Page 36 of Forever is the Sweetest Con
He laughs. I like making him laugh. “Maybe the better question is, whatdon’tyou see?”
I glance around. It looks like a pretty normal storeroom. It’s dirty and dingy, like the rest of the camp, and there’s a weird smell, like something rotting. But other than that, there’s nothing amiss.
And then it’s like I feel it before I see it. That sensation of constantly being watched is strangely absent.
“No cameras.” I look at Kei, shocked, and he nods, grinning.
“Now, look at your mic. The transmitter part on your back.” I tug the ever-present black belt so that the transmitter box is at the front. “No blue light,” he says. “It’s not on.” He pulls his transmitter around and shows it to me. Same thing.
“Are they broken? What’s happening?”
“They’re working, they just don’t work in here. It’s some kind of dead zone.” He nods to the door. “Go on, test it. It’ll work out there.”
I try to appear casual as I walk into the kitchen, aware that the cameras are once again on me. I surreptitiously check my transmitter, and sure enough, the blue light is glowing strong.
“What the hell?” I ask him, back in the storeroom. “How do you know about this?
“The other day, when I was making pancakes, I was back here looking for baking soda, and my transmitter got snagged on the rack. When I went to untangle it, I noticed the blue light was out.”
“So no one can see us or hear us right now?”
“Exactly,” he says, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “We can come back here and, you know—”Take each other’s clothes off“—plot our strategy. That is, if you want to.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Have you thought about what I said?”
“Yes.”
“And?” He’s looking at me with such hope and anticipation, like a puppy waiting for a treat.
“I think you’re right about Isa.”
Kei nods. “I am.”
“So, I guess…” I trail off. This is the moment of no return. He’s waiting, biting his lip. Am I doing this? Isa is the logical choice—it’s the Girl Next Door and the Fuckboy that always win together—but, in a way I can’t explain, Kei feels like the right choice.
“I’m in,” I whisper.
He heaves a sigh of relief. “That’s great news.”
“But—” I say, holding up my index finger. “I have a condition, and it’s very important.”
“Name it.”
“This is strictly business. We can flirt, make out, do whatever we need to do in front of the cameras to build a convincing case. But it’s all fake. I don’t want anyone catching feelings and messing it all up, got it?”
Kei nods, his face impassive. “I’m fresh out of a pretty catastrophic breakup. No catching feelings, for sure.”
I feel a flash of something sharp, like jealousy, but that can’t be it. It’s actually perfect if he’s still in love with his ex. It will keep our arrangement nice and clean.
“Promise?”
“Promise.” We shake on it, his big hand enveloping mine. “Let’s get out of here before someone notices we’re missing.” He takes a step toward me, shortening the distance between our bodies. Our eyes meet. He holds my gaze for a long moment.
“Right.” I swallow. “I’ll go out the front. Give me a head start.”
As I walk back to the Bunkhouse, I feel exposed. Like if anyone looks at me they’ll know that I’m scheming with Kei and that I almost just kissed him in the storeroom.
