Her boyfriend Jake greets Debbie

“Hey, Deb!” - Jake’s voice cuts through the noise of the mall. She barely slows down before stepping into his arms. A few days apart feel like forever, and they make up for it immediately — laughter, teasing, and kisses exchanged openly as shoppers pass by, pretending not to notice.

Pulling back just enough to breathe, Debbie smiles up at him. “You wouldn’t believe the craziness I just ran into near the women’s bathroom,” she says. “Seriously. People are nuts!”

Jake chuckles, leaning in again, his hands resting comfortably at her waist. He’s clearly more interested in her lips than her story. As he moves closer, something shifts inside Debbie’s bag.

*Click*

She giggles softly. “Oh, Jake… sometimes I think …you’d do anything to kiss a cute girl.”

Jake starts to answer automatically: “Just you, obviously—”, but the words stall halfway out. His expression flickers, like a thought abruptly overwritten. A faint blush creeps up his cheeks, and his confident smile turns sheepish. “Heh… yeah,” he says instead. “You kinda got me there, babe.”