I extended the pink card.
Adalyn thrust my arm back before I could eject my dare. “I’m the bride. That one’s Nikki’s.”
“Boo.” May pouted.
Adalyn dropped her voice, “You wanted a one-night stand. That card’s your ticket to getting one.”
“I’m pretty sure the underwear card could get me one, too.”
May’s little sister groaned. “Why did I agree to be the designated driver again? I need alcohol for this!”
“Okay, girls, listen up.” Adalyn raised her tumbler filled with champagne. “You have one hour to get all your dares accomplished.”
“What happens if we run out of time?”
Adalyn grinned coyly. “Why . . . you lose your place in my bridal party.”
The girls shot to their feet.
“Good thing I’m the sister of the groom. Can’t get rid of me even if I fail.”
“I could choose another maid of honor.”
I stared at her. “You wouldn’t dare.”
She knocked her tumbler into mine. “Are you sure? I’m pretty daring. Talking about daring, I need to go order adrrrenk,” she said, in whatever accent that was supposed to be. She made me scoot off my chair to get up and tapped her manicured nail on my cards. “Tick tock, honey. Tick tock.”
Ugh.“I should never have bought these.”
“Are you kidding? They’re the highlight of the evening. I mean . . .” She pointed to May who was shaking it behind some guy with disjointed dance moves.
Adalyn lifted her cell phone and taped the little jitter. May caught Adalyn filming her and flipped her off, but her smile was so wide I doubted she was truly mad.
I reread my cards, palms sweating, then scanned the crowd, looking for my first victim. When my gaze alighted on a familiar dark one, my mouth popped open. “Why is Liam here?”
“He is? Where?” Adalyn jiggled her head from side to side until she spotted him sitting at the bar beside Lucas. “Oh. I imagined those two—three”—Dexter was wending his way toward Liam and Lucas—“would be at the bachelor party. I know Nash asked them to join.” She turned back toward me. “Don’t let them get you off task.”
“Right. Okay. I can do this.” I took a gulp of champagne.
“Hell yeah.” She gave me a little shove toward a dark-haired guy standing beside the table next to ours. “That one’s been eye-fucking you since he arrived.”
I set down my pink tumbler, heart tap-tapping.
“Use the underwear card on him.” Adalyn tucked back the clip-on veil I’d gotten her.
“Come with me? Please?”
With a little nod of her head, she threaded her arm through mine and dragged me toward him. “Doesn’t count if I ask him, though,” she said just as we reached him. “Hi. This is Nikki. And Nikki has something to ask you.”
I tugged at the collar of my top but it was sitting beneath my collarbone, so that was altogether useless.
“Hi, Nikki. I’m Jake.” He stuck out his hand, and I shook it, but where my fingers loosened, his didn’t.
Adalyn grinned. “I’ll be right back,” she singsonged, strutting away.
“So we’re playing this game . . .” I snatched my fingers out of his.
“Yeah?”
