Chapter 15: Bikini on the Sofa

Arnold groaned as he felt someone tugging at his shoulder, attempting to pull him from his sleep. He blinked his eyes open to the sight of Chloé standing over him, her figure illuminated by the morning light pouring through the penthouse windows. She was dressed in a blue bikini that left little to the imagination, her hands on her hips, and a playful smile on her face.

"Arnold," she sang, her voice laced with mischief, "wake up! I want to use your infinity pool."

Arnold sighed, rubbing his face in frustration. "Chloé, it's barely eight in the morning. And you're in my room, half-dressed." He shook his head, annoyed but too tired to put up a full fight. "Go back to the guest room."

She laughed, completely ignoring his irritation.

"But it's such a beautiful day! And I thought you'd want some company by the pool," she replied, batting her lashes in a way that had once charmed him but now only made him feel more exasperated.

Instead of indulging her, Arnold swung his legs over the bed and stood up, resolute. He wasn't about to let Chloé dictate his morning. Ignoring her protests, he trudged to the kitchen, in desperate need of caffeine. He grabbed a slice of bread, spreading a thick layer of peanut butter over it, then filled his mug with steaming coffee. As he took a bite, he pulled out his phone and immediately felt his stomach drop: seven missed calls from Ruby.

He could feel his pulse quicken. Why had Ruby called so many times? What could possibly be that urgent? He quickly scrolled to his messages and found one from Ruby, sent about half an hour earlier.

**Ruby:** "Hey, Arnold. You left your jacket here last night. I'm heading over to drop it off—see you soon!"

Arnold's eyes widened, a mix of panic and dread rushing over him. If Ruby arrived now, she would walk in to see Chloé prancing around in nothing but a bikini. She would no doubt jump to the worst possible conclusions, assuming Chloé was there for… well, anything but innocent reasons.

He took a steadying breath, trying to keep calm. "Chloé," he called out, his voice firmer now as he returned to the living room. "You need to put on some clothes. Right now. I have someone coming over—someone important."

Chloé pouted, folding her arms across her chest. "Oh, come on, Arnold. Are you seriously going to hide me away just because of some visitor?" She tilted her head, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Who is it? Someone special?"

"Yes, very special," Arnold replied, his patience quickly wearing thin. "Please, just go to the guest room and put on something decent."

But Chloé just laughed, clearly not planning on cooperating. "Relax, Arnold. Whoever it is, I'm sure they won't mind me being here. It's your penthouse, after all, right?"

Arnold gritted his teeth, glancing nervously at the door. He checked the time—Ruby could be here any minute. He had no idea how he was going to explain Chloé's presence, let alone her lack of clothing.

Just then, the doorbell rang, making his heart skip a beat. He quickly checked the door camera and, as expected, saw Ruby standing there, holding his jacket. She looked relaxed, her expression calm—but that could change in an instant if she saw Chloé.

Turning to Chloé, he whispered urgently, "Please, go to the guest room. Just give me five minutes."

But she remained unmoved, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Oh, Arnold, you're acting like I'm some dirty little secret. Fine, let me just meet this mysterious guest of yours. I'm sure she'll love me." She began to strut toward the door, her heels clicking on the marble floor.

Desperate, Arnold stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "Chloé, please. This isn't the time for games."

She merely shrugged and stepped back, a faint smirk on her face, clearly enjoying his distress. But Arnold didn't have time to debate. He inhaled sharply, trying to gather himself before opening the door.

As he opened it, Ruby smiled, holding out his jacket.

"Hey, I figured you'd need this—oh." Her gaze flickered over his shoulder, where Chloé was now lounging casually on the edge of the couch, looking every slutry.

Ruby's smile wavered, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Am I… interrupting something?" Her voice was polite but guarded, and Arnold could see the flicker of hurt in her eyes, the hint of mistrust she was fighting to conceal.

Arnold cleared his throat, scrambling for words. "No, not at all. This is—" He shot Chloé a pointed look. "This is Chloé. She's… an old friend."

Chloé waved, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she took in Ruby's wary expression. "Nice to meet you, Ruby," she said, her tone deliberately friendly. "I'm Arnold ex girlfriend"

Ruby nodded, though the tension in her face was unmistakable.

"I see. Well, I just came to drop off the jacket." She placed it into Arnold's hands, her movements stiff. "I should probably get going."

Arnold reached out instinctively, his hand brushing hers. "Ruby, wait. I—"

But Ruby was already stepping back, her face carefully neutral. "It's fine, Arnold. I didn't mean to intrude." She offered him a polite smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Looks like you have company, so I'll let you get back to… whatever you were doing."

Arnold felt a sharp pang in his chest as he watched her retreat, feeling the distance growing between them. "Ruby, it's not what it looks like," he began, but she merely gave him a curt nod before walking away, the door closing quietly behind her.

He turned back to Chloé, who was lounging on the couch with an innocent expression, as if none of this affected her in the least.

"Thanks a lot, Chloé," he muttered, his frustration evident. "You just made everything a hundred times worse."

Chloé only shrugged, stretching out on the couch as if she hadn't a care in the world.

"Oh, please, Arnold. If she's that insecure, then maybe she's not the one for you. Besides," she added, giving him a sultry look, "it's been a while since you and I spent time together. Maybe this is fate?"

Arnold rolled his eyes, feeling the weight of the situation settle on his shoulders. Fate? This wasn't fate. This was a mess, and he had no one to blame but himself for letting Chloé stay.

"Just two weeks!" He shot at her. She gave him a devilish smile.