Page 17 of The Heartbreakers
JJ thought for a moment before turning to me with a grin. “Strip poker?” he suggested.
I raised an eyebrow. “You want to play a game where, besides yourself, four guys might potentially end up stripping? Isn’t that a little—”
JJ cut me off before I could finish. “Okay, let me rephrase that. Us guys will play regular poker, and you can play it strip style.”
At the mention of strip poker, Drew spoke up. “I have no interest in seeing my sister naked. That’s gross.”
“Yeah, totally not happening,” I agreed and crossed my arms over my chest protectively.
“Aww, come on,” Oliver complained. At first I thought he was upset about my response to JJ’s poker proposal, and my face turned red. But then I noticed that Drew had beaten him again, and the fact that I’d thought Oliver was talking about me made me blush even more.
“Naked Twister?” JJ asked.
I threw my hands up in the air. “How is that any better?”
“JJ, Stella obviously wants to do something a little more mature. Get your pervy head out of the gutter,” Xander said.
“Fine, I can be more mature. Would the lady care for a stimulating round of Twister in the nude?”
“JJ!” Xander and I both shouted.
“Fine, fine,” he said with a scowl. He leaned back against the armchair, deep in thought. Suddenly a slow smirk made its way over his face. “Guys, I have the best idea!”
“Why do I have the feeling that it’s going to be terrible?” I asked Xander.
“Because it probably will be.”
JJ didn’t seem to hear. He was bouncing up and down on the seat in excitement. “Aren’t you going to ask me what my idea is?”
“Depends,” Xander said. “Is it something ten-year-olds would do?”
Ignoring Xander, JJ continued. “Okay, how about this?” he said as he leaned forward in the chair. “We’re going to toilet paper the hotel lobby.” It was silent for a moment. JJ stared at us, eager for a response.
“Um, that sounds fun and all,” I started with a frown, “but I’d rather not get kicked out of the hotel.”
JJ waved his hand dismissively in the air. “Don’t worry, Stella. If you’re with us, you won’t get in trouble,” he assured me.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, JJ,” Xander said, shaking his head. “Do you really want to waste all of our toilet paper? You had that chili dog for lunch.”
“Oh, gross,” I said and moved to the other side of the couch, hopefully upwind from JJ. “Way too much information.”
“I don’t see you guys coming up with any bright ideas,” he snapped back.
“There’s the pool,” Alec said, and I jumped in my seat. It was the first time I’d heard him speak, and his voice was both deep and quiet. I had completely forgotten he was there.
“Yeah,” Xander said, nodding his head in agreement. “We could go swimming.”
“Skinny-dipping?” JJ threw out.
“No, JJ,” we all said at once.
“Figures,” he huffed, “but I guess that will work.” He grumbled to himself for a little longer, even though we could all tell he liked the idea.
I looked down at my watch. “I hate to be the party pooper, but isn’t the pool closed by now?”
“Yup,” JJ said happily. “Nobody to bother us.” He wiggled his eyebrows in my direction.
I ignored him and turned to Xander. “So we’re just going to sneak in?”
