I nodded as the memory of the feeling came back to me. It had felt rather good, actually. Despite my non-belief in such things like that.
“You really don’t remember the kiss?” He sounded disappointed. “The one you asked me to do.”
“I asked you to kiss me?”
“Well, you wanted someone to kiss you and remember it in the morning. Which I do, by the way.”
“Shit, I’m so sorry, I don’t really know what I was thinking. I can’t remember that at all.”
“Well,” suddenly the color in Alex’s cheeks warmed a bit, “the kiss definitely remembers you.” He pointed at me.
“Huh?” I looked down to where his finger was pointing.
“Sorry . . . I didn’t mean to . . .” His voice tapered off and he was definitely blushing now.
“What?” I touched my cheeks and my neck and shoulders, looking for the thing he was pointing to, and then I clicked.
“Nooo,” I gasped and placed my hand over the red mark on my neck. “You gave me a hickey?!” I hissed at him.
“Hey, it takes two to tango,” he said defensively.
I rolled my eyes. “I can’t suck my own neck,” I said sarcastically.
“Sure, and I can’t do this to myself either.” He turned and lifted the back of his shirt up to reveal an unmistakable trail of fingernail marks.
“Oh my God! Did I do that?”
He nodded and dropped his shirt.
I leaned in even more and lowered my voice to a quiet whisper. “Did we . . .? I mean, we didjustkiss, didn’t we?” Could all of those marks really have come from kissing alone? That seemed unlikely.
Alex smiled at me. “As far as I can remember,” he joked.
“This is no time for jokes: did we or didn’t we?” I asked.
“We didn’t,” he said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“How can you be sure?” I asked, feeling a little panicked now.
Alex’s smile faded suddenly. “Val.” He leaned across the table too and we were almost touching now. “I would never go to bed with someone when we were that inebriated. Ever.”
“Oh.” He suddenly looked very serious and I totally believed him. “Well, good,” I quickly added. “But why do I have a ring on my finger then?”
The seriousness on Alex face melted away and he smiled again. “You suggested I propose to you.”
“I what!” I half shouted this.
He laughed. “Don’t worry, it was a fake proposal. You really don’t remember any of that, do you?”
“Sorry. I don’t.”
Alex shrugged his shoulders and then sighed. “Well, that’s a pity,” he said. “But if you don’t mind, can I have the ring back?” He held his hand out.
“Oh God, of course. Yes!” I was suddenly overcome with embarrassment and pulled the ring off as hard and fast as I could. I passed it over to him and he looked at it momentarily before slipping it back into his pocket. We sat in silence for a while and then Alex finally broke it.
