Page 30 of About That One Night
“There’s food on the table,” Ethan deflects the conversation. “Pizza—gluten free—and some finger food we picked up at the store.”
“Thank you,” I mumble, but my voice gets lost as Lily begins to explain the rules of Pictionary.
I choose not to pay attention since everyone knows what Pictionary is and head for some pizza. When I’m back in my seat, I notice Max’s intense gaze boring into me from across the room, and the sinking realization that getting through another night here while maintaining my sanity is going to be an uphill battle. But I’ll grit my teeth and bear it.
Ethan clears his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Actually, I was thinking we could mix things up and play Charades instead. What do you all say? Not everyone is an artist like you, babe. Max can barely draw a stick figure.”
Max mouths something I can only guess is the word asshole, but there are murmurs of agreement from around the room. I’m okay with it until I get paired with none other than Max. Great.
Max shifts, drawing my gaze like a magnet. He’s grinning at me. “Well, at least this time you’ll win,” he says. The jerk.
I meet his stare head-on, determined not to let him see how much he affects me. “Lucky me,” I deadpan.
It’s just a game. I can handle being Max’s partner for a few rounds of Charades where I haveto guess a movie. Movies are my jam. How hard can it be?
But as he makes his way over to stand beside me, his arm brushing against mine and sending sparks skittering across my skin, I’m not so sure. Can we just head to a room and . . . Nope. We can’t do anything other than try to get through the night. Ugh. It’s going to be a long night.
The first round begins, and Max steps up to draw a card from the pile. He reads it, his brow furrowing slightly, then turns to me. “Ready?”
I nod, steeling myself. “As I’ll ever be.”
Max starts acting out the clue. He pounds his chest dramatically and makes exaggerated swinging motions. I try to focus, to guess the answer, but my mind keeps wandering to the way his shirt stretches across his broad shoulders, the flex of his biceps as he gestures.
“Thirty seconds left,” Lily calls out, pulling me out of my head.
“Uh, a monkey?” I blurt out, grasping at straws.
Max pauses, shaking his head. He mimes something else, more exaggerated this time.
“King Kong?” I guess again, growing frustrated.
The buzzer sounds, and Lily announces, “Time’s up!”
Max drops his arms, sighing. “It was Tarzan. Come on, Zoe.” He thumps his chest again. “See, me Tarzan, you Jane. It’s so simple.”
I bristle at his jab. “Well, maybe if your acting skills were better, I would’ve gotten it.”
“Or maybe if you weren’t so distracted checkingme out, you could’ve focused on the game,” he shoots back, smirking.
I gawk at him. “Checking you out? You’re so arrogant. I was trying to figure out”—I gesture toward him and then swing my arms like he did—“what you were trying to do.”
Max leans in closer, his smirk widening. “Sure, you were. Just confess that you find me hot and we can move on with our lives, Zo.”
I open my mouth to retort, but Ethan steps in, raising his hands. “Alright, alright, let’s keep it civil. It’s just a game, remember?”
I roll my eyes but bite back my next comment.
I draw a card, my eyes scanning the clue. Great. I have to act out “Romeo and Juliet.” With Max guessing. The universe clearly hates me.
I take a deep breath and start miming, trying to convey star-crossed lovers. I place a hand on my heart dramatically, then mime drinking poison and collapsing to the ground.
Max just stares at me blankly, his eyes narrowed. “Uh, two people fighting?” he guesses.
I shake my head, trying again. I clasp my hands to my heart, then pretend to drink poison again, adding a tragic expression for emphasis.
“Suicide?” Max asks, raising an eyebrow. “Snow White?”
“Time’s up,” Lily announces, barely suppressing a laugh.
