz-topped table nearby. It wasn’t a long shot to guess that the poor guy had been told by production to make enough to keep the cast drunk and happy. He stepped up to the table to look over the display. Fancy, crystal glasses were filled to the brim with the alcoholic beverages and garnished extravagantly. He recognized Old Fashioneds, Martinis, Mai Tais, and White Russians to name a few. It looked like there were plenty of options to satisfy all kinds of tastes. [i]They really went all out, huh?[/i]

This show was pretty much a fancy vacation to Jett, so he selected a Mojito for himself—to get the full vacation experience, of course. With a glass in hand, he turned back to the rest of the group, bringing the minty drink to his lips as he worked on deciding who he wanted to talk to first. The easiest thing to do would be to start with someone he already knew, especially since half of the people here were probably crazy fans of the celebrity guests. He’d had enough close calls with some of his own fans in the past to be at least a little wary of approaching someone he didn’t know.

However, the decision was made for him when a familiar voice called out his name. He turned to see Bella Michaels making her way over from the other side of the crowd, grinning broadly as she headed towards him with her arms outstretched.

“Hey, long time no see,” Jett set his drink down on the bar to greet her with a friendly hug and a pat on the back. It had been about a year since the last time he and Bella had crossed paths. Last summer, she had sung a duet with him for one of the songs he’d written that had needed a female vocal counterpart. Not only did he admire her talent as a singer, but he’d also found that they’d gotten along quite well during the collaboration and even kept in touch off and on after he’d gone back to New York. It was great to see her again.

“I had no idea you were going to be doing this too!” Bella said excitedly. “I mean, I heard there were going to be other singers, but what were the odds we both got invited to join this show?”

“Who knows?” Jett shrugged, picking up his drink again to take another sip as he leaned back against the bar. He glanced over the crowd of people once more, “Whatever the case, I’m excited to see where this thing goes.”

“Me too,” Bella nodded in agreement as she followed his gaze. “Have you met any of the guests who had to audition to join yet? The ones I’ve talked to have all been nice so far.”

“No, I just got here.,” he shook his head and then turned back to her with an amused look. “I’m glad you already tested the waters though. I wasn’t sure what sort of people they invited to live with us, and I really don’t feel like starting off my summer getting mauled by a rabid fan, you know?”

Bella laughed, “Lucky for us, they seemed to have picked a nice, semi-normal bunch of people, so you’ve got nothing to worry about.” She lifted a hand to rest briefly on his shoulder before taking a step back to head slowly toward the crowd. “Anyway, I just wanted to stop by and say hello. I’ll see you around, Jett.”

“Same to you, Bella,” he lifted his glass to her in a lazy gesture of goodbye as she wandered off to chat with some of the other girls that he didn’t recognize.

Jett was just about to follow her lead and approach a couple of unfamiliar guys, when another thought crossed his mind. They were still waiting for the last couple of people to arrive, so he had a bit of time to look around the house. [i]This could be my last chance to explore without a camera following my every move.[/i] Being a people-person nearly to a fault, he loved meeting and getting to know new faces, but he had all summer to do that with this crowd. So, instead of joining the rest of the group, he turned and walked over to the living area side of the massive room instead.

Unsure how long it would be until the final participants arrived, he only took a little while to wander, but in that time, he discovered a number of interesting things about the house, including a small aquarium built into one of the interior pillars, an enormous infinity pool on the back patio, a piano in one of the parlors—he made a mental note to remember that detail—and an open-air bar. By the time he came back to join the others at the bar he was grinning excitedly, already picturing the luxurious summer he was going to have at this millionaire estate.

Apparently, he’d had perfect timing too. As soon as he returned to the rest of the cast, he noticed that the announcer and camera crew had joined the party. The rest of the show members must have arrived while he was gone. Quickly finishing off the rest of the drink in his hand, he stepped up to fill the nearest gap between two other people as the man with the microphone prepared to address them all.

 “Alright!” the announcer said loudly. “It’s good to see you’re all getting to know each other. The people standing around you now will be your friends, your comrades, your family, your rivals, your partners in crime, and for some of you… your lovers.”

[i]They’re really hung up on this ‘lovers’ thing,[/i] Jett mused, folding his arms loosely across his chest as he listened to the wordy speech. [i]Romantic flings must make for good ratings in this type of show.[/i]

“From now until the end of summer, this dream house is yours to use as you please,” the announcer went on. “You have access to all of it: the pool, the game room, the theater, the bar… everything is yours through September. The only place you won’t be able to wander to and from at all hours of the day is that cozy little spot outside.” He pointed at a covered area to the right of the pool outside, where three, cushioned benches were arranged around a fireplace. “That is where we’ll be filming all of your confessionals throughout the show. So, apart from there, you have free reign. 

“As for your rooms, they’ve already been assigned, and your luggage has been dropped off accordingly. Whenever you’re ready, you can go find the room with your nameplate and arrange it however you’d like. Now then, I think I’ve done enough jabbering. Go and enjoy yourselves in this oceanside paradise!”

As if on cue, the lights dimmed, and loud, electronic party music played out over speakers that Jett couldn’t see. Immediately, the circle of cast members folded in on itself as people began talking, drinking, and dancing together. Meanwhile, the camera crew circled the crowd predatorily in search of captivating scenes to catch on film. The sight sent a thrill of excitement through Jett. This was exactly the kind of atmosphere he had been hoping to find when he’d accepted this summer gig.

Since it was the first party of the summer, he supposed now was as good a time as any to meet some new people. Grabbing an Old Fashioned from the drink table, he slipped into the crowd and sauntered up to the first girl he saw, a tall blonde with a pretty face. Having approached her from behind, he tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. “Hey there,” he grinned, speaking loudly so that she would be able to hear him over the blaring music. “Want to dance?”