Page 59 of Cat’s Guide To Romance

“You said, and I quote, ‘How difficult could it possibly be?’” He grabs the instructions from where I abandoned them on top of the cooler and unfolds them.

“That sounds like something I might have said.”

“It was three hours ago.” Sparkle turns the instructions sideways, his ears twitching as he studies the little diagrams. After a moment, he points toward the tent. “You put these poles in backward.”

“I followed the instructions.”

“You threw the instructions on the cooler ten minutes ago.”

“Because they were hindering my creativity.”

Sparkle lowers the paper and gives me a long look. I point at the collapsed tent with one of the poles. “Would you like to take over?”

“Nope.” He folds the instructions and hands them back to me before settling onto the cooler. “You planned the date. I’m enjoying the show.”

The Guide said cute dates. Camping is cute. I researched it.

Granted, I researched it for about forty-five minutes after Sparkle agreed to come, but the human internet made the process look straightforward. Tent. Campfire. Food. Nature. Maybe a lake. Definitely stars. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to take Sparkle somewhere quiet where nobody needed anything from either of us.

I might have underestimated the amount of manual labor involved.

I grab the pole again and try to feed it through the right loop this time. “You know, I could snap my fingers and have this entire campsite assembled.”

“No magic.” Sparkle crosses one ankle over the other and smiles at me from his perch on the cooler.

My head whips toward him. “Excuse me?”

“You said we were going camping. If you use magic to do everything, we’re just sitting outside.”

“We would be sitting outside comfortably.”

“No magic.”

“You’re cruel.”

His eyes sparkle as he props his chin on his hand. “You like me.”

Unfortunately, he has me there.

It takes another fifteen minutes and one argument with a tent stake before we finally have something vaguely resembling the picture on the box. I step back and admire our creation while Sparkle comes to stand beside me, his shoulder bumping against my arm.

But before we can admire our handiwork, one side folds inward and takes the rest of the tent with it.

Sparkle slowly turns his head toward me. I refuse to look at him as I pick up the instructions again. “Not. One. Word.”

His laughter follows me all the way back to the cooler.

Eventually, we get the tent standing again, though I have absolutely no faith in its structural integrity. Sparkle crawls inside to arrange the blankets and pillows while I unpack everything else. I bought enough supplies for like six people because every camping website had a different list of necessities and I decided it was better to be prepared.

Apparently, we need flashlights even though we can see in the dark. We need a lantern, despite the fact that I can create magical light.

Sparkle looks to the firepit. “I’m starting the fire.”

I follow him over to the firepit. “Do you know how?”

“Nope.” Sparkle grins, and I can’t help but smile back.

Twenty minutes later, we have smoke. So much fucking smoke.