I ducked around the corner into my bathroom and turned the shower on. I needed the warm water to wake me up and wash the sleep from my eyes. After I got out and dressed in dark jeans and a black Henley shirt, I strolled into the kitchen where everyone was sitting around the marble island, laughing and shouting.
“What are you guys doing?” I asked Oliver.
“We were talking about what it was like for the girls to go to high school in America and Tej said he had never played spin the bottle or seven minutes in heaven—he’s just seen them in the American teen movies. They suggested truth or dare as a drinking game before we go out. If you don’t want to answer the question, you drink.”
Oh God,I thought. I fucking hated childish games, especially truth or dare. I never felt like I could play the game honestly because I would become a major buzzkill. And I didn’t like being told what to do or making an idiot of myself in front of people, so dares annoyed me. Looked like I was going to be drunk off my ass before we even left the hotel.
“Okay! Sam’s turn to ask a question!” Birdie chimed in enthusiastically.
“Chauncey, truth: Was there a song playing when you lost your virginity? And if so, what was it?”
A roar of laughter echoed through the kitchen. I knew for a fact that Chauncey lost his virginity to Ginny Wu-Murphy at university. And everyone knew the story because we never let him live it down.
Chauncey started laughing along with us and answered, “We were in my dorm at uni and she came over to hang out. We were watching a movie?—”
“What movie was it again, Chaunce?” Tej interrupted.
“I was getting there!” Chauncey shot back. “We were watchingSpice Worldand the song ‘Spice Up Your Life’ was playing.”
The girls laughed so hard that Birdie buckled over, holding her stomach, and Sam had tears running down her cheek by the time she was done laughing. I couldn’t blame them because we had never let Chauncey forget it. Sometimes we would add the song to random playlists just to fuck with him.
“I feel like I was set up! Did Vince tell you to ask me that?”
“No!” Sam exclaimed in our friend’s defense. “I swear he didn’t, but man, am I glad I thought of that question. That was amazing.”
“Next!” Birdie said. “Chauncey, your turn.”
The game went on for a few rounds, including daring Tej to get on the bar and do a strip tease for us. Thank God the girls stopped him before his black briefs came off. I mercifully kept getting skipped over, but I knew my luck was out as soon as Birdie locked eyes with me.
“Knox, truth: What features do you find most attractive in a woman?”
I met her gaze and looked over her body. Could I tell her that she was my type to a T? Should I tell her that her full lips and even fuller breasts made my cock hard just thinking ofthem? Could I tell her that her quick wit and carefree attitude were the most attractive things about her? I thought about being completely honest since I’d never see her again after this weekend. But instead, I just picked up the cold beer in front of me and took a large swig. A resounding “boo” filled the room.
Oliver elbowed me in the side and laughed. “Come on, Knox! Play the game with us.”
“Yeah!” Sam added. “It’s your turn to ask.”
I thought over my question and took another drink of my beer.
“Birdie.” I pointed the top of my bottle to her. “Truth: Do you think size really matters?”
Her cheeks turned bright red as a flush washed over her face. I wasn’t a cocky person, but I knew for a fact that I had caught her looking at my package several times the previous night while I was standing in her kitchen in my boxers. And from the look on her face, I knew she liked what she saw and was thinking about it at that moment.
She cleared her throat and looked between Oliver and me like she was trying to come up with a smart-ass answer. “I mean, we both know that you’re not lacking in that department so why does it matter what I answer?”
“Damn!” Tej yelled.
“Oh shit!” Chauncey howled.
“Girl! You didn’t tell me you saw his dick!” Sam screamed.
Birdie simply stared at me and cocked her eyebrow. I knew she would have a quippy comeback to my question. I had to smile because she got me.
After a few more rounds of truth or dare, it was Sam’s turn. “Birdie: I dare you and Knox to spend seven minutes in heaven.”
Birdie’s eyebrows flew up her forehead. My stomach fell to my ass. A chorus of “ooooooh” filled theroom as Tej said, “There’s a walk-in closet in Oliver’s room.” He nodded down the hall to the penthouse’s master bedroom.
Birdie paused, her hand lingering on the rim of her rum and cola. I thought she might drink, but at the last second, she jumped up, grabbed my hand, and marched down the hall. I turned back to see Oliver tipping his glass to me before taking a swig.
