Warning: 21+ please refain opening this chapter if you’re underaged
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"Running on the beach like this must be fun," Marissa commented, glancing at the wide stretch of coastline, imagining herself in a movie montage, hair flowing in the wind.
"Yeah, this is definitely a good spot for a run," Tony agreed, though internally, he knew the last time he tried running, he was out of breath in five minutes. Still, to maintain his “athletic CEO” image, he gave a solemn nod.
“Maybe you could try it tomorrow morning,” Marissa suggested with a bright smile, as if she had just come up with the world’s best idea.
Tony nodded again. “Maybe,” he repeated, already picturing himself lying face down in the sand, pretending it was a "meditation break."
They continued walking along the shore, the soft breeze and the rhythmic crashing of the waves making the evening feel just a little… romantic? Marissa decided it was time to dig a little deeper into Tony’s mysterious work life, like a detective on a lighthearted case.
“So, how’s work, darling?” she asked, throwing in a playful tone as she called him "darling," channeling her inner soap opera actress.
Tony, for some reason, felt a chill down his spine. He had asked Marissa to call him that, but hearing it now, it felt like receiving an unexpected audit letter. He quickly turned his gaze to the ocean, hoping the waves could calm his nerves.
Marissa chuckled to herself, noticing his awkwardness. “I need to know what you do when people ask, ‘So, what does your husband do?’ I can’t just say, ‘Oh, he’s into... secretive stuff,’ can I?”
Tony gave a tight-lipped smile, realizing Marissa had a knack for cutting through his usual façade. “I’m a CEO of a legal company,” he said with his best “important guy” voice. “But you know, the success of a legal company often depends on... things that happen below the surface. That’s where the real strength lies.”
Marissa raised an eyebrow, half intrigued and half amused. "Oh, I knew it. You're in the mafia, aren't you?" she joked, though in the back of her mind, she was starting to wonder just how deep Tony’s work went.
Tony shot her a serious look. “Is that what they told you when they sent you to spy on me?” His tone was light, but there was a flicker of suspicion.
Marissa blinked, completely thrown off. “What? Spy on you? Where is this coming from?” She paused, then laughed. “Tony, look at me! Spy girls in movies are usually drop-dead gorgeous, sexy, and can do a roundhouse kick in stilettos. I can’t even open a jar of pickles without help. Where are you getting this spy idea from?”
Without missing a beat, Tony responded, “You’re gorgeous and sexy.”
“Huh?!” Marissa stopped dead in her tracks, her brain short-circuiting for a second. She stared at him, completely unprepared for such a blunt response. It was like he had just dropped a plot twist in a rom-com that no one saw coming.
Tony kept walking, calm as ever, like he had just stated a fact as simple as “the sky is blue.”
Marissa hurried to catch up, hiding her flustered smile. Was he serious? Was he messing with her? Either way, the compliment coming from someone like Tony—a man who usually had the emotional range of a brick wall—was enough to make her heart do a little victory dance.
As they walked in silence, the mood shifted. It wasn’t awkward anymore. The air between them felt lighter, warmer, like the beginning of one of those movie moments where you know the characters are falling for each other, but they’re pretending not to notice.
*
After a long evening stroll along the beach, Tony and Marissa made their way back to the hotel room. The cool night air and peaceful silence gave them plenty of time to reflect—probably more than they wanted to—on the moments they had shared.
They stopped at the door, staring at each other like two actors who forgot their lines. The dim light from the room set the perfect mood, unintentionally turning everything more romantic than it really was. Tony cleared his throat, unsure if the intense staring was necessary or just awkward.
Their eyes locked, but instead of sparks flying, it was more like a game of “Who’s going to break first and laugh?” Slowly, they inched closer, as if rehearsing for a slow-motion scene in a rom-com. The tension was there, but mostly the kind that happens when two people have no idea what to say next.
As they got closer, the air around them thickened with that “we might kiss but should we?” energy. Their bodies finally touched, and Tony—like he’d seen in every cheesy romance movie—raised his hand dramatically to cup Marissa’s face. Except his hand sort of hesitated halfway, almost like he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it.
“Uh, soft, right? Gotta be gentle,” he thought, awkwardly brushing his fingers over her cheek. His touch was more like petting a shy kitten than a romantic gesture.
Marissa blinked, then closed her eyes, probably to avoid laughing out loud. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to say something, or if this was supposed to be the moment.
Their faces moved closer—so slow it felt like it took a century. Their breaths mingled in the space between them, and honestly, it was a little weird. Tony stopped just before their lips met, as if asking for permission in the most awkward way possible.
Marissa’s heart raced—not because of the romance, but because she wasn’t sure if they were going to pull this off without bursting into giggles. Finally, she just went for it, closing the tiny gap between them.
Their kiss was… well, let’s say it wasn’t the sweeping, passionate moment movies promised. It was warm, wet, and slightly awkward, like two people who had never practiced this before. Tony, trying to play it cool, deepened the kiss, which mostly meant pulling her in like he was trying to win a hug competition.
Marissa, realizing she should probably do something, put her hand on the back of his neck, but her fingers accidentally tugged on his hair a little too hard.
“Ow!” Tony winced mid-kiss, but neither of them pulled away. They were committed now.
In the silence of the room, their awkward kiss continued, becoming less about passion and more about not laughing. The world around them didn’t disappear—it was very much there, reminding them how ridiculous they must look.
Finally, after what felt like both an eternity and no time at all, they broke apart. Both stood there, breathing heavily, not because of passion, but because the situation was hilarious. Marissa looked at Tony, trying not to giggle.
“This… this was… something,” Tony whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion—and a bit of confusion.
“Yeah,” Marissa agreed, still processing the strangeness of the whole thing.
Tony, still recovering from the surprise kiss, furrowed his brow. “Didn’t you say you were just an ordinary girl, not the spy type?”
Marissa puffed out her chest, dramatically pressing closer to Tony. “Who says ordinary girls can’t pull off a secret mission?” She paused, then grinned. “Also, if this was a mission, I’d have failed it with flying colors.”
Tony looked down at her, smiling. “Well, if this was a spy test, we’re both fired.”