So kiss him & make it real

"Sit down, Sienna. I didn't mean to make you feel distraught. She just insisted on tagging along." Ryker released his tight grip on her wrist, motioning toward the plush leather booth tucked in the corner of the club. He understood the friction between the two women and always tried to force reason between them, but his efforts never yielded a thing.

Sienna glared at the cheap vinyl cushions. The pulsing, deafening music of the nightclub rattled her ribs, forcing her to raise her voice to an obnoxious yell just to be heard. "You could have texted or called to warn me you had company, Ryker! I wanted a quiet night!"

Vivienne slid into the booth first, taking the seat right next to Ryker. "Do you have a problem with my presence?" Her piercing, aggravating voice sliced right through the heavy bass, managing to worsen Sienna's already sour mood.

Sienna forced a tight, fake smile and sank into the seat across from them. The relaxing night she had desperately planned with her best friend was ruined. "It is fine."

"How was your day?" Ryker shifted his posture, his shoulders slumping as the heavy, multicolored club lighting washed over his stressed features. He had known Sienna for over a decade. He could always read the subtle tension hiding behind her bubbly exterior.

Sienna bit the inside of her cheek. She had so much to share with him. She wanted to vent about the nightmare in her office, her abrupt resignation, and the miraculous new job offer. More than anything, she needed to confess the felony hit-and-run she committed earlier that evening in the rain. She wanted to tell him about the expensive gifts she bought to cheer him up. Instead, she stared at Vivienne's smug expression and swallowed her words entirely. She realized she had to get used to losing her best friend. They hardly spoke at home anymore because Sienna was always exhausted, and Ryker always returned defeated from his relentless job hunting.

"Fine." Sienna uttered the lie without flinching. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the sticky table. "Yours?"

"You will not believe it, Sienna. I did not even make it through the final interview before the hiring manager announced the winner." His mood visibly soured, the agony bleeding into his voice. He had faced non-stop rejection throughout his job search, always praying for a miracle that never arrived. Unable to put up with the shame of facing his parents, he had moved in with Sienna, who readily accepted him. Now, that same shame radiated from his posture.

Sienna forgot her own miserable day instantly. She reached across the table and touched his hand, trying to lighten his mood. "That is unfair."

"I know. It gets worse, trust me." Ryker grabbed Sienna's martini glass and gulped the remaining alcohol down in one desperate swallow. He slammed the glass back onto the table, prompting Sienna to wave a waitress down and generously order another round for all three of them.

"You will get a job soon, Ryker. Just be patient. Good things come to those who wait." She gently encouraged him, falling into their usual routine.

Ryker could not mask his deep envy. He looked at her career success with a bitter glint in his eye. "But you have always changed jobs so easily. Does it mean the ones you leave just are not good enough for you?" He always concluded her luck came down to female privilege.

"Would I keep changing them if they were good?" Sienna countered rhetorically.

Vivienne crossed her arms, realizing she had been kept out of the conversation for too long. "Sienna, let us play a game." Childishness coated her tone as she loudly demanded their attention.

"I am not in the mood for your games, Vivienne." Sienna wanted absolutely nothing to do with that cunning, manipulative mind. The last time she played to Vivienne's tune, she found herself trapped in a miserable situation. Sienna was an honest person; she lacked the vicious tactical edge her rival possessed.

"Oh, it is just a truth or dare kind of thing." Vivienne insisted, leaning over the table.

Before Sienna could fully verbalize a final, harsh rejection, the entire nightclub went dead silent.

The pulsing, deafening music abruptly stopped. Bright, glaring overhead lights flared to life, washing away the neon shadows and blinding the dance floor. The massive crowd parted like the Red Sea. Everyone moved away in hushed reverence as a tall, slender man walked through the venue entrance. He wore a casual black polo shirt with a pair of tailored jeans and dark designer shoes, matching his jet-black hair perfectly. Whispers filled the stale air. He carried a powerful, icy, and terrifying aura that demanded absolute submission from everyone in the room. He radiated an untouchable, lethal energy.

He strode straight toward the exclusive VIP section located on the elevated balcony. A swarm of cocktail waitresses in tight dresses immediately rushed his position, eager to cater to his every whim. He did not even blink. His stern, deadpan gaze swept over them, dismissing every single woman's attention instantly. He sat down on the velvet sofa, a king taking his throne.

At his subtle hand signal, the glaring white lights snapped off. The multicolored strobes returned, and the DJ slammed the thumping bass back over the speakers, resuming the chaotic party.

Vivienne watched the display of absolute untouchability with wide eyes. "Who is he?" She kept her gaze glued to the man who carried himself with such terrifying sophistication and elegance.

"Why do you ask me? I do not know." Ryker shrugged, answering in an irritated growl.

His annoyance did not deter Vivienne. She studied the icy stranger, noticing how his stern gaze remained fixed ahead, refusing to give any of the desperate women flocking around him a fraction of his attention. A cruel, malicious intent crossed her mind. She realized exactly how she could cause Sienna the worst, most public embarrassment of her entire life.

"So, Sienna. What do you think about the game proposal?" She taunted her rival.

Sienna stared at the VIP section, her mind addled. She felt certain she had seen the terrifying man somewhere before, but she could not recall where. She just wanted to get this miserable night over with. She figured she could play one round, excuse herself to dance with a random stranger, and let Ryker protect her if things went south. "Fine. Truth or dare?"

"Truth." Vivienne instantly answered.

Sienna let out a wry smile. She seized the rare chance to test her rival's true intentions and figure out exactly how Vivienne felt about her best friend. "Do you love Ryker?"

"With all my heart." Vivienne boldly declared her devotion. She immediately pulled Ryker closer, grabbing the front of his shirt. She crushed her lips against his in a deeply passionate, public kiss.

Sienna gripped the edge of the table. She wanted a simple yes or no answer, but the girl had just outsmarted her. The graphic display of affection physically made Sienna want to gag from jealousy and disgust. She harbored heavily guarded, unrequited romantic feelings for Ryker. It was quite obvious to both women that they were in love with the same man, except Sienna had given up the fight long ago.

Vivienne finally broke the wet kiss, leaving Ryker breathless. "Truth or dare, Sienna?"

Sienna swallowed tightly. She was terrified that Vivienne would throw the exact same question back at her, using a 'Truth' prompt to expose her unrequited love right in front of Ryker. "Dare."

A dry, wicked smile decorated Vivienne's face. She lifted a slender finger and pointed directly at the terrifying, icy stranger sitting in the VIP section. "I dare you to kiss that man."

Sienna’s heart sparked with absolute fire. She stared at the devil everyone feared and whispered about. She was trapped. She immediately understood the malicious intent behind the demand. The man allowed zero women near him. Vivienne wanted her utterly humiliated, publicly rejected by a man famous for his asexual, unapproachable demeanor. Sienna realized with a sinking heart that this was not how she ever wanted to lose her very first kiss. Giving it to a dangerous, handsome stranger on a cheap dare felt like a nightmare.

She swam in regret, seeking a visible way out of the mess. Luckily, her best friend came to her aid.

"Vivienne, that is not right." Ryker disputed the command, his protective banner instantly raising over Sienna. He had been her knight in shining armor since high school. He always protected her from bullies, and whenever he was with her, his loyalty flared up to shield her from harm.

"Come on, it is just a game. Would you rather do it yourself?" Vivienne flirtatiously countered, cornering him with the rules of the game.

Ryker fell silent, caught in his own confusion. He loved Vivienne and had a responsibility toward Sienna. He felt paralyzed between the two women.

"I will not do it." Sienna muttered through gritted teeth, gripping her purse strap tight.

"So you admit defeat?" Vivienne continued to heckle her, leaning closer across the sticky table. She knew Sienna's pride would never allow her to walk away from a direct challenge.

Just as predicted, Sienna hissed back. "I can never lose to you."

"So kiss him and make it real." Vivienne sat back, thoroughly enjoying her psychological game.

Sienna deadpanned. She stood up from the booth, turned around, and looked at the man. His features were striking, but he radiated an angry, icy warning that screamed danger. Her heart burned with an ignited fire of stubborn pride. She would not let Vivienne win. She gritted her teeth. "Fine."

Vivienne's malicious smile fully bloomed. She reached across the table and held out a fresh glass of alcohol.

When Sienna turned her head to study the terrifying man, Ryker instinctively did the same. With both of their eyes locked on the VIP area, they missed the swift movement of Vivienne's hand. Vivienne covertly and smoothly slipped an unknown substance directly into the glass of alcohol. The clear liquid masked the malicious act perfectly.

Sienna desperately needed liquid courage to accomplish the humiliating task ahead of her. She took the spiked glass from Vivienne's manicured fingers and gulped the drink down instantly, letting the burning liquor coat her dry throat. She slammed the empty glass onto the table. She hand-combed her long, wavy black hair, steeling her nerves for the impending rejection, and turned to leave.

"Do not do it!" Ryker rumbled a desperate warning, reaching out to grab her wrist again.

It was too late. Sienna had already slipped past his grasp. She began sauntering purposefully across the neon-lit floor, heading straight toward the VIP section, walking blindly into the lion's den.