“And now you’re pretending to be asleep to escape your embarrassment.”
“Please, Dev,” Charlie says, but Dev can hear the smile in his voice, “just go to sleep.”
So Dev does. It’s the best sleep he’s had all season.
* * *
It’s winter here, fifty-five degrees with a cold breeze coming off the water, and early-morning clouds lingering over the mountain. Behind the clouds, though, Dev can see the sky is a perfect blue—as blue as the ocean, as crisp as the South African air, as beautiful as Charlie wearing a cowl-neck sweater and a pair of snug, dark-wash jeans.
“It’s not too late to go back for real shoes,” Charlie says as they climb into their Uber in front of the hotel. “We’re going to be walking a lot. Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, please,” he tells their driver. They’ve told the crew they’re going to an undisclosed location to spend the day planning the rest of Charlie’s romantic journey, and Dev has relinquished total control to Charlie to plan the entire （practice） date. So far, the date has only included Charlie being fussy about Dev’s flip-flops.
“I can walk in these.”
Charlie looks wholly unconvinced.
In his six years with Ever After, Dev’s circled the globe numerous times, visited a dozen Caribbean islands, put his toes in almost every ocean; he’s watched a proposal at sunrise over Machu Picchu, and he’s written confessions of love on six continents. Cape Town is somehow better than all of that, better than anywhere he’s ever been. The colors are brighter here, with Table Mountain rising massive above the city, and Dev is in love even before he discovers what bunny chow is.
He marvels at the metallic tray weighed down with curry. “It’s Indian food. Inside a bread bowl.”
“I thought you might like it.”
“It’s Indian food inside a bread bowl.”
“Yes, I know, Dev. I chose this place.”
“It’s Indian food inside a fucking bread bowl!”
“You’re shouting,” Charlie says, shooting an apologetic look at the street vendor ladling Charlie’s vegetarian tikka masala. “Did you know South Africa has a large population of Indian immigrants?”
Dev did know this, because Charlie listened to a podcast on the way here and insisted on reciting the entire thing from memory.
After they eat an amazing lunch of Indian food served inside a bread bowl, Charlie leads the way to a giant market set up in an old warehouse where hundreds of stalls sell craft supplies and delicacies and little curios. The space is cavernous, echoing with sounds, stuffed with smells. Dev immediately loves it.
Charlie immediately does not. As soon as they step inside, his shoulders climb up toward his ears and his eyebrows twist into their usual snarl. “Let’s take a quick minute.”
Dev leads them over to a bench out of the way, and Charlie collapses onto it. Dev discreetly presses the Morse code pattern between his shoulder blades while he calms down. “Sorry…” Charlie exhales. “I wanted today to be perfect.”
“Today already is perfect. Do you need to be reminded about the bread bowl?”
Charlie smiles feebly.
“We don’t have to stay here,” Dev offers. “We can go somewhere else.”
“Don’t you want to check out the stalls?”
“I just want to spend the day with you,” he says without thinking. “I mean, since this is a practice date, I think it’s good for you to practice speaking up for what you need.”
Charlie takes a steady breathe and smiles. “I think I’m okay, actually. Let’s look around for a bit.”