Robert's eyes twinkled. They were both clearly thinking the same thing, and the realization hit him with a rush of excitement.
âIs it what I think it is?â he asked, his voice filled with curiosity. Sophia shifted a little, her nerves apparent as she tried hard to convince her Inner self, that thi wasn't stupid. There was a look on her face, one that seemed to say, Look, I know this might be stupid, but Iâm kinda desperate here. Robert shifted, his brows raised, waiting for her to spill whatever crazy idea she had in mind. The silence stretched for a moment, thick with anticipation. Sophia finally took a deep breath, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleevess she spoke with Robert over the phone. âOkay, donât laugh, alright? But... what if you pretended to be my boyfriend on the cruise?â Robert smiled, then a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, one that quickly spread across his face. He didn't try to hide it cause, it was just him in the room at the moment. âYou want me to be your fake boyfriend?â he repeated, the amusement in his voice impossible to miss. Sophia winced, clearly regretting her words. âI know it sounds dumb, but just hear me out! Charles is going to be there, flaunting his success and probably parading around with someone, and I canâtââ She paused, her voice softening. âI donât want to be the one standing there looking pathetic, like I never moved on.â Robert tried to keep his reply neutral, acting like the idea didnât sit well with him. Hell, he was even trying to play it tough, like the whole thing was a joke. But deep down, he was all in. The thought of flaunting Sophia in front of those high-and-mighty assholes on the cruise, especially Charles Brown, lit a fire inside him. Sophiaâs words hung in the air, and Robert pretended to mull it over, leaning back in his chair. âYou want me to be your fake boyfriend,â he said, half-grinning as he ran a hand through his hair. âSeriously, Soph? You think this is a good idea?â She hesitated, her nerves on full display, which only made him want to mess with her more. But the truth was, the second sheâd suggested it, he knew he was in. Heâd love nothing more than to play this game, to make sure Charles knew exactly what the hell heâd missed out on. The idea of being Sophiaâs guy, even if just for show, got his adrenaline pumping. âI mean, I guess I could,â he said, dragging it out just a bit, keeping his cool. âBut it could get real messy. Are you sure you want to drag me into this?â Sophia blinked, clearly surprised he hadnât shut the idea down yet. She gave him a hesitant smile. âYeah. But I understand if you donât want toââ âFine. Iâll do it,â Robert cut in, shrugging as if it was no big deal, though he was definitely looking forward to it. âBut just know, once we start this shit, thereâs no turning back. Youâll have to really sell it.â Sophiaâs eyes widened. âWait, youâre saying yes?â He smirked, catching the surprise on her face. âWhat, did you think Iâd say no? Iâm just saying, donât half-ass this. We go all in, or itâs not happening.â She stared at him through her phone like she couldnât believe how quickly heâd agreed, and he had to admit, her expression over the phone was priceless. âI... I thought youâd be against it.â Robert gave a half-laugh, shaking his head. âIâm not that much of an asshole, Sophia. Plus, itâll be fun to rub it in that bastard Charlesâ face.â He paused, giving her a pointed look. âAnd, for the record, Iâm not apologizing for enjoying this.â Sophia exhaled, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips. âWell, you sure gave in a lot easier than I expected.â He grinned, tapping his fingers on the table. âWhat can I say? Iâm looking forward to playing the role. You wonât regret it.â He paused before leaning in, adding with a smirk, âAnd neither will Charles, once he sees us together. âSo, you still havenât told me how the date went,â Sophia teased, her voice light, but her expression full of playful curiosity. Sophia twirled her hair between her fingers, a mischievous little smile playing on her lips. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes gleaming with that same cute, evil grin. Damn this smileâit lit something familiar in him, things he didnât want to admit. Robert cursed under his breath, forcing a laugh to hide the fact that her little hair twirl had his heart racing. âOh, you little... I thought I cleared that out already,â he replied, doing his best to keep his voice casual. Hell, he was trying so hard not to let her see how much she was affecting him, and she wasnât even doing anything serious. He could feel the tension building in his chest, and that pissed him off. She wasnât flirtingâat least, not intentionally. She wasnât being overly sexual, just playing around like she always did. So why the hell was he getting so worked up? Why was his body reacting like this? âReally, Robert? Thatâs all youâve got?â she laughed softly, clearly enjoying his awkwardness. He tried to laugh too, but it came out strained. Goddammit, why couldnât he just keep it cool? Why was he so damn aroused over a video call? He wasnât even there with her, yet his body was reacting like she was right in front of him. It wasnât like he hadnât seen girls twirl their hair or smile before, so why was this so different? Get it together, man, he thought to himself, running a hand through his hair. He knew heâd managed to rein in the whole playboy, sexual side of himself over the past few years. Heâd worked on thatâhe was past all the mindless flirting, the hookups, the nonsense. So why the hell was all that going out the window now? Why was it coming back, and of all people, Sophia? Or was it because he has fucked a girl in a while? But deep down, he wasnât sure if he was going to survive these next two weeks playing the role of her pretend boyfriend. He couldnât even handle a simple video call without feeling like this. Shit, what was he going to do when they were actually face-to-face.I was finishing up my makeup, just adding the final touches to my eyeliner, when I decided to text Robert. âIâm ready,â I typed quickly, still trying to keep my hands steady as I applied mascara. Almost immediately, my phone buzzed with his reply.âOk, text me your exact address.âI sent it to him, still getting excited about seeing him. It was just a chill weekend, but it was also three days before the boat cruiseâour boat cruiseâand I couldnât help but feel a little giddy. I checked myself in the mirror one last time. I had on a pastel-colored sweater, soft and cozy, but still cute enough for whatever the day might throw at me. My black leggings hugged me just right, showing off my legs, and my ankle boots gave the outfit that little extra edge. I added a simple necklace and left my hair loose. Casual, but still good enough to turn heads, I hoped.Right as I was finishing up, I heard the faint urrung of a car engine outside. I frowned, pausing mid-brush stroke.Ge was here so soon? I
ROBERT'S POV Sophia stood up with a little smirk on her face and said, âGuess itâs time I whooped your ass.âI couldnât help but laugh, leaning back against the couch, shaking my head. âWeâll see about that,â I said, getting up. I was already planning on winning this, and I wasnât going easy on her just because she was Sophia.I led her down the hallway to my gaming room. As soon as we stepped in, you could see the whole place was set up to impress. Dark walls, LED lights running under the shelves, the kind that changed colors based on your mood. There was this sleek, matte-black gaming setup with dual monitors, high-end gaming chairs, and a sound system that could probably wake up the entire estate if I cranked it up. Posters of classic games lined the walls, framed like artwork, and the controllers were all neatly organized on a rack like weapons ready for battle.Sophia glanced around, taking it all in, but I could tell she wasnât gonna back down. I liked that about her. She had t
SOPHIA'S POV I was sitting on the couch, kind of zoning out while watching this cooking show on TV, some chef making a fancy pasta dish that looked way too complicated for a casual dinner. My phone was in my lap, but I wasnât really paying attention to it. The weekend vibe had completely taken over, and I was feeling relaxed. Plus, the desserts Iâd had earlier were making me feel a little too comfortable.And then, out of nowhere, Robertâs voice broke through the TV noise. I glanced up, but honestly, the words didnât really register. What did register, though, was how damn hot he looked. I mean, for a second, I just froze. Robert was standing at the bottom of the stairs, one hand in his pocket, looking like he stepped right out of some luxury magazine. He was wearing this Tom Ford denim shirt that was perfectly fitted, highlighting his broad shoulders and chest, and charcoal grey pants that looked both casual and expensive at the same time. And, of course, he had on these black Chri
ROBERT'S POV We were done shopping, and as soon as we made our way out of the boutique and back into the car, I felt pretty damn good. Sophia had picked out some killer stuff, and I could tell she was buzzing, too. The drive back home was going smoothly, but I decided to switch things up and take a different route thatâd cut some time off the trip.As we cruised along, a huge-ass billboard caught my eye. It said something about investing in real estate â all flashy and shit â but that wasnât what pissed me off. It was the guy in the picture. Charles. That smug bastard, standing there with his arms crossed . The sight of his stupid face and that arrogant smile made my stomach churn. I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me, but I kept it locked down for now.I glanced over at Sophia, and yeah, sheâd seen it too. Her expression gave it all away. There was this painful mix of sadness, anger, and guilt written all over her face. Fuck, I never want to see her like this,and knowing it
As soon as Robert and I pulled up to my house, I felt a sense of relief. The day had been long, but in a good wayâcatching up with Robert, shopping, and just spending time together had made it fly by. Weâd laughed about the dumb stuff we did back in high school and talked about how much had changed since then. It felt nice. Familiar. But now, I was ready to crash.Robert helped me unload the designer clothes from the trunk, carrying the bags to my front door. I was grateful for his help, especially since my arms felt like jelly after carrying everything around earlier. Once we got to the door, I hugged him. It was a quick, friendly gesture, but I hoped he knew how much I appreciated everything."Thanks for today," I said, stepping back from the hug."No problem. It was fun. Let me know when youâre settled in, okay?" He gave me a small smile before heading back to his car.I nodded, waving as he drove off. Once inside, I immediately dropped everything near the entryway, kicking off my
SOPHIA'S POV The weekend had been⊠honestly, just so good. Iâd be lying if I said it wasn't nice having someone like Robert around. Weâd spent hours walking through the garden, and even though the place was way too fancy for what I was used to, it somehow felt natural. Trying new dishes the chef whipped up had turned into a little game, tooâsome stuff was amazing, and other things⊠letâs just say I was glad Robert didnât make fun of me too much when I nearly spat out that one dish. Then there were the movie nights, hours just sinking into the couch, and the light competition of board games. I didnât even mind that Robert kept winning because it was fun watching him get competitive about things so small. And, okay, we definitely took a few whiskey shots here and there. Not like, drunk, but just enough to feel loose and laugh harder at things that werenât even that funny. It was the kind of weekend I hadnât realized Iâd needed. Now, though, it was cruise day. The morning had flown
SOPHIA'S POV As Robert and I arrived at the boarding area, I took a moment to take it all in. There was a small crowd gathered, all dressed impeccably, their conversations weaving together in a hum of polished accents and subtle laughter. It felt like the kind of scene where the rich and powerful came to unwind, but still with a sense of formality clinging to them. No one looked too relaxedâeveryone here was a bit on display.My eyes scanned the faces, catching glimpses of people Iâd only ever seen on magazine covers or social media. To my right, a woman in a sleek black dress adjusted her sunglasses as she took photos by the waterâs edge. Definitely a social media influencer. Beside her stood a man whose face I recognized from a viral tech article about his latest app that made millions overnight. He was talking animatedly to a well-dressed older couple, his hands moving in exaggerated gestures, like he was pitching a story rather than just making small talk. And then there was us,
As we stepped off the yacht and onto the dock where the larger boat was anchored, I took a quick survey of the setup. The boatâa luxurious vessel with sleek lines and a shining exteriorâtowered over the yachts that had started to gather around. Some other guests were already disembarking their own yachts and making their way up the ramp, mingling, exchanging greetings, laughing. It was a decent crowd, a mix of wealth and status, judging by the designer suits and glamorous dresses. I noted it all, but none of really intrigued me. Boats, parties, all this was pretty standard at this point.Sophia looked around, wide-eyed, her excitement practically radiating off her. It was a look Iâd seen before on herâthe curiosity, the fascination with the world of luxury, although she still has her elegant touch. I watched as her gaze swept over the dock, from the polished rails of the boat to the crew members in their crisp uniforms. It was amusing seeing her like this, clearly enjoying herself.