[Fiction] The Headlights Game

[trin]

"How about this?" said Sam, accelerating the car smoothly away from the lights. "Each time we see a car with a headlight out, we look at the clock. If the minutes are even, you strip. If they're odd, I do."

"That sounds kinda risky" replied Ben. "Isn't this kinda public?"

The two friends were driving across the city late that night on their way home from a concert. Ben had been complaining that he was falling asleep and wanted something to keep him awake, like a game of some kind.

"Oh, come on! It's not that hard. Plus it will definitely keep you awake. I know you get a huge turn on from public stuff. Don't think I've forgotten that game of table football last year."

Ben looked out the window. There were not that many cars around at this time of night and it was raining ever so slightly, so the chances of pedestrians seeing into their car were pretty slim. The rain slid down the front window of the car as he thought. He realised he wanted to do this. It had been years since they'd done any kind of crazy stunt like this, and he had to admit he missed it.

"Fine. Let's play. But the first person to be naked has to turn on their overhead light." Did he just say that? What was coming out of his mouth?

"Ooh. Nice touch. Ok. You're on."

Ben thought he detected a slight tremor in Sam's voice. Was he nervous? Really? Cocky Sam, who always had to win and show off? Surely not.

The two drove in silence for a short time. It was Sam who spotted the first missing headlight.

"There! Quick. What does the clock say? Fuck! Ten fifty one. I guess that's me then."

Sam waited until they came to the red light just up ahead, before unbuckling his seat belt and pulling his sweater over his head.

"Clothes on the back seat, mister!" demanded Ben. "No wussing out in this game." What had gotten into him? Why was he being so foward?

"Fine." Same threw the sweater over his shoulder into the back of the car. They drove on.

"There's the next one!" yelled Ben. He glanced at the clock. Ten fifty three.

"Fuck. Again?" said Sam. This time he pulled the car over and took off his shoes and socks, throwing them into the back with his jumper.

As he pulled out from the curb, Ben spotted another headlight out. This time, the clock read ten fifty four. Ben quickly unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it into the back. His singlet left him still decently covered, should anyone see into the car.

"You know", said Sam, "we have to drive for a while on the motorway. That thing's always packed with tour coaches. This could get interesting..."

Ben didn't say anything. He was already looking for the next blown headlight.

They drove for quite a while without seeing any missing lights. Sam was just about to wonder whether they should change the rules when Ben spotted one right behind them.

Seven minutes past eleven.

This time, Sam took off his shirt, throwing it quickly into the growing pile on the back seat.

"Getting comfortable there?" Ben taunted.

"Shut up."

Ben noticed that Sam was starting to squirm around in his seat a little. Perhaps he was thinking ahead. They still had about twenty minutes until they reached the motorway. Anything could happen in that time. The thought of driving along with all those busses next to them, given their passengers clear views into the car gave Ben butterflies. Maybe Sam was also nervous.

The next headlight was eleven minutes past eleven. Sam swore.

"Have you rigged this? I swear, I'm almost naked and you've only lost your shirt." Ben had to admit, he'd never thought of his friend that way, but Sam looked hot in his blue boxer briefs.

"You suggested the game, buddy!" Ben laughed. He knew Sam wouldn't back out now anyway.

Fortunately for Sam, he spotted the next missing headlight just as the clock changed to fourteen minutes past.

"Ha. Catchup time."

Ben shucked his shoes and socks and threw them backwards over his head, where they landed with two thuds on the floor of the car.

Almost immediately, Ben spotted two cars with missing headlights in the line of traffic on the other side of the road. He looked at the clock, not sure whether to hope that Sam would now be naked with his overhead light on, or whether he would catch him up. At this point, he wasn't sure what excited him more.

Before he could catch a glimpse of the time, Sam stuck his hand over the dial.

"I'm hungry. What do you say we get some food on the way home?" he asked, his eyes betraying his love of the suspense and anticipation this game was creating.

"What did you have in mind?" Ben asked, not sure how much he was prepared to risk.

"Well, when we get to the other end of the motorway, there's a set of shops. I suggest that whoever is least naked at that point go in and get us some food while the other sits in the car."

Ben wondered if Sam realised that meant, if he lost, he'd be sitting in a parked car, naked, with the overhead light on for at least a few minutes. He decided to go for it.

"Ok. Sure."

Sam took his hand away from the clock to reveal the time read eleven twenty.

Ben saw Sam grinning at him as he peeled off his singlet, followed by his pants, and threw them in the back. He looked down and attempted to adjust himself as he noticed he was slightly tenting out the front of his cotton boxers. Sam didn't notice as he was changing lanes, ready to enter the motorway.

The motorway trip was about ten minutes long, and during that time, they passed many tourist busses on their way out of the city. Sam, now very aware that the passengers could get quite an eyeful if they looked down, attempted to pass the busses as quickly as possible without drawing attention to his car.

Just as they came up on their exit, Ben spotted a tour bus they had just passed was missing one of its fog lights.

The clock read eleven twenty eight. Shit.

"Ha! Take 'em off, buddy!" Sam gloated.

Ben's heart was beating fast. This meant he was going to be sitting, naked, in the car with the light on, while Sam went in to get food. He awkwardly lifted his bum off the seat and slid his boxers down to the floor, before picking them up and tossing them over his shoulder. He covered his crotch with his hands and looked over at Sam to find his friend staring at him with a strange expression on his face.

"Eyes on the road, mister." said Ben, doing his best impression of a southern drawl.

"Can you get me some clothes from the back?" asked Sam, returning his focus to the route to the shops.

"Sure. One item. What'll it be?" asked Ben, smirking at his friend.

Sam looked at him quizzically. "Fine." he said, "Throw me your jeans."

When they pulled into the parking lot of the small general store, Sam switched off the engine before turning to Ben and saying "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Shit. The light. Ben reached up and switched it on. He couldn't possibly see how anyone walking past could avoid seeing him there, but he knew that if he bailed out now, he'd never hear the end of it from Sam.

Sam pulled on Ben's jeans and padded into the shop.

He seemed to take an enormous amount of time. Ben was starting to wonder whether he was deliberately playing for time, when two things happened at once.

The first thing was that a car pulled into the empty space next to him, and about four girls in their mid twenties hopped out and starting putting up umbrellas and heading inside.

Without thinking, Ben reached behind him to lay his hand on a piece of clothing, anything, he could use to cover himself if he was spotted. By the time he found something, the girls were gone, but Ben was more worried about the second thing - a tour coach had pulled into the parking lot and a flood of people were now heading towards the shop, a route which took them right past the car!

Ben realised that Sam had probably chosen this parking spot for exactly that reason. He also realised that Sam was probably watching right now, so turning off the light wasn't an option. Ben was enjoying the thrill of this experience just a bit too much to consider breaking the dare just yet, so he sat with one hand behind him holding a shirt (just in case) and one hand above him poised over the light switch, ready to kill it if something bad happened.

He stayed like that, his heart pounding, every inch of him alert and anxious, as what must have been forty or fifty people walked past the car. Some of them came right past, brushing the windows and side mirrors as they went past. As they were facing towards the shop, and concentrating on getting in there without getting too wet, none of them looked down into the car, but for Ben, those moments were some of the scariest and (he had to admit) most exciting of his life.

When they had all passed, he sat frozen, wondering how much longer Sam was going to be. If he didn't hurry, those people were going to start coming out to their bus again, and he was sure they would spot him coming this way.

Just then, there was a knock on the window. Ben jumped and looked up to see Sam grinning at him. Sam opened the door, and said "Quite an exciting time you're having there."

Something about the way he said it made Ben think he didn't mean it literally, and he looked down and realised that with one hand behind him and one above him, his 'excitement' was now on proud display to Sam. Ben sheepishly put his hands back over his crotch as Sam laughed at him, swinging himself into the car.

He must have been slightly distracted by what he saw, because he managed to bump the car horn on his way in. Ben panicked as about half the tourists in the shop and some in the parking lot, only metres away, looked over.

"Just get going would you?" he shouted at Sam.

"Shit. Sorry." Sam fumbled with the keys and they were off, spinning the wheels on the way out.

Ben looked over at his friend and noticed how good he looked, sitting there with only jeans on, his wet chest and hair catching the multi-coloured lights of the street as they went past. Sam seemed to be sporting a bit of 'excitement' of his own, Ben noticed, and he wondered...

"So. Want something to eat?" asked Sam, holding back the glee in his voice. "Of course, you'll have to move your hands to get it."

"Yes", thought Ben. "I wonder..."

[Nick]

Great first chapter! Started out with some good action and i'm excited to see where it goes

[Nwbie]

Very nice start

[DannyDuck]

Really nice! Can't wait for more!

[Demon Thief]

Awesome start. Also liked the strip game they were playing.

[trin]

Thanks for the feedback guys. That's probably the end of that particular adventure for now, but I've got a few more ideas for these two in other stories