Truth Or Dare

"Truth or dare!"

Emily stumbled as she weaved her way across the living room and dumped an unopened bottle of wine on the coffee table in front of her friends. She fished a bottle opener out of her jeans pocket and crouched down next to the table. Swaying on the balls of her feet, she squinted and then stabbed the cork with the point of the bottle opener.

"Give me that! You're plastered!"

Jumping to her feet, Lindsey snatched the bottle from Emily's hands and, with a couple of firm twists, expertly popped the cork. Emily flopped on to a sofa and watched as Lindsey filled two glasses.

"Come on Linds," Emily said, as Lindsey handed one glass to her and one to Callie. "Aren't you having any more?"

"No, I've had enough. And, to be honest, you two have had more than enough."

Lindsey placed the half-empty wine bottle back on the coffee table and sat down next to Callie.

"Oh come on!" Emily wheedled. Her words were slurred, gently bumping into each other as she spoke. "When did you become such a spoilsport?

"Yeah, come on Linds," Callie joined in. "How often do we get to hang out anymore without husbands and kids? Can't you let go for just once?"

"I'm fine!" Lindsey snapped. "I just don't need to get wrecked like you two."

"What's wrong with you?" Emily asked, a white wine flush burning her cheeks. "You've been grumpy all night."

"Nothing! I'm fine! Would you stop going on at me!"

An awkward silence swelled between the three women, the particular discomfort that occurs when the delicate parametres of a female friendship are breached. Like women the world over, they religiously followed the rules of an intricate, complicated game. They agreed with each other, even when they secretly thought the other person was wrong. They complimented each other, even when they didn't mean it. They pretended not to be offended, even when they were. They certainly didn't argue. All women know that a single argument between girlfriends can be enough to decimate the relationship.

"Are we still playing truth or dare?" Callie asked, after a few moments. Her voice pierced the atmosphere and it began to dissolve.

"Oh, yes, good idea," Emily said, shrugging off her irritation. "And I think it's your turn! Truth or dare?"

Callie took a sip of wine and grinned at her friends. "Are you sure it's my turn?" she asked.

"Yes!" Emily insisted. "Come on, you have to choose. Truth or dare?"

"Oh, truth, I suppose."

"What shall we ask her, Lindsey?" Emily asked.

Emily extended the question like an olive branch, smiling hopefully at her friend. Lindsey had her phone in her hand and was tapping at the screen. "Whatever you want," she said, without looking up.

Emily frowned and glanced at Callie, who shrugged.

"Okay," Emily said. "I'll think of something."

She thought for a moment then bounced into an upright position, sloshing her wine.

"Oh, I've got one!" she cried. "And you have to tell us the truth!"

"Okay, I promise," Callie said, with mock seriousness.

"Do you secretly fancy Mr Johnston?"

Callie started giggling. "The headteacher!" she cried. "Why do you ask that?"

"Don't answer a question with a question! I saw the way you were eyeing him up at the parent teacher evening!"

Callie laughed even harder. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Yes you do! Go on, admit it!"

"Okay, fine, maybe I find him rather attractive."

"I knew it!"

Tickled by the alcohol bubbling in their bloodstreams, the two women convulsed with laughter, giggling like naughty schoolgirls.

"I should probably go soon," Lindsey said, after a few moments. Her eyes were still on her phone. "Nick will be wondering where I am."

Callie and Emily stopped laughing and exchanged a glance.

"Please don't go yet," Callie said.

"No, I really should go."

"What about one more round? Emily hasn't had a turn yet!" Callie tried to sound cheerful, but the pitch of her voice was wrong and it jarred against her words.

Lindsey rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine."

"Okay," Callie said, clapping her hands in a gesture of forced joviality. "Emily – truth or dare?"

Emily took a gulp of wine. "Truth, I suppose," she said. "Although I don't know what you can ask me, you already know everything about me!"

"Yeah, that's probably true," Callie said. "Any ideas, Lindsey?"

Lindsey was sitting at the very end of the sofa, her legs curled under her and one elbow leaning on the armrest. She was cradling her phone in one hand and scrolling down the screen with the index finger of the other hand, slowly letting the finger slide from top to bottom, then lifting it with a little flick and repeating the movement.

"Actually, I can think of one thing," she said.

"Okay. What is it?" Callie asked.

Lindsey kept her gaze on her phone. The sound of her nail clacking against the screen when she lifted her finger was the only sound in the room.

"Linds?" Callie said. "What's the question?"

Lindsey finally raised her head and looked directly across the room at Emily. Her eyes were hard and her lips were pressed together.

"What I'd like to know, Emily," Lindsey said. "Is when was the last time you slept with my husband?"