He looked at her. She was watching him with that steady, unflinching gaze she had—the one that said she wasn't going to settle for a deflection.
I have a system that makes my dick bigger and makes me hotter, he thought. But I don't think that's what you're asking.
"Something true," he repeated.
"One thing."
He considered it. The truth was a complicated thing now. There were layers to it.
"I never thought I'd end up here," he said finally.
"Here?"
"This table. This bar. This night." He gestured vaguely. "I wasn't the kind of person who got invited to things. I was the kind of person who got ignored."
She tilted her head. "And now?"
He leaned back, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. He spread his hands like he was presenting himself to an audience.
"Now I'm the jawline guy."
She chuckled. "Okay. That was true."
"Was it the truth you wanted?"
She smiled. "It was a start."
The scrambled text in his vision resolved, the fragments finally locking into place.
[OBJECTIVE: Kiss Chloe for 30 seconds. She must initiate the second kiss.]
He blinked it away.
Twenty hours. Kiss her for thirty seconds. Then she has to want to do it again.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
"Fine."
She didn't look convinced, but she let it go.
He looked at her. "Tell me something true."
She raised an eyebrow. "You're turning it back on me?"
"Fair's fair."
She considered it. "You know, I almost didn't come tonight."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I was tired. I had a paper due."
"But you came."
She looked at him. "Yeah."
"Why?"
She considered the question. "Because you asked."
He didn't answer.
She laughed. "That's a weird thing to say, right?"
"It's honest."
"Honest is weird."
"Not to me."
A pause. Her eyes held his a moment longer than necessary.
Near the stage, Nico was talking to a couple of girls. Kylie was walking toward the stage, mic in hand, swaying slightly. She'd had a couple more drinks and was clearly about to perform.
Chloe followed his gaze. "She's actually going to do it."
"Looks like it."
"I wonder if she's any good."
"I guess we'll find out."
She flagged down a waiter and ordered two drinks. When they arrived, Dorian raised his glass first.
"To unexpected nights."
She clinked her glass against his. "To unexpected nights."
Kylie took the stage. The music started, a slow, familiar love song. Her voice was good. Not amazing, but good enough that the room quieted down to listen. She closed her eyes for a moment, swaying with the melody, then opened them.
Her gaze drifted across the room.
It landed on Dorian.
Just for a moment. A brief flicker of connection before she looked away, back at the song, back at the performance. But for that one beat, it felt like she was singing to him.
Dorian didn't react. He just watched.
Chloe nudged him. "You should go up there."
"Absolutely not."
"Why? Scared?"
"Terrified." He took a sip of his drink. "I have a voice that makes people reconsider their life choices."
She laughed, a genuine, surprised laugh. "That bad?"
"Worse. I once cleared a room at a family gathering."
She shook her head, still smiling. "Okay. That's almost impressive."
"Almost?"
"Almost."
He glanced at her. "What about you? Do you sing?"
"Only in the shower and my mirror."
"So you're probably good."
She gave him a skeptical look. "How does that make sense?"
"It doesn't. I just feel like you would be."
"And how exactly would you know that?"
He shrugged. "I have a feeling."
She laughed, giving him a genuinely cute, unguarded smile.
Dorian found himself smiling back before he could stop himself.
"I'll sing if you sing," she said.
"Then you're never singing."
"That's what I thought."
---
Later, after Kylie's performance, the group slowly began to break apart.
Kylie was the first to leave, claiming she was suddenly exhausted now that she'd spent the last of her energy on stage. Jordan offered to walk her out, and Nico followed a few steps behind, still talking about the girls he'd been chatting with earlier.
You coming?" Jordan called to Dorian.
Dorian glanced at Chloe.
"I'll catch up with you guys."
Nico gave him a knowing look but said nothing. He just smirked before following Jordan toward the exit.
A few minutes later, Dorian and Chloe were outside the karaoke bar.
The night air was cooler than he'd expected. The noise from inside faded behind them as they started toward campus.
By the time they reached campus, most of the walk was already behind them.
Dorian walked beside Chloe, hands in his pockets, matching her pace as they headed toward her hostel.
"Can I ask you something?" she said.
"Sure."
"You said earlier that you weren't the kind of person who got invited to things. What changed?"
"I don't know," he said. "I think I just stopped waiting for permission."
"Permission?"
"To be someone people noticed."
She was quiet for a moment. "Okay."
"So," she said, "what were you hoping would happen?"
He blinked. "What do you mean?"
"From me." She tilted her head. "You asked me out. You walked me home. What were you hoping would happen?"
"I don't know," he said. "I just wanted to see where this goes. And I also wanted to see if you were as interesting as I thought."
"And?"
He smiled. "And I'd like to find out more. Maybe over coffee? Or dinner?"
She stared at him for a moment, then she chuckled, shaking her head.
"Okay." She laughed again, softer this time. "That's smooth."
"I try."
She shook her head, still smiling.
They reached her hostel. She paused at the door, but didn't go inside immediately. She turned to face him, her expression soft.
"Thank you," she said.
"For what?"
"For tonight. For not making it weird." She laughed quietly. "I didn't realize how much I needed that."
"You don't have to thank me."
"I know." She looked at him. "That's why I'm saying it."
She studied his face for a moment.
"I don't usually do this."
"Do what?"
"Stand outside my hostel talking to someone I barely know."
Barely know. That was true. She didn't know him. But he knew her.
He hesitated, then said: "Funny. I feel like I know you better than you think."
She raised an eyebrow. "That's a strange thing to say."
"Maybe." He held her gaze. "But it's true."
She was quiet for a moment, studying him. The streetlight caught her face, softening her features. She wasn't looking away.
I should kiss her right now.
She's looking at me like she might let me.
Just lean in. Just—
He didn't move.
No. Not yet. She just said she barely knows me. I can't rush this.
She held his gaze a moment longer, then smiled.
"Goodnight, Dorian."
"Goodnight, Chloe."
She went inside. He stood there for a moment, then walked back toward his dorm.
---
Saturday morning arrived with sunlight in his eyes.
Dorian groaned, turned over, and reached for his phone. 9:11 AM. The room was empty. Tyler's bed was made. Kyle's corner was deserted.
He remembered Chloe standing beneath the streetlight the night before, her face soft in the glow. The way she'd looked at him. The way she'd smiled.
He opened his messages.
Dorian: Morning. You free tonight?
He set the phone down. No reply.
He scrolled through Pictura for a few minutes, nothing interesting, just the usual parade of people living their best lives, before a notification popped up.
Elise: You still coming?
Dorian: Yeah. I'll be there.
Elise: Good. I was about to assume you'd forgotten.
Because I almost did, he thought.
Elise: BTW, bring a pair of shorts. It's a pool party.
Dorian: Got it.
He put the phone down for a moment and brought up the system.
The timer for the Chloe quest was still counting down.
Plenty of time.
He closed the interface.
He got up, threw on a hoodie, and walked to a small bakery near campus. The smell of fresh bread hit him before he reached the door. He grabbed a croissant and a bottle of juice, sat at a small table outside, and took his first bite.
His phone buzzed.
Chloe: Morning 😊 What did you have in mind?
He wiped his hands and typed back.
Dorian: Dinner? 6:30? I know a place.
Chloe: That's not a no. Let me check my schedule.
He smiled. That was a yes.
The croissant was gone by the time he got back to his dorm. He showered, grabbed his small duffel bag, shorts and open-chest shirt, and checked the time. 1:16 PM.
He headed out.
Her apartment door was closed when he arrived. He knocked.
Silence.
He checked his phone. 2:01. He knocked again.
A moment later, the door opened.
Elise stood there in a bathrobe, her hair dry and freshly done.
"Come in. I'm almost ready."
She stepped aside, leaving the door open.
Dorian walked inside.
---
The apartment smelled like shampoo and expensive soap. Dorian sat on the chaise, waiting.
"Dorian?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you come here?"
He crossed the room. She was standing by the bed, a jar of lotion in her hand.
"There's a spot on my back I can't reach," she said. "I need you to get it."
He took the lotion. She turned, lifting her hair. He applied it, his fingers tracing the pale line along her spine.
"Go lower," she said.
He moved lower.
She glanced back at him, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Don't be shy."
He kept going.
She let out an exaggerated, playful sigh. "Yeah, just like that. Good boy."
He finished rubbing the lotion onto her back.
"Thanks," she said, turning to face him. "Did you bring the shorts?"
He pointed at the small duffel bag he'd set down near the door.
"In my bag."
"Good. You'll need to change." She paused, stepping closer. "Do you want to change here? Or..."
She let the second thought trail off unfinished.
His eyes met hers. "I'm good."
He changed. She watched. When he finished, he folded the clothes he'd been wearing and put them into the duffel bag.
"My turn," she said. "Turn around."
He raised an eyebrow, but he did.
He heard her change behind him. A few moments later: "Okay."
He turned. She was wearing a red bikini, strappy and flashy, the kind that drew attention without trying. She walked to the mirror, studied herself, then glanced at him.
"How do I look?"
He met her gaze. "Like you're about to make a lot of people jealous."
She smiled, a slow, satisfied smile.
She reached for the dress laid out on the bed, a sleek, fitted number that would still cover her properly. She slipped it on, then stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the neckline.
"Does this dress make me look serious?" she asked, her tone playful.
He held her gaze. "You could wear anything, but you'd still be the hottest person in the room."
She paused. Her hands stilled on the neckline. For a moment, she didn't speak. Then she turned to face him fully.
"Wow. You're in a mood today. I love it."
She grabbed her bag. "Let's go."
---
The drive was easy. She talked about Kenzo.
"He started on FansOnly. Then he started hosting. Now he's the one everyone wants to know."
He didn't reply. He was watching the city pass by.
---
The Content House was a modern two-story rental at the end of a quiet street. White walls, dark trim, floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper level. A few cars were already parked out front.
Dorian followed Elise up the walkway. She opened the front door and stepped inside.
He entered behind her.
The foyer was clean and minimalist, a console table, a large mirror, a staircase leading up to the second floor. Voices drifted from somewhere deeper in the house, muffled by the walls. Music pulsed beneath them, low and rhythmic.
Elise didn't stop. She led him through the foyer, past the staircase, down a short hallway. The music grew louder. The voices became clearer. The smell of chlorine mixed with perfume.
A woman emerged from a side room as they passed, tall, dark hair, a sheer cover-up over a bikini that seemed to have been designed to be noticed. Her eyes swept over Elise, then Dorian.
"Hey, Elise."
"Hey." Elise didn't slow. "Pool's through here."
The woman nodded, already moving past them toward the front of the house.
Dorian followed Elise. The hallway opened into a large entertainment area, tiled floor, high ceilings, a wet bar along one wall, a DJ booth near the far end. Ring lights and LED panels were mounted on stands. A few cameras were set up on tripods. Phones were everywhere.
And in the center, the pool.
It glowed neon blue, the water shimmering under the interior lighting. The air was warm and heavy, heaters hummed somewhere in the walls, keeping the space comfortable despite the cold outside. The DJ was already playing, bass vibrating through the floor.
The room was crowded. Women in bikinis, curves exaggerated, bodies enhanced, confidence practiced. Some were in the pool. Others lounged around it, drinks in hand. A few were already filming.
Elise moved easily into the crowd, stopping every few steps to greet someone.
"Dorian, I'll be right back."
She disappeared into another conversation.
Dorian remained where he was.
He watched.
A girl in a pink bikini moved through the crowd, carrying a small bag. Her body was impossible to miss, her curves exaggerated even by the standards of the room, her BBL noticeably fuller than Elise's. But it was her energy that made people notice her first.
She laughed as she handed something to a guy near the pool.
"Don't take both, babe. I know you."
The guy laughed and took one.
She moved on.
Another person stopped her.
"Peaches!"
"One sec!"
She dug into her bag, pulled something out, and handed it over before continuing.
Dorian watched her approach another group.
She noticed him standing there.
She pointed at him.
"First time?"
Dorian looked around. "That obvious?"
She laughed.
"A little."
She stopped in front of him and opened her bag.
"Want something?"
She held out two small tabs.
"Acid," she said, pointing to one. "Molly."
Dorian stared at them.
She watched his face and immediately broke into a grin.
"Relax. I'm not gonna pressure you."
She lifted both slightly.
"Your choice."
He looked across the room.
Elise was still talking to someone near the pool.
She caught his eye.
Dorian gave her a small look.
She raised an eyebrow.
Then came the smallest nod.
His gaze returned to the two tabs.
I could leave it alone.
Probably the smarter choice.
He looked around again.
Everyone here seemed to have surrendered to the night already.
I could spend the next couple of hours standing at the edge of this thing, watching everyone else have fun.
Or I could actually step into it.
---
END OF CHAPTER 57