Katie, who always seemed to take control, swiped the key and let them into the room. As they dropped their luggage, the reality of their situation finally settled in.
The room was small, with just enough space for two twin beds. Unfortunately, there wasn't a sofa to be found in the room. A single nightstand with a lamp on top provided the only light source within the otherwise dimly lit area. The walls were painted a dull green and covered in wallpaper that had seen better days. In one corner of the room, a threadbare armchair stood alone and forgotten - its original color fading away from years of neglect.
The air was heavy with mustiness and an odor reminiscent of cleaning supplies. The sheets were clean but somehow felt coarse. The mattresses were firm and lumpy, and would definitely be annoying as they tucked themselves in for the evening. Despite the lack of comfort or luxury, everyone was ready to get some rest after a long day's journey.
"Two twin beds. Huh."
"All we could afford, remember."
"It's what we get for waiting until the last minute to join the conference,"
"And not even a sofa."
"This city is expensive."
"Well, looks like two of us on one bed, two on the other, and two on floor."
"Ewwww! I don't want to sleep on the dirty floor!"
"Neither do I. Can't we all just squeeze together."
"On a twin sized bed? No."
Katie spoke up as she freed her sandy blonde hair from her ponytail. "Okay ladies, let's pause. Get ready for bed, then I have an idea how to settle this."
There were a few grumbles, but everyone was a bit worn out from their trip, so the girls arranged their luggage and got ready for bed. When they were all together again, Katie had them sit in a circle on the floor.
"So here's what we're going to do. Me and Leah are a team, Jasmine and Ashley, and Kim and Mino. The loser has to sleep the floor. The game is simple. Each team performs a dare. Then the other teams have to do it. It has to be something we can all do, so no calculus, Mino." The petite Chinese girl rolled her eyes. "Loser gets the floor. Deal? "
"So like truth or dare?"
"Yeah, like truth or dare, but you have to do it first. Deal?"
"Deal," they all agreed.
Katie and Leah went first. They made an attractive pair, Katie being trim and athletic, Leah a slim Latina. They huddled together, whispering and giggling before turning back to the others.
"Simple."
With that, they both stretched out and did ten push-ups. The other teams all followed, though Mino was quite shaky.
Jasmine and Ashley went next with little difficulty. They conferred, and, following the first task, held a plank for thirty seconds. Mino again barely made it.
Kim and Mino whispered to each other. With Jasmine, Katie and Leah being athletes, a physical test seemed like a bad idea. Just as the rest of the group was getting restless, the nodded to each other. They got up, opened the door, and peeked down the long hall.
Mino pulled up an app on her phone, a random number generator. She rolled a six. Wearing only their PJs, Kim and Mino, ran down the hall and knocked on the sixth door. They dashed back, giggling furiously and jumped back into the room. After waiting a minute or two, Katie rolled a twelve, and her and Leah took off. A few more minutes later, Jasmine rolled a three and the dare was completed.
By now the competitive dander was up in the girls. No one wanted to lose. Katie and Leah conferred again. They guessed Mino had grown up in a very conservative family, so they decided to up the stakes. The room fell silent as they whispered to each other, and then Katie turned to the group, grinning.
"Okay, our dare is that we're going to make out for a minute."
The other girls gasped, but didn't say anything. Katie and Leah leaned in, and their lips met. At first, it was just a peck, but then they started to really kiss. They were both good at it, and the other girls watched, entranced. Eventually, the minute was up, and they pulled away, panting.
"Okay, who's next?"
"How do we know we've gone a minute?"
"You have to be sure. Come in under, you lose."
Jasmine and Ashley pouted, then turned to each other.
"Hey baby, you want to be my first?" Ashley teased nervously, a blush covering her freckled face.
"Come here, you."
And with that, Jasmine reached out to Ashley's face and pulled her in for a kiss.
The other girls watched with rapt attention, both feeling turned on by the sight of Jasmine and Ashley kissing. They were surprised by the sudden intimacy, but they couldn't look away. Jasmine and Ashley's kiss was more passionate than Katie and Leah's, and it lasted longer than a minute. The other girls grew restless, shifting in their spots, waiting for the kiss to be over. Finally, they pulled away, gasping for air.
"Wow, two minutes, nineteen seconds."
"Had to be sure, " Jasmine sighed. "Mino and Kim, you're up."