I nearly dropped my drink. Two thousand dollars! For figuring out some soon-to-be-drunk men's names. I worked in a bar with tourists who loved this game; this was going to be easy.
I leaned up against the bar, making sure he could see the cleavage in my shirt. “And if I don't?”
“You have to go out on a date with me.”
“Sam” was cute. Even if I lost, it wasn't going to be the worst night in the world. At least it wasn't a date with Paul. I felt Noah stiffen slightly as he set the amaretto down hard on the counter. Jealousy? Nah, he hadn't known me for more than an hour.
“Deal.” I reached out my hand and Sam gave it a firm squeeze. “But just the guys who are here now. Just Bob, Joe, and Sam.”
“Fair enough.” Sam grinned.
“Here's your Screaming Orgasm, 'Sam',” Noah said, his voice slightly flat. “Sam” grinned and took a big sip.
“You always know the way to my heart,” he said to the bartender. Noah rolled his eyes.
“I didn't think Screaming Orgasms usually came with cherries,” I said, looking at the drink that was normally a shot. He held a good-sized tumbler of the layered drink with cherries dotting the surface.
“Sam” picked one up with his fingers, put it neatly between his teeth and split it open. “But a screaming orgasm is the best way to pop a cherry.”
I felt my cheeks heat. I had walked right into that one.
“Noah, Izzy!” Jack called out. “More drinks!”
I turned from “Sam” to see Noah ready with a fresh Naughty Shirley and something with an inordinate amount of whipped cream. “For 'Bob'. I'll have 'Joe's' ready in a second.”
I took the two drinks and carefully maneuvered out from behind the bar and over to the game area. The current match ended just as I arrived, going to the award screen. The “OwenedU” had won and “Bob” was up and doing a victory dance.
“Here you go, Jack,” I said, handing him his Naughty Shirley. “And here's your drink, Owen.”
Owen's dancing stopped and he turned, his face dropping. “So you do know who we are?”
“Owen was actually a guess, OwenedU,” I said. He sank into his chair and groaned. “But thanks for the confirmation. One down, two to go.” I gave him a smile as he took his drink. He got whipped cream on his nose as he tasted it. I went back to the bar and got the drink Noah had ready. “Joe's?” Noah nodded. “Sam” raised his glass in salute to my first name.
The boys were back in a furious battle, and this time I didn't have any hints on the other two gamertags. I was determined that “Joe” was going to be my next discovery. I had a feeling “Sam” was going to be the hardest, since he was the one paying me and benefited from me losing. Plus, from Noah's earlier almost slip, I knew “Joe's” real name started with a Lo- sound, but that could be Logan, Louis, Loren, Lou, or even a last name.
I grinned as I came up behind them. The match was close. I had played Xbox enough with my little brother to know how to read the game. This was almost too easy.
“Joe. Drink for Joe.” I called out. The three men were so intent on their game that no one responded, which was exactly what I wanted.
I called out again, louder this time. No response. I grinned wider.
I waited until the play clock dropped lower. OwenedU and JACKedUP were tied in kill counts with GUEST hot on their heels. It was crunch time for them now, and that was precisely when I stepped in front of the TV screen.
“Drink for Joe,” I said as innocently as I could. Owen swore, and Jack craned his neck to look around me. “Joe” nearly fell out of his seat trying to see the screen. I held the drink up higher, blocking more of the game.
“Just take the damn drink, Logan!” Jack hissed before realizing his mistake. He let the control drop to his lap, and he looked up at me, eyes narrowed in speculation as the game ended. Owen won the match again. “You did that on purpose, didn't you?”
“Maybe. Your brother bet me I couldn't get everyone's name by the end of the night, and now he's the only one left with a pseudonym.” I handed Logan his drink, moving away from the TV.
Jack raised his eyebrow at me and looked over at his brother. “Just first names?”
I nodded, surprised at how much they wanted to keep their identities secret from me.
“If you can get his name out of him, I'll match whatever he offered you.”
My jaw nearly hit the floor. Four thousand dollars if I could just get one more name. Holy freaking cow, was this night suddenly very profitable. I had hoped to get maybe an extra hundred dollars and a nice little paycheck for working this evening, and here I was with an opportunity to get four grand.
“Are you sure? I mean, he offered two thousand dollars, and I don't want to put you in a tight spot,” I said.