Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“Hey, they’re feeding us and set this all up. It’s only fair to give them what they want.” Jordan uses chopsticks with ease, popping a wonton and rice in his mouth and smiling around the bite of food.
“I didn’t realize peer pressure still happened long after being a teenager,” I say.
“Do it. Do it. Do it,” comes from behind us.
I eye Jordan. “You know you have absolutely no hope of winning this bet now, don’t you? Not with all them involved.” I raise my voice. “They’re successfully killing the mood.”
There are muffled arguments about leaving us alone, and finally, I hear their retreating footsteps.
“If I’m honest, I’m not really expecting to win anyway.” Jordan sips his wine. “Don’t get me wrong, I really want to because I cannot sing for the life of me, and getting up onstage to sing an Eleven song might make me wet my pants in front of a sold-out arena, so yeah, there’s that, but apart from anxiety-inducing performances, I’m not going to pressure someone into doing something they don’t want to just for a stupid bet. I talk big game, but I’m not an asshole.”
“Need I remind you about the movie? You’re making me do that.”
“Am I, though? Or did I encourage you to take something you wanted?”
Okay, that’s true.
“Besides,” he continues, “when it comes to sex, consent trumps all else. Which is why, if I were ever to win this bet, it would be because you wanted it. Ignore the guys out there and focus on us. We’re supposed to be building chemistry for the movie. That’s the real goal here.”
I play with my napkin. “That’s something I’ve been thinking about, actually.”
“Our chemistry?”
“Yeah. We’ve been putting all this emphasis on the notion that the reason we don’t have chemistry is because I’m straight. What if …”
“What if we don’t have that spark and the movie is doomed?”
“Exactly. Onscreen chemistry isn’t really something I’ve had to deal with because the romance aspects in action movies are practically nonexistent.”
“I can think of some real-life couples who had no chemistry onscreen. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are the obvious ones that come to mind. If we don’t have it, we don’t have it, but we should at least work on it.”
He’s right.
“Also, I know we have spark,” Jordan says. “At least from my side, and tell me if I’m wrong, but you enjoyed our last kiss. I know you enjoyed kissing that guy in the club. There was definite chemistry there.”
A squeak comes from behind me, and I get the impression we’re still not alone, but when I turn, I can’t see anyone. They’re probably hiding around the corner.
Instead of answering Jordan with words, I hold up my thumb and forefinger to indicate a little bit.
“I don’t think it’s a spark issue. All we have to do is work on making that spark obvious to everyone around us. No one would question our chemistry then,” Jordan says.
“That sounds like a solid plan. Want to get started after dinner?”
“So eager to kiss me again already. This bet is all but won, baby.”
“Uh-huh, so sure of yourself.” Though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like that quality about him. He’s somehow confident and sure without being over-the-top.
Jordan takes another sip of his wine. “I was thinking about going in the hot tub after this, so maybe we can practice later.”
Footsteps sound behind us again, but I can’t tell if they’re coming toward us or away from us.
I ignore them. “Hot tub? Like … the outside hot tub? In amongst all the snow?”
“It’s supposed to be therapeutic going from really hot to freezing cold. Or so I’ve heard.”
“I’ve heard that’s how you catch pneumonia, so yeah, totally fun. Sign me up.”
“I bet you I can last longer out there than you can.”
I throw my head back. “Is this going to become a thing?”
“A thing?”
“Don’t play dumb.”
“Do you mean are we going to place bets on all aspects of our lives? Because that sounds like fun to me.”
“Until you’re roped into a movie that’s a disaster or have to sing in front of a large crowd …”
“Exactly.”
“Being friends with you might be hazardous to my mental well-being.”
Jordan wipes away a fake tear. “You say the sweetest things. Are we doing this or what?”
I wipe my mouth with my napkin. “Yeah, I’m in.”
Jordan knocks on my door. “Have you gone through my bags at all?”
“Uh, no? Why?”
“My swimming trunks are missing.”
I snort. “I’ll give you three guesses where they are, but you’re probably going to only need one when I tell you what happened to me.”
“What?”
“I didn’t bring trunks because even though Mason said there’s a hot tub and to pack them, I didn’t think I’d actually be stupid enough to go in there. Guess I was wrong about the stupid thing. Anyway, I asked to borrow some. Want to see what the guys lent me?” A Speedo, I would’ve expected, but this … I hold up the thong everyone insisted was the only bathing suit available.