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Taking my glass, he held my hand and led me down an expansive hallway toward a white kitchen. The large appliances were stainless steel, and blue cabinets framed the bar on the left. “I ordered a few dishes. I was disappointed when I realized I didn’t know your favorite food.”
Walking along the eight-foot island, I counted at least six dishes on the counter: pizza, couscous, grilled chicken, prime rib, salad, and a medley of vegetables. I scooped a bit of everything onto my plate.
“Thank you. Everything looks delicious.”
He filled up his dish and led me to a dining table in the next room. Four candles and two gold charger plates were set on the table.
“Indian,” I said, taking a seat in front of Ryan.
“Excuse me?”
“You said you didn’t know my favorite food. It’s Indian.”
“Mmm… yes, that’s a good one.”
“How about you?”
“Hard to choose, but I’ve never refused a good medium-rare steak.”
“That one’s too predictable, and you don’t seem predictable to me.”
“What do I seem to you?”
“Confident. Perhaps even cocky. Rich, powerful, and smart.”
“At least the last one is promising. It gives me hope you may improve your opinion of me.”
“Those things are not necessarily bad, just bad for me.”
“Why is that?”
“I’m trying to keep my life simple these days. And you seem very complicated.”
“I’m not all that complicated. Try me. Ask me anything.”
I didn’t like this game. If he told me about himself, he would expect the same from me. I speared a forkful of baby carrots and chewed slowly. Buying myself some time.
He broke the silence first. “Okay. What if we made this more interesting?”
I raised my eyebrow.
“What if we turn this into a game of truth or dare? If you lose the dare or refuse to tell the truth, you remove an article of your clothing.”
“But I only have the dress and my shoes to remove.”
“God, Laura,” he groaned. “You just made this a lot more interesting.”
“And what if I don’t want to play this game?”
“I’d say you’re scared and not as tough as you look. You talk a big talk but...” He shrugged his shoulders, leaving my imagination to guess how he’d finish that sentence.
I wasn’t one to be egged on, but something in me wanted to know more about him and if I could hide behind a dare instead of a truth, then perhaps this was my chance.
“Fine. But you go first.”
10
Ryan
