Just the thought of kissing her sends my brain into overdrive. I can still remember the taste of her cherry lip balm, and the pressure of her hands against my chest. I’m sure she could feel my heartbeat thumping against the palms of her hands.
“Right. Mark and Debbie, here is your dare.”
Michelle’s words drag me out of a delicious replay, and I zone in on Michelle, waiting for our challenge. I’m hoping it’s a good one. Maybe we’ll have to make out right here, right now. Once our friends watch Debbie succumb to my charm and moan like she did last summer… she’ll have to stop playing the I hate you card. Because frankly, it’s getting old, and I’m not sure anyone else is buying it. Not even her twin sister, Katia.
“Just tell us already,” Debbie snaps at Michelle with her arms folded.
“Hey, careful. Anyone might think you’re actually excited about this,” I tease her. She shoots me a dark look before turning away again. The rest of the room laughs.
“I dare you both to spend the night in the basement. Alone.” Michelle’s face is flushed and the girls gasp, while the guys wolf whistle. I make a mental note to buy Michelle an expensive Christmas present this year. I’ve hit the jackpot. A whole night with this gorgeous, dynamite girl? There’s definitely going to be fireworks. Best dare ever.
“No way.”
Debbie’s sharp words wipe the smile off my face, and I look at her as if she just announced that Christmas is cancelled.
“Why not? You’re not scared of me, are you?” I ask in a jovial manner, but underneath it all I can’t help but worry. Am I being delusional? Does she really hate me?
The corners of her mouth twitch and she gives me a steady glare. But there’s a twinkle in her eye.
“No,” she says, a smirk creeping across her face. I relax into the couch and the knots in my stomach loosen.
“Last time we went down there a giant spider crawled on my leg.”
Katia howled and pointed at her.
“I forgot about that.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll have Mark with you to protect you from creepy crawlies,” Cameron says as he nudges me. I square my shoulders and grin at him.
“Right, let’s do this thing,” I say clapping and rising to my feet.
“You’re not serious? This isn’t happening.”
I turn back to find Debbie protesting to Michelle, who flicks her dark hair back and lifts her brows with an expectant smile.
“You can always take the forfeit,” she offers, flashing her pearly whites. Debbie hums and grazes a finger across her lips with thought.
“What’s the forfeit?” Holly asks, twirling her golden hair around her finger. I notice Cameron staring, entranced by her every move.
“You have to go skinny dipping in the lake,” Michelle says triumphantly. I scratch my jaw.
“I’m game for that,” I say mildly. Even better than staying in the basement for the night. But Debbie gives me a look that could kill.
“Fine, but I’m taking these,” she grabs the giant bowl of chips and a packet of donuts. I pick up a couple of drinks and follow her out of the room. The guys start wolf whistling again.
“You’ll be locked in, just to make sure you don’t go running away in the middle of the night,” Michelle says. Debbie turns back and a look of horror flashes across her face. Then she nods.
“Fine.”
She turns back and stomps down the basement steps like a teenager. If I didn’t know better, I’d find it irritating. But once that door is closed and no one is around to see, her frown will vanish, and she’ll melt in my hands like butter.
The door swings shut and the lock clicks. A bubble of excitement grows in my chest and I promise myself that the next time that door opens, Debbie will be mine.
All mine.
Debbie
Of all the dares, and of all the people to be doing this with, I never, ever imagined that I would be spending the night locked in a basement with Mark. It’s awkward. We have history. But Michelle doesn’t know that, she only suspects there’s something between us. Even though I’ve put all my energy into avoiding the guy and telling Michelle how much I don’t like him.
Yet, somehow, she knows. As if best friends have the ability to read minds. Mark had spent our entire time at college teasing me. He knew exactly how to push my buttons and crawl under my skin. And for some crazy reason, he gets a rise out of seeing me angry.
I have Italian blood in me, I can’t help having a hot-temper, and since graduation, the stress of finding a job using my philosophy degree has put me on edge. Turns out, there’s not much out there. So, I’m stuck working for Bed Bath and Beyond while I figure it out. Meanwhile, Mark, who studied journalism, lands himself his own column in a national paper. His own column!
I stuff a handful of chips in my face and collapse on the tiny sofa bed sitting in the middle of the dimly lit room.
“Wow, you can see why Michelle calls this the bat cave,” Mark says as he descends the stairs. The walls are painted black, and an entire wall is covered by a projector screen. Movie room would be a better name, but her brother used to live in the basement until he got a job in Texas and moved out. I guess the name stuck.
Mark shakes his dark hair. It curls around his ears and he gives me a smolder, his eyes twinkling. It sends shivers of excitement through me, but I clamp my teeth against my lip to stop myself from
