Chapter 40
‘Well, I’ve ridden fourteen kilometres on a thigh-torturing spin bike. I’ve had goodness knows whose venom massaged into my face, and my body has been wrapped in sea dredgings, like I was one giant sushi roll.’ Alyssa looked at Devan and smiled. ‘And surprisingly, I’ve had a fantastic day.’
Teijo was still following them with his camera and notepad as they stepped out of the spin room, faces red and bodies sweating.
Ordinarily she would have forbidden anyone to take photos of her without make-up on, especially when she was looking not unlike a pickled beetroot.
But somehow, she felt like she was glowing, from the inside out.
She’d normally avoid working out – because wrestling herself into a sports bra for an Instagram post was exercise enough.
But, when she was with Devan, they always found fun.
Just being with him, encouraging each other and sharing jokes made everything feel lighter.
Not to mention the bonus bedroom cardio.
Maybe their budding relationship would be good for her in more ways than she’d bargained for.
She had no desire to become a champion spinner, or anything wild.
But the more she cared for him, the more she cared for herself too.
She mattered to someone, and that gave her a reason to treasure herself.
‘I think it’s time,’ Alyssa said to Devan, turning to him and grabbing his hands. Her body was pumping with happy endorphins and the moment just felt right.
She’d spoken to Devan about it earlier, when they’d braved the steam room, mainly to get a quiet break from Teijo’s notebook.
They’d enjoyed a steamy kiss in there too, before a large man in a tiny yellow thong had burst in.
They’d had to quickly exit before one of them started giggling about budgie smugglers.
‘Whatever you decide, I’m with you.’ Devan squeezed her hands back.
Her heart lifted. ‘Teijo, do you want to do this as a live broadcast to ’Appy Together’s followers, so you get that exclusive you were hoping for? And let’s make sure my followers are tagged too. We want everyone to know.’
Teijo’s face lit up. ‘A happy announcement?’
Alyssa liked how Teijo cared about the good things – not just furthering his media agency career or getting more eyeballs for the love app’s campaign.
It was refreshing, and it buoyed her in her resolve to do the right thing.
She’d been sharing her honest thoughts on everything today, and Teijo had been sharing all of it, like she’d said he could.
She would usually have been obsessively checking her own social media to see if her followers were appreciating it or calling her a dreadful fraud.
For once, she’d decided not to worry. Her mission to be happy, and to enjoy these moments of falling in love with Devan – her person – felt so much more important than anything that could happen online.
Teijo set up the livestream on his phone, ready to capture Alyssa and Devan’s words.
She would usually have ushered them somewhere more appealing, but she barely even registered the boring backdrop of the hotel corridor or that the white walls were probably making her look even more purple.
Teijo began his countdown to pressing the going-live button. Five, four, three …
And suddenly Alyssa felt faint. What was happening?
She snatched a spa treatment brochure from a side table and quickly fanned herself.
‘Are you OK?’ Devan asked, his face a picture of concern.
‘Of course!’ Her voice came out like a squeak.
Teijo stopped his countdown. ‘Wait, what’s going on? Should I get you some water?’
‘N-no,’ she croaked, a wave of dizziness coming over her. ‘Or maybe yes.’
Teijo nipped off towards a nearby water cooler.
‘You don’t have to do this,’ Devan said quietly. ‘You don’t have to admit your feelings to the wide world, if you’re not ready.’
Alyssa gulped in a mouthful of air. ‘But I’m so ready,’ she replied. And she really was keen to let people know they were together. Though the thought of publicly declaring it herself to a crowd – even though it was only an online one – was giving her turtle night déjà vu wobbles.
‘Are you thinking about that night?’ Devan asked softly. ‘Being up on that stage?’
‘I’m trying not to,’ she said truthfully.
‘I’m telling my brain to shut the hell up.
But my body?’ She wiped the perspiration off her top lip with a shaking hand.
‘My b-b-body is freaking out at the thought of a grand g-gesture.’ Of love.
She felt herself slide down the wall and land on the floor with a thud.
‘Or maybe I need to go easy on the workouts.’
Teijo rushed back with the water. Devan grabbed the plastic cup and began to shoo him off. ‘She can’t do this right now.’
Alyssa reached for the water and downed it, forcing herself back up. ‘I want people to know we’re together,’ she argued back. ‘We’re d-d-doing this livestream.’ Though now even her voice was failing her. This was stupid. She did livestreams all the time. But not ones where she spilled her heart.
‘Do you want me to take the lead?’ Devan asked. ‘I mean, you were the one who did the grand romantic gesture all those years ago. In fairness, it’s my turn.’
She nodded. And Teijo began the countdown again.
Alyssa barely heard Teijo’s intro. Something about this being Love Task Six of seven on their test run of the ’Appy Together love app.
She focused on the warmth of Devan’s body next to hers, giving her strength.
She listened as he admitted to the watching followers that the more time they spent together on the love tasks, the more they couldn’t deny their feelings – that they were falling for each other.
Teijo was busy reading out the positive comments of people watching, from his screen.
And Alyssa was still spinning, perhaps from the sheer joy of it.
Or from the weight of all that pretending being lifted.
Setting her free. Her face gravitated to Devan’s and she kissed him.
Perhaps she didn’t have all the words, but at some point, she would find them.
Until then, her actions would have to be enough.
Their lips moved together, Devan’s hands cupping her face, like all the best movie embraces.
She loved it when that happened. And now a small piece of it was happening for her.
Teijo gave a squeaky cheer and turned the camera back to himself, which was probably for the best.
Thankfully it wasn’t long before Alyssa was back to her less dizzy self and Teijo made his red-faced excuses to leave them to it, asking them to take plenty of photos, though he didn’t want to see everything. With their room’s keycard in Alyssa’s hand, they were soon making haste there.
‘Only one room, Mr Shaw?’ Alyssa said, as they arrived. ‘What does your love app take me for?’
‘Perhaps it knows I’d happily sleep on the floor, for you.’
She turned to face him as they reached the door, pulling him hard against her. ‘Not a chance. I want you as close as possible for the rest of this weekend.’ And always.