Page 25 of Let's Kiss and Tell

“Women that are super confident, and attractive, and funny.” He puts his fingers up in quotes. “Andcrazy about me.”

Oh.

“It’s not like we’re telling everyone we’ve been happily together for years,” I say. “It’s new, it’s fresh. Usually after breakups people always end up dating the opposite of what they used to.” I break my chopsticks apart and stir my miso soup. “It’s totally believable, Marsh. As long asyoubelieve it.”

“Okay, fine.” Marsh sighs. “I swear I’m usually a lot more fun than this.”

“I’m having fun,” I say with a smile.

“I’m sure you are.” He pops a piece of sashimi into his mouth.

“So, should we come up with our story?”

“Our story?” Marsh says evenly.

“Yeah,” I reply more enthusiastically than intended. “If people ask how we met, how long we’ve been together, et cetera.”

“Oh, uh…” Marsh drags a hand through his hair. “I haven’t really thought about it. I guess work?” I shake my head in disapproval. “What?”

“Work’s too close,” I explain. “All it takes is for one person at that wedding to know someone atThe Journal.They mention wewere together, that person says we aren’t dating, and the whole lie unravels.”

Marsh stares at me quizzically. “Are you a serial liar or something?”

I give him an unimpressed look. “No, I’m a woman.”

“Okay,” he surrenders. “So, how do you want to meet?”

“We can still say the Gold Line, just not that we work together,” I explain. “We can both be writers, but I’ll just say I freelance.”

“Sure,” Marsh says, like he still doesn’t know the difference between his version and mine.

“How long have we been together?” I ask.

“Uh, a couple weeks?”

“How romantic.” I roll my eyes.

“A month?” Marsh gives me a mock annoyed look. “And we’ll see if we make it to two.”

“I think we should be together for at least three months.”

“Why?”

“Because I need to make this relationship seem believable to my readers,” I explain. “If I’m suddenly writing about someone that I’ve been with for only a few weeks, it’ll feel too soon. Plus, a month isn’t long enough to be considered serious in your ex’s eyes.”

“I don’t care what she thinks,” Marsh says.

“Well, clearly you do if you’re going through the effort of bringing a date to her wedding.”

He crosses his arms and leans back again. “It’s more to show everyone that I’m okay. I haven’t seen a lot of these people in a year and a half, and if I show up to Julia’s wedding by myself, it’ll immediately turn into the Marsh pity party, and I just don’t want that attention.”

“Wait.” I rest my elbows on the table. “Are you doing this so you don’t steal her thunder?”

“You’re making it sound more noble than it is.”

“That’s noble as hell, Marsh.”

“It’s also to get my family and hers off my back. Win-win,” he says. “So, we’ve been together for three months…do we live together?”