Sarah opened the door with a big smile. “Hey! It’s so great you’re here! We’re going to have an amazing time this weekend.”  

Roger smiled brightly. “Yeah! Sounds amazing. Hope you don’t mind, I brought a six-pack of Henry Weinhard’s root beer...” He handed her the six-pack as he pulled his backpack against his back.  

Sarah grabbed the root beer with an excited squeal and immediately popped one open, taking a sip.   

“Oh my God! These are my favorite! You’re already winning the best guest award!”   

Sarah giggled and stepped aside to let him in. “Come in. Come in! The girls are already upstairs setting up our first game tonight. Taylor brought like, a whole salon’s worth of nail polish and face masks.”  

Sarah leaned closer to Roger, putting a hand on his chest as she whispered conspiratorially, “Between you and me, Rache’s already plotting some... interesting truth or dare questions for later. Are you ready for the most epic sleepover of your life?”  

Roger laughed as he met Sarah’s eyes. “Yeah. Sounds dangerous, but fun.”  

Sarah grinned mischievously and nudged Roger’s arm with her elbow. “Oh, you have no idea how dangerous it’s gonna get. Briana’s already talking about making you model her new lingerie collection later.” Sarah giggles. “But don’t worry, we’ll ease you into the chaos.”  

Sarah tugged on his sleeve, leading him towards the stairs. “C’mon, let’s go raid the snack stash before Taylor commandeers all the gummy worms. Rachel hid a bottle of peach schnapps in the pantry, too, if you’re feeling extra wild tonight.” Sarah winked. “So... truth or dare right off the bat, or are you more of a ‘let’s paint each other’s nails first’ kind of guy?”  

Roger held up his butchered nails. “Pretty sure you don’t want to paint these. Too many nights painting and bashing plastic.”  

Sarah grabbed his hand to inspect his nails with an exaggerated gasp. “Oh, honey, no – this is exactly why you need us!”  

She tugged him toward the stairs with a playful smirk. “Taylor’s gonna work her magic on these, and then we’ll see if you still think they’re beyond saving.”  

Sarah paused halfway up and glanced back with a mischievous glint, “And don’t think I didn’t notice you dodged the truth or dare question.”  

She leaned in, lowering her voice. “Rachel’s gonna sniff out all your secrets by midnight anyway – you might as well surrender now.” She giggled and skipped the rest of the way up. “Hurry up, slowpoke! Briana’s probably already stealing the good throw pillows.”  

Roger quickly moved up the stairs to catch up, a soft laugh on his lips. “You know, I don’t keep secrets.”  

Rachel spun around at the top of the stairs with a dramatic gasp, nearly dropping her root beer. “Liar! Everyone has secrets.” She pointed an accusing finger playfully. “Especially someone who shows up to a girls’ sleepover looking this casually hot.”  

She grinned as she took another sip before continuing, “But fine, keep playing mysterious.”  

She called over her shoulder as she leaned against the doorjamb, “Just remember when Rachel starts the ‘never have I ever’ game later, you’re gonna regret not confessing your deep dark fear of glitter now.”  

Sarah pushed open the bedroom door to reveal Taylor meticulously organizing nail polish bottles while Rachel whispered something that made Briana snort-laugh into a pillow.  

“Ohhh boy,” Sarah said with a laugh, “They’re already in rare form.” She tossed Roger a bag of gummy worms from the couch. “Last chance to spill anything before the interrogation begins!”  

Sarah winked and plopped down beside Briana, who immediately started to braid a section of Sarah’s hair without asking.   

Roger dropped off his bag by the door, then walked in and sank to the floor cross-legged. “Really. Ask me whatever you want. I can’t lie for shit. Honesty is always a better and easier course of action.”  

Sarah leaned forward with sudden, intense curiosity, nearly pulling her hair free from Briana’s braiding efforts.   

“Waitwaitwait - so you’re telling me right now, to my face, that if I asked you anything, you’d answer completely honestly?” Roger nodded. Sarah exchanged a gleeful look with Rachel, who was already scooting closer. “Ohhh, this is too good.” She tapped her chin dramatically.  

“Okay, first question: why did you really say yes to this sleepover?” She grinned as she stole a gummy worm from the open bag in his hands. “And don’t give me some polite ‘because you’re my friends’ crap – we all know Briana’s the only one narcissistic enough to believe that.”  

Briana flipped Sarah off without breaking the rhythm on the braid.  

Roger smiled. “A chance to spend a night with the most beautiful woman I know? I’d be an idiot to say no.”  

Sarah burst out laughing and nearly choked on her gummy worm, pounding her chest. Rachel covered her face, giggling, while a slow smile crossed Briana’s face. Taylor looked up and grinned.   

“Oh my god, you did NOT just say that with a straight face!” Rachel exclaimed as she glanced at Sarah, who was suddenly sitting up way too straight. “Uh-oh.” Sarah grinned and kicked her feet excitedly. “Someone’s playing with fire tonight.”  

Sarah leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper, “You know we invited you because we think you‘re gay, right?  But that comment makes me think that maybe we were wrong?”  

“Wait,” Roger said, looking surprised, “you invited me because you thought I was gay?” 

Sarah clapped her hands together with a delighted squeal. “Ohhh, this is gonna be legendary!” She tossed the empty gummy worm bat at Rachel. “Quick, someone text the group chat – we’re upgrading from ‘innocent gay bestie’ to ‘full-blown sleepover experiment’ tonight.”   

Briana finally stopped braiding to clutch her pearls dramatically.  

“But hey,” Briana shrugged and popped another gummy worm in her mouth, “If you’re volunteering to be our honorary straight guy for the weekend...” Her voice trailed off meaningfully as Rachel started fanning herself with a magazine.  

“So,” Sarah clapped her hands together, “New game plan: You’re now required to settle all our ‘do guys actually like this?’ debates. Starting with,” Sarah grabbed Taylor’s shoulder, “do men notice eyelash extensions, or is she wasting her rent money?” Taylor immediately throws a pillow at Sarah’s head. All the girls looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. 

Roger cocked his head to the side, confused. 

Taylor gasped, “Ooh, you really aren’t gay!” 

Sarah wiggled her eyebrows while Taylor aggressively shook a bottle of nail polish. “First order of business: Truth or Dare right now. No warm-up.” She poked Roger’s knee with her toe. “And don’t even think about picking truth – Briana’s been practicing her smoky eye all week specifically for dares.”   

Rachel whispered loudly, “She wants an excuse to sit on someone’s face.” Rachel ducked as Briana chucked a hairbrush at her head.  

Roger blushed a little darker. “Well... that's a little deep right off the go, but okay... fine. Dare.”  

Sarah grinned wickedly and exchanged a look with Rachel, who immediately started giggling in her hands. “Ohhh, you absolute legend.” She crawled closer on her knees, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Okay, first dare – and this is just to break the ice – you have to let Taylor give you a full spa treatment.” Sarah gestured to the mountain of nail polish and face masks. “And I mean full.”  

Taylor whispered, “I’ve been dying to test my new eyelash curler on someone with actual eyelashes. Sometimes guys get the best eyelashes! So not fair!”  

Sarah leaned back as Taylor immediately pounced with a squeal, already waving a bottle of sparkly blue polish. “Don’t worry, we’ll make it worth your while,” Sarah winked, “Rachel will mix drinks downstairs, and I promise the next dare will involve way less glitter.”  

Briana fake-gasped and threw a pillow at Sarah.  

“What? I’m easing him in!” Sarah laughed and stole the pillow to hug it. “Soo... you in, or do we need to start the dares with something more...” She trailed off meaningfully as Rachel mimed kissing noises.  

Roger laughed. “Okay. Sure. Why not. Still not gay though.”  

Sarah clutched her stomach, laughing as Taylor immediately started rummaging through her makeup bag with terrifying enthusiasm.  

“Oh my god, the way you said that,” she mimicked his voice between giggles, “still not gay though, like we’re gonna accidentally turn you with a face mask and some nail art.” Rachel wiped tears away and nudged his shoulder. “Relax, Picasso, we’ll keep it PG... for now.”  

Sarah grinned as Taylor brandished a sheet mask ominously. “Though fair warning,” Sarah leaned in conspiratorially as Rachel left to make the punch, “Rachel’s ‘special punch’ might make you agree to things you’d normally say no to. Like letting Briana practice her,” Sarah made air quotes, "sensual massage techniques later.”  

Sarah ducked as another pillow flew past her head. “What? I’m just preparing him for the full experience!” Sarah giggled and grabbed the pillow to hug. “Now hold still – Taylor gets scary when she’s in artist mode.”  

Sarah watched with amusement as Taylor started aggressively shaking a bottle of basecoat. “You’re about to have the shiniest cuticles in a 50-mile radius.”  

Briana whispered, “Pray she doesn’t find the bedazzler.”  

“Oh God,” Roger laughed, “bring it on.”  

Sarah grinned and watched Taylor begin her meticulous nail work with the intensity of a surgeon. “Ohhh, she’s starting with the base coat – you're in for the long haul now.”  

Briana used the abandoned magazine and fanned Roger dramatically. “Stay strong, soldier.”  

Sarah laughed as Briana started applying a face mask to herself in the mirror with unnecessary sensuality.  

“Soo... since you’re trapped here for at least twenty minutes, truth or dare round two?”  

Briana wiggled her eyebrows, “And before you ask – yes, all dares tonight involve varying degrees of humiliation or near-nudity. House rules.”  

Briana giggled when Taylor slapped her knee for making Roger flinch and smudge a nail.   

“Oops. Too late to back out now,” Sarah leaned in, “Rachel just texted that the schnapps is ready.” She whispered, “She also may have dared me to give you a lap dance during spin the bottle later, but that's future-Sarah's problem.”  

Briana fake-gasped and threw a tube of lip gloss at Sarah’s head. “What? He said no secrets!” Sarah ducked, laughing. “Okay, okay – for real this time: Truth or Dare? And remember...” She gestured to his half-painted nails. “You’re literally at our mercy.”  

Roger smiled, “Wouldn’t have it any other way. Let’s go with truth this time.”  

She exchanged a mischievous look with Rachel as she walked in with the punch. 

Sarah grinned and tapped her chin dramatically. “Oooh, going for truth? Bold choice.”  

 Rachel gasped, “Ooh! I’ve got a good one! Let’s start simple: What's the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done to impress a girl?”   

Sarah leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “And don’t say ‘showed up to a sleepover with everyone thinking I was gay,’ because we already know that one.”  

Sarah giggled as Taylor carefully painted a tiny heart on Roger’s pinky nail.   

“C’mon, spill! Briana once slow-danced with a mop in the school bathroom to make her crush jealous, so the bar is,” Sarah waved her hand, “subterranean.”  

Rachel snorted into her drink while Briana flipped Sarah off without breaking her face mask application.  

Roger thought for a moment, watching the girls, “How about the time I wrecked my bike trying to rabbit out of a stop light to impress some girl I’d never seen before?”  

Sarah clutched her stomach, laughing, nearly knocking over Taylor’s nail polish. “No WAY – you wiped out in front of a random girl?”   

Rachel wiped tears and fanned herself with her hand, “Oh my god, that’s somehow dorkier than Briana’s mop serenade.” She grinned as Rachel started mimicking a bike crash with sound effects.  

“Okay, follow-up truth: Did it at least work? Did mystery bike-crush come running to your rescue all,” batting eyelashes, “oh no, let me kiss your scrapes better?” Sarah wiggled her eyebrows while Taylor blew on his nails dramatically.  

Taylor gasped, “Or was she laughing too hard to help?”   

Sarah stole another gummy worm from Briana’s stash, “C’mon, details! This is way better than Taylor’s stories about her salon clients.” Sarah ducked as Taylor flicked a cotton ball at her. “What? Dude just admitted to being a human crash test dummy for love!” Sarah giggled and nudged Roger’s knee. “Soo... was she cute at least? Or are we adding ‘terrible judge of character’ to your list of sleepover confessions?” Briana fake-swooned onto Rachel’s lap. “He risked death... for a stranger... how romantic!” Sarah dissolved into giggles as Rachel shoved her off.  

Roger laughed, “She came running. Laughing. But I was too embarrassed. I said I was fine while trying to get my feet out of the toe-clips and pick up my mangled bike. Not realizing I had bent the frame so badly it was unrideable...”  

Briana clutched her face in exaggerated secondhand embarrassment, nearly smearing her own face mask, “Oh NOOO – you had to WALK your busted bike home?” She dissolved into giggles, leaning against Sarah for support. “That’s like... rom-com levels of adorable disaster.”  

Sarah wiped tears from her face and gestured at his now sparkly nails. “At least now you’ve got us to patch you up when your flirting backfires.”   

“Soo... truth or dare round three?” Taylor wiggled her eyebrows. “And before you answer,” she pointed to her ominous bedazzling toolkit, “remember you’re already halfway to being our prettiest girl.”  

Briana fake-gasped, “Excuse me!”  

Sarah tossed a gummy worm at her. “Oh, hush, you’re the shiniest by default.”   

Taylor turned back to Roger with a mischievous wink. “Well? Still team truth, or ready to live dangerously?” Taylor whispered, “Rachel’s been practicing her ‘sexy interrogation’ face in the mirror all week.”  

Roger laughed. “Sexy interrogation face? I gotta see this. Fine. Dare this time.”  

Sarah grinned wickedly and snapped her fingers toward Rachel, who immediately crawled forward with exaggerated smoldering eyes. “Ohhh, you asked for it.”  

Rachel dramatically flipped her hair and licked her lips before bursting into giggles. Sarah pointed at Roger, “Okay, dare number one – you have to let Rachel give you a sensual foot massage,” she paused for dramatic effect, “while maintaining full eye contact and telling her she’s the most beautiful girl in the room.”  

 Taylor laughed and said, “Don’t worry, she’s actually terrible at massages – last time she gave me one, I got a cramp.”  

Rachel flipped her off but scooted closer anyway, cracking her knuckles ominously.  

“Soo... ready to be objectified, or are you gonna chicken out and pick truth again?”  

Sarah wiggled her eyebrows as Taylor started applying a second coat of glitter polish. “Too late to escape the sparkle now, bestie.”  

Roger laughed hard. “Sure. Sounds like fun, but before you start, I have to warn you. My mom was a licensed massage therapist. She might have taught me a few things.”  

Roger winked.  

Sarah clapped her hands over her mouth with a scandalized gasp, “Ohhh, no, he DIDN’T just drop that bomb.” She whirled to face Rachel with wide eyes, “Babe, you’re about to get shown UP.”  

They all dissolved into giggles as Rachel’s “sexy interrogation” face immediately faltered.  

“Wait, wait, wait,” Sarah snatched Taylor’s phone. “We need video evidence of this.”  

Sarah held up the phone dramatically, “Okay, new dare rules: If his massage is better, Rachel has to take a shot of the punch. If she wins...” Sarah grinned wickedly. “You have to wear Briana’s ‘kiss the cook’ apron all night.”  

Briana whooshes in and immediately produces said apron from under a pillow. “No take-backs!”  

Sarah leaned in as Rachel tentatively offered her feet. “Show us what mama taught you, hot stuff.” She whispered, “And if you make her moan, I’m charging admission.” Sarah ducked as Rachel swatted at her, face already flushing.  

Roger looked confused for a moment. “Okay... wait, who is getting the massage, and where?”  

Sarah burst out laughing and gestured wildly between Roger and Rachel. “Oh my god, you’re already flustered and we haven’t even started!”  

Briana wiped a tear from her cheek and scooted closer. “Okay, okay – Rachel’s the lucky victim tonight.” Sarah grinned as Rachel dramatically fanned herself. “And the ‘where’ is right here, obviously.” She patted the floor between them. “Unless you’re trying to sneak her into a private session already.”  

Sarah wiggled her eyebrows while Briana fake-gasped meaningfully as Rachel shoved her shoulder.  

“Anyway!” Sarah clapped her hands. “Begin whenever you’re ready, masseur extraordinaire.” Sarah leaned back against Briana, whispering loudly, “Taylor, start the timer – we need to see how long it takes before Rachel forgets how to form sentences.”  

Rachel flipped her off, but offered Roger her feet with a nervous giggle, her toes already twitching in anticipation.  

Roger looked confused for a moment, still smiling. “I meant, what part of her body, you goof.” He laughed. “Shoulders? Hands? Legs? Neck? Ass?”  

Taylor clutched her stomach, laughing, nearly knocking over her nail polish again. “Oh my GOD, he just went straight for ‘ass’ like it’s on the spa menu.” She wiped tears from her face and fanned herself. “Rachel, babe, you better pick carefully.” Taylor wiggled her eyebrows. “This man’s got options.”  

Briana immediately started chanting, “Ass! Ass!”  

Rachel chucked a pillow at her.  

“Okay. Okay. Since you’re clearly a professional,” Sarah gestured grandly, “why don’t you start with her shoulders and work your way...” She trailed off with a suggestive smirk, “...down.”  

Rachel’s face turned scarlet as Taylor nearly spilled glitter polish everywhere, laughing.  

“House rules say nothing below the waist until spin the bottle, though, so...” Sarah mimed zipping lips, “Save those skills for later.”  

Briana snapped her fingers, “Damn!” 

Briana plopped down cross-legged, “Now, c’mon Picasso – show us why we need to frame your mom's license.” Then she whispered, “And if Rachel melts into a puddle, we’re charging her for the carpet cleaning.”