“Seriously?” I call over to them. “None of you are even married. And Carter’s a dude.”
When Carter shoots me a smug look and scoots a tad closerto Lizzy, I grind my molars so hard, I’m surprised they don’t combust into dust.
Lizzy smirks, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Because we’re taking home the trophy tonight, Hollywood.”
Competitive fire flares to life and my dick jerks painfully against my zipper. “Guess we’ll just have to see about that, won’t we, Sunshine?”
She narrows her eyes at the nickname, but before she can throw back a retort, Drew’s voice blasts through the mic, “First question! In what 1980s sci-fi film would you hear the line: ‘I’ll be back’?”
“Terminator,” our entire table whispers in unison as Logan quickly scribbles the answer.
The questions fly—everything from The Goonies to The Lost Boys to Die Hard. By the end of the first round, both of our teams are tied with perfect scores.
“Not bad,” Lizzy snarks during a brief break between rounds. “But the night’s still young.”
“Just warming up,” I shoot back, enjoying the spark of challenge in her eyes.
The next round is ‘90s One-Hit Wonders, and I watch with amusement as Lizzy’s entire face lights up. Her eyes practically sparkle as she mouths lyrics to herself, counting beats on her fingers when the question is about “Mambo No. 5.”
“How does she know all of these?” Claire whispers.
I can’t help but grin. “She used to burn CD’s of one-hit wonders. Said they deserved to be remembered for their fifteen minutes of fame.”
A memory hits out of the blue. Twelve-year-old Lizzy sprawled across her bed with her headphones on, meticulously writing out music track lists for her latest collection of songs. I’d tease her about her weird music obsession, but secretly, I loved every CD she ever made me.
By the time we reach the mid-2000s movie soundtrack round, the competition has heated up considerably. Our teams are neck and neck, with only two points separating us.
“Name the Oscar-winning song from the 2018 film ‘A Star Is Born’,” Drew reads from his card.
“Shallow!” Logan blurts out, a bit too loudly.
“Dude!” Jax chuckle-hisses. “Keep it down! You’re gonna get us disqualified!”
I glance over at Lizzy’s table to see if they heard, only to find her staring at me. Our eyes lock and she holds my gaze, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.
Aaannnd... there goes my heart doing that stupid stuttering thing again.
thirty
For most ofthe first part of the game, I can feel Rowan’s eyes on me. His burning gaze is like a fiery inferno licking at my skin.
When Carter leaves to go to the restroom during intermission, Sasha snickers, “Oh. My. God! Rowan has been totally hate-fucking you with his eyes all night!”
“Nope,” Noia grins. “Trust me. That’s pure lust. If you ask me, he looks like he’s about two seconds from going full on caveman and stomping over here.”
For most of the game, Carter has been exceptionally flirty. Nudging me with his hip and shoulder, brushing his fingers against mine as he leans in close to see the answer sheet. And it seems those subtle moves haven’t escaped Rowan’s notice.
“I mean, look at his face,” Noia whispers, gesturing subtly with her chin. “He looks like he wants to murder someone.”
“Probably Carter,” Sasha snickers.
Even as heat flushes my cheeks, I roll my eyes, pretending I could give two shits. “You two are reading way too much into this.”
“Alright, folks!” Drew’s voice booms through the speakersagain. “We’re about to start the second half of the game, but first—” He pauses dramatically. “—we’ve got a special twist for you all!”
The crowd murmurs excitedly as he continues.
“For the remaining rounds, each team must trade one player with their closest competing team! This will test your ability to work with new teammates and shake things up!”
