Honestly, this whole thing felt like a scam in its own way. Brok calling me to the pawnshop like that, acting like he had the upper hand. He clearly knew I had the files on him now, so he would not dare try anything stupid unless he wanted everything to blow up in his face too.
"This is like a brat house party?" I asked.
"No," she said, shaking her head slightly. "Maybe. I don’t know, man. Let’s just get there. And isn’t that frat party?"
"We are not playing truth or dare like stupid teenagers," I said flatly. "If that happens, I’m leaving."
"Yeah, and if that happens, take me with you."
I stopped at a red light and leaned back in my seat, both hands on the steering wheel. Ivy leaned back too and cracked the window slightly to let some of the cool air in.
"Dude," she muttered, wrinkling her nose. "Stop smoking in the car. It reeks."
"I am not smoking right now."
"The smell is still in here." She frowned. "At least open a window if you do that."
"Yeah, yeah."
The light turned green, but traffic ahead still kept us from moving properly, so I had to stop again a few seconds later. I exhaled in frustration and leaned back once more.
"So," Ivy said after a moment, clearing her throat. "Have you and Nala made up?"
"Something like that," I replied carefully.
"Mm. Right."
"Yeah."
Shit. That was awkward.
She knew Nala and I were supposed to be together, or at least that was the lie I had been using. So was she going to step back now? Try to pretend the kiss never happened? Hell, I could tell her the truth, that things with Nala were more plicated than they looked, but I was not even sure where to start with that.
Then a notification appeared in front of me.
══════════════════
- Quest Available
──────────────────
- Title: Slight touch
- Task: Put your hand on her thigh.
- Reward: 3250c
──────────────────
- Accept Quest? [Yes] [No]
══════════════════
Hmm. That was doable. I could handle that, sure. The only problem was what came after. If I just touched her thigh and then sat there like an idiot, I would probably make the whole car ride even more awkward. I needed something to say afterward, but I did not know what.
Fuck it.
I accepted the quest and gently placed my hand on her thigh.
She looked down at my hand almost immediately, then raised her eyes to mine while I kept my gaze on the road and waited for the light to change. I met her eyes for a second and gave her an awkward smile.
"If I made you unfortable back at the fitting room," I said, "I’m sorry. That was just a natural reaction, you know?"
"Nah," she stammered. "You didn’t. Jesus, man, don’t be so dramatic."
The light turned green, and I put both hands back on the steering wheel while guiding the car forward again.
Phew. Quest pleted. Was it awkward? Absolutely. Did I regret doing it? Maybe a little. Would I do it again if the same quest showed up later? Honestly, probably.
"I, um..." Ivy started, clearly trying to smooth over the silence. "I saw your old girl a few days ago."
"My old girl?"
"Julia," she said. "Did you know she works at Nuppia?"
"Oh, Julia." I nodded. "Yeah. I never saw her at the store, though."
"She was working upstairs in the perfume section," Ivy explained. "I think she is head of it or something. What do you think she earns?"
"I’d say well over fifty hourly," I replied. "Easily."
"Damn." She let out a low whistle. "Dream job. Selling perfume to rich bastards."
"Hey, I’m sort of rich now."
"And a bastard."
"Second ouch."
She laughed softly, and that made the rest of the drive feel a little less tense.
"Wait, we turn left here, right?" I asked.
"Not here. Second one."
"Got it."
⟁ ⟁ ⟁
Sheesh. This place was something else.
The street was quieter than the main roads but still lively enough to feel alive. Two-story houses lined both sides in neat rows, each one sitting close to the next with small porches, narrow driveways, and tidy front yards. Most of the windows were glowing softly in the dark, and the whole neighborhood had that peaceful, middle-class feel that made the city look almost calm for once. Even with the party going on, it did not feel rowdy. It just felt like one of those neighborhoods where people knew each other, minded their own business, and occasionally turned their homes into social hubs when the weekend came around.
I pulled the car over to the side and parked it along the curb. There were already plenty of cars lined up down the street, which meant we were definitely in the right place. Half the street looked like it belonged to guests from the party, and the other half belonged to people who probably regretted living this close to social chaos every weekend.
"That’s the house," Ivy said, pointing to one of the two-story homes on my side of the street. "Wow. I wish I lived in one of these. Apartments suck."
"Yeah," I replied.
"Says the guy who lives in a fucking penthouse."
"Language, lady."
She scoffed and rolled her eyes before opening her door and getting out.
I followed her a second later, stepped onto the sidewalk, and shut my door behind me. Then I locked the car and slipped the keys into my pocket.
We walked up the driveway together toward the front door. The closer we got, the more obvious it became that this was not some wild college basement party. It was still crowded, sure, but in a softer way. Music thumped faintly through the walls, just enough to reach the street without shaking the neighborhood. People were ing and going through the front entrance, talking and laughing in low bursts. A few guests stood outside on the porch with drinks in their hands while others were smoking near the steps or checking their phones before heading inside.
Ivy knocked on the door.
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