"My God, you're beautiful!" I could hear the sharp intake of breath as I spun slowly around the center of the room, completely nude. Neither of them could take their eyes off me.
Self-confidence had never been part of my personality, but in the half-light of Ethan's apartment I felt like a goddess. Giddy from the vodka, I watched them watching me and reveled in the unfamiliar sensations. I had never expected this.
Quite the contrary. When I had knocked on Adam's door earlier in the evening, my head was filled with firm resolutions not to get too involved, too quickly. I knew where my weakness lay and I was determined not to make any mistakes on our first date. So when Adam asked if his best friend could join us for after-dinner drinks, I forced myself not to be disappointed. It was better this way. We would have time in the restaurant to get to know one another, and his friend's presence would remove any temptation for me at the end of the evening.
I had never met Ethan before. I was surprised at how attractive he was, far more so than Adam. Shorter, but his broad shoulders and roguish smile made an impression on me that few men ever have. He shook my hand and smiled deep into my eyes, and I melted. It only occurred to me several minutes later that it wasn't good manners to lust after your date's best friend.
His giddy sense of humor had me giggling like a schoolgirl as we drove to the bar. He told jokes and laughed, and asked me everything about myself. He wanted to know how old I was, what interested me. He made fun of my car. Adam was much quieter, although he seemed to be enjoying himself. Whenever I looked his way, I could see his cool blue eyes fastened on me.
After a couple of beers, Ethan had asked enough questions, and told me it was my turn to do the asking. I thought for a moment, and realized that this was an opportunity that seldom presented itself. "Okay, Ethan, you're Adam's best friend. What can you tell me about him that he would never admit to me?"
There was a long, daring look between the two friends. When Adam broke eye contact and stared pensively into his lager, Ethan realized that he had won. He turned to me, jubilant. "We had a threesome!" he announced.
I couldn't believe he was serious. In my world, people didn't do things like that. And what's more, if they did, they didn't admit to it, even on a dare. When drunk. He had to be joking, just trying to see how I would react.
For the first time that evening, Adam smiled. "You know she's still calling me?" he asked his friend.
My head was spinning, and it wasn't from the beer. It was true.
