Page 5 of The Game We Played

She stands in front of me. “What’ll it be, darling?”

I force myself to smirk. “A shot of moonshine.”

She frowns as she studies me. “What’s wrong?”

“What could possibly be wrong? I’m sitting in a bar filled with beautiful women dressed as mermaids.”

“And yet you look like someone kicked your puppy.”

“I don’t have a puppy.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “What’s going on, Long?”

“Uh oh. You gave me the last name treatment. It must be serious.”

“Enough with the joking. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Youdon’t know me.”

No one knows me. Not the real me. “Everyone thinks I’m having fun all the time,” I mutter. “Gets exhausting after a while.”

Alaia edges closer. “What’s exhausting?”

“Nothing.”

“Come on. I’m your bartender. Anything you tell me is covered by bartender-drinker confidentiality.”

I laugh. “Bartender-drinker confidentiality?”

“Yep. It’s a real thing.”

Her colleague shakes his head behind her. “Don’t believe her. She’s the island’s biggest gossip.”

Alaia gasps. “I am not.”

Her colleague lifts his eyebrow. “And you don’t writeThe Siren’s Spilleither.” Alaia glares at him until he lifts his hands and backs away.

“What’sThe Siren’s Spill?”

Alaia rolls her eyes. “It’s a gossip column I write once a month for theSmuggler’s Gazette.”

I rear back. “You’re a gossip columnist?”

She scowls at me. “I’m a serious journalist.”

“Who happens to write a gossip column every month?”

She spits daggers out of her eyes at me. “Who happens to need the money from a gossip column to pay her rent.”

“Why don’t you write serious articles for money if you’re a serious journalist?”

“Why didn’t you catch the pass from Quarterback Allen during the playoff game?”

I raise my hands. “Point taken.”

“Good. Because I’d hate to ban you for the summer. There aren’t many places to drink on the island.”

I place a hand on my heart. “You wouldn’t dare.”