Page 25 of The Cuffing Game
Noah bolted up in surprise, like he hadn’t been expecting anyone to come over to talk to him.
What is this clown doing?Mia bit back a laugh.
“Hey,” Celine said with a strained smile. “Mind if I join you?”
Noah coughed. “No, not at all. Come have a seat.”
As Celine settled into the other chair, Mia helped Kallie set up the camera on the tripod.
A weird sense of déjà vu filled Mia’s head when she saw the two contestants on the viewfinder. Not too long ago, she and Noah had sat just like this on the beanbags of Ground Smoothie. Granted, it’d been a business meeting. Not a date. But still, a lump formed inside Mia’s throat.
She pushed it down and took another step back. “Are you two ready?”
Noah and Celine nodded at her.
“Action! Go ahead and start the conversation.”
“So, you’re from Korea, right?” Celine asked Noah whenthey resumed filming. “That’s so cool. What’s it been like to go to school here?”
“It’s been mostly good,” Noah replied. “The language barrier was hard at first, but I adapted quickly. In Korea, I learned basic English in school and self-studied with American movies and TV shows. And when I came here, I got into a fraternity. Living in the housedefinitelyhelped a lot. It was like an immersion program.”
Celine laughed, and Mia winced at how unnaturally high-pitched the sound was. That wasnother roommate’s normal laugh. She must have been really nervous. “Wow, that’s impressive that you’re going to school using your second language!Andyou’re in a frat!”
Noah gave Celine what Mia now recognized as his fake influencer smile. It was handsome, charming even. But it wasn’t like the ones that naturally sprung up on his face when he was talking. His real smiles were a lot less polished but—Mia begrudgingly admitted—cuter.
“What about yourself?” he asked. “Are you from Asia or were you born here in the US?”
“I was born in San Diego,” Celine replied. “So I’m barely fluent enough in Mandarin and Shanghainese to understand my relatives when I visit them once a year.”
Noah shrugged. “That’s good that you know both, though. Even if it’s a little bit. And San Diego can still feel like an eternity away with LA traffic.”
“Right?”
Celine laughed again, and as they continued talking, Mia couldn’t help but notice how good they looked together. With her flawless douyin makeup and long, gorgeous hair, Celine looked amazing. And Noah... well, he was Noah. Perfect, as always. At least physically. Mia felt like she was watching a rom-com.
Even though she absolutely did not want to ever date Noah, in this one moment, Mia wondered whatshewould look like on the screen in Celine’s place.
But as soon as she did, she had to stifle a laugh, earning a panicked glance from Kallie.
“Sorry,” Mia mouthed, moving farther back from the camera.
She didn’t think she was ugly, but she was no influencer. The only reason she was able to put on makeup tonight was thanks to Celine’s videos. And even then, if Noah’s reaction was any indication, it’d still turned out terribly. Her hair had been nice at least, but she’d hastily tied it back earlier, so it was probably a messy bird’s nest again.
As she watched Celine and Noah ease closer together on the lounge chairs, Mia concluded she would look ridiculous in Celine’s place. She and Noah were just so different from each other that the viewers back home would surely laugh at them.
Celine tucked her hair behind her ears, recapturing Mia’s attention. “So...”
Noah cocked his head to the side. “So?”
“Okay, sorry if this makes things awkward, but I have to address the elephant in the room!”
Mia bit her lip, wondering what her roommate was going to say.
Noah gave Celine an apprehensive look. “What is it?”
“You’re like... famous,” Celine continued. “Why are you even here? What made you agree to be on this show?”
Mia could have imagined it, but Noah’s eyes seemed to shift focus, looking up from Celine to whereshewas standing behind the camera. Mia frowned and crossed her arms.
