Revising the plan

The silence of the previous night had stretched on unbearably. After Aphrodite’s departure, neither of you had spoken a word. You retreated to your respective corners of the small dorm, the weight of everything—her threats, the fight, and the disastrous gala—pressing heavily on both of you.

This morning, the tension finally broke. Sitting at the small dining table with cups of coffee that had long since gone lukewarm, you and Liam hashed things out.

“I’m sorry for blowing up last night,” you said, rubbing the back of your neck. “I was... frustrated. At everything. At myself. And I took it out on you.”

Liam sighed, his expression weary but forgiving. “I get it. I really do. But you need to understand, I’m doing my best here too. This whole thing—helping you navigate these trials, dealing with Aphrodite—it’s not exactly easy for me either.”

You nodded, the guilt creeping in. “I know. I shouldn’t have blamed you for Vincent. That was on me too. I just... I’m not used to failing this hard. And the lollipop thing... I guess I’m mad at myself for letting it get to me.”

Liam hesitated, then reached across the table, resting his hand on yours. “We’re in this together, okay? We just have to be smarter about our next move.”

And so, the two of you set to work.

The rest of the day was spent diving into research. With laptops open and notebooks scattered across the table, you combed through every piece of information you could find about Damian Kane and his inner circle. His company’s board members, high-profile associates, and even social media connections were all scrutinized.

“I think this guy, Richard Solano, might be our next target,” Liam said, tapping a photo of a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and an ever-present cigar. “He’s on Kane’s board of directors and has been seen at almost all of Damian’s recent public appearances.”

You leaned over to look, your long hair brushing your cheek in a way that annoyed you. “He’s also got a reputation for being... approachable, at least compared to Damian.”

“Exactly. There’s an industry gala next week. Smaller than the one last night, but he’s listed as one of the keynote speakers.”

“Then that’s our move,” you said firmly, scribbling down the event details.

Liam nodded, a small glimmer of optimism returning. “This time, no guessing. We make a solid approach, build a rapport, and get closer to Damian from there.”

Despite the productive planning, there was still an unspoken tension in the air. You could feel it every time Liam’s gaze lingered on you, or whenever your mind wandered back to Aphrodite’s parting words.

You were wearing something comfortable but as masculine as possible under the circumstances. A loose gray hoodie draped over your figure, paired with basketball shorts and sneakers. It was casual, but the slight curve of your hips and the fullness of your chest reminded you that "masculine" was a losing battle. Your long hair, tied back into a low ponytail, did little to help.

You couldn’t shake the looming threat Aphrodite had left behind. Every time you caught sight of Liam out of the corner of your eye, her words rang in your head: “I’d much rather see you choose to do it voluntarily.”

It was maddening. You didn’t want to think about it, let alone entertain the idea. But the thought lingered, an insidious presence that refused to be ignored.

As the evening wore on, Liam finally broke the silence about it. “Are you... okay? With what she said last night?”

You froze, gripping the edge of your laptop. “Which part? The threats to make my boobs bigger? The oral fixation? Or her whole ‘expectation’ thing?”

“Any of it,” Liam said cautiously.

You sighed, closing your laptop. “Honestly? No. None of it. But what choice do I have? She’s a literal goddess. All I can do is keep moving forward and hope she gets bored of tormenting me.”

Liam frowned but didn’t press further. Instead, he shifted the conversation back to the plan. “We’ll keep working on this. If we can pull off the next step, maybe we can get Damian’s attention without her interference.”

You nodded, though the weight of Aphrodite’s presence still lingered like a storm cloud on the horizon.

The late evening hours slipped into night as the two of you remained hunched over your laptops, scrolling through article after article, profile after profile. Researching Richard Solano in depth was grueling but necessary.

Liam leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. “Okay, so what do we know about this guy so far?”

You listed off the basics, ticking points off on your fingers. “Fifty-five years old, married to his second wife, three kids—two from the first marriage, one from the second. He’s been on Damian Kane’s board of directors for five years. Before that, he ran a hedge fund and made a fortune during the dot-com bubble.”

“And a reputation for being... ‘approachable,’” Liam added, air-quoting the word.

You snorted. “More like slimy. Look at this.” You turned your screen toward him, displaying an article from a business tabloid. It detailed a scandal from a few years ago when Richard had been caught cheating on his then-wife. The affair had been with a much younger woman—barely into her twenties, a college intern at his firm. The fallout had been messy, but his career had somehow emerged unscathed.

“Classic rich asshole move,” Liam muttered.

“Exactly,” you said. “He’s got a type, and it’s young, attractive women he thinks he can score.”

Liam winced. “Which means he might be an easy mark... for you.”

The implication hung heavy in the air. You frowned, staring at the screen. “I’m not thrilled about it, but if that’s what it takes to get closer to Damian, I’ll do it. We can’t afford another failure like last night.”

Liam’s hesitation was palpable. “Are you sure? I mean, after what happened with Vincent—”

“Don’t,” you interrupted, your voice sharper than intended. “This is different. We’re going in with a plan this time. I’ll keep it professional... as much as possible.”

The two of you continued piecing together Richard’s profile. His public interests were shallow—luxury yachts, fine wines, and exclusive golf clubs. But a deeper dive revealed his real passions: high-risk investments and the thrill of the deal. He thrived on power plays, the kind of man who enjoyed feeling smarter than everyone else in the room.

“Then that’s our in,” Liam said, highlighting a passage about one of Richard’s recent business ventures. “If we can get him talking about his latest deals or investments, we might be able to flatter his ego enough to make him drop his guard.”

“And if that doesn’t work,” you added grimly, “there’s always the other angle.”

You already dreaded the thought of cozying up to yet another sleazy rich guy.

As the planning continued, your focus was repeatedly interrupted by a familiar, gnawing sensation—the oral fixation that had plagued you since Aphrodite’s curse. No amount of distraction seemed to dull it.

And then there was her expectation.

The thought lingered like a shadow, creeping into your mind every time you looked at Liam. You hated that it was there, hated how her words had planted that seed in your head. It wasn’t just the fixation anymore; it was the weight of her suggestion, the way she’d framed it as something inevitable.

You clenched your jaw, forcing the thoughts down. There was no way you were going to let Aphrodite manipulate you into fulfilling her twisted fantasies. Not voluntarily, anyway.

But even as you returned to the research, the urge remained—a constant, maddening presence that you couldn’t escape.

The night had crept into its quieter hours, leaving the dorm bathed in the soft glow of a single lamp. You sat beside Liam on the edge of his bed, the familiar weight of your “arrangement” settling over the both of you. His posture was relaxed, leaning back against the headboard with one arm casually draped along the side.

Your hand was already wrapped around his cock, working in slow, deliberate motions. The rhythm was automatic by now—muscle memory from the routine you’d both fallen into. Yet tonight felt different.

You couldn’t stop thinking about Aphrodite’s words. Her coy threat, her lingering expectation. The idea that this unspoken boundary, one you’d carefully maintained for weeks, might not stay intact for much longer.

“You’re unusually quiet tonight,” Liam said, breaking the silence. His voice was low, but not judgmental. He shifted slightly, propping himself up on one elbow to glance at you.

You shrugged, not meeting his eyes. “I'm always quiet during this, Liam. But, I'm just... tired, I guess.”

“Tired, huh?” His tone turned teasing. “You sure it’s not because of Aphrodite’s little visit?”

You shot him a look, though it lacked real heat. “Let’s not talk about her while I’m doing this, okay?”

Liam grinned, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “Fair enough. Wouldn’t want to ruin the mood.”

You rolled your eyes and refocused on the task at hand—literally. Your movements stayed steady, even as your cheeks warmed from his teasing.

“So,” he said after a moment, his voice light, “you think Richard Solano’s the kind of guy who smokes cigars ironically, or is he actually into them?”

The sudden shift in topic caught you off guard, but you were grateful for the distraction. “Definitely into them. Guys like him don’t do anything ironically. They probably think it’s beneath them.”

Liam chuckled, the sound vibrating faintly in his chest. “Good point. Think you can pull off looking interested in cigars if we have to?”

You smirked faintly. “Sure. How hard can it be to fake enjoying something gross and unnecessary?”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly catching the double meaning. “Oh, so now you’re taking shots at my vices?”

“It’s not a shot,” you said innocently. “Just an observation.”

“Uh-huh.” He tilted his head, looking at you with a mock-serious expression. “Remind me why I put up with you again?”

You didn’t answer, but your hand squeezed the tip of his cock lightly in retaliation, earning a sharp inhale.

“Okay, okay,” he said, laughing. “You’re forgiven. For now.”

Despite the banter, your mind kept circling back to Aphrodite. The way she’d so casually dangled her threat. The way she’d made it seem inevitable.

You hated how much space her words were taking up in your head. Hated how they added an edge of self-consciousness to what had otherwise become a strangely normal routine.

“You okay?” Liam asked, his tone softer now.

“Yeah,” you said quickly. “I’m fine.”

He studied you for a moment but didn’t press. Instead, he settled back, letting out a contented sigh. “You know, for all the crap we’ve been through lately, I’m glad we’re still on the same team.”

You glanced at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice.

“Even when you’re annoying?” you asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Especially when I’m annoying,” he said, grinning.

You couldn’t help but smile back, even as your thoughts continued to churn beneath the surface. For now, you focused on finishing what you’d started, grateful that Liam didn’t push you for anything more than what you were willing to give.