Page 60 of A Win-Win Situation
It’s fucking soap. More specifically,turtle soap.
"Leora, why am I holding a turtle made of soap?" I whisper.
Leora leans into me, laughing. "I took all the soap they had in the guest bathrooms. That’ll teach Michel not to be rude to me."
"You did what?" I say, unable to contain my smile, my eyes crinkling at the corners. This is the silliest thing I’ve ever heard, but it’s hilarious. My head falls back and I let out a laugh attracting everyone’s attention. Leora giggles along with me. Shelooks triumphant, as if she's just pulled off the most brilliant prank. The thought of her sneaking around, collecting soap from the guest bathrooms, just to get back at Michel, makes me laugh even harder. The ridiculous thing is that he’ll never notice it—not even his wife will.
As our laughter dies down, I wipe a tear from my eye and look at Leora, still grinning. "You're absolutely mad. That's some next-level revenge right there. Is that why you left?"
Leora smirks, clearly proud of her impromptu plan. "No, I walked away because I was about to say stuff that would cause a scene. But then I found these cute soaps and thought stealing them would teach him a lesson. And besides, who needs that much soap anyway?"
I laugh and shake my head. "Am I next on your revenge list?"
Leora draws closer, her voice softening with a twinge of threat. "At this particular moment you’re on the ‘okay’ list, but watch your back, big guy."
The "threat" catches me off guard. Is sheflirtingwith me? I quickly dismiss the idea—surely she’s just excited by the moment. When it wears off, she’s probably going back to her normal state. But despite my efforts to brush it off, a sense of disappointment lingers. To anyone observing us, we must look like a blissful newlywed couple, inseparable and madly in love. We’re close together, our bodies angled toward each other. We exchange whispers and glances, and share secret smiles. But little do they know the real topic of our conversation.
She brushes her hand against mine as she takes the soap back, and with a playful smirk of my own, I murmur, "Well, in that case, I can't wait to see what other tricks you have up your sleeve."
Leora's smirk turns into a seductive smile, and I can't resist the urge to reach out and brush my thumb against her hand, feeling the softness of her skin.
Her breath hitches at my touch. Our faces are merely centimeters apart. "Oh, you have no idea," she whispers, her voice husky with promise. My gaze roams her beautiful face and lingers on her lips. They’re calling to me. I want to feel them on mine, and right now is my shot. As long as we have an audience, I can do whatever I want—and I need to get this burning desire out of my system.
As I reach out to cup her cheek, I note the confusion and anticipation in her eyes. I lean in slowly, our lips almost touching, but I stop just shy of her lips. "Play along, Michel and Melina are watching," I lie, hoping she doesn't see through my ruse. In response, she whispers something I can’t hear. Instead of answering, I savor the moment, the undeniable electricity sparking between us. Our lips graze for a brief moment before I give in and kiss her softly. It's frustrating to hold back, but I can’t kiss her the way I want to right now.
Despite her anger toward me, her desire for me now is unmistakable. I notice the disappointment in her eyes as I pull back from our brief kiss and I know it's mirrored in mine.
"Are they still looking?" her voice is mellow. I don't bother looking to confirm, instead, I give her a subtle nod before our lips reconnect. I find myself gently licking the seam of her lips, exploring the taste of her, probing her to open up. When she does, our kiss deepens. I kiss her for another second or two, or three; I'm not sure because I lose track of time before I reluctantly move away. This is anything but professional. I’m at a brunch surrounded by stakeholders, and yet I don’t care. I catch a glimpse of her, a little shocked, her eyes wide. She licks her bottom lip before straightening. In that moment, the desire to feel her bottom lip between mine again becomes an irresistible urge, something I ache to fulfill as soon as possible.
Our moment is interrupted by Michel's cheerful voice as it booms across the table and I internally curse. We sit back in ourchairs, my arm finding its place along the back of hers, keeping her close to me.
He raises his glass and offers a toast. "To Lucas and Leora, the newlyweds, and the bright future that lies ahead of them!"
His eyes briefly meet mine, and I catch a hint of something menacing behind them, but he quickly masks it with a smile as he joins the rest of the table in raising their glasses in celebration.
She hasn’t lookedat me once since we sat down in the car and it’s driving me insane. I want to grab her chin and make her look at me. I don’t understand how she can just turn it off like that. I know I messed up yesterday and the day before—I should have been calmer. I know I have to apologize, but the words refuse to come out of my mouth.
However, I thought we shared something during brunch.
It went well. It wentmorethan well, actually. The kiss and the laughter felt more than an act. I actually had fun for the first time ever at an event like that, and she is the reason for that.
But apparently, she’s a great actress and, as provoked as I am, I can’t fault her for that. That’s why I married her. The whole reason she’s in my car this second is because I need someone to play my wife.
As we pull into the driveway of our home, the tension in the car is suffocating. I let out a sigh of relief, grateful to finally be off the road. Leora unbuckles her seatbelt and opens the car door, ready to escape the confined space. She stops halfway out when she notices that I haven’t moved a millimeter.
I can't stay here, not with this tension between us. I need some time alone to sort out my thoughts. If I stay, we’re eithergoing to argue or I’ll break one of her rules by touching her in all the ways I’m craving. It's frustrating to be in this limbo, not knowing where we stand or how to move forward. But for now, I need space to breathe and clear my head.
Without a word, I take out the key and the magnetic fob for the elevator from my pocket and hand them over to her. Her eyes are fixed on me, watching my every movement and searching for a hint of emotion. I keep my face neutral, not wanting to give her any inkling that this marriage is already affecting me.
"Take these," I say, my voice low and steady. I check the time on my watch. It's only three o'clock, so I have plenty of time to clear my head before I come back.
Leora looks at me, her eyes wide with surprise and a hint of vulnerability. "You're not coming?"
I shake my head, trying to keep my emotions in check. "I'll be back this evening."
"Where are you going?"
"I have some work I need to get done."
