Page 18 of Full Service

Fuck. “No, just can’t play poker.”

“You work in investment and don’t even gamble? What the fuck are you?” Macsen was taunting me, I knew it. He might’ve been spoiling for a fight after we’d almost come to blows, but I was tired.

“The market is enough of a gamble for me,” I said with a shrug.A gamble I had lost. But Macsen didn’t know that.

“Fine.” Macsen leaned forward and swept the whole poker set off the coffee table and onto the floor. I winced. I had only swept the floor the day before and now it was covered in poker chips. “How about Truth or Dare? You refuse an answer or a dare, you remove one item of clothing. And take a swig of vodka.”

My mouth seemed to have gone dry in seconds. “I don’t do dares,” I choked out.

“Fine. Truths.”

It seemed he would not leave the sofa either way. I sat cross-legged on the floor opposite him, so that he had to look down at me and I had to crane my neck to look up at his face. “Fine. I’ll ask first. What’s your favourite colour?”

Macsen chuckled. “What are we, twelve? Red.” He took a swig of his beer and thought for a moment. “Boxers or briefs?”

“Boxer briefs,” I said. I knew what he wore from the very first night I’d seen him leaving his bedroom. “Fine, if you want to do it that way. Sexuality?”

“Anything with a postcode,” said Macsen with a laugh. “Nah. I like boys and girls. I was kind of hoping tonight would turn into a threesome had you not turned up.”

Something growled in my chest and I felt slightly sick. “You were going to have a threesome with the knowledge I was coming back here?”

“My house, remember? I can do what I like. And I think that’s another question. So I’ll have two for you. Top or bottom?”

“As you said, a bit of either,” I replied and took a big swig of my beer, feigning confidence. “Easy. Next question.”

“When did you last fuck?”

I felt something move in my pants and willed him not to look down. “That’s too personal.”

“Fine.” Macsen leaned forward to push the vodka to my side of the table. I reached forward and took a tiny sip from the bottle. It was cheap and burned the back of my throat as it went down.

“My turn. Why did you…” I started but Macsen waggled a finger at me before I could continue the question.

“Take off an item of clothing,” he said.

“Fine.” I took off one sock and held it up.

“C’mon, you’ve got to take off both of them.” Macsen grinned evilly.

“Nope, not in the rules. One item of clothing.” I dropped the sock to the floor. “Why did you move in here?”

Macsen looked like he was thinking for a second, then held his hand out for the vodka. He took a big swig and grinned. I thought I was about to get my jacket back but he looped his fingers through the belt loops of his jeans, lifted his hips off the sofa and pulled them off. I was now face level with his crotch, constrained as it was by a pair of navy briefs that left little to the imagination.

“Go big or go home,” he said.

“Fine.” I held out my hand for the vodka and took off the other sock. I took too big a swig and spluttered but did my best to smile at him. I washed the vodka down with beer. “Now we’re more even,” I said. I’d not eaten much and could feel the alcohol getting to my head.

“So…when was your last fuck?” Macsen asked.

“Not fair! You already asked that question!”

“Nope, not in the rules,” he parroted back at me.

“Bastard.” I took off my jacket, feeling naked despite the shirt and trousers. I was at maximum three tough questions away from being naked. I took another big swig of the vodka. I was more used to the burn now, so took an extra sip.

“When was the last time you saw your mother?” I asked. I had no idea where the question had come from, but Macsen’s face soured. The last time I’d seen him he had left home for seemingly the last time. It had taken us quarter of an hour to notice he was gone.

“Two weeks ago. I popped in for a cuppa,” he said.

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