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I wiggle my eyebrows at her. “When we go back to my place tonight, do you plan to be naughty or nice?”
She laughs softly. “If you play your cards right, maybe you’ll get a little bit of both.”
I cup her cheeks with my hands and put my lips against hers in a kiss that’s meant to give her all the promises I hold in my heart but can’t yet voice.
For now, knowing that I love her and she loves me is enough.
Epilogue: One Year Later
Jess
Work has been so busy lately. Over the last year, my photography business experienced a huge boost. Demands on my time have been so insane that I had to hire another photographer and an assistant to help.
The ironic thing about all that? I have Anthony to thank for it. His little stunt at the live show backfired. After the initial few weeks of hate mail and slung accusations from the press, Dax insisted we do another interview to tell our side of the story. Though I was against it, it turns out he was right. The press ate it up. We went from being America’s most deceitful and hated couple to being Manhattan’s biggest love story.
My little business went from unknown to highly sought after overnight.
Dax is a little salty about it at times. He tells me that he needs me all to himself. Even though he complains, I can see how proud he is when he brags to all his friends.
Our relationship has grown more than I could’ve ever imagined or hoped for. All of my fears about dating him were for nothing. He’s become perfect boyfriend material, the perfect guy for me.
He’s supposed to be picking me up at my apartment for dinner. It’s the one-year anniversary of the day we started to officially date. He won’t tell me where we’re going, but I have no doubt he has a romantic restaurant picked out. That’s the kind of guy he is.
My phone buzzes just as I pick it up to check the time. You will be taking a trip to a secret destination. This portion of the trip should take approximately 45 minutes. You won’t need any directions. The driver will take you to the selected location for the scavenger hunt. Once there, you will use the app to find the exact spot.
Confusion wrinkles my brow. Who sent this? I deleted the old app from the game show, yet it’s installed again.
So weird.
This has to be Dax. Right?
I type out a text to the man in question.
Did you just send me a message on the old game show app?
I let several minutes go by, but there’s no answer.
Tell me what you’re up to!
Dax:
Time is ticking. The car is downstairs. You have 55 minutes or your prize will be forfeit.
What’s the prize?
54 minutes.
A rush of adrenaline shoots through me. I grab my bag and rush downstairs to the waiting car. The driver is already out and holding open the door.
Once I’m buckled in, the driver swings out into the heavy traffic. I try to ask him questions about where we’re going, but he refuses to give any clues. He just keeps driving. Eventually, some of the traffic eases.
When we stop in front of a set of iron gates, I look around for Dax. I don’t see him anywhere. There’s a strange feeling of isolation that isn’t normal in the city. Though we’re on the outskirts, I still would’ve thought there would be people walking around.
The app buzzes.
You’re almost to location 1! In order to complete this task, you will follow the GPS. The driver has the key to the gate. Hint: Use the shovel.
I take the key from the driver and insert it into the lock. When I open the gates, I gasp in surprise. It’s a beautifully lush garden with greenery, a small fountain, and even a gazebo. Given the locked gates and obvious privacy, I assume this must be a private park.