Page 22 of Merry Little Mishap

“Knowing my boss, it could be pretty salacious.” I lifted the package, untying its glittery bow, pretending indifference. “But I suppose we’re past that.” Carefully, I ripped the candy cane paper apart, opening the box it contained. I stared inside for a second, slightly underwhelmed by what I saw.

“Well?” Nick asked. “What is it?”

“Secrets or Steam… a lovers card game?” I scrunched my nose. “This is supposed to beat out August Falls?”

I read the back out loud, wrapping my mind around what could possibly be better than having a porn star inside me.

“Secrets or Steam: the hottest new sex card game where couples complete a series of truths or dares while avoiding physical contact. The key is to not touch your opponent, no matter how tempting it may get. If a player refuses to answer a truth or enact a dare, they must remove an article of clothing that their opponent selects. Whoever touches their opponent first loses.”

“Interesting.” Nick narrowed his eyes onto the gift.

“I’m not sure if this is the right game…” I said, garnering his attention.

“Let’s decide for ourselves. I’m ready to play.”

Nick carefully split the cards, steepled them, then shuffled them downwards. The pile in his hand fluttered into a perfectly stacked tower, which he divided into three distinct rows.

“You nervous at all?” I thumbed the open bottle of rum. “All things considered… this is a game meant for couples.”

“It’s meant for two adults. And to answer your question, no, I’m not nervous… per se. There’s a fine line between nervousness and excitement.” Nick swiped at his forehead with the back of his hand. It was warm in here, and the glow of his face was soft and dewy. “I might be somewhere in between, actually.”

“Between nervous and excited?” I leaned against the mirrored wall. “What would you call it?”

“Adventurous?” Nick settled on an answer. “I don’t know if this will be good or bad. It’s risky… but that’s how anything is ever discovered. It’s pulling the curtain back on something mysterious and taking a chance on the unknown. And who doesn’t like that?”

If mystery was what Nick liked, then I was a little short of being anything but. Nearly an hour ago I admitted I thought he was cute. Now? We sat on the floor, sorting cards to a sex game I was in charge of rating. It was surreal, something between a dream and a nightmare, the horror of being stuck in a dark elevator, with the fantasy of being close to Nick. Maybe like him, I was both nervous and excited, wondering how far we’d go, or if I’d accidentally ruin the good time we were having. How long could this last until I embarrassed myself again?

“Well, there’s no pressure with this. It’s just a game,” I shrugged.

Nick lowered his voice, his presence calming. “It’ll be fun. Games are supposed to be fun.”

“Fun is good. I like fun,” I rambled, stealing his sentiment.

“Fun…were those little antlers you wore earlier,” he teased, “and like you said, no pressure. At any point you want to stop, you tell me… I have plenty of fortune cookies that we can crack open and read out loud for kicks.”

I fidgeted, our back and forth a subtle excuse to defuse the tension the cards provoked. Each pile was a different intensity, color, and steam level for the dares and questions to come. “First base, second base, third?” I read the cards out loud. “Where’s the home run?”

“Guessing that comes after one of the opponents loses.” Nick motioned his palm in my direction, revealing the stacks that were ready to be played. “Ladies first.”

I sat up straight. Obviously, I wanted to start simple, so I reached for afirst basecard, my hand on the verge of shaking.

Nick smirked.

I flipped over asecretcard and began to giggle. “Oh, god.”

“Is it ridiculous?”

“No. Just a little silly. Ok… here we go. Pick one,‘Whipped Cream or Candle Wax?’” I playfully fanned the card towards my cheek, pursing my candy-apple red lips.

Nick brushed the tips of his knuckles along his jaw, contemplating. “Whipped cream.”

“Why?”

“Do I need to explain?” he laughed.

“Yeah, why not?” I passed back the bottle of rum.

“Cream… because it’s sweet… it’s lickable. You can place it on someone, or on each other, but removing it is the best part.”

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