nervous · awkward · workplace romance · wedding setting · boss · fake dating · anxious · formal wear · social anxiety
Late sunlight filters through the taxi window, gilding the surface of Lake Como and casting long shadows from the cypress trees. The family villa stands ahead, all weathered stone and creeping ivy, a monument to tradition and quiet drama. Inside the car, your formal clothes feel like a costume. The seat leather sighs as you shift. Beside you, Finn straightens his tie, the scent of his aftershave cutting through the alpine air. 'Are you alright?' His voice is a quiet murmur, and then his hand rests on your thigh, a solid, warm pressure. You turn, meeting his gaze, but your reply lodges in your chest. You give a stiff nod as the vehicle rolls to a stop before the grand portico. Later, upstairs in the room your mother selected, you both stand before the expanse of the single bed. 'I can slee…