Cover Design: Najla Qamber
Cover Photography: Wander Aguiar
Cover Model: Forest


He sets down his utensil. “Never.”
My brow lifts with my question. “Never?”
“Never.” His smile drops and he shakes his head.
“Why?” I’m not sure I’ve met someone, a man particularly, who wouldn’t take a bet.
“Let’s just say I’ve never been given a bet I couldn’t walk away from,” he says with a cocky smirk. It sounds a lot like a challenge. One I can’t wait to break.
“So, if I bet you ten dollars you can’t stuff three California rolls in your mouth, right now, you wouldn’t do it?”
He laughs and picks up one of the aforementioned rolls. “I’ll eat them, but I won’t take the bet.” He pops it in his mouth and chews through his smile.
Okay, that was food. He’s a fighter, so he’s used to denying himself the finer things in life. This time I appeal to the other driving force of a man’s psyche. Laziness and sex.
“What if I told you that you wouldn’t have to train me anymore and I would still redesign your entire website. But the only thing you have to do is go over there and ask that girl on a date.” I point to a pretty blonde. One with legs for days who can’t avert her gaze from our table for more than a few minutes even though I’m sitting right here.
He doesn’t even follow my finger. “Nope,” he says, popping the sound of the P with a giant smile.
“You’re crazy.” I shake my head and laugh. Competitiveness has always been one of my strongest qualities, and now I’m even more determined to get him to agree to a bet.
“I told you I don’t make bets. Besides, then I wouldn’t get to see your cute face anymore.”
I stick my tongue out at his fake compliment. My brain races to come up with something good. Something he can’t turn down. But it’s clear I have no clue what makes this guy tick. I think back to our earlier conversations and a stroke of either brilliance or utter idiocy flashes before my mind’s eye. My lips pull up with unbridled laughter and I brace myself for another rejection. “Okay, I’ve got one more for you.” This will be entertaining to watch.
“I’ll only bring you more disappointment.” He laughs.
“I’m sure.” I shake my head. “Okay, I bet you can’t last four dates. With me.”
“Deal,” he answers in an instant.
What the hell?


Nice cover. The model reminds me of pro golfer Dustin Johnson.
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