Chapter 73

“The game is Couples Truth or Lie,” Heather announced.

We’d all gotten changed by that time and had been summoned to the living area of the houseboat by Cattie. I’d changed back into my loose athletic shorts and a t-shirt, while Cassidy had put on a cute pair of striped bra and panties along with a long shirt that could double as a short dress that looked like a blood-spattered hockey jersey with Jason’s goalie mask on the front. She’d used it in a Halloween costume a couple of years before and it had made it into her regular rotation of nerdy lounging clothes. She’d pulled on a pair of tight black workout shorts underneath it, and had asked me how I’d like her to do her hair, and I’d suggested the cute half pony she did. She’d smiled and kissed me before preening herself in the mirror.

The coffee table in the living area had been moved aside, the interior lights had been dimmed and someone had hooked up a laptop to the TV so it would cycle through some sort of trippy screensaver. Cassidy and I had been directed to sit together, and now all the couples (and Wanda and Heels) were sitting on the floor forming a squared circle.

“The rules are easy,” Heather continued. “A couple spins the bottle and gets to ask an embarrassing question to the couple it lands on. You have to answer the question, but you don’t have to tell the truth. If you lie and someone calls you out, you need to do a penalty pulled from this bowl. Every time the bowl is empty, each couple puts in a new penalty dare. Any questions?”

“How does the game end?” Wanda asked. She was dressed in a crop top sweater and short workout leggings that ended about mid-thigh, and knee-high socks. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and the look was sporty-casual in an eclectic way.

“It ends when we want it to end,” Heather said. “No winners or losers. But we can add shots to the game if you guys want. Any time someone spins the bottle, you take a shot.”

“Let’s do that,” JC grinned.

There was a brief pause as shot glasses were found in the kitchen cupboards, and we all busted out the liquor we’d brought. I came back from our room with the vodka Cass had bought at the liquor store, along with cranberry juice. She grinned up at me happily and kissed the tips of my fingers as I sat back down on the floor next to her.

Once we were all back, Heather got each of the couples to write down a dare on a slip of paper, fold it and put it in the bowl. Then she knelt on the floor next to Cattie. Heather was wearing a yellow off-the-shoulder sundress that was actually very pretty on her, though she had on what looked like a stretchy grey athletic bra underneath it. “I’ll do the honours and spin first,” she said, then turned to Cattie. “Can you pour me a shot, babe?”

“Sure,” Cattie said. She’d put on a long-sleeved black and white checkered button-down with the buttons only done up to her cleavage, and a pair of ripped-up jean capris that looked like they belonged on a girl at a punk rock show - which was a good look on her. She was also wearing her black-rimmed glasses, which I’d only seen a few times over her friendship with Cassidy, with her hair down. She quickly poured a shot of tequila while Heather produced an empty wine bottle and dramatically brought it to the centre of the floor and gave it a spin. Before it stopped, she’d taken the shot from Cattie and downed it quickly, licking her lips as she swallowed it down.