Imogen shifts in her seat and leans into him.
“You’re only as young as the woman you feel, El Jefe.”
She runs her hand over his chest, but he gently guides it away. I only notice because I’ve not seen him do that before, usually he’d have one of the girls on his lap. A hurt expression crosses Imogen’s face, and I almost feel sorry for her, until she turns her attention to Pretty Boy instead, as though El Jefe doesn’t even exist.
“You’re not that old, El Jefe,” Tank says, “surely you can remember what eighteen-year-olds get up to at parties?”
Everyone laughs along with Tank as they reminisce about what they were up to when they were eighteen. El Jefe is older, yes, but he’s incredibly attractive with his salt and pepper beard and his intense eyes. Honestly, if I met him outside of the clubhouse, at the bar for example, I’d probably try and take him home. I’ve always had a thing for older men; I know, it screams daddy issues, so sue me.
Shit, I’ve drunk way more than I thought if I’m thinking about picking up El Jefe in a bar. Luckily my train of thought is interrupted by playful screams from the girls.
“What have I missed?” I ask Donovan, “I totally zoned out.”
“We were talking about high school parties and have now decided to play Truth or Dare,” he says, before leaning in and whispering, “Better get our poker faces on.”
I chuckle, but inside I’m nervous, thinking of how this has the potential to go terribly wrong.
“Okay, so rules,” Ana says, to groans from the guys. She holds up her hands to stop them. “No, no, it’s the 2020s, times have changed. Consent is a thing, and we don’t accept peer pressure.”
It’s refreshing to hear her say this, there was nothing worse than being at a high school party when someone asked you a truth or dared you to do something that terrified you and feeling like there’s no way out.
“I’ll start,” she says, “I’m gonna spin the bottle and whoever it lands on chooses ‘Truth’ or ‘Dare’. The group can then decide on a suitable question or dare for them. That person can then choose to ‘Play’, ‘Switch’, or ‘Drink’—”
“Woah, woah, woah,” Tank says, “this is already way more complicated than when I used to play this.”
“Shut up, Tank,” Pretty Boy says, “you never even went to fucking high school so how did you ever play this shit?”
Everyone laughs and Tank sticks his middle finger up at Pretty Boy.
I’ve definitely had too many drinks because before I can stop myself, I nudge Pretty Boy and say, “Yeah, but he told me he used to play it with your mom, so…”
I’m deafened by the laughter and roars from the guys as they slam their hands on the table, even Diablo can’t completely hide the smile on his face.
Pretty Boy holds up his beer to me. “Well played, darlin’, well played.”
“Anyway,” Ana says, “‘Play’, ‘Switch’, or ‘Drink’, you can either accept the truth or dare, switch to the opposite but youhave to play it, or drink some weird concoction which we’ll make. Everyone got it?”
“Yeah!” we shout, then she spins the bottle.
I’d thought that this game would be less terrifying with Ana’s rules, but I’m soon reminded that I’m playing Truth or Dare with a table of people who have basically all fucked each other and know every bad or embarrassing thing each other has ever done.
Everyone so far has readily played their Truth or Dare, with no switches or drinks. And I’ve certainly seen and heard some stuff tonight that I won’t be forgetting in a while. Donovan was lucky with his truth and didn’t mind revealing that he’d first had sex when he was sixteen with one of the girls in his neighborhood. I know he was telling the truth because he told me about it, and how it had confirmed for him that he is definitely, one hundred percent, only interested in men.
Now I’m waiting for the time that the bottle lands on me…
…and here it is.
“Beth!” Everyone roars, and Destiny, who spun the bottle, looks at me and asks, “Truth or Dare?”
The only thing I notice in that moment is the way that Diablo is glaring at me, and I have this fear that if I choose truth when I’m this drunk, he’ll ask me something that will inadvertently lead me to out Donovan, and there is no way in hell I’m risking that.
I look at Destiny and confidently say, “Dare.”
Most of the girls hoot and holler, which isn’t surprising considering that their dares have been sex acts of some kind, some even right at the table.
Oh shit… what have I done?
Luckily, Ana comes to my rescue.
