Page 88 of The Cuffing Game
Noah’s lips were softer than she could have ever imagined, gentle yet firm in a way that made her knees weak. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, steadying her as he kissed her harder and deeper. She was about to lose herself in the moment when—
“Wait!” Alex hissed. “We’re still live!”
Mia stiffened, and Noah let go, gently so she wouldn’t lose her balance. Right, the show. They had to finish the show. Catching her breath, she glanced at Alex and the rest of her crew. Damien nodded before jotting down something on a piece of paper and passing it to her.
Mia cleared her throat. “Everyone who is a finalist inThe Cuffing Game,please step in front of the camera,” she said. “Noah...”
Noah was also out of breath, andnotbecause he’d been running this time.
“Totally fine,” he said, moving away. “I’ll step back. We can continue this later.”
When the four finalists had gathered around her, Mia opened Damien’s note.
“According to the votes and audience reactions,” she said, “Shirin and Tiana, you two are the winners ofThe Cuffing Game. Congratulations! Not only do you win each other, but you also get the cash prize of five thousand dollars. We wish you nothing but the very best!”
Shirin and Tiana squealed, jumping into each other’s arms.
Violet and Carlos looked momentarily disappointed, but then they smiled and hugged each other.
“This is just the beginning for us!” Carlos said with a shrug.
“Yup,” Violet replied with a big grin. “Pretty amazing beginning, if you ask me!”
They shared a kiss, and Mia turned back to the camera with a big smile on her face. “There you have it, folks. Thank you so much for watchingThe Cuffing Game,the dating show for Marlon students, by Marlon students. Happy holidays and we’ll see you next year.”
Damien cut the live stream, once and for all. Then, in an uncharacteristically cheery voice, he yelled, “We did it! We actually pulled this show off. I’m free!”
“We’refree!” Alex pulled him in for a hug, and so did Kallie. Mia joined in, squeezing her friends tight.
“Thank you so much, y’all,” she said. “I couldn’t havedone any of this without you. And I’m really proud of all of you.”
“Are you kidding?” Kallie asked. “We’re proud ofyou! I can’t believe you’re just a freshman. What are you going to do as a senior? Start your own studio?”
“As of now, that’s not in my four-year plan,” Mia joked. “But maybe I should pencil it in?”
She was still laughing with her friends when there was a gentle tug on her arm.
Noah stood behind her, his expression a mix of happiness and anxiety.
“Hey,” he said. “Can we talk?”
“Um, I want to,” Mia replied, “but we have to clean up and prep for the wrap party—”
“Damien, Alex, and I have it all taken care of,” Kallie cut in. “Go! Be a freshman for once andhave fun.”
“Yes,go!”Alex yelled.
Damien raised his eyebrows at Mia, as if to sayWhat are you waiting for?
Mia shot her friends a grateful look before taking Noah’s hand.
The loud celebrations of the cast and crew faded away as Mia and Noah walked along the beach. The moon was rising, big and white in the night sky. Waves gently crashed down on the shore and around their feet, shimmering in the moonlight.
“I wanted to let you know that everything I said backthere... it wasn’t just for the camera,” Noah said. “Or even social media. I couldn’t care less about other people when it comes to us. I only care aboutyou, and I wanted to make sure there was no way for you to doubt that I like you this time. Sorry I interrupted the show, though. I—”
Mia laughed. “Noah, it’s okay. You’re completely fine.”
They shared a smile before Noah looked away, his eyebrows wrinkling with concern. “Maybe it’s the type A film school student in me,” he said. “But I want to talk logistics, especially since I’m graduating next semester. I’ll most likely stay in LA after graduation, to finish a few projects and to make my own long-form content, but I’m not one hundred percent sure. You’re a first year, so obviously I don’t want you to be tied down to me in case something happens... but...”
