Chapter Two — Alex
I look at my phone. Trent’s texted me again.
Sound good? he texted me.
Trent and I have been going back and forth about the plan to make Callum jealous. We’ve finally hashed out all the details, but now I’m starting to second-guess everything.
Do I even want to go through with this? Is this even a good idea? Does Trent even know what Callum wants? Or is this all going to backfire on me?
I don’t know anymore.
Are you sure about this? I text Trent.
Yes, he replies. I’ve asked him the same question probably at least ten times this past week.
My phone pings again. It’s another text from Trent.
Trust me. I know Callum.
You better be right, I reply.
I am, he responds.
I think about texting him again, but I decide not to. I throw my phone on my bed and head to my closet.
I pull out three different bikinis and compare them: there’s a red one, a green one, and the hot pink one. Which one would Callum like? I know red is his favorite color, but he really likes green on me.
I go back and forth between the two and then grab the green one. I have a good feeling about this one, I think to myself.
What I don’t have as good of a feeling about is this plan Trent and I have.
I met Trent a few weeks ago. Him and Callum are co-founders, and Trent basically told me that Callum’s been off his game, business wise, ever since I came into the picture.
Trent thinks Callum has become “soft” because of me.
Trent convinced me, or has been trying to convince me, that the only way to restore Callum’s edge is for me to make Callum jealous.
I’m not even sure exactly why I agreed to help Trent solve this issue. I mean, I do know. It’s because I care about Callum and don’t want to be the one responsible for him losing his edge.
I’m starting to wonder whether I should have taken on this problem in the first place. It doesn’t really matter, though, because I’m too invested to back out now anyway. I gave Trent my word that I’d help him out, and I’m going to follow through on that.
I’m going to do it my way, though. Not Trent’s way. Because, at first, Trent had some pretty crazy suggestions.
In fact, Trent’s first idea was I should fuck other men… which I felt was a bit much. I told him that, so we discussed milder options. After going back and forth, we settled on a plan: I’d make Callum jealous by flirting with other men in front of him. Nothing crazy.
Hopefully, that’ll be enough to provoke Callum’s possessive jealousy and competitive drive, or whatever Trent calls it, without me having to actually sleep with anyone else.
It seems like a reasonable enough plan. I know Callum’s fine with exhibitionism. He also asked me to make eye contact with men who were driving in cars beside us while touching myself. So I don’t think Callum will be opposed to me flirting with other men, at the very least.
Still, I’m nervous about it. I feel hesitant.
And I’m not sure why.
Am I nervous because I’ve caught feelings?
Because I’m afraid this will mess things up?
If that’s the case, I really shouldn’t be…because what exactly is there to mess up? Callum and I aren’t even a thing. We’re not even in a relationship.
Still, it feels weird.
There’s nothing wrong with me flirting with other men, I tell myself as I rub the fabric of the green bikini between my fingers.
If anything, flirting with other men will probably be good for me. It’ll remind me that I have options. That Callum and I are not in a relationship… even if I kind of wish we were. I can’t get too attached. Not when he’s not giving me the same energy back.
I try on the emerald green bikini in the mirror. This is the one, I decide, as I look at myself in the mirror.
I just hope the plan works.