[Emily] The dares escalate

Jason spoke first, and changed the game. “We’re all buddies here, nothing to be ashamed of. I say, do a dance for the two of us. In private.” He was grinning from ear to ear. Rachel didn’t bother to hide her smile.

“Woah woah woah,” said Ben, waving his arms. “You don’t get to make her do whatever she wants.”

Sarah frowned. Her finger twirled innocently in her blonde hair. “Isn’t that exactly what a dare is?” she said.

“Yeah, but he can’t just, like… do whatever he wants,” Ben moped. His little affair with Rachel wasn’t well known to the others. So far as she knew, Emily was Rachel’s only confidante. She didn’t like to kiss and tell. Or more accurately, she didn’t like it to be known that she actually had someone that she liked.

“Do you mind?” Sarah asked Rachel.

Rachel looked at Ben for only a fraction of a second. “No. Why would I mind?” She jumped to her feet and curled her finger toward Jason and Mark. “Come on, boys,” she said. The three of them disappeared into the back room of the cabin, where Emily’s parents usually slept. That was where Emily and Noah were staying for the weekend, but it was also the biggest room in the place. Less chances for unwanted touching, Emily decided.

Those left behind exchanged looks. “Should we just keep going?” Kate asked.

“Yeah,” Sarah said. She grabbed the deck and offered Ben a card. “You talked last, Benny, so why don’t you go next?”

He was barely paying attention to her. Someone had started playing music on the speaker in Emily’s parents’ room. Nothing scandalous, just some light dance music, but it must have been enough to **** him. “Sure, whatever,” he said, taking the card. “Person to your right,” he said.

“Oooo, that’s me!” Sarah said, pumping her fists in the air in time to Rachel’s dance track.

*How far is she going to go?* Emily wondered. The dare had technically only been to dance for the boys, not to… get frisky, or anything like that. But if she knew Rachel, and she did, she knew that her frustration over her Ben situation might could make her act in all sorts of ways.

“Truth or dare?” Sarah asked Ben.

“Truth,” he muttered.

“If you could swap places with anyone here for a week, who would you choose?”

Ben’s eyes suddenly found Emily’s. “Noah’s,” he said quickly, and then looked away again.

Noah laughed. “Why? My job sucks, man,” he said.

Ben went red. “I don’t know,” he snapped. “It’s just a dumb question!”

“Okay, sorry,” Sarah said. “I guess that means it’s my turn. I’ll pick dare.” She drew her own card from the deck and showed it off. It read: BOY TO YOUR RIGHT.

Ben wasn’t even paying attention anymore. He was just staring at the back room. Noah looked over the card and realized he was the boy to Sarah’s right. “Okay. I dare you to… pick someone around the circle, and whisper a guilty pleasure in their ear. But you can’t tell the rest of the table.” Emily grinned. That was her man. Always fair game, but never crossing the line.

Sarah uncrossed her feet and stood, stretching her slim legs and wiggling her bare toes. She went over to Lucy right away and knelt beside her, cupping her hand around her ear. Lucy clapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, really?” she yelped. Emily wasn’t sure if she was offended or just amazed.

“Really,” Sarah laughed. “I wouldn’t lie to you, hon!”