It’s weird, but I’m pleased when Poppy grins at me, like we’re co-conspirators. Imagine that, me being pleased with Poppy Greer’s approval. “Brilliant. I’ll go first.”
She looks around at each of us, thinking seriously about what she’s going to say. “Never have I ever skinny-dipped in the sea.”
Blackpool, four or five years ago. I was on a different hen night with a bunch of friends from an apprenticeship course I was on at the time, and we all did it, even though it was October. One of the bridesmaids ended up catching a cold and the bride’s bracelet was stolen from the pile of clothes we left behind.
I take a sip, watching Tanya and Annabel do the same. Esther shakes her head.
Poppy laughs. “Okay, maybe that one was too easy! Never have I ever had a one-night stand with someone.”
Is she for real? I look at her expression, but she’s smiling innocently, waiting to see who will take a sip. To the surprise of no one, the rest of us drink. Maybe there’s still a little bit of the old Poppy Greer there after all.
“You’re so traditional!” Annabel says. “Bless you, Poppy.”
“Chloe, your turn,” Poppy says. “We’ll go round in a circle. I can’t keep hogging every round.”
“Never have I ever . . .” It’s hard to think what I haven’t done, without making me sound easy. I like to have a good time and I’m not going to apologise for living my life to the fullest. But then I think of something. “Never have I ever had sex with a woman.”
I’m expecting no one to drink. Annabel, Tanya, and Esther stay still. Well, Annabel half lifts her glass, then obviously realises what I’ve said and puts it back down again. But we all gawp when Poppy takes a big gulp from her plastic cup.
“When?” I ask. And then, because I can’t help myself, “Does your groom know you have, Poppy?”
She chuckles. “I should hope so, because that was what I was going to tell you all. My groom isn’t a groom at all. She’s another bride. She’s a woman.”
“A woman?”
The others look at me, surprised by the outburst. Are they joking? I can’t believe I’m the only one who seems bothered by it.
“Everything okay, Chloe?” Poppy says. “You don’t have a problem with that, do you? It’s okay to like both, you know.”
“Congratulations,” Annabel says quickly. “I’m glad you found someone.”
Poppy ignores her. “Chloe?”
She should know I’m not one to back down. She asked for it.
“I don’t normally associate myself with people like you,” I snap. “Hardly a surprise though, is it?”
Tanya shakes her head.
“What do you mean by that?” Poppy asks. She’s trying to sound serious but she can’t hide the hurt behind her question.
“Desperate enough to be loved by anyone,” I say. “You always were Poppy Greedy.”
Something flashes across Poppy’s face.
Everyone else has gone silent too.
Is no one really going to back me up? They’re all staring down into their drinks, desperately avoiding any eye contact. How pathetic.
Look, maybe I’ve had too much to drink, but fuck it. I’m entitled to my opinion.
“What?” I say. “God, relax, everyone. I’m joking, okay?”
I’m not joking, but whatever. As long as she stays sitting opposite me and doesn’t come close, I won’t let it bother me. I bet she’s fancied me for years. I wouldn’t be surprised.
There’s a moment when they all seem to stare at one another, and then their drinks. Poppy is still seething. Finally, Annabel cracks a smile and begins to chuckle, and Tanya and Esther join in.
“You haven’t changed, Chloe,” Poppy says. But she’s smiling again now.
It’s Esther’s turn next in the game, but she’s hesitating.
“Carry on!” Poppy says.
“Never have I ever cheated on someone,” Esther says.
There’s a pause as everyone considers how honest they want to be. My eyes can’t help darting a glance at Annabel, desperate for her to drink, but she remains still. Fuck it. They can’t question the when or where or most importantly who. I decide to take one for the team and drink first.
Tanya and Poppy sip. I’m curious about Tanya, but she’s hurriedly taking her turn to avoid questions.
“Never have I ever got a tattoo,” she says.
I have a small butterfly on my thigh, which I point to as I drink. It’s a matching tattoo, actually, not that I would ever tell anyone that. My mum has a butterfly on her thigh too. We got them done together to celebrate her last drink and the start of her sobriety. Unfortunately, that wasn’t as permanent. Now I tell people I got it done after a wild night out on holiday in Thailand; it’s a much more exciting story. Poppy brandishes her wrist at us for a moment, a red flower with a dark centre, then drinks.
“A poppy?” Annabel says.
“It’s a love tattoo to yourself, isn’t it?” I say.
“Perhaps,” Poppy says, but doesn’t explain any further. “Never have I ever stood up a date.”
There’s an awkward silence as we process this one. Poppy remains cool, but I wonder what’s going on behind her eyes, what she’s thinking.
“Does showing up to a date and seeing what he really looked like in person and bailing count?” I say quickly. “Because I’ll definitely have to drink if so.”
“I’d say that counts,” Poppy says. “If you’re not showing up to someone for whatever reason, that counts.”
I drink, painfully aware I am the only one to do so. There’s a bit of a lull in the game at that moment as we wait for Annabel to come up with something.
“Isn’t this island beautiful?” Poppy gestures around us. The hot tub stares out across the main lawn, the beach visible just barely in the background, a quiet hush of the waves drifting in and out, audible if you strain to listen. Mostly, though, there is silence outside of the pop music blasting out of the CD player, and a growing darkness that reminds us just how isolated we are. Above us, the sky is not covered in pollution but a thick blanket of stars.
Esther leans back to look at the moon, which hangs as a crescent directly above where we are. “It’s so strange being here. It’s so far away from everything we know.”
“Are there lots of bugs on this island?” I pull a face. It can be as beautiful as it wants but, if I wake up to a massive spider on me, this place is officially a nightmare.
Poppy looks amused. “Not a fan of bugs, Chloe?”
I shudder. “Not at all.”
“I think you’ll be fine. But you never know with an island. Of course they’ll be around.”
Annabel takes a cautious sip of her wine. “I can’t think of anything else for the game.”
Honestly, she’s useless. I’m about to suggest something when Poppy butts in.
“Never have I ever done something for charity.”
Oh, great. She’s going to be a preachy type. The four of us stay still for this round, not a drop of alcohol consumed.
“I lied,” Poppy says. “I donate to three different charities monthly and I also volunteer every Sunday at a homeless shelter. I was just curious.”
“Hey, that’s not fair!” I protest. “You can’t just make something up.”
She downs her drink in one, then refills. “There. I’ve drank now.”
“Well, that doesn’t really count,” Tanya says.
“None of you really give to charity?” she asks. “But you all make so much money.”
I frown. I’m not sure why she’s so judgemental. “It’s my money, and I can do what I want with it. And when I’m young I plan on enjoying myself. I’ve got lots of time to help others in the future.”
“Chloe’s right,” Tanya says. Of course Tanya is backing me up. She owes me big-time. “And anyway, there are more ways to help someone than donating to charity. I’ve heard a lot of donations just go to administrative costs.”
“What do you do instead, Tanya?” Poppy asks.
“Well, uh, some of my events raise awareness of certain issues,” she blusters.
“Annabel or Esther?” Poppy persists. “Not just charities. Do you do anything for other people?”
Annabel avoids answering by drinking her vodka.
“Nothing,” Esther admits bluntly. “But some of us have our own problems.”
The atmosphere is well and truly dead now. What was Poppy thinking? She catches my eye as I glare at her and to my surprise she returns it in full force, keeping that intensity until it is me who has to look away, defeated.
“Perhaps that one was a mistake,” Poppy concedes. “Chloe’s right, that wasn’t fair. The rules are you have to say something you’ve never done.”
“Oh, it’s fine.” Esther, always the peacemaker, tries to placate. “Let’s just do something else. Maybe it’s time for bed.”
“Never have I ever done drugs,” Annabel blurts out.
Oh, Jesus. I can feel Tanya’s eyes on me, but I ignore her and take a drink. I don’t care. Let them judge me.
Even Esther the fitness fanatic has to drink. “If a bit of weed in my first year of university counts,” she mutters. Tanya and Poppy stay as they are.
I don’t say anything.
“Tanya,” Poppy says. “You haven’t ever taken drugs either? Really?”
I feel as though I’m holding my breath, but Tanya stays firm.
“Never,” she says.