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“But the caveat is we need to each have at least four sets of three in a row,” I added.
We’d always liked to tack on extra rules when playing.
“Done,” Jack raised an eyebrow. “If you win, I have to stop giving you shit. What do I get if I win?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. What do you want?” Show no fear and all that.
An evil grin slowly emerged on Jack’s face. “Peter’s lucky pick.”
I sucked in a breath. We all knew that at any given time Peter had one. I straightened my shoulders, not ready to back down. “Deal.”
Luke and Archer counted out six red plastic cups each, set them up in triangles at each end of the table, and filled them halfway with beer.
“May the best man win.” Jack high-fived Archer.
The competition started out slow. We each sank three in a row, twice, but as the game wore on and more drinks passed through our lips, the tosses got sloppier. I wasn’t drunk, but I did have to focus extra hard on the last few throws. By the time Jack finished his last toss, we were both tied for the four sets of three in a row and had well over the thirty minimum we set. Up until now, I’d been playing my best, but I knew that if I won, it would be a hollow victory.
“We need to decide a winner,” Luke reminded us. “Or we call it a tie.”
I tossed my hair over my shoulder, and pretended to slightly stumble. “I don’t do ties.” Luke was kind enough to prop me up and I grinned, hoping they’d think I was too drunk to be a threat.
“You good?” he asked.
I hiccuped and had to hide my grin when Jack shot me a smug look. “Yup.”
“Neither do I. No ties,” Jack concurred, and fist-bumped me, clearly forgetting we started off the night as enemies.
“Sudden death,” I crowed, a giggle erupting from my mouth.
“Yes!” Jack’s bellow had those around us laughing.
We’d named the sudden death round Turbo Quarters.
At this point we’d amassed an audience. I’d like to believe it was Jack’s loud boasting and my quiet determination that transfixed people over who might win. Although, it was far more likely they hung on because Jack and the other guys were famous. In the far reaches of my fuzzy brain, I acknowledged that a few people had their phones out, but I couldn’t find it in me to care.
We collected more quarters and made sure each of us had a stack of twenty. “Whoever sinks the most quarters in thirty seconds, wins,” Archer declared.
I sensed him before I heard him.
“What the fuck is going on? I leave for thirty minutes and you all get her drunk?” Killian’s voice boomed far too close to me.
I winced. “Shhh, it’ll be alright,” I assured him. “We have an important bet going.” I didn’t look at him. I needed to concentrate, and if I turned my full attention to the rock god just inches away from me, there was no way I would stop thinking about the secrets the guys spilled tonight.
I squinted my eyes, keeping up my ruse. Jack tapped the table, shifting a quarter between his fingers.
“Go!” Archer yelled.
The two of us tossed quarters like our lives depended on it. We missed more than we landed, and once we were out, we began grabbing whatever we could scrounge off the table and the floor.
Somehow my earlier concern of germs didn’t seem so important now.
“Time!” Luke called.
I turned to Killian with a grin so wide my lips hurt.
His stern gaze and crossed arms indicated he didn’t approve of this.
Oh, well. He and I had a lot to discuss later, but first I had to win over his friends.