[3] Daring the Devil

Coming home to my four-story mansion was a great breather. It was newly built, newly furnished and the fresh flowers delivered this morning were a good thing to look forward to. I was stressing on the slightest things that I might just die before I'm thirty. My sister is home, I concluded as I saw her freshly detailed Audi Q7 in the garage. I wonder where she could be?

"Tony!" She emerged from the door leading to the guest area. "Home so early? It's a Friday."

"I'll be leaving as soon as I make plans," I answered her and crossed the room to give her a slight kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, great fun," I muttered in a sarcastic droll. They come and they go, much like hurricanes. I never get to see them nowadays, always a new seminar or meeting going on in some faraway place, France, Hong Kong, Canada... you name it, and they've been there. But never mind that. As long as I have everything that I want with me, I'm fine.
"I'll be leaving too, around 7. Mom and Dad are going to be home next week, isn't that exciting?" She beamed at me.

"I will head to the office tomorrow to fix some papers. Do you have anything to suggest to the new product?" My sister has always been cheery, but I always knew how to spot the hints if she's sporting the happy look like a cover. And this vibe tells me that she's in deep troubling stress.

"Iced tea Project? Why don't you try to put strawberry flavor in it? I know how much you love strawberry and cherries, it worked on our carbonated drink products, why not in iced tea?" I answered testing her reaction.

Her eyes lit up and I saw her mentally trying to see the calculations of how this can happen. And I immediately knew I was correct. "Why don't you get a spa? You look tense."

That was my signal to leave her alone. I wondered what her boyfriend did now. I walked up to the second floor to get into the warm shadows of my room. Turning the stereo up and opening my laptop, I jumped in the shower.

Tuuuuuuuuuuuunnnn!!!

"Oh, I'm not tensed Tony... just... uhm." She looked away and started walking to the bar again, "...confused."

My laptop buzzed telling me that someone is waiting for me in the messenger. I kept, whoever that person is, waiting. I put on fresh clothes, tousled my hair a bit, and checked my teeth before sitting down in front of my laptop. Well what do you know, lucky, lucky day, it's Karen.

"What's with the buzzing" I typed. I waited as the icon tells me she's typing a reply. "I heard you're getting involved with some chick named Felice." She said and gave me that ROFL icon.

Frustrated, I replied with two capital letters...

"NO".

Then I closed my friggin' laptop. A minute later, my phone rang. "Hello?"

"Don't be such a pussy, Anthony." She laughed and I was so close to shutting the phone off too.

"What do you want?" I grounded.

"You, apparently." She giggled as I stiffened. "Hah, you wish, Anthony!" She laughed "But, Anthony, I heard that she didn't even spare you a glance this time, my, my... what has happened?"

"Do you think I should care?" I sighed as I sat on my bed and reopened my laptop. "Is there any open party tonight? I need a drink."

"Why, I'm having a party. Around 8 or so, come by... I'll call in Richard, Miles, Kristoff, Tyler and hmm... Rico. And of course some of my girls as well." She said as she was flipping a pen on her desk. "Hmm... bring some food, okay? I don't want anyone vomiting on my mother's Russian carpet. She'll kill me."

"Where's your mom this time?" I asked

"Somewhere in Europe," She finally said. "Well, okay see you later handsome."

8 pm was in my doorstep fast. I couldn't wait for a good time. Especially when Karen's house is just a few blocks away. I brought a couple of Checkered cab pizzas and asked the driver to bring me there. Arriving a bit late, I fixed my polo shirt before ringing the bell. The maid answered quickly and showed me to the private room.

The music was bursting loudly even as the walls were said to be sound-proof. If I wasn't bringing these pizzas, I would've thought that I was in a bar. Karen was loosely seated in a Lazy boy. Trish pulled me to sit on the sofa with other skimpy dressed girls as Rico took the pizzas and placed them on the table. Richard thrust a bottle of beer in my chest as he was laughing loudly at some joke I didn't get to hear. And that was the last sane thing I remembered that night.

"Anthony..." Someone whispered behind my ear. I turned to face her, it was Karen and she had a drunken smile on her face.

My hands involuntarily snaked in her waist, her silver dressed hugged her body like there was no tomorrow, and it was instantly turning me on. "Let's talk somewhere private."

I looked around if anyone was watching, all of them were drunk dancing under the disco lights and I let Karen pull me into oblivion.

"Let's make a fun deal." She said seductively as she pried open my shirt. "The boys and I were talking, and I think you can't bag Felice in, however much you tried."

"You brought me here to talk about that ugly fat-ass bitch?" I held her hands and stopped her. She just laughed.

"I'm getting in your nerves, am I? It's not just the nerves that I was hoping to get though..." She smiled slowly as her hands trailed downwards. "As I was saying, I don't think you can, but the boys think you could." She lowered her body towards me, getting close, maybe too close. "So I'll make you a deal."

I grabbed her then, flipped her so that I was towering over her as I crushed my lips to hers. After a few moments, she broke free, "Nuh-uh-uh, Anthony... not until you do this dare." She laughed. "You'll have me after you make her fall in love with you. Be her first, if you catch my meaning."

I froze and I stood up, away from her. I couldn't fathom what she was trying to tell me.

"Think of me as your prize. I know, we both know that you want me." She stood up and stroked my face. She fixed her clothes and started to walk away.

"You can't be serious." I blurted.

"Oh but I am." She turned her head back at me as her hand was already on the doorknob. "Oh, and Anthony, make it quick... I want you too you know."