Page 50 of Honey and Spice

“Iam,aren’t I?”

Malakai rolled his smile in his mouth, his eyes dancing. “Let me get this.”

I pushed his hand away, as I tapped mine on the card reader. “You’re getting my waffles next time we go eat.”

Tomi released a little squeal. “You guys are adorable, man. I can’t lie. I thought you were moving a bit mad, Kiki. I mean, no one ever sees you with anyone and all of a sudden you’re with this one? But I can see why this happened. Shanti’s just gonna have take this L.”

It was at that moment that I remembered Tomi was a sweet girl who also just happened to be one of the biggest gossips on campus, a fact that earned her the nickname of Tell-All Tomi. And though Malakai and I had been being normal,normalcould be interpreted in any way once people thought you were a couple.

I let out a breezy smile. “There ain’t an L for Shanti to take. Malakai and I just...happened.It isn’t a competition. And hedefinitelyisn’t a prize—”

“Hello? I’m right here,” Malakai interjected, and I shrugged.

I took my plate with the croissant and picked an apple from the basket by the till.

“You should be flattered. It means I want you because I want you. Not because I think other people want you.” I tossed Malakai the apple and he caught it in one hand, bit into it, eyes glinting into mine.

Tomi breathed a “hot” and I turned to her with a mock shudder. “Do me a favor and don’t tell anyone I said that, please.”

Tomi laughed. “Who am I gonna tell?”

Right.

Apparently my girl just preed Mocha and Brown Sugar bein all couple goalz in Beanz. They’re official guys. It’s legit. I think I stan, you know. #SugarMocha

I read the tweet out loud to Malakai with satisfaction—it was posted approximately eight minutes after Malakai and I had left the queue. While on my phone, I hastily swept the notification from Rianne Tucker away. Out of sight, out of mind.

Malakai put his coffee down and choked out a laugh. “Shit, already?”

I shrugged and put my phone down on the faux-marble table. “The Blackwell Gossip Industrial complex moves fast, and romance is entertainment. I guess it’s anthropologically exciting that me, a weirdo who doesn’t date, and you, a guy who does date—alot—are now locked into a relationship. It’s almost like it propels us into celebrity status. People forget about the individuals involved and look at the projection of romance instead. Hence the couple name for us.” I paused. “Wow, that was good. Lemme write that down.” I got my notebook from my satchel and scrawled my observations for my application essay until I began to feel the—now customary—weight of Malakai’s eyes on me. I looked up.

“What?”

Malakai shrugged. “Nothing. You’re just . . . a brainiac. Which I knewbefore, but it’s cool seeing it up close.” He absentmindedly slid the small canister of sugar sachets on the table, and the morning light gleamed off the silver.

We were sat in the corner, by the wide window walls, giving us a view of students rushing to and ambling around on the green space in the leaf-strewn quad. It also meant that I noted the various Blackwellian members slowing down to look at us curiously as they walked past.

“Alright, so”—I brought out my rose-gold-covered tablet from my bag—“I’ve drawn up a schedule. Let me know if you have any questions.”

Malakai brought his bitter bean juice down from his lips. “Oh. You were serious about the schedule thing.”

I raised a brow. “Why would I be joking, Kai? We’re doing this for a purpose. We have to be precise. We don’t have a lot of time. Eight weeks to really juice this relationship thing for the show, make people believe in us and get enough material for your film. Plus, we have our first episode this Thursday.”

Malakai reclined his chair and ran a hand across his face. “You’re really taking the fun out of this, Scotch.”

“Well, this isn’t supposed to be fun. It’s work, my NYU place depends on it.”

“Brown Sugaris work right?”

“Yeah. Kind of. I guess so.”

“Does it feel like work?”

“No.”

Malakai leaned forward, loosely lacing his fingers together on the table. “Right. Because you like what you’re doing.”

I narrowed my eyes as I calculated the Malakai Mathematics in my mind. “So, you’re saying that this can be fun because I like you? Because if you’re saying that, I’m gonna have to call you an arrogant arsehole before telling you to go fuck yourself.”

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