Kate-Nate Gate was the beginning and end of our foray into the dating apps. Alex and I agreed, after that night, to delete the apps and never speak of Kate-Nate Gate again.
“Dammit,” he says, turning slightly, tucking himself against me. “She saw me. Shelookedat me.”
“How threatening was the look?”
Alex scrubs his face. “I don’t know, Ted.” He peers up, then immediately looks down, swearing under his breath. “She’s coming over.”
“You want to make a break for it?” I ask.
“No, Jen isn’t here yet. I have to keep an eye on Mia.”
I frown up at him. “Doyou have an eye on Mia?”
“Sitting crisscross applesauce in the kids’ cozy corner. ReadingMiss Rumphius, which I will buy, because it’s covered in the sticky remnants of her fifth—God help me—cake pop.”
“Wow. That level of awareness is…”Hot, I think. “Impressive,” I say instead.
He nods. “Thanks. But can we come up with a solution forTheKate? Because she’s definitely heading my way.”
“Solution,” I tell him. “Yes, I’ve got this.”
I do not, but I want to. Alex is always so quick to jump in and help when I’m in a pickle—ready with ideas, offering solutions. I’m not a fast thinker like him, but I’ve read an astronomical number of novels, and somewhere in there has to be a character who’s been in a similar situation.
“Romance, for sure,” I tell myself. “Historical, maybe? Diverting an unwanted suitor?”
Alex, understandably, is perplexed by my muttering. “What?”
I snap my fingers as it comes to me. “Yes!”
“So confused,” he says.
“Act like we’re romantic,” I tell him. “That’s how we scare her off.”
He rears back. “What?”
“What do you meanwhat? Did you not understand me?”
“No, I—” He shakes his head. “I meant, howspecificallydo you want to act romantic—”
Alex’s voice cuts off as I throw my arms around his neck and press my body into his, hips against hips, my breasts smooshed into his chest. “Like this,” I tell him.
I’m playing with fire, touching him like this. But I can do it. For Alex. Focusing on the task at hand—scaring offTheKate, I say to him, “Without looking, can you gauge how close she is?”
He swallows thickly. “It’s blurry, in my peripheral vision, but she’s closing in. Maybe five feet away?”
“Follow my lead, okay?” My fingers dive into his hair, and I tug a little bit. Alex’s eyes widen.
“Okay,” he says hoarsely.
“Babe.” I say it louder than I normally would, but not so loud that it’s obviously a performance. Hopefully.
Alex’s mouth twitches. “Babe?” he whispers.
“I don’t know!” I whisper. “It’s the first thing that came to mind.” Then I say louder, “This evening is going perfectly. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Alex stares down at me, his hands drifting down my waist, tucking me closer. “Yes, you could have. But I’m glad I could help.”
“You really did help,” I tell him genuinely. “So much. Thank you.”
