Page 70 of Nobody in Particular

“You said it wasn’tthat bad.”

“Well it certainly wasn’t thatgood,” he says, breaking into a chuckle. The first friend I’ve formally—and on purpose—come out to, and it devolves immediately into personal insults. I am aggrieved.

“You went in for another!”

“Yes, just in case it was nerves the first time!”

“Okay, well, now you know. It wasn’t nerves, it was because I’m a lesbian, and even though you’re very pretty, and I adore you, it’s physically impossible for me to enjoy kissing you.”

“‘Physically impossible to enjoy kissing you’ is just what every guy wants to hear, Rosie. Stop flattering me, I’m blushing.”

“Anyway, my point is that I think it’s time to stop the fake relationship.”

“You’re fake breaking up with me?”

“I am.”

“On this day? Of all days?”

I pause, stricken. “Wait, what’s today?”

He breaks into a grin. “Nothing, I just wanted to see your face. So, what’s the correlation here? Unless—” He brightens. “Are you telling me you’re dating someone?”

That is, in fact, exactly what I’m here to tell him. When I told Danni this morning I would be ending Alfie’s and my little adventure in media manipulation, along with coming out to him, I asked what she would like her role in things to be. She had—quite quickly, and with averysatisfied smile on her face—given her blessing for me to tell Alfie about us.

“I am. Danni. Blythe,” I add.

He raises an eyebrow. “I know who Danni is.”

“Right, of course.”

“Look at you, all nervous.” He hops in place, trying to get warm. “I never see you nervous. What did your parents say? I assume they know?”

“They know I’m a lesbian, but not about Danni, and I don’t want them to.”

Alfie makes several rather odd faces. “Rosie, I’m confused. You want this to be a secret?”

“Yes.”

“Yet right now, you have the ideal cover in place. With me. Providing ample evidence that you’renotdating Danni. And you want to… end that?”

I stare at him in surprise. “I assumedyouwould want to, once you found out.”

“That you’re a lesbian?” he asks. “You thought I would want to end ourfakerelationship when I found out it’s… extra fake?”

I try to hide my smile. “Well, I don’t know.”

“Youdidthink I was doing this in the hopes we’d end up together!”

“I did not.”

“Yousodid. I told you I’m not! Why is it so hard for you to believe I’m not in love with you?”

I ignore that. “What do you get out of this, though?”

Alfie grows earnest. “I get to help you.”

Well, I’ll have to speak to Danni about it, of course. But I can’t deny it would be helpful for us to have Alfie’s involvement. Immeasurably so.

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