🫥🫥

Robert's eyes twinkled. They were both clearly thinking the same thing, and the realization hit him with a rush of excitement.

“Is it what I think it is?” 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 I’m 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. “Okay, don’t laugh, alright? But... what if you pretended to be my boyfriend on the cruise?”

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. “You want me to be your fake boyfriend?” he repeated, the amusement in his voice impossible to miss.

Sophia winced, clearly regretting her words. “I 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 can’t—” She paused, her voice softening. “I don’t want to be the one standing there looking pathetic, like I never moved on.”

Robert tried to keep his reply neutral, acting like the idea didn’t 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.

Sophia’s words hung in the air, and Robert pretended to mull it over, leaning back in his chair. “You want me to be your fake boyfriend,” he said, half-grinning as he ran a hand through his hair. “Seriously, Soph? You think this is a good idea?”

She hesitated, her nerves on full display, which only made him want to mess with her more. But the truth was, the second she’d suggested it, he knew he was in. He’d love nothing more than to play this game, to make sure Charles knew exactly what the hell he’d missed out on. The idea of being Sophia’s guy, even if just for show, got his adrenaline pumping.

“I mean, I guess I could,” he said, dragging it out just a bit, keeping his cool. “But it could get real messy. Are you sure you want to drag me into this?”

Sophia blinked, clearly surprised he hadn’t shut the idea down yet. She gave him a hesitant smile. “Yeah. But I understand if you don’t want to—”

“Fine. I’ll do it,” Robert cut in, shrugging as if it was no big deal, though he was definitely looking forward to it. “But just know, once we start this shit, there’s no turning back. You’ll have to really sell it.”

Sophia’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re saying yes?”

He smirked, catching the surprise on her face. “What, did you think I’d say no? I’m just saying, don’t half-ass this. We go all in, or it’s not happening.”

She stared at him through her phone like she couldn’t believe how quickly he’d agreed, and he had to admit, her expression over the phone was priceless. “I... I thought you’d be against it.”

Robert gave a half-laugh, shaking his head. “I’m not that much of an asshole, Sophia. Plus, it’ll be fun to rub it in that bastard Charles’ face.” He paused, giving her a pointed look. “And, for the record, I’m not apologizing for enjoying this.”

Sophia exhaled, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips. “Well, you sure gave in a lot easier than I expected.”

He grinned, tapping his fingers on the table. “What can I say? I’m looking forward to playing the role. You won’t regret it.” He paused before leaning in, adding with a smirk, “And neither will Charles, once he sees us together.

“So, you still haven’t told me how the date went,” 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 smile—it lit something familiar in him, things he didn’t want to admit.

Robert cursed under his breath, forcing a laugh to hide the fact that her little hair twirl had his heart racing. “Oh, you little... I thought I cleared that out already,” 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 wasn’t even doing anything serious.

He could feel the tension building in his chest, and that pissed him off. She wasn’t flirting—at least, not intentionally. She wasn’t 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?

“Really, Robert? That’s all you’ve got?” she laughed softly, clearly enjoying his awkwardness.

He tried to laugh too, but it came out strained. Goddammit, why couldn’t he just keep it cool? Why was he so damn aroused over a video call? He wasn’t even there with her, yet his body was reacting like she was right in front of him. It wasn’t like he hadn’t 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 he’d managed to rein in the whole playboy, sexual side of himself over the past few years. He’d worked on that—he 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 wasn’t sure if he was going to survive these next two weeks playing the role of her pretend boyfriend. He couldn’t even handle a simple video call without feeling like this. Shit, what was he going to do when they were actually face-to-face.