Chapter 1
A game of truth or dare was in full swing among friends. I, Rachel Winslet, was caught up in the exciting chaos of it all.
Suddenly, the dare was set: my boyfriend, Charles Miller, had to give a smooch to his childhood sweetheart, Lily Warren.
The crowd went wild, hooting and hollering, "Rachel won't mind, right?"
There they were, locked in an embrace. I took in the sight and let out a smile.
Hell no, I didn't mind! Everyone had a childhood sweetheart, didn't they?
Across the room, my own childhood friends were perched at the next table, eyes glued to the unfolding drama. Without a second thought, I made my way over, past them all.
There sat Ethan Cooper, my arch-rival, chowing down on a slice of juicy cantaloupe. I just leaned in and planted a kiss right on his lips. Not only was the cantaloupe incredibly sweet, but so were his lips, flavored by the delicious fruit.
*****
Just yesterday, I started dating Charles, making him my boyfriend for a mere day.
Last night, looking a total wreck after a long stint in the research lab, I stepped out to find him waiting to take me to a so-called gathering.
"Let me quickly change," I said.
Charles brushed it off, sounding all nonchalant. "Aw, don't worry. It's just my old mates. They won't bat an eye. Hurry up, or we'll be late as hell."
I was pretty peeved. This whole situation was so off the mark.
In normal circumstances, you'd give someone a heads-up about a get-together well in advance, so they could spruce themselves up.
Instead, he dropped this message right before it was set to start.
It wasn't even about what his friends thought. It was about basic decency and the good manners I'd been taught all my life.
Once we arrived, it became crystal clear that these guys knew exactly what they were doing.
They'd picked a posh bar for the dinner, and everyone was dressed to the nines.
Here I was, in my baggy sweatshirt and jeans, with a bit of dirt on my clothes, sticking out like a sore thumb in that fancy setting.
They thought they were hiding their smirks well, but I could see the contempt in their eyes.
This wasn't a friendly meet-up; it was a setup.
"She's got a nice face. No wonder she's got our innocent Charles wrapped around her little finger," one guy named Barry Wesley drawled, sizing me up like I was some piece of meat.
The rest of them were clearly relishing the thought of seeing me squirm.
It was kind of funny; he reminded me of those snide characters in old-fashioned dramas.
I retorted, "Looks are a gift from my parents. You can be jealous all you want, but there's nothing you can do about it.
"Charles and I are both 23, not 3. Using 'innocent' to describe him might make people think you're dissing his smarts."
My comeback left Barry speechless. He tried to glare at me with his beady eyes, but it was a pretty weak attempt.
Finally, Charles seemed to realize that something was off.
"Rae just got back from overseas. She's a bit straightforward," he told his friends.
Then he turned to me and said, "He didn't mean any harm. He was just saying you're good-looking."
Please! First, they blindsided me with this, and then this guy had the nerve to sneer at me for "seducing" Charles.
How could that be "no harm"? His hostility was written all over his face.
If I weren't a VIP at this place, I wouldn't have been let in with my shabby outfit.
What a bunch of snobs, thinking they were better just because they had a bit of cash.
Like attracted like. It was pretty clear that Charles would be my one-day boyfriend.