The moment we stepped outside onto the strip, she broke away from me and searched for Brody. We didn’t have to go far.
The back seat window of an old white limo slowly rolled down to reveal Brody with a glass of champagne in one hand. “Your chariot,” he said.
Vera laughed as the driver got out and opened the door.
“Eli, pay the man!” Brody called.
My nostrils flared as I reached for my wallet again. This time in search of cash.
“A hundred bucks for a thirty-minute joyride up and down the strip,” the driver told me. “Your friend already agreed to it.”
I fished a few twenties out of my wallet and handed them over. “Of course he did.”
Brody wasted no time pouring us each a glass of champagne before turning to Vera. “Technically, Vera, my dear, you failed because you didn’t get kicked out.”
She sputtered and nearly threw her champagne in his face, but then Brody began to pet her shoulder. “But that was the ballsiest thing I’ve ever seen, so you get a pass. However, since you didn’t technically complete your dare, I retain the right to serve up the next truth or dare.”
Vera rolled her eyes and threw her head back against the seat before downing her champagne in one go.
“Eli.” Brody said my name like it was a challenge. “Truth or dare.”
I weighed my options for a moment and decided they were both equally bad. “Truth.”
He nodded dutifully. “Good sir, what was the last thing you yanked your wank to?”
Vera’s eyes widened and the apples of her cheeks turned pink as she opened the second bottle of cheap screw-top champagne.
I had to stop looking at her.
Okay. My options were minimal. I could lie. I could just fucking lie, and say that I hadn’t gotten off this morning to the image of Vera’s bra strap sliding down her shoulder and what it might feel like to hook myfinger through the light pink strap. I was coming in my hand in a matter of moments. Over a bra strap. I was pathetic.
I definitely could not say that out loud. But Brody had told the truth and Vera had nearly started a riot. So I couldn’t bring myself to lie as much as I wanted to.
“What the hell kind of question is that? Dare.”
Brody shrugged and swirled the champagne in his glass simply because I was pretty sure he’d seen someone on TV do that with a glass of wine before. “Hmmm...” His eyes roamed, searching for inspiration. After a second, his whole face lit up and he snapped his fingers. “I dare you to marry Vera.”
“No,” I said. “Fuck you. No.” What was he playing at? He was the one who had made out with her and more. What kind of mind game was this? Or was he just that wasted?
Beside me, Vera choked on her bubbles.
“I don’t know what to tell you, man. You had your chance to answer your truth and you chose dare. This is the dare.”
“This isn’t a dare. This is a legally binding contract.”
Vera hiccupped and quietly chimed in. “I did almost get arrested.”
“Exactly!” Brody said. “Vera dumped a beer on that guy. And you can’t walk down an aisle so some dude dressed as Elvis can pronounce you man and wife?”
I turned to Vera. She had to see how messed up this was. “This isn’t Vera’s dare,” I said. “It’s mine. I hardly think it’s fair to drag her into this. I’m not going to ruin her first wedding just for your stupid game.”
“You act like I believe in the sanctity of marriage or something,” Vera murmured.
I shook my head and threw my hands up. “How am I the only sane person here?”
I could not marry Vera Stein. That only ended in disaster. I already wanted to strangle Brody when the three of us were together, despite the fact that I didn’t actually hate him. I just hated him for her. And if she and I got married tonight—even if it was just a dare—and then she went back to him afterward, I would fucking snap.
“It’s only a silly dare,” she said. “Can’t we just immediately file for divorce or something?”
