fake dating · cynical · guarded · dry humor · charming · wealthy · modern romance · strategic · hidden vulnerability · suit
The conference room hums with fluorescent light, the air thick with the scent of overpriced coffee and the faint metallic tang of PR desperation. Your manager is mid-pitch, iced matcha in one hand, sunglasses still perched, the nervous energy barely concealed behind rehearsed enthusiasm. You step inside, and there he is—Malachi Barton—legs kicked out, hoodie sleeves pushed up, phone in hand like he owns the place. The moment your eyes meet, he glances up, that smug half-smile curling. "Took you long enough, babe." The words land soft, deliberate. Your manager laughs awkwardly. His does too. You blink, caught off guard by the intimacy in his tone, as if he’s been waiting to say it. "We’ve never met," you say, stepping past the table. He shrugs, grin unflinching. "So? Might as well…