Chapter 5

When Rules Are Meant to Be Tested

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Emil had just stepped out of the main building when his phone rang.

The caller was Robert Vale—his former boss (at least for now), and now his lover (at least on paper). Emil couldn't help but wonder why Robert was calling so suddenly when he had only just left his office. Did he forget to say something? He thought. That's when he decided to quickly pick up the phone and answer the call.

"Yes, Lord Robert? Do you need something?" Emil asked, wondering if Robert had forgotten to say something or if he was about to assign him another task.

But what he didn't expect was Robert asking, "Are you free tonight?"

Emil didn't respond right away.

Tonight?

He quickly checked his schedule to see if he had anything planned for the evening. Thankfully, there was nothing, aside from Robert's instruction to pack their things.

"I don't really have anything else to do except pack our clothes," Emil replied.

"Good," Robert said so casually, "Then I'll make a reservation for dinner at the Atlantic Prairie Hotel at six. Can you join me? I'd like to take you out."

Take me...what?

Emil was so caught off guard by the question that he didn't have the opportunity to answer right away. He just stood there like a statue, barely reacting even when a passerby bumped into his shoulder. For a brief moment, he wondered if he'd heard Robert correctly. But asking for clarification would only make it seem like he hadn't been paying attention, something Robert absolutely hated. So, he was left with no other choice but to give the safest response he could in such situations.

"Okay..." Emil kept his voice steady and natural as he answered, "...as you wish, my lord."

Then he ended the call immediately.

It took Emil a few seconds to process what had just happened as he stared at Robert's name on the phone screen. Everything had unfolded so quickly that he hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye to his master correctly.

Then the reality of the situation hit him.

Robert had just asked him out.

"Is he serious about what he said?"

Emil tried to tell himself that it wasn't what it was. Still, the problem was that he'd already agreed, despite not having confirmed Robert's intentions. At this point, backing out from the invitation isn't an option anymore.

"Oh, God...why did I say yes to him?!"

He was panicking on the inside, but Emil had long mastered the art of staying calm under pressure, so none of it showed on his face. So instead of actually panicking, he went straight to his car, shut the door, leaned forward, and gently banged his forehead against the steering wheel—three times—before giving away a long, deep, frustrated sigh.

"You're so stupid, Emil! Why did you suddenly say yes to dinner with him"? Emil scolded himself. Part of him wanted to slap some common sense into himself. Another part (obviously, the annoyingly hopeful part) was happy, because—hello! Robert had never asked him out to dinner unless it was strictly business-related. But there was also a small, cautious part of him whispering that this dinner was a bad idea. Because he might start hoping for something he already knew he would never have or could demand.

So he forced himself to remember their fake lover policy

Okay, Emil, he told himself. It's just work. That's the only reason he's taking you out.

Remember Rule No. 5...

Rule No. 5, Emil...

Slowly, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel as he reminded himself for the last time.

Remember why you accepted this job.

First, for Grandma Vale, who took you in and raised you.

And second...for Robert.

That's all.

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"Good. I think this is all..."

Robert mentally ran through all the safe questions he could ask later over dinner with Emil. He'd spent nearly two hours coming up with ways to get to know his butler "slash" assistant better. Most of what he managed to write down were basic things, such as Emil's favorite food, preferred colors, hobbies, and many more. He made sure that nothing in the list would cross Rule No. 4 of their agreement. Still, he hadn't expected it to be this difficult just to come up with decent dinner conversation starters, especially with such limited ground to work with.

Now that he really thought about it, Robert couldn't even remember the last time he'd prepared conversation starters for a dinner like this. It had been a long time since he'd last gone on a dinner date with someone, long enough that he felt almost like a first-timer fumbling his way through unfamiliar territory called dating.

And if he were being honest, it was a bit frightening.

Why?

First of all, the person he was about to have dinner with was a man. That alone was enough to make him cringe and feel uncomfortable. But beneath that discomfort was something else, and for some reason, it was surprisingly good.

Maybe...excitement?

Well, for him, the thought of learning things about Emil he'd never known before made him feel curious, even a little eager. After all these years of working side by side, Emil was still, in many ways, a stranger, and that was something he felt a little guilty about because—hello! The guy had worked with him for more than twenty years, and yet he didn't know a single important thing about him.

But then, he quickly reminded himself that this wasn't an official date. This was just part of the getting to know each other phase, something necessary to make their pretense in front of Grandma Vale more believable.

Nothing more than that.

With that thought in mind, he picked up his phone to confirm the reservation at the Atlantic Prairie Hotel for six. Then, he set himself down for a bit, took a deep breath, and began putting his things in order, preparing himself for the evening ahead.