I shut the door quickly, hoping no one had seen Darcy on the porch. My face was still burning, though I couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or the fact that he had just… showed up.
“Who was that?” Mum asked, already halfway through another glass of wine.
“No one,” I said, my voice way too high-pitched to sound casual.
But as I turned, I caught Alex by the window, peering outside like some smug detective. He didn’t say anything, but his gaze lingered a second too long on the unmistakable figure of Darcy getting into his car.
Darcy looked back, his eyes flicking to the window. And because apparently, Alex lives for dramatic tension, he casually slid an arm around my shoulders, pulling me just close enough for Darcy to see.
I could’ve strangled him.
“Oh, so it’s that kind of no one,” Alex muttered, just loud enough for me to hear.
Before I could retort, Melanie’s voice cut through the room like nails on a chalkboard.
“This is such a lovely evening!” she said, flipping her shiny hair over her shoulder. “It’s so nice to see new love blossoming and exes who can still get along. Very mature of you two.”
“Melanie,” Dad began, his grin way too proud, “Barbara and I stayed close because we’re Sophie’s people. We don’t want her to feel alone, especially with her work and everything.”
I froze, caught between surprise and a sudden, uncharacteristic warmth. It wasn’t like Dad to be sentimental, but his words landed somewhere deep in my chest.
“Oh, that’s so sweet!” Melanie said, turning to me with what I’m sure she thought was a sympathetic smile. “You know, Sophie, I can bring you to my Pilates class. It’s amazing for shaking off those stubborn ten pounds.”
For a second, the room went completely silent. My jaw clenched, and I smiled tightly. “Thanks for the tip, Melanie,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Dessert, anyone?” Dad blurted, practically throwing himself toward the kitchen in a desperate attempt to change the subject.
After dinner, I walked Alex to his car, grateful to escape the floral chaos of Mum’s living room.
“Thanks for tonight,” I said, shoving my hands into my coat pockets. “It wasn’t nearly as awful as I thought it’d be.”
“High praise, Hollis,” Alex said with a grin, leaning against his car. “It wasn’t so bad being your fake boyfriend.”
I laughed lightly, unsure of what else to say. But before I could take a step back, Alex leaned in. His lips brushed mine in a kiss that was brief but warm, sending a jolt straight through my chest.
“See you in the office tomorrow,” he said with a wink before climbing into his car and driving off.
The next day, I relayed everything to Lucy, who was sprawled across my couch with a glass of prosecco in hand.
“ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS?!” she shouted, nearly spilling her drink. “He kissed you TWICE?!”
“It wasn’t a big deal,” I said, sipping my own prosecco and sinking deeper into the couch.
“It wasn’t a big deal?!” Lucy repeated, her jaw dropping. “Sophie, define it. Is he your boyfriend, your boss, or just a walking HR complaint waiting to happen?”
“There’s nothing to define,” I groaned, rubbing my temples. “We’re… colleagues. Colleagues who might have accidentally snogged.”
“And who stole your panties,” Lucy reminded me with a wicked grin. “That sounds pretty defined to me.”
Before I could argue, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and saw a message from Alex.
Alex: Hope you’re free this weekend. Come to mine. Let’s make it official… consider it a test drive of our relationship.
I stared at the message, my heart racing. A test drive? What was I—his girlfriend or a rental car?