Chapter 6: Truth or Dare

By Tuesday night the whole lodge knew the headboard had hit the wall.

Nobody said it out loud, but every time I passed a bridesmaid, she found something fascinating to look at on the ceiling.

The bridal party gathered in the lodge's library after dinner, nine women on leather couches around a roaring fire.

Somebody had brought three bottles of prosecco and a deck of dare cards.

Elsa sat next to me with her feet tucked under her, glowing.

"You have a hickey," she whispered.

"I do not."

"Left side. Under your ear."

I clapped a hand over it, and four bridesmaids giggled.

Calla sat across the circle in her cream cashmere with her hair in a long silk sheet over one shoulder.

She had been quiet all through dinner.

That scared me more than the elbow had.

"Truth or dare," she said now, sweet as pie.

"Let's start with the girlfriend."

Everyone turned.

"Truth," I said.

"I'm not climbing anything tonight."

"Truth." Calla smiled.

"Is he as good in bed as he looks?"

The bridesmaids shrieked.

Elsa put both hands over her ears and started to hum.

I thought about Henrik's hands on my hips last night, and my face went hot.

I decided not to give her the satisfaction of blushing.

"Last night," I said, "I needed a new headboard."

"He's better than he looks."

The room exploded.

Elsa fell off the couch.

Even Calla laughed, a bright empty tinkle, and held up her glass.

"Good for you," she said.

"I mean it."

"Poor Henrik always did have stamina."

"My turn to ask," I said.

"You've had your turn," said Calla.

"Truth or dare, Calla?"

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