“There are so many stars out tonight.” She’s looking up, taking in the view.
I don’t bother; I can’t stop looking at her. She stares at the stars for a few minutes, then takes a sip of her wine before making eye contact with me. “Let’s play a game.”
“Because the last time we played a game went so well . . .” I say under my breath.
She must catch it though; the narrowing of her eyes tells me she doesn’t find me funny.
“What do you have in mind?”
“You pick,” she says. “One of the classics like truth or dare, two truths and a lie, or never have I ever.”
“Never have I ever kicks my ass every time, so how about two truths and a lie?”
“Ha, somehow I’m not surprised. Okay, you start.” She takes another sip from her glass.
“Hm . . . let me think.” I tap my pointer finger on my chin. “Okay, I’ve got it. I’ve skinny-dipped in three different states.”
Jessie bursts out laughing. “Of course you bring up skinny dipping while we’re in a hot tub.”
“Hush, I’m not done. I’ve never been bucked off in under 3 seconds, and I stood naked on top of a mountain in Wyoming.”
She crinkles her nose. “I’m seeing a trend here . . . a naked one.” I smile innocently at her. “But, I’ve seen you get bucked off in under 3 seconds, so that is the lie.”
“Alright, you got me there. There isn’t a bull rider alive who hasn’t gotten dick-slammed in 0.70 seconds. Do you want to know about the mountain—”
“Nope.” She pops the ‘p’ in her reply.
I chuckle. “Alright, your turn.”
She starts to tick them off on her fingers. “I have a hidden tattoo. I stitched up my own hand in my kitchen once. I don’t like Christmas or Nickelback.”
I gasp. “That better be the lie!” I push out of my seat and move to float in the middle of the hot tub, closer to her.
She laughs, shaking her head.
“How do you not like Christmas or Nickelback? That’s sacrilegious in two religions.”
“Nickelback is not a religion, you goof. And I always work Christmas, it pays extra. Now go, it’s your turn again, and I’m one ahead.”
“Wait, what’s the lie?”
“You don’t get to know—you lost. Now go.”
“Fine, but we will be revisiting this. Jesus Christ and Chad Kroeger are good for the soul. You’ll see.”
She takes a sip of wine, waiting for me to continue.
“I rode a horse into a bar and got served. I bummed a smoke from a homeless man once. I got tied to a hotel bed, and the maid found me naked the next morning.”
“Again with the nudity.” She smiles, moving out of her seat, nearer to the middle of the hot tub with me. “I would love to say the hotel bed is a lie . . . but unfortunately, I know you.”
“Hey!”
“And I know you don’t care for horses. So the horse in the bar is the lie.”
“Ha, I win. That was the truth. I might not like horses, but I was hammered, and his name was Elvis.”
“Ugh. So what’s the lie?”
