About a week after Micky made the call to the studio, they found out that Micky and Petra had been chosen for the show. They were to report to the studio on Wednesday.
Micky and Petra were ecstatic; they danced around the Pad singing, “Five hundred dollars! Yeah!”
As they danced, Mike looked on and thought, “Why do I have an uneasy feelin’ about this?”
At the Studio. . . .
Harold B. Marsh was an up and coming producer. He had sold the studio bosses on a TV game show aimed at the younger generation. Taking his cue from the hit show featuring young married couples, his show would feature young couples and it would test their compatibility while in the dating stage. However, there was a slight twist to this show. Each couple would think that they were to be questioned on their compatibility but the truth is that it would be just the opposite. The questions that the studio supplied were fake. After all, Harold B. felt if couples knew what to do to get along; they should also know what not to do to stay together. This would be a game of opposites.
“I’ll tell ya Ronnie, this game is gonna slay ‘em in the ratings!” Harold smiled as he shifted through the final four couples’ applications chosen to compete on the show.
“Leave it to you, Marsh to think of something this clever!” Ronnie, the show’s Master of Ceremonies said. “They won’t suspect a thing!”
“That’s the beauty, baby. It’s always the unsuspected that gets ya!”
“Have you made your decision on the couples?’ Ronnie asked.
“Yeah. I got four prime candidates. Dean and Lea, James and Cassie, Joey and Paula, and yeah, Micky and Petra.”
“So, Marsh, tell me again the twist to your game,” Ronnie said.
“My boy, the ultimate twist is when the guy answers and gets a question wrong, it’s the girl who gets penalized,” Harold laughed.
“And when it’s the girl’s turn to answer the questions?”
“The girl still gets it!” Harold answered. “Believe me, those guys don’t want national TV seeing their girlfriends penalized.”
“Genius! Pure genius. The ratings will go through the roof!” Ronnie laughed.
“Don’t I know it. Well, let’s go check at the props. We start shooting Wednesday.” Then, Harold and Ronnie left the room.