Alex was glued to my gaming chair, fingers flying across the keyboard, prepping for the big match. Suddenly, Lucas walked into the studio. He greeted the team with a nod, then came straight to alex, settling in the chair beside mine.
Lucas reached under the table, his hand with its noticeable veins finding mine. Before I could react, he slipped a ring onto my finger. My eyes widened in surprise.
"Do you like it?" he murmured in my ear, his breath warm against my skin.
"Yeah," I managed, a little flustered. "And… thanks."
Throughout practice, he kept my hand under the desk, a silent reminder of our bizarre arrangement. Right, I'm married, I thought, the temporary nature of it feeling increasingly unreal.
After work, I headed to my favorite coffee shop. I had a feeling Lucas was following me, and sure enough, he appeared a few minutes after I sat down. He joined me at my table and immediately reached for my hand.
"Stop," I said, pulling it away gently. "Just because we're married doesn't mean we have to hold hands all the time."
"But we are married," Lucas replied, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "According to the contract, I could do… many things."
I mentally face-palmed. Signing that contract was probably the dumbest thing I'd ever done.
Lucas leaned closer, his face inches from mine. My heart did a little flutter.
He chuckled softly. "Were you expecting a kiss in the middle of a coffee shop?"
"I-I just…" I stammered, my words failing me. "Never mind."
I must have looked disappointed because Lucas suddenly reached up, pulling the brim of his cap low to shield us from view. He leaned in again, and this time, he actually kissed me.
My brain short-circuited. I pulled back, a bewildered "Huh?" escaping my lips.
"You looked sad when I didn't kiss you," Lucas said, his expression surprisingly innocent. "So I just did."
As I took a long sip of my drink, my mind raced. What kind of crazy is this?. My phone buzzed with a message from our boss: two days off! "Phew," I sighed in relief. "Thank God!"
Lucas, who was nearby, suddenly said, "By the way, pack your bag."
"Huh? Why?" I asked, confused.
"You're staying at my house," he replied casually. "My mom's coming this week."
"Oh, okay," I said, still a little surprised. Lucas called a taxi for me, which was nice.
I went back to my place, threw some clothes and stuff into a bag, and headed to Lucas's address. I rang the doorbell, and a few seconds later, a butler opened the door. He was really polite and led me inside to where Lucas was waiting.
"I'll take it from here, James," Lucas told the butler. Then he gestured for me to follow him. He showed me to a really nice room. "This is my room," he said.
"Wow," I said, looking around. "Your room is huge!"
"You like it?" Lucas asked.
"Yes!" I replied happily.
Suddenly, Lucas walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, like it was no big deal. I was totally shocked. Lucas just calmly walked towards another door in the room. "I'll be in my study," he said, and disappeared.
As I walked away, still a bit stunned, I mumbled to myself, "What a weird guy."
Just as I reached the other side of the room, Lucas's voice came from his study, clear as day. "I can hear you, you know."
Inside his study, Lucas thought to himself, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes, Did he really forget me?...