This one I find easy to answer. “Well, that’s not hard. The Aston Martin DB9. I think it’s beautiful.” I smile, thinking he can’t honestly think that’s a boring answer.
“But it’s British. I can’t be having that. Drink,” he commands.
I sit there, mouth wide open. “Are you serious? How is that relevant to the game whether something is British or not?”
He smiles wickedly at me. “Well, you could have chosen a more muscle-bound car like a Dodge Challenger or a Ford Mustang.”
Oh, hell no!
“Jake, those cars are just what you said—muscle-bound—and that’s it. The Aston Martin DB9 has plenty of power, finesse, and her beauty is refined. The car is elegant and very sexy. You cannot compare an Aston Martin to a Dodge Challenger. You must be off your rocker.”
He bellows out a hearty laugh. “Okay, you don’t like it. Tell you what, if you’ll admit to losing this round, then no matter what question you ask me next, if you don’t like my answer, I’ll take two shots in one go. How’s that?”
I pick up my third shot and down the contents once again, crashing the glass back down on the bar. “Fine. What is your favorite fruit?”
Ha! I know I’ve got him now.
Jake smiles and crosses his arms, revealing his muscles to me. “Well, that’s another easy one. It’s pineapple. I’ve wanted to go to the Caribbean ever since my grandmother told me that she always wished she could go. She died before she was ever able to make it there, though, and I would like to see that dream fulfilled in her honor one day.”
Did he really just pull that shit on me?
“Jake, seriously, come on. Did your grandmother really give you that G.I. Joe, or are you just planning to use her for all your answers?”
His cheeky grin is still in place, making my heart flutter.
“My last answer wasn’t about my grandmother; it was about my enjoyment of your company.”
I try to express my irritation. “This is seriously fubar. You know that?”
He starts laughing again and grabs himself a drink. “I know I won, but just to play fair, I’m going to take one shot.” He picks up the shot glass and quickly swallows the contents.
“Okay. Next round is double or nothing, agreed?”
I nod my head, realizing that despite the frustration of the game, I am actually having a lot of fun.
Jake places his hands on the bar again and leans over slightly. “What was your favorite subject in school?”
Well, that’s another easy answer. “English as I love to read and write.” He looks at me, obviously not amused by my answer. “What?” He places a hand up to his mouth and pretends to yawn. “Jake, come on.”
Jake snorts out a small laugh. “I’m sorry, but Math and English are the two most boring subjects in school. You could have thought of something more interesting than that.”
Feeling a little tipsy, I start to grow brave. “Well, my grandmother always loved the subject of English, and before she died, she asked me to honor her dream of enjoying the written word.”
He nods his head at me and smiles. “Now you’re just making fun of me, but I can see you’re slowly getting the hang of it.”
I grin, mentally patting my back. “So I can forfeit these last two shots then?”
He shakes his head. “Oh, no. I never said that. You used my grandmother as a way of answering my question. Drink.”
It doesn’t surprise me when he takes this position. I don’t even care. I’m enjoying myself too much to even bother arguing. Plus, the shots are going down like treats. I quickly down the two I have left and wipe my mouth.
“I have four left, so you better make the next question a good one.”
I sit for a while, contemplating my next move. My head is becoming very fuzzy now, so my thought processes are slower than normal.
“I think I’ve found one. What is your favorite household chore?”
Hopefully, I’ve finally got him. You can’t get more boring than any household chore.
“Well, I do like to dust. I like to get the feather duster out and dust all the cabinets and pictures when no one else is here.”
I laugh so hard I nearly fall off my chair. “Careful, Ana. I don’t know what’s so funny.”
I look up at his six-foot-four frame. His solid chest and stance that make Jake all man in every sense of the word, and I almost pee myself laughing. “You … wearing a little apron and going around with your little feather duster. This is something I have to see.” I think I’m going to die from a heart attack.
“I never said I wore an apron.” He looks away for a moment in thought. “I might just do that next time, though.” The hysterics get louder as I realize I’m feeling more than a little drunk. “I take it that you quite like that answer, which means I win.”
I nod my head. “I think having me almost wet myself laughing proves that point. Let’s not forget that I’ve drunk all five of mine, and you still have four left.”
I pick up two more of his shots and down them. “There. That should help you out a bit,” I giggle.
He looks amused. “Are you saying I can’t handle my liquor?”
I shake my head with a drunken giggle. “No, of course not, Jake. Never.”
This prompts Jake to pick up the remaining two shots and down them one by one. I clap my hands. “Way to go, lightweight!” I shout.
Lifting my finger up in the air, I wiggle it at him. I stare at it for a moment, and then my finger starts to move towards my nose—almost like some unseen force is guiding my movements. Jake laughs at me, and I know I must look comical as I go cross-eyed.
“Jake, I can’t find my finger. It’s gone. First, it was there right in front of me, and now it’s disappeared.” I giggle again, but before I begin to slip off my stool again, I catch my foot on the bottom rung of the stool and straighten up. Jake shakes his head, comes around the bar, and grabs my finger, pulling me out of my stare. “Oh! There it is!”
He wraps my arm around his shoulder and hoists me up. “I think we’ve had enough to drink now. Don’t you?”
I try to nod, but it seems to be more difficult than normal. “You saw me naked,” I say, giggling into his chest and breathing in his beautiful scent.
“Yes, I did,” he answers.
I start blowing raspberries into his chest. Amused by my own antics, I then begin to giggle like an idiot. Somehow, he manages to haul me up the stairs. Looking up to him all dreamy-eyed, I grab his nose and wiggle it. “You’re so cute, Mr. Bennett. Do you know that? Your lips look so soft and kissable.”
He sets me down on my bed and pulls my feet over to slide them under the covers. “You really have had too much.”
He makes sure I’m settled before turning to leave. “Don’t go,” I whisper. He stops in his tracks and swings round. “Hold me for a bit … just until I fall asleep. Please?”
He stands there, hesitating for a few moments, but I soon feel the weight of his body pressed against mine. Careful not to get under the covers, he brings me closer to his chest. Again, I breathe in his sweet scent.
I sigh contentedly. “You know what my favorite thing is in the whole wide world?” I ask, thinking I’m in a dream all of a sudden.