bad. I kind of felt…fun. I was fun. Or maybe I could be fun.
“You're the one who brought up the list. Maybe I need to get busy being less boring.”
“Oh yeah. You're really going to head out and just do all these.”
“Look at that.” I pointed at one and two. “The first two are already scratched off.”
“Because, by the way you tell it, I all but kidnapped you to come chill out before taking you home.” He held the napkin up to the light. “I’m not sure you’ve really earned the right to cross off ‘drinking,’ either. Is there some other thing you could put on the list, like, ‘sipped almost indiscernible amount of a potentially alcoholic beverage?’”
“I had more than that. And besides, I don't need you to do these. I can do them on my own.”
I wasn't sure how, but I would.
“Sure. You're just going to rush right out and do them all…without a friend or a car or a license. That's really going to happen.”
I knew he was right. I wasn’t that girl. And even if I wanted to be, I was lacking Rebellion Resources.
“Maybe I'm more adventurous than you think.”
And completely bluffing at this point.
Jake cocked an eyebrow at me. “Really? Because there seems to be something missing from this list.”
I tried to glance at it, but his hand covered most of three through nine leaving me straining to remember what they all were.
“I wasn't done.”
“No? Then what did you forget?”
I couldn't think of anything I'd forgotten.
“Oh, wait. Cow-tipping. I hadn't put it on there yet.” I tried to reach for the DQ napkin, but he held it over my head.
“Cow-tipping? That's the one you think you forgot?” He shook his head. “You're all talk.”
“I am not. I'm going to do the whole darn list.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” Absolutely. One day. Even if cow-tipping wasn’t a real thing. I’d figure out a way to do it anyway.
“So if I happen to remember the item you've left off the list, you'll go do it? Not someday. Not a little at a time. Tonight. You’ll do the whole darn thing, no backing out.”
This was stupid. I was going to end up in some farmer’s backyard with salt rock in my behind. I had no idea where this dare was going, but Jake was ticking me off so bad, I'd’ve promise just about anything.
“Fine.”
There went that eyebrow again.
“Fine?” he asked.
“Yes. Fine. You remember something I said I wanted to do, and we'll put it on the list.”
Jake wrote something with the Sharpie, waved the napkin as if to dry it, then folded it and stuck it in his back pocket.
“If I'm right, if I've added something you said to the list, we go do them all—right now. Tonight.”
“And if you’re wrong?”
Out came that grin that had me seriously doubting myself.
“If I’m wrong, if I just added something you didn’t list, I’ll take you home and I’ll ‘accidentally’ wash a red sock with my white game jersey for the Hawks versus Falcons game Friday.”
“Fine.” He was really starting to grate on my nerves. I couldn't wait until he showed me that napkin and I could take my list and go home. I didn't need an overbearing, smirky-guy like him for an adventure. I could be not-boring on my own.
He pulled the napkin back out of his pocket and held it in front of me. The grin morphed into a smirk and I struggled to come up with what he was going to say. What could I possibly have missed?
My stomach dropped when I read the dark guy scrawl next to number twelve.
I wish I’d thought harder.
I wish I’d never said it.
“Skinny-dipping.”
Oh. Crap.
Chapter Six
“I knew it.” Jake snatched the napkin back. “You're going to chicken out. You're always going to be that girl.”
“What? What girl?”
“That girl who wants to do something, be someone else, but can't do it.”
“I can do it.” I wasn't letting some guy I'd known eleven seconds define who I was.
“Whatever.” He shrugged. “I'll take you home. I have someplace I have to be later
“You're the one who brought up the list. Maybe I need to get busy being less boring.”
“Oh yeah. You're really going to head out and just do all these.”
“Look at that.” I pointed at one and two. “The first two are already scratched off.”
“Because, by the way you tell it, I all but kidnapped you to come chill out before taking you home.” He held the napkin up to the light. “I’m not sure you’ve really earned the right to cross off ‘drinking,’ either. Is there some other thing you could put on the list, like, ‘sipped almost indiscernible amount of a potentially alcoholic beverage?’”
“I had more than that. And besides, I don't need you to do these. I can do them on my own.”
I wasn't sure how, but I would.
“Sure. You're just going to rush right out and do them all…without a friend or a car or a license. That's really going to happen.”
I knew he was right. I wasn’t that girl. And even if I wanted to be, I was lacking Rebellion Resources.
“Maybe I'm more adventurous than you think.”
And completely bluffing at this point.
Jake cocked an eyebrow at me. “Really? Because there seems to be something missing from this list.”
I tried to glance at it, but his hand covered most of three through nine leaving me straining to remember what they all were.
“I wasn't done.”
“No? Then what did you forget?”
I couldn't think of anything I'd forgotten.
“Oh, wait. Cow-tipping. I hadn't put it on there yet.” I tried to reach for the DQ napkin, but he held it over my head.
“Cow-tipping? That's the one you think you forgot?” He shook his head. “You're all talk.”
“I am not. I'm going to do the whole darn list.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” Absolutely. One day. Even if cow-tipping wasn’t a real thing. I’d figure out a way to do it anyway.
“So if I happen to remember the item you've left off the list, you'll go do it? Not someday. Not a little at a time. Tonight. You’ll do the whole darn thing, no backing out.”
This was stupid. I was going to end up in some farmer’s backyard with salt rock in my behind. I had no idea where this dare was going, but Jake was ticking me off so bad, I'd’ve promise just about anything.
“Fine.”
There went that eyebrow again.
“Fine?” he asked.
“Yes. Fine. You remember something I said I wanted to do, and we'll put it on the list.”
Jake wrote something with the Sharpie, waved the napkin as if to dry it, then folded it and stuck it in his back pocket.
“If I'm right, if I've added something you said to the list, we go do them all—right now. Tonight.”
“And if you’re wrong?”
Out came that grin that had me seriously doubting myself.
“If I’m wrong, if I just added something you didn’t list, I’ll take you home and I’ll ‘accidentally’ wash a red sock with my white game jersey for the Hawks versus Falcons game Friday.”
“Fine.” He was really starting to grate on my nerves. I couldn't wait until he showed me that napkin and I could take my list and go home. I didn't need an overbearing, smirky-guy like him for an adventure. I could be not-boring on my own.
He pulled the napkin back out of his pocket and held it in front of me. The grin morphed into a smirk and I struggled to come up with what he was going to say. What could I possibly have missed?
My stomach dropped when I read the dark guy scrawl next to number twelve.
I wish I’d thought harder.
I wish I’d never said it.
“Skinny-dipping.”
Oh. Crap.
Chapter Six
“I knew it.” Jake snatched the napkin back. “You're going to chicken out. You're always going to be that girl.”
“What? What girl?”
“That girl who wants to do something, be someone else, but can't do it.”
“I can do it.” I wasn't letting some guy I'd known eleven seconds define who I was.
“Whatever.” He shrugged. “I'll take you home. I have someplace I have to be later
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