Payback Time

I melted into the back of the sofa. So close. Why couldn't I focus and say the sentence just how I wanted to? It was just absurd. He was an idiot, and he outplayed me. There were tears at the edges of my eyes. Wiping my face with my hand, I put on my serious face, but he had already seen it. Not that it mattered. "Alright," I bleated. "Yeah, okay."

"Thank you very much," said Jack. With a few taps of his thumb on the screen, I heard the video woosh away into the recycle bin. My grand **** had accomplished diddly squat. "Molly, babygirl. While Vi gets over her case of the frowns, why don't you choose truth or dare?"

Molly put off giving any answer for a little while as she did up her hair. Her freckles stood out on a glowing face. She was just as incensed as I was. First, I felt proud of my friend, happy that she had my back, and then, second, the guilt hit me. She was in this position now because I had screwed up with Jack. *Why couldn't you just dare him to go away?* I scolded myself. After making him wait for what she had decided was long enough, Molly looked back at him. "I'm not scared, either," she said. "Dare."

Jack looked like a kid in a candy shop. Suddenly, I was all on board with Molly. This was about pride. If Jack thought he could embarrass us, he was about to have another thing coming to him.

"Just wait until your turn comes around again," I said under my breath.

His eyes drifted over to me. "What was that, babygirl?" he said.

"Don't worry about her," said Molly. "Worry about me."

He put his hands behind his head. It was pretentious. Harry's bed didn't give him anywhere to rest against. "Why would I be worried about you? I can tell you to do whatever I want, Moll. And I want a lot."

Hateful sparks flew between them. Then he came out with it. "Why don't you give me a dance, red? Take it alllllll off, and keep it off. Actually, you can keep your underwear on. That's the law in strip clubs around here."

Molly climbed off of the couch and ran her hands down her torso, smoothing out her sheer black top. I wish I hadn't picked out her underwear for her. Jack didn't deserve it. But Molly looked up for the challenge; she didn't look at him, turning to Harry for a second. "Put some music on," she commanded.