Once we'd been patted down, we were dragged to pre-show interviews. The network itself took at least an hour's worth of interview footage with me, one with me and Brodie together, and then we'd been rushed around to a few different radio and TV press junkets for use in the future.
And then we were dashed into a sedan and drove to where we currently stood - a football stadium. Not just any stadium, but the Cowboys Stadium. Row after row of seating loomed over us as we walked out onto the field, cameramen circling us.
We stopped in the end zone, like we’d been instructed, and waited for the other teams to slowly trickle out. We were the first ones on the field, which would give us a prime opportunity to gawk at the other teams as they arrived. Nearby, cameramen tested their equipment while others filmed us for intro shots. In the distance, the host sat in a director's chair getting his makeup touched up.
I already wanted to collapse from nerves. Who knew that a game would be so stressful?
Brodie nudged my arm again. "Look. Here comes the first team."
I couldn't help but look, since Brodie was trying to drive his elbow into my upper arm. We'd marathon-watched the two previous seasons of The World Races to try and figure out the kinds of people they were going to cast as our opponents. Like casting had mentioned, they definitely had a type of character they liked to cast: newlyweds, guy best friends, girl best friends (which they wanted to hook up with the guy best friends, naturally), a dating couple, siblings, a child-parent relationship, a gay couple, a D-list celebrity couple of some kind, and then a ‘comic relief’ couple. Sometimes the comic relief was a pair of rednecks. Sometimes they were nerds. They always did terrible in the challenges, since they weren’t picked for athleticism.
Sometimes the team dynamics overlapped. The comic relief could be siblings, and then that would leave room for another couple or another celebrity or something. I was told from a gushy assistant that the producers liked to mix things up a little, but they stuck to stereotypes overall. We were creating a 'story,' she reminded me.
Like I was going to be able to forget? Characters. Story. Everyone in casting mentioned it every five minutes.
"Girl besties," Brodie murmured at my side. "Or lesbians. They look pretty strong."
"Way to be a creep, Brodie. Now you sound like casting." But I admit, I tried to figure out their stereotype, too. They did look strong. I didn't recognize them, which meant they weren't the celebrities, so they had to be the female best friends team. One wore a shirt that said 'Summer' and the other said 'Polly.'
They stood at a marked spot a fair distance from us, and the next team came out.
"Here’s someone else. They're obviously mother and son," Brodie told me, nudging me and staring at a couple walking in behind the two female athletes. 'Wendi' and 'Rick' were easy to pick out, I decided. Wendi had gray hair and a matronly figure, and Rick, well, Rick was a skinny kid with long hair in his face, big glasses, and skinny jeans. The entire effect was supposed to make him look trendy, but it just made him look incredibly awkward instead.
More teams flooded out of the entrance, pair by pair. We saw Hal and Stefan, dressed in flaming pink shirts, holding hands as they walked in. Cute. I liked them already. Then there was a pair of blondes with enormous hair and loud voices that talked with their hands - Steffi and Cristi. Myrna and Fred were the elderly couple, though they looked pretty fit despite the white hair. There were a pair of alpha males named Joel and Derron that went into a military stance as soon as they arrived, which made Brodie frown. My brother didn't like competition, and that pair looked like they'd be tough to beat.
I was relieved to see a man and a woman with matching mullets, cowboy boots, tight wranglers, and kerry green team shirts. Kissy and Rusty. Thank god. The comic relief wasn't us.
"Hey, isn't that Dean Woodall?" Brodie leaned in to my ear. "The Olympian?"
I perked up. I’d seen him on TV before. "You think so?"
"Yeah. Not happy about that. They sure did cast a lot of athletic people this year."
"I think he's retired," I told Brodie. I remembered him from Endurance Island last year. I'd been addicted to the TV, fascinated by the romance that played out between him and a fellow contestant. Sure enough, Abby was at Dean's side, dressed in a purple shirt to match his. Her curly hair was pulled into a loose ponytail on top of her head and when they came into line, Dean's arm went around her waist. Double cute. They were clearly the newlyweds and the celebrities.
Or so I thought.
"Holy shit."
I tore my gaze away from Dean and Abby to glance at my brother, Brodie. "What now?"