"I don't like sharing my life. It's already out there for everyone's consumption and if I let the little private time I have, be seen by others, too… I'll simply be alive to entertain others. I don't want that." Katherine felt a little sad.
"I used to be one of those people. I still am, in a way. I'm sorry you feel that way." With a second of thought, she said. "There are loads of people who think of you as a form of entertainment, but there are others who genuinely wish you well."
"But why do I feel like you are avoiding the question, Katherine?" he said lightly, changing the topic. It was weird thinking of her as a fan when they had met and shared a connection.
Realizing that he didn't want to delve deeper into the topic, she answered him instead. "Not avoiding it. I have done it. I have tried to playfully log into Lily and Angelina's account to see who they were talking to, or someone I hated from school. I think I tried to log into someone's premium grammar checker once, too. They were the only one in class who had it and I wanted my hands on it."
"You're innocent, aren't you?" He reached over and patted her head. "Now drink." She raised her brows and looked straight at his eyes as she poured the drink. Even the sip she took had a seductivity to it.
Was she trying to arouse him? He wondered. Because he was aroused. He had been for some time.
"Never have I ever taken a s.e.xy selfie."
"Lies! You sent me pictures of yourself all mussed and s.e.xy." Cage laughed. "This is cheating."
"Let me rephrase. I have never sent a nude." She raised her empty cup and pointed it at him.
'I hope you haven't and if you have, to whom?' This was not the possessiveness of a girlfriend. It was the fear of a fan for their favorite actor to be exposed and humiliated in front of the world.
"Neither have I."
'Thank god,' she thought.
"But I would send it to you if you like." The tease… Katherine shook her head. If she spoke about such matters so soon, they would never continue with the date. She would jump on him and pull him to the bedroom. No questions asked.
"Never have I ever gone camping." He smirked.
"Avoiding the topic, are you?" He poured himself a glass. "I used to go camping with the family when I was younger and in my teens. I even went when I was first starting out in the entertainment industry, but then it got harder to escape public eye and go outdoors for personal time. So, it's been years since I went." His voice sounded whimsical. She could hear a real yearning in them and felt like she had to do something.
"I'll be right back." She pulled herself up from the ground and rushed to her bedroom.
Cage looked at her bewildered as she dumped a heap of blankets, clothespins, binder clips and tape on the couch. She had even brought out a broomstick. Cage had no clue what she was doing, so he could only stare.
"Move aside," she ordered, surprising Cage. He did as he was asked and watched as she moved the table to a side and made room. It took about twenty minutes for the whole thing to set up and Cage watched fascinated as she went about the activity.
She had brought in the chairs from the kitchen and started working. She had built him a fort.
"We're missing something," she said, engrossed in what she was doing. As if having an epiphany, she bolted again and appeared with multiple pillows and cushions. Cage smiled as she crawled in and placed them inside.
"Thank you," he said with emotion in his voice. She looked at him bewildered for a second before understanding and smiling.
"If you can't go camping, we can bring the camp to you." She stood and inspected the fort with keen eyes. She nodded, deeming it good. "It's not stellar, but we'll have to work with it." If she had her way, she would take him camping later on and ensure that no one followed them. It would be a risk, but she couldn't bear hearing the sadness in his voice.
"You're the best, you know that right?" He moved forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. She pressed her lips together, trying to suppress her smile and looked at him with fake haughtiness.
"Of course, I know." She paused. "Let's go in!"
Cage helped Katherine place the food inside and crawled in. The tent wasn't extremely spacious, but enough to fit the two of them comfortably.
He finally drank the glass he had prepared for himself and then asked his question.
"Never have I ever sent a dirty text to the wrong person." Katherine's eyes grew wide. She coughed, too, showing her guilt. "You have!" She nodded and poured herself a drink.
"I was trying to text Lily about something I had done and well… sent it in the wrong chat." She bowed her head in embarrassment.
"Who did you send it to?" He couldn't imagine the answer being good from her reaction.
"I sent it to a professor of mine whose name was also Lily." Cage turned read from secondhand embarrassment. "Oh god, I cringe every time I think about it. She was such a good sport though, quickly informing me that it was good to be curious and s.e.x.u.a.lly active but that I had sent the message to the wrong person."
"At least she was nice about it." He sighed.
"At this rate, both of us are going to be really drunk."
"Isn't that the purpose of this game?" he asked. Katherine nodded. "No point changing the rules. Just eat some food in between. We don't want you sick."
"And you have work tomorrow," she said. He suddenly remembered and sighed.
"I don't wanna leave," he whined.