The Manga Girl (14 page)

     
The setting sun threw amber streaks across the sand, and the overhead sky turned a deeper blue. An evening chorus of birdsong combined with the hiss of the gently breaking waves to throw a blanket of tranquility over the beach.

     
They had eaten grilled steaks with salad, washed it down with beer, and then swam and slept the afternoon away. Lucy had cuddled up to Nick, draping an arm over his stomach, a leg over his thigh. Nick drifted in and out of sleep, feeling her breasts against him as she breathed deeply, while he inhaled the tangy sea air. He hadn’t felt as good and healthy as this in a long while.

     
As the sky darkened, Andy collected driftwood and made a fire, and then Rob produced a bottle of El Tesoro Platinum tequila.

     
“One shot each, as a toast,” he said.
 

     
Summer groaned. She had avoided the beer all afternoon.

     
“Come on,” Rob coaxed. “It goes down nice and smooth.”

     
They sat in a circle around the fire and Rob passed around the glasses with wedges of lime. “To our expanded circle of friends. Without you beautiful ladies, it wouldn’t be half as much fun.”

     
They drank, broke out the remains of the beer, and toasted marshmallows. Darkness had descended now, and the moonlight danced on the waves that sighed against the shore.

     
Kylie opened a bottle of Chablis and they drank it in comparative silence, savoring the serenity of the moment. For some reason, it seemed to Nick, like the lull before the storm.

     
“Are we going to sleep here?” asked Kylie.

     
“The cottage is open,” Rob said. “You can use one of the guest rooms if you like. But it’ll be plenty warm enough on the beach.”

     
“We brought blankets,” Andy added.

     
“It’s too early for bed,” Jason said to Kylie. “You slept most of the afternoon. The night is still young.”

     
“I know, but the alcohol is making me a bit woozy.”

     
“We need to do something then,” Summer said.

     
Nobody had any suggestions and Nick regarded their illuminated faces one by one. Rob had called them his friends, but Nick felt as if he hardly knew any of them. Opposite him, sat Kylie, still in her green bikini, a towel draped loosely over her shoulders, shadows flickering across her generous breasts. Beside her, Jason, tanned and muscled in his Speedos, silent and distracted. On Nick’s right, Tanya and Rob, both in t-shirts and shorts, seemingly inseparable nowadays. Next to Nick was Sid - the voice of reason - and then sandwiched between Kylie and Summer, was Andy, sipping his wine and staring into the flames. And lastly, to his left, there was Lucy, the wild card, and Nick’s passion and torment.

     
Three couples and three singles.
Will it still be the same in the morning?

     
“Truth or Dare,” Lucy said suddenly.

     
“What?” asked Rob.

     
“I haven’t played that for years,” said Kylie.

     
“That’s a good idea. It’ll be fun,” Summer said.

     
“But let’s make it interesting,” Sid said. “If you don’t answer your question or complete your dare, you have to drink a shot of tequila.”

     
“Oh,” said Tanya. “I don’t like the sound of this.”

     
“What kind of dare?” asked Kylie.

     
“Anything!” Lucy said impishly.

     
“I’m not sure I can do ‘anything’,” Kylie said.

     
“You don’t have to,” said Sid. “But your forfeit is a shot of tequila; otherwise you’re out of the game.”

     
The booze had been flowing steadily all day, and although nobody appeared overly intoxicated, it wouldn’t take much to tip them all over the edge, Nick realized. He was torn between excited curiosity and a nagging foreboding.
    

     
“Are we all in?” asked Sid. “Okay, Lucy, it was your idea, so you get to go first.”

     
“Lets see,” Lucy said, her eyes roaming around the group. “Kylie.”

     
“I knew it,” Kylie moaned. “Truth.”

     
“What’s your favorite sex position?”

     
Typical Lucy,
Nick thought.
Straight to her favorite subject!

     
Even in the glow of the flames, Kylie’s blush was quite conspicuous.

     
“So it’s going to be
that
kind of a game, huh?”

     
Someone giggled.

     
“Think carefully, Kylie,” said Rob. “The dare might be worse.”

     
“Missionary,” Kylie said.

     
“Boring,” said Sid.

     
“Alright,” Kylie looked around. “Andy.”

     
“Truth.”

     
“What’s your wildest sexual fantasy?”

     
Andy took a gulp of wine. “Being locked in a padded cell with Emily Browning and Jamie Chung, I guess.”

     
“Alright, that’s it,” said Rob. “We need to rack this up a level.”

     
Nick noticed Tanya glance at him with a slightly concerned expression.
   

     
“There’s more wine in the cooler,” said Kylie.

     
Everybody’s glasses were refilled and Andy nodded at Sid.

     
“Truth,” Sid said.

     
“If you had to have sex with one of the girls here, who would you choose?”

     
“Unfair question,” Sid smiled. “Dare.”

     
Andy grinned back. “Okay. You have to kiss one of the girls on the mouth. Your choice.”

     
Nick sensed a subtle charge pass amongst the group. They were alone in the dark, semi-drunk, in their bathing suits. An opportunity had suddenly arisen for each one of them to reveal their simmering feelings. This was going to be interesting but it also had the potential to go terribly wrong.

     
Just when it looked like he was going to pass, Sid stood up and walked around to Summer. He squatted down and a brief look of alarm registered in her eyes, but she didn’t protest as he planted a light kiss on her lips.

     
She was the obvious choice being the only unattached girl here,
Nick thought with interest.
But then again, he could have taken the tequila instead.

     
There was a moment’s silence as Sid retook his seat and then Rob said, “Way to go, Sid.”

     
Summer flushed and they received a spontaneous round of applause.
     

     
Sid grinned and said, “Tanya.”

     
“Truth,” Tanya said nervously.

     
“If you could change any part of your body, what would it be?”

     
Tanya smiled, looking relieved that Sid had let her off with a relatively light one.

     
Unexpectedly, she said, “My butt.”

     
That drew laughter and Rob asked, “What’s wrong with your butt?”

     
“It’s too big.”

     
“It looks fine from where I’m sitting.”

     
Andy opened another bottle of wine and filled everyone’s glasses again despite protestations from Summer and Tanya.

     
“Another toast,” Andy said, sounding a little slurred. “To getting to know each other better.”

     
They raised their glasses and Sid said, “Carry on, Tanya.”

     
Tanya took a sip of wine, shrugged and then swallowed the rest. She blinked and said, “Nick.”

     
“Truth,” Nick said.

     
“How long is your dick?”

     
“Tanya!” Summer gasped.

     
Kylie giggled. Her glass was nearly empty too.

     
“Soft or hard?” Nick asked.

     
“Why don’t you show us?” said Kylie.

     
There was a stunned silence, then Jason said, “Don’t be so fucking crude, Kylie.”

     
“That’s a dare,” Nick said, looking directly at Kylie.

     
Everybody watched with interest as they held eye contact.

     
“Come on,” Kylie said. “Lucy says it’s a monster.”

     
All of a sudden, this whole thing had shifted gears. The alcohol had kicked in and Kylie was clearly goading Jason.

     
“Fuck it,” Nick said, and he stood up and dropped his swimming shorts. Kylie and Tanya let out a shrill scream, Lucy smiled, and Summer nodded appreciatively - Nick was considerably larger than the national five-inch average. After giving the girls an eyeful, he pulled up his shorts and sat down again. Lucy kissed him on the cheek and said, “My hero.”

     
“That’s pretty impressive, Nick,” Kylie said, and glanced at Jason who let out a derisive snort. Rob suggested another round of tequilas which this time, nobody objected to - Nick and Kylie had raised the bar and they were off and running.

     
Nick asked Rob, “Who has the nicest breasts here?”

     
Rob stroked his chin, “Well, without seeing them uncovered, it’s hard to say.”

     
“You’ve seen Tanya’s,” Andy said.

     
“And I love them, just like the rest of her,” Rob said. He looked around brazenly at the other girl’s chests. “Lucy’s are perfectly shaped, and Summer’s look cute and pert, but for sheer mass, I’ve got to give the prize to Kylie.”

     
“I’m not surprised,” Jason said. “You’ve been staring at them all afternoon.”

     
“It’s been hard not to,” Rob said. “Right guys?”

     
Everyone agreed that Kylie’s tits were spectacular. Looking a little glassy-eyed, Kylie surprised them by saying, “You really want to see them?”

     
An uncertain hush settled over the group, then Jason said, “Kylie, no.”