Kate wants to play

"Wanna play a game?" Kate asks, swimming around you.

"Like what?" you ask, treading the water beneath you. "Marco Polo?"

"You don't strike me as the Marco Polo type..." She circles around, looking you dead in the eye. "How about two truths and a lie."

You grin, inwardly. Kate's trying to get something off of her chest, and your curiosity is more than happy to oblige.

"You play it by--"

"I know how to play," you say, interrupting. "Who goes first?"

She narrows her eyes, pondering for a moment. "You do."

Having played more than your fair share of this game in college, you prepare your standard volley. As you open your mouth to speak, you catch yourself, and say, "What happens if you get it wrong?"

"Huh?"

"I've always played with a big group. If you get it wrong, you're out. There's just two of us, so that won't really work. There should be a penalty."

She nods, the water lapping at her neck as she treads in front of you. Finally, she grins. "How about, if you get it wrong, you have to strip."

"Strip two truths and a lie..." you say, looking down at the only article of clothing you're wearing. "Okay, you're on.

"One, I was born in Chicago. Two, I've had lunch with Martin Sheen. Three, I'm allergic to Strawberries."

Kate looks at you a long time. Your eyes fixed on a patch of freckles on the bridge of her nose as she plays human lie detector. "Three..." she says finally.

You nod. "Very good."

"Martin Sheen? The actor?"

You nod again. "He came to my college to talk about social justice and the School of the Americas. My adviser was hosting him. But...it's your turn now."

You fix your gaze on her face, studying her eyes as she begins to speak. "Okay. One, a horse once saved my life. Two, I've been skydiving for--"

"Two," you say, flatly.

Her jaw drops open. "Oh, shit. You're good, aren't you?"

You grin, ignoring her comment, and push forward. "One, I spent a year in Ireland. Two, I've been on stage in drag. Three, I was in Sydney for a literature conference."

"Stop lobbing softballs," she says. "Two."

You grin.

"What!?!"

"I believe you owe me something, Miss Austin."