I didn't bother hiding my gaze as she walked past me and lowered herself into the water, the shimmer making her beauty only more enhanced. "So, what's our strategy?" I said as I joined in the water.

Megan looked at me condescendingly. "Come on, you should be smart enough to get that. You're the one that's supposed to be a genius chess player," she said, though, despite her dismissive tone, I was aware enough to catch the embers of her anger.

She really didn't appreciate my late arrival.

I could have responded to her in kind, but I had a better, more fundamental way of getting under her skin. "Your fake condescension isn't working as well as you might hope," I answered, undermining her anger. "You should lean into your anger more if you want to be intimidating." I let that smirk widen. "If you're trying to look sexier by leaning the blonde bimbo stereotype, on the other hand, it's working excellently. Go ahead."

Megan clearly didn't appreciate being called out while also being insulted for being a bimbo blonde — especially since it was too close to her usual fake identity.

On the other hand, it made Kim chuckle. "It's good to finally see you dealing with an equal," she commented. Then she turned to me, and her gaze fell to my midsection, the clear water not working particularly well to cover the sight of my erection — particularly active thanks to the stimulation of Megan's very deliberate distortion of public attire. "Though, I doubt it was the reason you picked him to drive that your moronic ex crazy."

Considering I was wearing a speedo, it was hard to conceal the view — not that I had anything to be ashamed of, though stating that, even in my own mind, run the risk of sounding like a narcissist.

"I don't understand what you mean?" I answered with exaggerated innocence. "I'm sure my quick wit and great intellect is the only thing she used to pick me as a good fake-boyfriend candidate. The best way to contrast a football player, right?"

Megan clearly didn't appreciate our teasing. "Don't get too big for your breaches, little boy. The only reason I picked you is that you were at the right place at the right time. Nothing more."

I had several choice answers for that, but before I could pick one, Kim interjected. "Watching you two lovebirds bicker is fun, but I have things to do, so why don't you start giving me a few compromising poses so that we can start Operation Counter-Gossip."

"Do I have to? It's such an annoying chore," I murmured, which earned a chuckle from Kim, and another angry glare from Megan. Though, I didn't miss the way her eyes lingered on my muscular chest despite her anger, showing that I wasn't the only one enjoying the visual feast.

"Come closer," Megan ordered, channeling the attitude of a queen.

As much as I was trying to teach Megan that I wasn't someone that could order around as she wished just because I agreed to help, there were some orders that I had no problems following.

Asking me to close the distance while she wore nothing but a sexy bikini certainly qualified for that exalted category.

Being a fake boyfriend came with some very interesting perks.

"So, what's the exact plan," I echoed earlier as I put my hand on Megan's shoulder, enjoying the way she shivered slightly under my touch as her gaze went up and down over my body, with a particular stagger around my waist. "Do we stay tasteful, or go a bit deeper."

She had strong willpower, but not strong enough to ignore the temptation of my touch when I was just wearing a speedo, especially when I was showing my excitement in such frank terms. And the assistance of the Seduction Trait, helping me to modulate my body language smoothly and helping my fingers to dance on her shoulders even more smoothly, certainly didn't hurt.

"We're going to stay tasteful. Nothing too extreme," Megan murmured after she managed to bring her gaze back to my face. "We're just going to have a few photos of us taken, and share them to quash the rising rumors."

"What kind of rumors," I asked, acting like I hadn't already glimpsed into the social media to catch the growing gossip. "And what's my benefit?"

"The false rumors of our lacking sex life, and your benefit is to not to have a reputation for impotence" she answered, though as she explained, she didn't bother hiding her surprise. "Didn't you check your phone? the social media is crawling with the gossip."

"I'm not exactly a phone person," I answered with a shrug, lying without blinking, which made her surprise intensify, as I had just admitted to being a vegan in a hunting convention.

On the side, however, Kim was chuckling at Megan's reaction.

"How can you not," Megan gasped, not even registering Kim's laughter. "Social media is everything. One false rumor could ruin your reputation and social life forever."

I shook my head in amusement. "Honey, do I look like someone that cares about what others think?"

It was another bald-faced lie, of course. Even if it wasn't for the System, converting attention into actual power, I was careful about maintaining a persona. The mysterious dark thug character I had used for the chess tournament granted me some impressive benefits — albeit it was not too far away from my real personality.

Considering that was the only way I was able to maintain my scholarship, I was very much aware of the importance of the image. I just didn't mean I would admit that to Megan, especially not when at a point that would help her argument.

"Everyone cares about their reputation," Megan said decisively, but once again met with my indifferent shrug. Being denied an argument that she treated as a given didn't help her mood, already spoiled after being kept waiting for an hour.

And I doubted that her friend, snickering on the side, was a source of calm. "Do you really don't care that they are saying you have a small … thing?" she asked, trying to sound mocking, though the confidence in her beautiful eyes was clear.

Admittedly, it was not a bad strategy, as there weren't many males, especially of college age, that were comfortable about the gossip of having a small penis. And, if she tried to use that in a different situation, it might even be effective on me.

But I was wearing a speedo, and facing a sexy blonde wearing almost nothing. The situation didn't leave many doubts about the size, and the photographer on the side, waiting for us, suggested that it wasn't long until the rest of the school learned that particular fact as well.

"Well… Not as much as you do to maintain your reputation," I answered with a dismissive linger. "The masses could say whatever they please."

Kim chose to interject at that point. "Yeah, Megan. They can say whatever they want. It's not like our stud here will have any problem proving otherwise if it becomes absolutely necessary," she said, a salacious smirk on her face. Pity that she was trying to annoy her friend rather than actually flirting.

"Thank you, Kim," Megan said, frustrated. "You're very helpful."

"It was my pleasure," Kim answered, the smugness in her tone suggesting it was not just an accident that she had ruined her friend's position in the argument.

Megan, naturally, didn't miss that aspect, but chose to focus on the present. "Is there anything wrong with the lighting, or should we change location," she growled. "We don't have much time, and I don't want to start from the beginning."

"Don't worry, it's perfect, we can start," Kim said.

"Not so quick," I interrupted. "You didn't answer the second part of my question." Megan looked at me blankly. "The part about my benefits, of course."

"Isn't quashing the rumors enough for you?" Megan said, her anger quick to return.

"Clearly not," I answered. "So, unless you have a good way to compensate for the time we wasted…"

Megan said nothing as I let my words linger, clearly thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of complying. Yet, the frustration that was growing on her gaze suggested that she didn't have the luxury of delaying our little shooting to bargain.

Yet, it was her friend who first spoke. "He's right, sweetie," she said, the cheer in her tone suggesting she was very much enjoying the show in front of her, treating it as a soap opera episode. "It's not fair to ask him to help you without giving him a reward, is it?"

"I don't know," Megan murmured, clearly not appreciating her friend's interruption. "Are you sure he needs a reward?" she added, though I caught the tenseness in her tone, suggesting her friend not to push her.

"Definitely," Kim answered, though her smirk suggested she caught that implication, and chose to ignore it.

"Alright," Megan said vindictively. "Kim will go on a date with you!"

Kim beat me to a reaction. "I will?" she said, surprised.

"Yes, I'm calling my favor," Megan said victoriously. "You shouldn't have mocked me."

Her friend said nothing, frozen at the sudden reversal. She was clearly not pleased, though I wondered whether it was about being saddled to date with me, or just losing the initiative. If it was the former, it wasn't the greatest ego boost, after all.

Still, since I was not a complete moron, I said nothing, letting them deal with their issues. As much as angering the photographer didn't seem like a smart idea, I wasn't at a point to understand the intricacies of their friendship.

"As you wish," Kim said, nodding in acceptance despite her displeasure.

"Shall we start?" I finally said, feeling safe enough to interrupt. "I still have an important tactical meeting to prepare."