Let's Pretend This Will Work

by Maddie Dawson

He shakes his head. He is very close to me, and we’re both laughing, and then he does the most extraordinary thing. He reaches over and touches my lips. “There’s some secret sauce here,” he says. He’s looking into my eyes. And then he leans in just a bit closer and kisses me very quickly and softly on the mouth. Both of us are shocked, I think. He draws back and says, “Sorry! Good God in heaven! What am I doing?” “Yeah, what are you doing?” I say lightly. “The unpardonable sin of kissing an engaged woman—but, if I may say something in my own defense, it was because your psychic’s spirit guides came through just then and informed me that you needed a kiss.” I laugh. “Those rascals! They also just told me you needed one!” And I lean over and give him what I’d meant to be a quick kiss but which turns into a little bit more. “Are we drunk? I feel like I’m drunk,” I say. “Goodness,” he says. “I’m taking you home before these guys give us any more instructions.”