Page 73 of Resisting the Grump

Colin scooped the cards from the bottom of the box. “That’s a lot of dates,” he said, fanning them out across the table. “There’s some good places in here.”

Grace shushed him when she realized I wasn’t done and urged me to continue.

“But we can only go one place at a time,” I read. “And I want to start with a clean slate. No more games. No more secrets. No more puzzles.”

“Weird way of showing it,” Noah mumbled.

“Three of these places are in Spain?!” Colin said, still mesmerized by the business cards.

“What else does it say?” Grace asked.

“Just his name,” I said, keeping quiet about the XX. “And a PS that says, ‘Meet me at the disclosed location at 7pm sharp.’ Disclosed location?”

“There’s something else in here.” Colin pulled out a folded piece of paper and placed it in my open palm.

I unfolded it carefully and smoothed it against the table.

“It’s a map!” he said, like the game was finally getting exciting.

Sure enough, X marked the spot, but besides that, there was nothing besides two dotted lines that led to the X from two distinct rectangles.

Grace and Noah looked perplexed as they stared at the hand-drawn picture, but I recognized the “disclosed location” instantly.

Grace furrowed her brow. “I don’t get it.”

I shook my head, surprised at how such complexity could lead to such simplicity. “It’s the hallway between our apartments.”

Noah looked baffled. “Why would he want to meet you in the hallway between your apartments?”

I shrugged. “Probably so I can’t slam the door in his face again.”

Colin inhaled sharply between his teeth. “Makes sense.”

“Well?” Grace asked, angling towards me. “What are you thinking?”

“You have to show,” Colin said. “Otherwise, he’ll think you couldn’t solve the puzzle.”

“Good point,” I said, realizing my pride was on the line. “Wouldn’t want him to think that.”

Besides, I wanted to hear him out.

I wanted that clean slate.

Because he wasn’t the only one who’d behaved badly.

But if I’d learned anything since we stopped dating, it was that life was a lot more fun when we were behaving badly together.

T H I R T YF O U R

- Oliver -

I cracked my door at 6:25 and debated whether I should be waiting outside when the clock hit the hour. Simba rubbed his head against my ankle and made his escape plans known, so I knew I couldn’t waffle between in or out.

I would go stand and wait to be counted… or wait to be stood up, as the case might be.

A few minutes later, Avery cracked her door and stepped into the hall wearing sky-high heels and a short white dress, her legs on display to torture me, no doubt.

“The color of innocence,” I observed. “Well played.”

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