The show aired three weeks after they had moved in together. The condo they shared east of downtown Boston was immediately swarmed by photographers from morning ‘til night. She could no longer pop out to take their dog Buster on a quick walk around the park before work. (Yes, they’d gotten a dog together. Aw . . .)
She now had to make Ky go everywhere with her so that he could say “no comment” about one hundred times before they made it to and from the park in one piece. But Ky loved every minute of it.
She didn’t really mind the publicity since it had boosted her bank account with the extra money from appearances, endorsements, and interviews, but she wished she had her personal freedom back.
Ky, on the other hand, told her over and over again how much better it was than the last time he was in the spotlight. Where he had to constantly cater to screaming teenage fans and deal with the personal drama of four other young, immature band mates in their twenties.
Now, they were a real couple that had publicity for a legitimate reason. They had starred in a groundbreaking reality series that was going to pave the way for a new line of reality survivalist shows that put couples to the test. Or at least, that’s what the New York Post and US Weekly had said in raves reviews about Adventure to Love.
But she still wanted to keep her day job, which she planned to return to after her indefinite leave of absence. After all the drama had died down, and she could go back to normal life, where she and Ky could meet her friends at the bar for a drink after work without having to worry about wearing disguises.
Ky still didn’t know what he was going to do with himself, but he wasn’t in any hurry. He had gobs of money from 101 royalties, which only compounded on top of his hefty check and the royalties that he would continue to earn from the show. She didn’t ask him for exact numbers, but she knew that his paycheck as the star of Adventure to Love was at least five times her own since he was cast as the hunky, eligible bachelor.
The only unpleasant interview so far had been the reunion show. She knew it was bound to happen, but she had to come face-to-face with Brinkley, and all the other women who had lost the competition.
It was still funny to use terms like “winning” and “losing” to describe what she considered to be a near-death experience. Although the producers insisted again and again in interviews and on their studio blog that the contestants had been monitored each step of the way to ensure complete safety.
Ha. If anyone had been there firsthand to see how both Sarah M. and Brinkley had had mental and physical breakdowns in the jungle, then they’d question the ethics of the studio, too.
But that was a thought she kept to herself. Firstly, because she was forbidden from speaking ill about the studio and the show as a clause in her binding contract. And secondly, because it wasn’t worth the trouble it would cause in creating a media storm about “what really went on behind the scenes” of Adventure to Love.
For the most part, she kept her mouth shut and let Ky do all the talking. But on the reunion show, she’d had to face up to some pretty tough questions. The most surprising came from Brinkley, who stared at her with wide, weepy eyes and asked her point blank how she could have betrayed her like that.
Morgan knew it was coming, but she still wasn’t prepared for it. Brinkley was so sweet, and innocent, and genuine. It was hard to hear Brinkley accuse her of going after Ky behind her back.
She had tried to explain herself to Brinkley as best she could. How their connection had happened randomly on the last night of the show. How she hadn’t had any hidden agenda at all; it was her only concern to get them all out of the jungle in one piece.
But Brinkley wasn’t having it. And all the other women jumped in as soon as they saw that Morgan was on the defense. She was called a slut, a tramp, and even a devious bitch. That led to weeks of angry blogs slamming her day after day on the Internet, until her PR rep encouraged her to hire a writer and create a blog of her own to provide her side of the story.
It was a headache, but it was enough to silence most of her critics after a few weeks of media abuse. She didn’t blame Brinkley. It must have been humiliating to not only lose in the very last leg of the competition, but to have an epic emotional breakdown that led to her being escorted off the show on a stretcher. That clip had gone viral within a matter of days after the episode aired with over six million hits on YouTube.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Ky’s deep, jovial voice. “Well, we both feel that the competition changed us for the better by allowing us to open up and be honest with each other.”
He laughed and squeezed her knee. “Trust me, after you’ve been stuck in the jungle for days without any food or running water, you can get pretty honest. Right, sweetheart?”
She smiled and murmured in agreement. Ky went on about how there really wasn’t any downside to doing the show, providing his rehearsed response about how Adventure to Love had stretched them to their limits and had brought them closer together.
The journalist continued. “So, we’re excited to find out from these two lovebirds.”
Morgan knew what was coming. It was the time when the reporter always asked if they were going to get married and air the wedding on TV for what was rumored to be a hefty sum of half a million dollars.
“Will we be seeing you in a spin-off anytime soon? We have word from an inside source that there’s a reality show spin-off in the works for both of you that will air next fall on a major network. I know your fans are more than excited about it. Is there any truth to this rumor?”
God, no. Morgan groaned inwardly. She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. There was no way in hell she would ever agree to any other type of reality show, no matter how much they paid her. By now, she was more than suspicious of any Hollywood contract that was longer than two pages.
Ky grinned his million-dollar smile and looked into the camera behind the right shoulder of the reporter. He drew her closer and planted a huge kiss on her cheek. “The best answer I can give you is . . . never say never.” He winked.
Some things never changed.
Adventure to Love Page 23