Lilly tapped her fingers against her cup, studying Alex. She noticed the way he deflected and the way he kept things playful. It was like he had an invisible line drawn between them, and every time they got too close, he pulled back just enough.
She swirled her latte absentmindedly, then spoke. "Alright, my turn."
Alex leaned back in his chair. "Hit me."
She tilted her head slightly. "Why do you always keep a barrier between us? And don't say no, because I can feel it."
His smile faltered for just a second... just long enough for her to see it before he covered it up. "Barrier?" he repeated, playing dumb.
Lilly didn't buy it. She rested her chin on her hand, watching him closely. "You like me. I know that much. But I also know you hesitate. You pull back just enough to keep things from getting too serious. Why?"
Alex let out a breath, staring at his lemonade as if it held the answer. For a moment, he said nothing. Just tapped his fingers against the table. What was he going to say? That he was planning on making a harem? Have threesomes and orgies with multiple girls? Besides, marriage between celebrities doesn't last very long, except for very rare cases and he wasn't going to go through a nasty divorce after a few years.
Lilly didn't push. She let the silence sit.
Finally, he spoke. "Because I don't want to commit to a serious relationship again."
His voice was calm, steady. But there was something else beneath it. A weight.
Lilly sat back, crossing her arms. "Because of her?"
'Her?! Oh! Let's go with it.' Alex's jaw tightened slightly. He didn't have to ask who she meant. Lilly already knew the story, at least, the basics. How his ex had left him when he was nobody and was going through a struggle, trading him in for a man with a fat bank account. That was before Alex became Hollywood's Golden Boy. Before the fame, the money, the flashing lights.
He let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "It's not just her. It's the whole thing. The expectations. The way people change. Or maybe the way they don't, and you just don't see it until it's too late." He looked into her eyes. "You put your heart in someone's hands, and then one day, you realize they never planned on holding it carefully."
Lilly's chest tightened. She wasn't expecting him to be this honest. (He was 70% honest.)
"So, what?" she asked softly. "You just keep everyone at arm's length now?"
"Not everyone," He gave her a small smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Just anyone who could actually matter."
Lilly studied him, her expression unreadable. Then, after a moment, she sighed. "You know, for someone who likes to win, you sure do sound like you're afraid of playing the game."
Alex chuckled, shaking his head. "It's not fear. It's knowing when to sit one out."
Lilly arched a brow. "Or maybe it's just an excuse. That way, you don't have to risk getting hurt again."
He sighed. "And what if it is?"
She held his gaze for a moment, then smiled slightly. "Then that means I just have to win this game, too."
Alex let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. "You really don't like losing, do you?"
"Not when the prize is worth it," she said simply, taking a slow sip of her latte.
Alex tilted his head slightly, watching her with a mix of curiosity and something else... something unreadable. He drummed his fingers against the table before leaning forward, his voice dropping just enough to make the air between them feel heavier.
"What if I'm only looking for pleasure?" His eyes locked onto hers, steady, challenging. "What if I have a couple of girlfriends? Nothing serious. Just… fun."
Lilly didn't flinch. If anything, she seemed amused. She leaned in too, her elbow resting on the table as she met his gaze head-on. "Then that's your choice." She shrugged, taking a slow sip of her latte before setting it down. "You want to keep things casual? Have your fun? Date around?" Her lips curled into a smirk. "Go ahead."
Alex studied her, searching for something like jealousy, hesitation, maybe even a flicker of disappointment. But it wasn't there.
Lilly tilted her head, eyes playful. "Because in the end?" She gave him a confident, knowing look. "I'm still going to win."
Alex let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "You're really that sure of yourself?"
"Always." She took another sip of her drink, eyes never leaving his. "See, I don't need to rush. I don't need to beg for your attention. I know what I bring to the table. And eventually?" She leaned in just a little more, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "You're gonna realize that no one else keeps up with you like I do."
Something flickered in Alex's expression, something intrigued, something amused. Maybe even impressed. He took a deep breath, shaking his head. "You really do love a good competition, huh?"
Lilly grinned. "Only when I know I'm gonna win."
For a moment, they just sat there, inches apart, the energy between them crackling like static before a storm. Alex finally leaned back, breaking the moment first, but the little smile on his face told her he wasn't dismissing her words. If anything, he was considering them.
He took a sip of his lemonade and chuckled. "Alright, Lilly. Game on."
She clinked her coffee cup against his lemonade. "Game on."
Alex leaned back in his chair, a lazy smirk on his face. "Alright, since you're so sure of yourself, how about I take you to meet my girlfriends?"
Lilly didn't blink. She simply raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You think that's supposed to shake me?"
He chuckled, finishing his drink. "I just think that after meeting them, you might not have that confidence anymore."
Lilly smirked. "Please. I eat confidence for breakfast. Let's go."
And so, after finishing their meal, Alex led her to Max and Caroline's bakery. It was around 7 p.m. when they pulled up, the neon "OPEN" sign glowing softly.
As soon as they stepped inside, the smell of sugar and fresh pastries filled the air. But more importantly
"Moneybags!"
Before Lilly could react, a brunette in a low-cut tank top and an apron came sprinting from behind the counter and launched herself at Alex.
Alex, as if this was totally normal, caught her in a bear hug and lifted her off the ground. "Hey, Max."
Lilly stood there, watching this unfold with an expression that could only be described as: 'Huh.'
Then, from behind the counter, a blonde woman with bright eyes and an excited expression gasped so hard she might pass out.
"Oh. My. God," Caroline clutched her chest, eyes wide as she stared at Lilly. "Evangeline. Freaking. Lilly."
Lilly blinked. "Uh… yeah?"
Caroline grabbed a nearby chair to steady herself. "I... I cannot believe this. You're here. You're actually here!"
Alex grinned. "Told you I'd bring her by."
Caroline let out a tiny squeal, fanning herself. "I need a second. This is like, a moment."
Meanwhile, Max, still latched onto Alex, finally pulled back and gave Lilly a once-over, her sharp eyes narrowing. "So, you're the one giving my love a hard time, huh?"
Lilly crossed her arms. "I prefer the term 'friendly competition.'"
Max snorted. "Oh, I like you already." Then, with a smile, she added, "And I loved you in Snake on a Train."
Lilly opened her mouth to respond, but then...
She noticed them.
Max's beautiful face. Her red lips and black eyeliner.
The boobs.
The legendary boobs of Max Black.
They were just there. Defying gravity. Taking up space.
Her brain short-circuited for a second.
'Ok. Fuck. A beauty with boobs.'
It wasn't intimidation. It wasn't even jealousy. It was just… acknowledgment. Like when you see a sports car on the highway and have to respect the engineering.
Max caught her staring and smirked. "Yeah, they're real. And they're spectacular."
Lilly snapped out of it, clearing her throat. "I wasn't..."
Max raised an eyebrow.
Lilly sighed. "Fine. I was. Are they real? I mean like... real... real?"
Max smiled proudly, crossing her arms under her boobs, lifting them up slightly. "Oh, honey. They're as real as my old crippling debts."
Lilly blinked, processing. "So… fake?"
Max snorted. "Nope. 100% me. Just good genes, bad choices, and a lot of heavy lifting." She shot Alex a look. "You can confirm."
Alex held up his hands in surrender. "I'm not getting involved in this conversation."
Caroline, still fanning herself from her celebrity-induced high, suddenly gasped and grabbed Lilly's hands. "Oh my God, wait. Is that why you're here? Are you having a moment?"
Lilly frowned. "A moment?"
Caroline nodded furiously. "You know. The 'oh no, am I secretly built like a door' moment?"
Max cackled. "Oh, we've all been there, babe."
Lilly opened her mouth to argue, but then her eyes drifted back to Max. And it happened again. The mental spiral.
Because Max wasn't just hot. She was unfairly hot. Like someone had gone into a character creator, maxed out 'sexy,' then thought, 'Nah, let's add some bonus points just to be rude.'
And then there was Caroline, who had the kind of face that photographers and sexy mags probably used as a reference photo.
Lilly suddenly became very aware of her own reflection in the bakery display glass. Her modest chest. Her slightly messy hair. Her...
Oh my God, was she actually having a moment?!
Alex, meanwhile, was having the time of his life watching her go through the same spiral he had heard Caroline go through back then. He leaned against the counter, amused. "You okay there, champ?"
Lilly snapped out of it, crossing her arms defensively. "I'm fine."
Max and Caroline exchanged a knowing look.
Max smirked. "Mmhmm. Sure you are."
Caroline beamed. "Oh! You know what always makes me feel better when I'm spiraling?"
Lilly raised an eyebrow. "A reality check?"
Caroline gasped dramatically. "No! Cupcakes!" She turned to Max. "We should give her a cupcake."
Max nodded. "We should give her a cupcake."
Lilly sighed. "I don't need a..."
Max shoved a cupcake into her hands before she could finish. "Eat. Let the sugar fix your self-esteem like it fixes everything else in life."
Lilly hesitated, then took a bite.
It was obnoxiously good. Like, illegal levels of good.
She chewed slowly. "…I hate that this is actually helping."
Caroline clapped excitedly. "See? Works every time."
Alex chuckled, nudging Lilly with his elbow. "So? Still feeling intimidated?"
Lilly swallowed, then shot him a glare. "Please. I don't get intimidated."
Max smirked. "Sure, babe." She patted Lilly's shoulder. "Just let us know when you hit phase two."
Lilly frowned. "Phase two?"
Caroline giggled. "Oh, you'll know."
Alex's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing at the name on the screen. Rachel. He sighed, knowing if she was calling, it was something important or a big nagging coming for him.
"Give me a second," he muttered, stepping outside to take the call.
Lilly, meanwhile, was still finishing her cupcake, her gaze flicking between Max and Caroline. There was something easy about the way they stood together, like two puzzle pieces that had just naturally fallen into place. She could see why Alex liked them.
Max leaned against the counter, watching Lilly with a smirk. "So? What's the verdict?"
Lilly raised an eyebrow. "On what?"
Caroline grinned. "On us. On this whole... situation." She gestured between herself and Max. "You came in here all confident, but I saw it. The moment. The realization."
Lilly rolled her eyes, finishing the last bite of her cupcake. "I don't get intimidated."
Max chuckled. "Right. Of course not."
Lilly set her napkin down, glancing toward the door where Alex had disappeared. "So, how did this even happen? You two don't exactly seem like the kind of girls to, you know..." She waved vaguely, implying 'get involved in something messy like this.'
Caroline and Max exchanged a look. Then Caroline sighed dreamily. "It all started with a thousand cupcakes."
Lilly blinked. "A thousand?"
Max laughed. "Yeah. We were waitresses at this little diner down the street, broke as hell, barely scraping by, about to lose everything. And then one day, Alex walks in like a damn storm, all charming and cocky, and gave us his card... Then blonde met with him and he ordered a thousand cupcakes."
Caroline grinned. "At first, we thought he was insane. Then we thought he was just showing off. But then… he paid the full amount in a single go, saying he trusted us and this was just an investment. We were so desperate back then that I was kinda ready to sleep with him if that's what it took to get the order, but he didn't do anything like that. I feel so stupid to think of him like that..."
Max's expression softened slightly, her voice quieter now. "I never expected anything from my life, you know? No big dreams, no grand plans. Just surviving, making it to the next day. But Alex..." She shook her head, as if still surprised by it. "He changed that. He showed me that I could expect more. That I was talented. That... I was worth something. And he knows how to push my buttons."
Caroline nodded. "He didn't just throw money at us. He believed in us. Helped us build something real."
Lilly listened, absorbing it. She'd seen the smooth, cocky side of Alex, the one that deflected and played games. But this? This was different. This was the side he didn't talk about. The side that actually gave a damn.
Max crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly. "So, tell me, Lilly. You still think you're gonna win, with your celebrity status against us? To be fair, I am gonna marry him first. Then I don't know... Blonde or you... You two can duke it out."
"Eeh?!" Lilly's right eye twitched.
---
AN: I wanted to use the system and quest & skills to introduce the harem, but it feels like cheating. Mind corruption, manipulation, hypnosis. I don't like those. So, I did my best with this one.🫡Hope it wasn't too forced.
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[6 advance chs] + [10 chs of Two and a Half Men: Waking up as Charlie Harper] [All chs available for all tiers]