"Let's play," I said as I looked at Luke and Amanda sitting together.
"Sure. What kind of game?" Shane asked.
"Card game. It's a very easy game," I replied.
The JOKER's Game Mechanics:
Ace of Hearts- KISS (your choice)
Queen of Hearts- KISS (the person to your right)
King of Hearts- (master card) Let two people KISS
Ace of Diamonds- HUG (your choice)
Queen of Diamonds- HUG (the person in front of you)
King of Diamonds- (master card) Let two people CUDDLE until the game is finished
Ace of Spades- Tell your SECRET
Queen of Spades- Tell your friend's SECRET
King of Spades- (master card) Let everyone tell their darkest SECRETS
Ace of Clubs- DANCE alone
Queen of Clubs- DANCE with someone
King of Clubs- (master card) Let two people DANCE
. . . . . .♥. . . . .♥. . . . .♥. . . . . .
To my dismay, Amanda bade goodbye, saying that she had to take care of something personal, so we let her go. I watched her as she left. Then, after fifty meters or so, I saw her answer a call.
"Well, since this is a game of love and torture, we need an equal number of women," I explained.
"No problem," Shane said while looking at a group of ladies partying wild in a nearby cottage.
When it comes to women, Luke and I call the McKnights the CHARMING DUO. With their chiseled built and pretty faces, women swoon over their presence. They exude an enigmatic aura: you know they're dangerous, but you still fall for them.
They sauntered to the women's cottage and not long after, they're back with four ladies.
"Now what?" Owen asked while a sexy Latina woman was tracing his bare chest with her index finger.
He held her hand and said," Not now, babe. The night is still young. We don't have to rush." He winked at her. She melted. I just shook my head.
"Alright, everyone. Ladies should sit alternate to us," I said. Then, I explained the mechanics of the game when everyone sat around the bonfire.
Shane
Diana- a Swiss babe. She's more of a plain Jane. She doesn't have any extraordinary features, but whenever she smiled, we couldn't stop staring at her.
Luke
Tamara- a Mexican chick. She has long wavy hair that's cascading on her heart-shaped face. Her brown eyes were expressive and her sensual lips were naturally pink. Her caramel complexion and hourglass body made her stand out among her peers.
Me
Cassandra- Tamara's sister. She has similar facial and body features to her sister, but compared to a bit shy Tamara, she was rocking her long silky hair and she's flirtatious--- foxy.
Owen
Keira- an English lady. Her shoulder-length wavy brunette hair complimented her pair of gray eyes, pointy nose, and red lips. Her milky complexion looked so soft. She doesn't have a perfect body but her refined gestures and way of speaking made her attractive to us.
After a short getting- to- know- each- other, Luke shuffled the cards and let us pick one card. Everyone's excited to see their own fate.
I couldn't help smiling when I saw my card--- a master card, the King of Clubs.
"Who will start?" I asked.
Cassandra volunteered to reveal her card. Queen of Spades.
She looked at Keira who looked terrified. While smiling like a wicked witch.
"Oh god, no!" she said while holding her chest.
"Sorry. You agreed to this game bitch, so you have no choice!" Cassandra said. Everyone just smiled.
"So what's the secret?" Luke asked waiting impatiently.
"Alright guys listen carefully," she said as we waited while Kiera was covering her ears.
"One of the reasons why we came to this paradise is to find a boyfriend for Keira. She's an NBSB, NBK, and NBT."
My friends and I were confused while the ladies cheered and teased Keira who curled herself to look smaller.
"Sorry, but I don't think we are on the same page," Shane said as we all agreed.
"NBSB means No Boyfriend Since Birth, NBK is Never Been Kissed, and NBT means Never Been Touched," the three ladies explained.
We all looked at the embarrassed Keira in disbelief.
"No way!" we all exclaimed.
"Fuck you, bitches! How could you do this to me," Keira yelled, but with her posh accent, her curses still sounded elegant. Her friends just ignored her. From my peripheral view, I saw Luke and Owen staring at her.
"Mind your language, princess. It doesn't suit you," Tamara reminded. We laughed.
Owen was next. He had the Queen of Diamonds. That meant he had to hug Luke, who was sitting in front of him.
"Get ready, bastard! Here I come," Owen said as he chased Luke, who was running away from him. We watched them roll on the sand as Luke was trying to escape from Owen's tight bear hug. We laughed at their cute bromance.
"You all seem so close," Diana told us when the two returned to their places.
"Yeah. We're brothers in our past lives," Shane answered while showing his card.
The Ace of Hearts.
We all cheered when he approached Tamara. She looked shocked and shy, but no one can deny the excitement in her eyes.
"Get a room, bro," Owen told his brother when their kiss deepened and Shane's hands began to explore.
Tamara pulled away from Shane that frustrated him.
"Alright, guys. Tell me your secrets," Diana told us while showing the King of Spades. We were all reluctant to speak, but we had to oblige.
Whoah! This is indeed a torturous game," Luke uttered while looking at me after we all revealed our secrets.
"Who's next?" Owen asked.
"I will," Kiera volunteered while holding her card high. The King of Hearts.
"Luke and Cassandra, I command thee to seal our newly found friendship with a long passionate kiss. No touching below the neck and your body shall remain at least 1 foot apart throughout the kiss," Keira commanded. She looked and sounded like a queen. She even stood up making her appear more regal.
"This is insane! How can I kiss someone passionately without even touching him," Cassandra complained while stomping her foot. Luke showed no reaction. I silently rejoiced because I knew that he doesn't want to be commanded by a woman.
'The gods are on my side,' I thought while I smiled. 'Revenge is sweeter when unexpected. I still haven't forgotten what you did earlier.'
"I am the king and that is my decree," Keira replied while smiling wickedly.
We all cheered and laughed while they struggled to maintain their distance. It was indeed a long and passionate kiss.
It was Tamara's turn. She reluctantly showed her card. The Ace of Clubs. Her friends and sister all rooted for her.
"She's a belly dancer!" Diana said.
"Yeah! She's really good," Keira agreed while Cassandra kept encouraging Tamara to belly dance.
"Stop it! I am not a pro," Tamara said shyly.
"We don't care. We just wanna see," I said. My friends cheered and whistled as she stood up and walked a meter away from us. Then Cassandra played a song and Tamara started dancing with the beat of 'Hips Don't Lie' by Shakira. Her sensual moves could shut a whole stadium. We watched her every move in awe.
"That was awesome!" Shane said aloud as she smiled shyly at him. The attraction between them was apparent.
"Maybe you can teach me how to dance... you know, a one on one session," Luke told her.
"If you could still dance after I break your bones," Shane warned. We said 'Ooooooooooooooh' in unison. We've never seen Shane so serious about a woman before, so we were thrilled at his reaction.
"Relax. I was just kidding," Luke replied while raising both of his hands up.
"But sadly, it's my turn so you can break my bones later. I have to let Brad and Keira cuddle," he said while showing his card.
The King of Diamonds.
Keira gasped while I looked at Owen who was looking at Luke intently. If his eyes had bullets, we might be attending Luke's funeral the next day.
I sat next to Keira who was obviously shaking. I placed my arms around her while everybody cheered except Owen who looked away. I'd say, that was the most awkward cuddle I've ever experienced.
"And to end this game, I want Diana and Luke dance!" I said with my arms still around Kiera.
"Any kind of dance? Tango, Salsa, Erotic..." Luke said excitedly.
"Nope. Japanese traditional dance," Owen said while we all laughed at his reaction.
We shared a good laugh when Luke and Diana danced. After the game, everyone danced with the party music played by Cassandra.
We drank. We sang. We danced. And some even fell in love.
What a night!
Amidst the cheers and the crackling woods from our bonfire, a shadow was lurking in the dark perfectly camouflaged by the all-black wet suit it was wearing.
"You don't have the right to be happy after what you've done to my family," the shadow uttered while crushing the finished cigarette tossed on the sand.