“You like being my good puppy,” I tease.
“Shut up.”
I can’t resist any longer. I push him into the back of a stall, gripping his shoulders, and kiss him hard. He dives in, meeting my energy, tasting like chocolate. I lose the rest of the world for a few moments as Alex’s tongue invades my mouth and he takes over my senses. Another perfect kiss. Our second since we stopped hating each other… and yes, I’m counting. We pull apart for breath. A straight couple in their twenties are looking at us. Not hostile, just curious. I think. I hope. My heart beats a little faster but I take Alex’s hand in a confident grip. I lead him past them and back into the crowds of the market.
“You just did thatin public,” Alex says, looking half disbelieving and half amused.
I shrug. “It’s 2025. Why not?”
He doesn’t point out the irony of me telling him that.
“Want a proper drink?” I say. “Apparently they have an ice bar on George Street. They keep it at minus eight Celsius. Even the glasses are made of ice. I’ll buy you a round. ”
Alex shivers. “That sounds even colder than being out here,” he says. “And you can’t pay for everything.”
“Why not? You deserve the princess treatment.”
“Why amIthe princess?”
“Because you’re so much prettier.”
“You underestimate yourself. Anyway, we’re going to have to talk about this later. I need to pay for my half of the trip.”
“Afraid of being my sugar baby?” I say.
“Something like that.”
He laughs at the phrase, but he sounds serious. Tough shit. I have no intention of letting him pay for half the flights and hotel room. This is my treat. I sprang it on him as a surprise. It wouldn’t be fair to expect him to pay anything.
“Tell you what, we can wrestle for it when we get back to the room,” I suggest. “If you win, you can pay half.”
He pouts at me. I think that’s the first time he’s ever done that. It makes my belly flip.
“We both know how that’s gonna go,” he protests.
I give him a hint of my old arrogance from when we were tennis enemies; I know how mad it makes him. “Maybe I’ll take pity on you and let you win.”
“Stop being an asshole or I’ll tell everybody your secret,” he says.
I freeze as fear grabs my chest. My playful mood vanishes into the night air. He couldn’t. Hewouldn’t. Would he?
His smile falters. “What’s wrong?” he says. “What are you thinking about?”
“What-what areyouthinking about?” My voice is weak. “Outing me?”
He looks horrified. “No! Of course not. I was joking about telling everyone your real name.”
“My real name…” I repeat numbly.
“Dean?” He raises his eyebrows.
“How do you even know about that?” I ask.
“I overheard Olivia call you that once at school. She was taking the piss out of you.”
“Oh.Oh. Okay. That makes sense.”
He’s known about my name all this time? And he kept my secret even after I sold him out under the mistletoe. Just like he kept my even bigger secret. Now I feel stupid, with my heart pounding in my chest from fright. It’s only starting to slow down now. Alex must’ve seen the racing panic in my eyes, not tomention the pleading for mercy expression. He takes my face in his hands, his gloves warming my frozen cheeks.
