The phone rang twice before Sophie's bright voice came through. "Lena! I was just about to call you."
Lena sank back into her couch, massaging the back of her neck. "Hey, Soph. I just... I needed to talk."
Sophie's voice immediately softened. "What's going on?"
Lena exhaled slowly, the weight of the past week pressing down on her. "It's been a mess. I had to deal with sacking Madison. Then the new assignment at Calloway Holdings dropped on me like a bomb. And..." she hesitated, fingers tightening around the phone, "my mum found out about Anthony and me."
There was a pause, then Sophie said gently, "Oh, Lena."
"I'm just... tired," Lena admitted, closing her eyes. "I need a break. Even just a few hours where I don't have to think about any of it."
Sophie didn't miss a beat. "Perfect. Pub night. Tonight."
Lena blinked. "Pub night?"
"Yes. Pub night," Sophie said, as if it was the most obvious solution in the world. "You, me... and I'll drag Ethan along too. You need to blow off some steam."
Lena hesitated, instinctively wanting to decline. A night out sounded loud, messy—too much. And the idea of being around Ethan after everything that had stirred between them recently...
But then again, maybe it wasn't a bad idea. If anything, it was a chance to push Ethan and Sophie together, just like she had originally hoped.
"Alright," Lena said after a beat. "Let's do it."
Sophie let out a victorious cheer. "Yes! I'll see you tonight. And wear something fun, Lena."
*****
At night, Lena reached the pub which Sophie mentioned. She scanned the pub and spotted them immediately: James waving from a booth in the back, Sophie beside him, and Ethan—leaning back with one arm stretched lazily over the booth, a pint in front of him, looking entirely too comfortable in a simple black T-shirt and jeans. The casual look somehow made him even more dangerous and real.
Lena hesitated for a moment, brushing down the simple black knit top she wore, tucked neatly into slim dark jeans. Her outfit was casual but flattering, understated but clean. A cropped leather jacket rested lightly on her shoulders, and ankle boots added just a hint of edge. She had kept her makeup light—just enough to define her eyes, with a soft nude gloss on her lips.
She headed over, heart picking up a little faster with every step.
"Hey!" Sophie called, her face lighting up as Lena approached.
Sliding into the booth, Lena took the seat beside James, leaving Sophie between her and Ethan—carefully, deliberately. Maybe it would help push things along. Maybe they needed space to find each other.
"Lena Kim," James said, grinning as he leaned slightly toward her. "Didn't expect to see you tonight."
Lena blinked, surprised. She had seen James before—back in high school, two years younger than Ethan, always hanging around with his brother's group, a little cockier, a little louder. She remembered him more as Ethan's shadow, the kid who was always in some sort of harmless trouble.
And lately, she'd heard snippets about James through Sophie—stories about his reckless charm, his ability to crash through chaos and somehow make everyone love him for it.
James chuckled, tipping his glass toward her. "Of course I know you. You were kind of a legend back then."
Lena blinked, caught off guard. "A legend? Hardly."
He grinned. "Smart, untouchable, and way too good for the rest of us idiots running around the halls."
She opened her mouth to protest, but James just nudged her playfully with his shoulder, flashing an easy, boyish smile that made it hard to stay serious.
She opened her mouth to respond, but James was already nudging her playfully with his shoulder, the conversation sliding easily into jokes and teasing. Lena found herself laughing, a real laugh, the tension easing just a little.
Drinks were ordered, casual conversation flowed, and for the first time in what felt like days, Lena felt herself relax a little.
Halfway through her second drink, Sophie leaned in with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Okay," she said brightly, "this is too tame. We need a game. Something fun."
James arched an eyebrow. "Fun how?"
Sophie smirked. "Fun as in... let's play Dare or Shot. You either do the dare, or you take a shot."
Lena nearly choked on her drink, coughing lightly. "Sophie..."
But Sophie only grinned wider. "Come on. Just harmless fun."
James laughed and leaned back lazily in his seat. "I'm in."
Ethan's mouth twitched into a half-smile as he looked at Lena. "What about you?"
Lena hesitated, her cheeks warming. Dare or Shot had a reputation. It could turn steamy fast, depending on who was asking the dares.
This was a bad idea.
A very, very bad idea.
And yet, she caught a glimpse of Ethan—relaxed but quietly observant—and Sophie, practically bouncing with excitement beside him.
Maybe... maybe if Sophie flirted a little with Ethan during the game, it would help push them closer.
Steeling herself, Lena nodded. "Alright. I'm in."
Sophie clapped her hands. "Perfect!"
The first few rounds were harmless enough—James daring Ethan to say the alphabet backward, Ethan daring Sophie to down a questionable drink mixture. Laughter rippled easily around their booth.
But then Sophie, emboldened by the drinks, decided to turn up the heat.
"Alright, Ethan," Sophie said, grinning wickedly. "Dare or shot?"
Ethan leaned back lazily, arms crossed. "Dare."
Sophie's smile widened. "I dare you to kiss the prettiest girl at this table."
Lena stiffened, the warmth rushing up her neck so fast it nearly made her dizzy.
James let out a low whistle, clearly amused.
Ethan's gaze flickered briefly between the two women—Sophie, who was practically daring him with her eyes, and Lena, who sat frozen, trying not to meet his gaze.
Pick Sophie, Lena chanted silently, heart pounding against her ribs. Pick Sophie.
Ethan's mouth curved slightly. He reached for his glass, taking a slow sip instead of moving immediately, the silence stretching taut between them.
Ethan's mouth curved at the corner, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his eyes. Then, without a word, he reached for his shot glass and knocked it back in one smooth motion.
James barked out a laugh. "Coward," he teased, slapping Ethan lightly on the back. "Afraid to start a catfight, huh?"
Sophie groaned dramatically. "Boring!"
Lena was confused why Ethan chose to drink instead but she stayed quiet.
Drinks flowed easily, conversation even more so. James kept the energy high with wild stories from the office. Sophie teased him mercilessly, and Ethan listened, occasionally throwing in a sharp, dry comment that had Sophie snorting into her drink.
At one point, Lena leaned in toward Ethan with a light smile and said, just loud enough for Sophie to hear, "You and Sophie actually have a lot in common, you know. Both of you little too good at hiding how smart you are."
Sophie laughed brightly, bumping Ethan's arm. "Hey, I'll take that as a compliment."
Ethan tilted his head, giving Lena a long, unreadable look. He caught it—the casual way Lena shifted the conversation, the way she kept nudging the spotlight toward Sophie. The way her compliments framed Sophie perfectly, subtly, without ever making it obvious.
Later, when Sophie mentioned her love for hiking, Lena jumped in again. "Perhaps Ethan can join Sophie one day, right?" she said, pretending to sip from her glass even as she watched them both.
Ethan's fingers tightened slightly around his pint, unnoticed by the others.
He saw it now—clear as day.
Lena wasn't just here for drinks or old friends. She was trying to set him up with Sophie. And for the first time that night, Ethan's smirk faded. Because what Lena clearly didn't understand was that no matter how much she tried to push him toward someone else, he only had eyes for her.
Only her.
Midway through the night, while James was busy ordering another round and Sophie was distracted snapping a photo of her drink, Ethan leaned in, voice low and smooth.
"You know," he said casually, fingers idly spinning his glass, "for someone who's trying so hard to play matchmaker tonight, you're doing a terrible job pretending you're not involved."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Lena froze for just a second before forcing a light laugh. "I'm just here for the beer," she said, lifting her glass in a mock toast.
Ethan didn't smile. His gaze stayed locked on her, steady and unreadable.