Jess wasn't in any of the bedrooms, which were strewn with bodies in random couplings. Kelly and Shelly slept with Bryce. Nicole and Katie had ended up with Jordan, whose wife, Ashley, was nowhere to be found. Crystal shared a bed with Alix and Brittany. The LA girls, Melissa and Josie, were gone, as were the rest of the players, except for two. Scottie, the running back, was passed out on the patio. And then there was Johnny Burris.

He was sitting on a sofa in the main living room, his back to me and head cradled on the back of the plush fabric. His arms stretched out in front...