Dare You To Love Me

I parked and stepped out of the car and into the parking lot of Ed Debevic’s Diner.

I’d remembered about twenty blocks down from Ro’s that I didn’t have her number- I was going to turn around, but, apparently, Big Rob had it. I mean, come on. My bodyguard has her number? But I don’t? Jeez. Whether I hated her guts or not... Damn.

I’d decided to dress down for the occasion. A plaid shirt and jeans- plus, I’d had to walk Elvis this morning.

“Hey, can I have a booth, please?” I asked, following the gum-popping waitress as she led me near the window.

So, Ro wanted to challenge me, huh? Making her fall in love with me was going to be too easy... Then I could do what I wanted.

Ugh. This morning... Let’s just say, first thing in the morning and remembering my meeting with Ro for breakfast... It did nothing good for me. Especially since the more I tried to get rid of my problem, and hating Ro to eternity, it made it worse.

Goddamn her.

“Hi, I’m here for Nick Jonas...?” I looked up to see Ro, looking...
...
No comment.

I nodded and Ro came over quickly.

“Oh my God, I am so sorry!” Ro huffed, sliding into the seat opposite me.

Oh, she wasn’t getting away with it that easy.

“Listen, I’ve been waiting here for an hour -" I started to lie. "- what are you doing?!” I yelped, as Ro pulled off the frumpy gray jumper she was wearing. I was slightly disappointed to find she had a white tank-top underneath [with a bright pink bra. Hmm], the charm of her necklace falling, hidden in the Valley of the Gods.

“Ow! Bitch, what are you kicking me for?” I yelled, as Ro’s Converse’s came into sharp contact with my knee. Pain. Shit!

“I’m not.” Ro muttered, concentrating.

My eyes widened. Holy shit, no...

I ducked my head under the table, just in time to see Ro kick off her frumpy gym pants and expose two very long, tanned legs and a very short pair of shorts, with nothing else on except a pair of high-top black Converse.

Oh boy.

Ro then tugged at the pony in her, letting her hair fail over her shoulders. She sighed and pulled on her top slightly, smoothing it and causing it to be stretched down; oh, damn good view...

“I know what you’re doing.” I coughed. “This is all part of your plan. To make me fall for you. Too bad I can see you coming.”

Ro stopped and raised an eyebrow at me.

“You’re serious about that? I was kidding.”

“Sure.” I snorted. “You just know you’re already losing.”

“Fine, then it’s on.” Ro snapped back, jumping up. “I’m going to get a coffee.”

“Get me one.” I called lazily.

Ro turned around, her hair falling gently onto her shoulders, her hands on her hips.

“Stop being such a whiny little bitch and get it yourself.”

I closed my eyes and flipped her the finger, imagining her saying something very different in that same posture instead.

*

“Lemonade for one of you...?” A waiter came over, looking bored.

“Yeah, sure.” Ro smiled.

“Here you- oh, shit, I am so sorry!” The waiter yelled... Just as he dropped ice-cold lemonade all over Ro’s front.

Oh my fucking God, this was not happening!

“Shit!” Ro yelped, jumping up.

“Fuck!” I yelled, jumping up too. Her tank top was white. And her bra was bright pink. And now she had ice-cold lemonade all over her lady-lumps and damn, I had not seen anything finer.

“I am so sorry...” The waiter apologized, before his eyes landed on the golden area.

Back off, prick, this one was all mine!

“Don’t you think you’ve done enough?” I snarled. “Just go and get some tissues, now!”

The guy nodded and practically ran headlong.

Hey... I could so use this.
I quickly whipped off my plaid shirt, so I was wearing only a white t-shirt.

“Come with me.” I muttered, grabbing her hand and taking her into the men’s toilets.

“Ew, no!” Roxy muttered, attempting to fight me. I groaned and then led her back outside, to the disabled toilet instead.

“Stop squirming!” I hissed.

“Talk to me when you have your entire female abdomen area freezing in cold!” Roxy hissed at me.

Did she mean she was getting stiff...?

Oh, boy, this was getting better and better.

“You know what?” I grunted, knocking Roxy’s feet out from under her and carrying her bridal-style. Oh, this was such a good view! Roxy stared at me in shock as I kicked the door open, locked it behind us and dumped her ass on the support bar.

Oh and very smoothly placed myself between her legs. You know. Just in case of a hasty entrance.

Ha.

Ro- who had been clinging on to the neck of my T-shirt [she so wants me] – pulled tighter and pulled me closer to her. I looked down and...

Yes. Now that was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in all my years.

“What’s your deal, Jonas?” Ro snapped at me, causing my head to jerk up in shock, my face so close to hers, I almost yelped. But I didn’t.

I could not stop myself stepping forward, further into her legs. It wasn’t me, I swear, it was my hormones.

“Take off the top, Parker.” I muttered darkly. Bitch better do what I say, or I swear, I’d rip that thing off myself.

Roxy gaped at me for a moment.

“What the hell, Jonas?!”

“Roxy.” I growled. “Take it off.”

"No!" Roxy yelled.

I rolled my eyes. Did she think I wanted her that badly?

Okay, so maybe I did, but I wasn’t exactly making it obvious. I was even subtly hiding my, uh, tighter-than-before jeans by having my hand on her inner thigh. Holy shit, her legs felt good...

“Fine.” I snapped, pulling the white tank top over her head in one, swift movement.

Roxy’s eyes almost bugged out of their sockets.

“Give- give it back!” Roxy leant into me, trying to reach up for where I was holding her shirt high in the air. I smirked.

I was going to win this dare so fast, she’d be gone by dinner.

“Come and get it.” I teased.

Oh and boy, did she.

Ro used my shoulders to push herself up and latch her legs around my stomach and reach for her tank top... Her bright pink bra going right in my face.

Oh. My. God. Bitch she may be, but damn, she was sculpted perfectly.

“Nick, give it!” Ro snarled.

“No chance.” I snapped back. Please remember that she was backed up against a wall and had her lovely, awesome, flexible, hot legs wrapped around my midriff.

That’s when Ro placed both of her arms on either side of my head, pushed herself up further and leaned forward for her tank.

So my face was actually pressing into her chest.

Oh, Jesus.

I closed my eyes and tried very hard to think of something- anything- apart from the two pieces of very nice skin tissue in which my nose was pressed between.

Of course, Ro chose that moment to start bouncing.

I was growing a bulge. A rather big and problematic one, too.

This was my awesome plan! She wasn’t supposed to get me frazzled!

So I did the very thing I thought I would not do; I pressed my lips to the skin and unceremoniously dropped her from my chest, causing her to land back on the bar with a shocked expression on her face.

Yes, I felt smug. My jeans would probably never be the same again, but damn, the look on her face was worth it.

“Put on my shirt.” I smirked, handing her my plaid clothing. I went to turn away, but I couldn’t resist; I turned back, pressing myself up against her completely and forcing her entirely against the wall. “And don’t try messing with me again. Your attempts are just too feeble.”

I pulled back and leant on the opposite wall, watching as Roxy slowly put her arms through my sleeves and didn’t maintain eye contact.

Ro buttoned up. Damn, she looked good in my clothes. Selena had nothing on Roxy.
I went to go for the door, but Ro beat me to it, accidentally bumping into me, my toned and, to be quite frank, hot shit abs bumping into her back.

“Shoelace.” Ro told me neutrally... Before pressing her entire body against me for support and propping her sneaker onto the sink and starting to re-tie her laces.

Oh and of course, her settling her ass into the contours of my freaking pelvis didn’t help my problem an awful lot either.

I groaned quietly and pressed the bridge of my nose. Goddamn bitch, did she not feel the huge bump that was pressing into her ass, very, very hard?!

Of course she did. That was why she was torturing me.

Once she was done, I backed her up against the door and hissed.

“You are definitely going to pay for that.”

“Sure.” Roxy smiled sweetly, before pulling on the doorknob and causing us to both fall in a crumpled mess on the floor. With my face landing on her lower stomach.

Fuck, would the torturing of the bulge neverend?!

I quickly forced myself up and brushed myself down, trying to not focus on... Shit.

Ro was leaning on her hands, which were set behind her, her legs still wide open in those godforsaken shorts and her knees bent up slightly, her eyes questioning and an eyebrow raised.

In my black-and-red checked plaid and a pair of Converse.

I swallowed and offered her a hand, which she pointedly ignored. So much for being chivalrous.

We sat back at our original seats. Ro propped her feet next to my lap underneath the table.

“So,” Ro said conversationally. I pointedly ignored her long, tanned legs and took a very long sip of coffee. “How do we know?”

“Know what?”

“When I’ve won.” Roxy said simply, cracking a grin as I glared at her. “I mean, you won’t admit to falling for me. When you do.”

“When you do, you mean.” I muttered darkly, glaring over my coffee cup.

“Oh, no.” Ro replied, taking a bite of her croissant. “I’m way too good at this game.”

“Right.” I scoffed.

“Yep... Right.” Ro dropped her legs from next to me and leant forward. “I mean... If I couldn’t play the game, how come I managed to pay that guy to spill ice-cold lemonade over me?”

No.

Fucking.

Way.

Apparently, I said that out loud.

Ro smirked at me, before paying attention to her flashing BlackBerry.

“Dad wants me to see him. Drop me off?”

“You don’t have your own car?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

“I do... You can see how I ride one day, actually.” Ro winked. Okay. Strain in the pelvic area. “But it’s at the garage getting pimped, so please?”

I rolled my eyes and stared at her.

“Okay, fine! But isn’t it going to look a bit weird, you walking in, wearing my favourite shirt?”

“So you’re taking me home to let me get changed?” Ro faux-gasped. “Oh, thanks, Nick!”

“Whatever.” I grumbled.

We didn’t say much on the way to John’s. I couldn’t get over what had gone down in the toilets. Damn, I’d have to get my shit together! And she paid that guy?

I quietly chuckled, ignoring Ro’s questioning stares. In her own way, Ro had gotten all hot and stiff for me.

I pulled up into John’s driveway, parking next to a bright yellow Lamborghini. I whistled.

“Damn.” I muttered appreciatively. “I didn’t know John owned a car like this.”

“He doesn’t.” Ro told me calmly, stepping out of the car and leaning in through the open window. “It’s mine.”

“What?” I shrieked, jumping out after her. She had a Lamborghini? What? When? Why? How? How could she have a Lamborghini and I have a freaking Mustang, for crying out loud?!

“Present from my Dad.” Ro called over her shoulder, skipping up the porch steps. “You gonna stand there like a goofball, or are you coming in?”

I stared blankly at her, locked the car and went inside.

It was neat and minimalistic. Lots of glass, leather couches, plasma screens and many, many CDs and DVDs on the shelves.

“You can come upstairs, I’ll change in my bathroom.” Ro called out to me, skipping up the stairs.

“Thanks.” I called back, wandering into the kitchen and pouring myself a glass of water and roaming around the picture shelves.

Most of them were of John with his successes, some with the Disney CEO’s and some with his parents. There was one of John when he was younger with a pretty girl; Ro’s mom, I guessed. I wondered what had happened.

“Oh, priceless!” I grinned, taking out my BlackBerry and taking a snapshot of a picture of Ro in eighth grade, pulling a face, complete with braces and glasses. Next to it was a recent one of Ro; she was on a beach, wearing a sarong and bikini. The wind was whipping the face into her hair and she was laughing at something above the camera.

I wondered if John had put the two pictures next to each other for contrast. You know. To remind himself that, although Ro had once been a complete eye-sore monster, she’d grown up to be damned fine [on the outside. On the inside nothing had changed].

I soon got bored with that and wandered upstairs, where I could hear Ro... Singing?

“Don’t want to burst your bubble, don’t want to waste your time, I got the feeling your priorities are out of line...” I inched up the stairs quietly. “... You break my heart with every word that you say, toss it up, tear it up, rip it up, you’re gonna smash it.”

I reached the top of the stairs, realizing Ro’s room was on my right. The breeze was blowing in gently and I peeked from behind the doorframe.

Ro was dancing about in my shirt and nothing else, browsing her closet. I knew this, because I saw her shorts disbanded on the floor.

Her phone rang and she picked it up.

“Hey, sorry about that!” Ro laughed. “Yeah... No! I was just singing that! That is not- no! It is so not our song!”

Our? Ro was taken? If she was, she didn’t play by the rules.

Not that I minded... As long as she didn’t break mine.

Ro sighed playfully.

“Mia, Nick is just a game.” Damn right I was. And some sexy piece of ass, too, lest us forget. “He is not going to be smashing up my heart any time soon. Okay? So you don’t need to worry.”

I smiled to myself a little and made my way down the stairs... I hit a creak and froze, but heard no movement from Ro.

So, Ro thought I didn’t have the capacity to break her heart, did she?

This dare suddenly had a lot higher stakes.