"So let me get this straight," Aria said, eyeing Ethan over the rim of her glass. "You think you can out-sing me at karaoke?"
Ethan smirked, leaning back in the booth of the divey little bar Gwen dragged them to. "I don't think, Lane. I know."
"You seriously underestimate how much Celine Dion I've got stored in this tiny body."
"Oh, I'm counting on it."
Which was how, ten minutes later, Aria found herself standing on a makeshift stage, clutching a mic, belting out It's All Coming Back to Me Now like her life depended on it.
The crowd was eating it up — especially Ethan, who stood at the edge of the stage with his arms crossed and the smuggest look on his stupidly handsome face.
When the song ended, she took an exaggerated bow, hair wild, cheeks flushed.
"Top that, Cole."
His grin widened. "Oh, I plan to."
And then — he picked Wannabe by the Spice Girls.
The entire bar lost it.
Ethan Cole, ruthless businessman, known office menace, and serial overachiever, was now dramatically pointing at people and shouting "So tell me what you want, what you really, really want!"
Aria was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.
By the time he got to the part where he had to rap, even the bartender was doubled over.
He somehow made it through the whole thing, took a bow, and sauntered back to their table like he hadn't just destroyed every ounce of his carefully crafted public image.
"Okay," she wheezed. "I did not have that on my bingo card."
"Never underestimate me, Lane."
They sat back down, both of them still catching their breath from laughing.
And then Gwen, clearly half-drunk and loving the drama, leaned over.
"Okay, okay — you two. Truth or dare."
Aria rolled her eyes. "We're not in high school, Gwen."
"Don't be a coward."
Ethan smirked. "Truth."
Gwen's grin turned feral. "Have you ever been in love?"
Ethan's easy smirk faltered for half a second.
His eyes flicked to Aria.
And in that tiny, fleeting moment — everything shifted.
"I…" he started, then cleared his throat. "I don't know. Maybe. Once. But I was too much of an idiot to realize it at the time."
Aria's stomach did a weird flip.
Gwen opened her mouth to press, but Ethan held up a hand.
"My turn. Lane — truth or dare?"
She arched a brow. "Truth."
He didn't hesitate. "When did you stop hating me?"
The table went quiet.
Aria bit her lip, fiddling with her drink straw.
"Maybe around the time you let me crash at your place when my apartment flooded," she admitted. "Or maybe when you picked a fight with my ex without hesitating. Could be when you sang Spice Girls in public."
His lips curved into a crooked smile.
"Not when I called you 'kid' in meetings?"
"Oh, I still hate that."
They grinned at each other like total idiots.
The air between them felt charged — not heavy, just… electric.
Later that night, walking her home again in the cool night air, Ethan slipped his hand into hers.
"I meant it, you know," he said quietly. "I've never felt like this about anyone."
She stopped walking, turning to face him.
"I know," she whispered. "Me too."
And though neither of them said the words out loud, it hung between them like a promise.
Soon.....