Tess stormed off, her towering heels loudly tapping against the floor. The way she moved was completely wrong. Her hips swayed in an exaggerated rhythm, back arched, chest thrust out.

She caught her reflection in the window by the stairwell.

I look like… a fucking bimbo. 

She tried to walk normally, but her body wouldn’t listen. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop moving like someone who wanted to be looked at. Her heels wobbled with each step. Why had she put them back on? She hated heels. They were stupid and impractical, designed to turn women into sex objects. Now here she was.

What the hell is happening to me?

She was still fuming when she felt a hand grab her wrist.

“Tessy, wait—”

She ripped her arm away and spun around.

“Don’t call me that!”

Dane took a step back and raised his hands, like he was trying not to scare a wild animal.

“Whoa. What’s wrong?”

He said it like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t just spent the entire night toying with her, touching her, breaking her down, pulling her deeper into…whatever the hell this was.

Tess crossed her arms. Her skin was still warm from where he’d touched her. She shook it off. She wasn’t going to let him get her all worked up like this.

“I’m not playing your little games anymore. I’m going home.”

His smirk disappeared. “Games? What games?”

Why does he always sound so calm and in control?

Tess scoffed. Her voice was shaking but she didn’t care.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about! You’re…you’re messing with my mind somehow.”

Dane looked genuinely puzzled. “What?"

“You’re doing something to me. Every time you touch me, my head gets all…fuzzy. You’re making me act like…”

“Like what?”

She didn’t answer. She couldn’t. 

Dane sighed. “How much have you had to drink tonight?”

“What? That’s not—”

“Five glasses? Six? More?”

Tess stiffened. That wasn’t that much. Was it?

Dane slowly stepped closer.

“You’re exhausted, you’re stressed, and now you’re telling me I’m controlling your mind by touching you? Come on, sweetheart. That sounds a little crazy, don’t you think?”

Tess frowned. It did sound crazy. The moment she’d said the words out loud, she felt ridiculous, like some kind of paranoid conspiracy theorist. Like she was this fragile, hysterical woman who couldn’t handle a little champagne and male attention.

No… she knew what she felt. That wasn’t just all in her head.

…Was it?

Dane looked straight into her eyes. No smugness, no teasing. Just genuine concern.

“Tessy. I’m flattered, really, but you’re giving me way too much credit. Look, if I really did have some kind of magic touch that made women lose their minds, you really think I’d be using it on you?”

Tess started to reply but hesitated. She was tired, and the champagne had been hitting her harder than expected. She’d spent the whole night stressed, anxious, out of her element. Maybe he was right.

Maybe she was overreacting…

Maybe this was just all in her head. She’d spent the whole night surrounded by all these ditzy bimbos. Maybe it was starting to rub off on her. Like that time she did a semester abroad in Paris and came home with a slight French accent. 

She sighed. “Maybe you’re right. I just… It all felt so real… I don't know.”

Dane smiled. “Honestly, I actually really enjoyed the whole bimbo act. The wide-eyed stares, the cute little giggles, the way you kept tripping over your words…I have to say, Tessy, it looked good on you.”

Tess rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t acting. And stop calling me Tessy.”

“So I was thinking. Since you’re already so good at it, why not keep it up?”

Tess scoffed. “Fuck off.”

“I’m serious. Just for the rest of the night. It’s so much easier to make a deal when you have a beautiful bimbo on your arm. Something about it just puts people at ease.”

She stared at him. Unbelievable.

“I’m not a bimbo…”

“I never said you were. Just play one for tonight. Lean into it. Have some fun.”

Tess shook her head. “No. Absolutely not.”

Dane sighed, like she was the one being difficult. “I’ll make it worth your while. How does…twenty thousand sound?”

…Twenty thousand!?

The number rang in her ears like a bell. She felt dizzy. That damn perfume was still stuck to her skin. The scent was overwhelming.

“Twenty thousand…dollars?”

Dane nodded. “There are only a few hours left. Just keep doing what you did before. That was perfect.”

Twenty grand... That’s a lot of money. More than she and John have ever had at once. Most of their fights were about bills, debts, stupid purchases. That kind of cash could really help their relationship. 

Her mind raced. It was only two more hours. Plus she’d already been accidentally doing it for free. What was the harm in doing it on purpose… just a little longer? All she had to do was play dumb and look pretty. How hard could that really be?

Tess took a deep breath. “So you want me to pretend to be a bimbo for the rest of the night…and you’ll pay me twenty grand?”

Dane smiled. “Exactly.”

This was insane. This was humiliating. This was… twenty thousand dollars. People were already treating her like a bimbo. Might as well get paid for it.

“…Fine. I’ll do it.”

Dane’s hand rested on the small of her back, guiding her through the crowd. Tess had stopped bothering to try and shake him off. It was easier to just go with it. Just a couple more hours. 

It was just a role. For the money.

Her head was still spinning as he slowed to a stop in front of an elegantly dressed couple. An older man in a tailored tux, and his wife beside him in an emerald-green gown, huge diamonds hanging from her ears.

“Ah, Dane. Good to see you.” He briefly looked over at Tess.

Dane gave his usual easygoing smile. “Arthur, good to see you too. And Margaret, you look as stunning as ever.”

Margaret smiled politely. She looked over in Tess’s direction as well, but it was a different kind of look.

This is it. Play the part…

Tess forced a smile. It felt wrong on her face, too wide and too bright.

Dane’s hand didn’t leave her back as he turned slightly toward her. “This is Tessy. She’s my date tonight.”

Tess stiffened, but she held back the instinct to correct him. Not Tessy. Just Tess. But that wasn’t what a bimbo would say. A bimbo would just keep smiling. So she did.

The couple were both staring at her, waiting for her to say something.

Shit. What was she supposed to do?

How do you act like a bimbo? It was harder than it looked. She didn’t want to overdo it and look ridiculous, but she needed to say something.

“Hi!” she chirped, “It’s, like, soooo nice to meet you.”

Ugh, that was way overdoing it.

She cleared her throat and tried again. “I mean, um, it’s really, uh, like…nice? To meet you?”

Tess cringed. Still too much. It felt like really bad acting. Like a daytime soap opera. But Dane just laughed and slid his hand higher up her back.

Say something. Compliment her dress. Ask about their hotel. Say literally anything.

“Oh wow, your earrings are like…sooo pretty!”

Margaret smiled politely. “Thank you, dear.”

Dane looked at her expectantly, like she was supposed to be doing something else. But what? What was she supposed to do next? Think.

Think like a bimbo.

She pressed herself into Dane, clinging to him. Then she gave Arthur her best wide-eyed, interested look. She twirled a stand of hair around her finger. 

“So you’re, like, super rich, right?”

Arthur chuckled. Margaret looked annoyed. Dane squeezed her waist. Tess wasn’t sure if it was encouragement or a warning.

“I suppose you could say that.”

Tess tried to giggle but realized she didn’t know how. What came out wasn’t quite a laugh, and it certainly wasn’t cute or flirty.

How the hell do you even giggle?

Thankfully the conversation moved on, back to business. Tess fought the urge to let out a relieved sigh. Dane had been right. Arthur seemed more relaxed now. Who knew whether it was because of her or not. But she did what he asked. She played her part.

Dane’s fingers brushed the back of her neck, moving in a slow, deliberate circle. Her thoughts went quiet for just a moment, warmth flooding into her mind like ink into clear water, clouding everything it touched. And somewhere beneath it, panic surged. 

It’s that feeling from before…he’s doing it again. This isn’t right. I have to—

Margaret’s bracelet suddenly caught her eye. It was so pretty and shiny. Maybe she would buy one just like it with the money got from tonight.

Tess blinked, suddenly aware that she’d lost her train of thought. She’d just been thinking about something, hadn’t she? Something important?

An alarm rang out in the back of her mind, a warning that something important was slipping away, but that concern felt abstract now, blurred by the warm, pleasant haze wrapping around her thoughts. The shame she’d just felt from her awful attempt at bimbo banter suddenly felt less embarrassing.

Before she knew it, Dane was already leading her to the next guest. They slowed as they approached a tall, broad-shouldered man with a Rolex. Next to him was a younger woman, early twenties at most, in a tight glittering silver dress that clung to her abundant curves. 

Tess could instantly tell what she was.

A trophy.

Just like Dane wanted her to be.

Dane turned to her. “Tessy, this is Richard Maxwell. He’s a very important investor.”

Okay. Think. Play the part. Be the bimbo.

The last conversation had been awkward, but she’d somehow gotten through it. A compliment, a giggle, a little hair twirling. It wasn’t that hard, was it? Just keep it fun and flirty. She could do this.

She gave them her biggest smile, eyes wide, lashes fluttering.

“Hiii,” she said, putting on her best bimbo impression. It still felt like bad acting, but it was getting better.

Richard’s eyes dipped down to her cleavage. Tess felt uncomfortable from his stare but tried not to show it. Bimbos don’t get flustered.

Dane’s fingers brushed the back of her neck.

The same panic from before shot through her. Why does he keep—

Her eyes snapped to the other woman’s neckline. 

Ohhhh. So pretty! The way it caught the light and sparkled with every movement.

A tiny part of her mind noticed the unnatural shift, the way one thought had been replaced by another, but that awareness was fading more and more with each touch.

Richard chuckled. “Dane, you’ve got excellent taste as always.”

Tess was surprised by the sudden sound of giggling. Did that just come from her?

Richard’s date looked over at her with a big vapid smile. “Ohmigosh, who did your hair? It looks amazing.”

Okay, just copy her. Do what she does. Simple enough.

“Uh, it was like this super fancy salon downtown. They totally, like, transformed me.”

The girl giggled. “I totally gotta check it out. It’s so hard to find people who really know how to style hair the way we like it.”

Tess nodded. “Totally.”

That wasn’t so hard. Just a couple more hours and I can finally go home.

She didn’t even notice Dane brushing the back of her neck as she continued the conversation.

Tess continued smiling and looking pretty. Every smile felt a little more natural, like her face was starting to get used to its new default state.

Three more guests. Three more rounds of “Ohmigosh, that’s so cool!” 

Things were getting easier each time. A giggle here, a hair twirl there, and she was already onto the next. Her body was learning the patterns, picking up the mannerisms without a second thought.

Tess still cringed inwardly, but the voice that used to yell at her to stop humiliating herself like this was now just a whisper. 

She could do this. She just had to stop overthinking. Although… it really was getting harder to think. Not like she couldn’t, it just took more effort now.

Her brain wasn’t gone, just taking a back seat while something simpler took over. That wasn’t weird. It probably just meant she was finally starting to relax. Her body felt amazing, warm, floaty, kind of tingly. So what if her thoughts were a little fuzzy? She was fine. Totally fine.

“Tessy, this is Charles Kenmore. He handles a lot of our international business.”

Okay play the part. Be the bimbo.

Be the bimbo.

She put on a big smile. “Oooooh, I love your suit! It’s so….” she struggled to search for the right word, “…fancy!”

That sounded so dumb. I really sh—

Dane rubbed her neck, and she giggled automatically.

That wasn’t so bad, right?

She noticed his date’s necklace. Oh my god! It was gorgeous. For a moment, she totally got lost in how sparkly it was. 

Wait…wasn’t she just thinking about something?

After that, Dane led her towards a short, balding man. His round belly was barely contained by his tight tuxedo. He looked like he’d been drinking all night. His eyes were glued straight to her chest. Not even trying to be subtle.

“Tessy, this is Leonard Gilmour. He owns several of the resorts we work with.”

His eyes never left her cleavage. 

Tess cringed. God this guy was gross. Her first instinct was to turn away or tell him to fuck off, but then she caught herself. A bimbo wouldn’t do that. 

A bimbo wouldn’t be disgusted. A bimbo would love the attention. That was the whole point, wasn’t it? She forced herself to smile.

“Well, aren’t you just a little treat,” he said, finally looking up at her face. “You sure know how to pick ‘em Dane.”

Tess bit her tongue. She hated this.

… But a bimbo wouldn’t. A bimbo would giggle. A bimbo would like the attention.

So she giggled. She was getting good at that. It was almost starting to sound real.

Dane’s fingers brushed the back of her neck.

Wait, stop I don’t want to—

Whoa…

…Her tits look incredible. So… big and… jiggly. No wonder Leonard couldn’t stop staring.

Wait…hadn’t she been thinking about something? Something about being… uncomfortable? It was getting so hard to remember.

Whatever.

Tess arched her back a little more, giving Leonard get an even better view. It felt natural, almost instinctive, like her body was designed for display. What’d once required conscious effort now seemed to happen automatically, like her muscle memory was rewriting itself in real time.

Damn she looked hot.

Dane guided her forward and Tess followed without thinking. His hand felt warm against her back.

The last conversation had gone…well?

Wait, no, that’s not right. It’d been gross. Leonard’s eyes were all over her, and she wanted to leave.

But a bimbo wouldn’t be disgusted. A bimbo would love the attention. And once she reminded herself of that, something clicked into place.

The next guest was a thin man with slicked back hair and a sharp face. His eyes slowly swept over her, like he was studying her body. She should be used to this by now, but something about him made her pause.

Then Dane’s fingers brushed the back of her neck.

Victor’s suit was really nice. Like, really nice. Looked expensive. Probably was. She wondered if Dane had a suit like that.

Oh, right. Back to the rich guy. Okay, think. Bimbos love rich guys. Be excited. Be impressed.

“Oooh, you have a private jet? That is, like, soooo cool,” she purred.

That sounded a lot more real. She was getting pretty good at this. Probably easy cause it actually so cool that he had a private jet. That’s, like, so cool. Tess was totally impressed.

And when his eyes lingered on her chest, she reminded herself to enjoy it.

“You ever been on a private jet before, darling?”

“Mmmm, nooo, but I bet it’d be so much fun!”

That really did sound like a lot of fun. Dane probably has a private jet. He’s super rich. Maybe Dane would take her for a ride. 

Wait, no. Why would she wanna go on a private jet with him? He’s a jerk. Just cos he’s rich doesn’t mean he’s not a huge dick.

Tess giggled as the thought of Dane’s huge dick popped into her mind.

Whoopsie.

Tess had stopped trying to sound smart. 

Smart was hard. Pretty was easier. Being pretty got her compliments and smiles. Pretty girls got admired, and Tessy was starting to enjoy being admired.

She was getting really good at this. She didn’t have to think about walking in heels. Didn’t have to remind herself to giggle. It was all starting to come naturally.

That should’ve terrified her. Hours ago it would’ve. But now the thought brought a strange satisfaction. The joy of perfecting a new skill. Even if that skill was slowly replacing parts of herself she’d used to think were important.

With each giggle, each hair twirl, each exaggerated sway of her hips, the line between acting and being grew blurrier. Her body didn’t seem to realize she was acting.

And when the next guest, a broad-shouldered man was staring at her body… she felt it.

She actually felt him looking. Like a warm hand squeezing her breasts. She suddenly felt too hot. Her skin was buzzing with sensitivity. She took a deep breath and squeezed her thighs as another wave of arousal washed over her. 

And this time when Dane rubbed the back of her neck, something surprising happened. She didn’t have to pretend to enjoy it… she actually did.

The realization filled her with horror even as her body responded with pleasure. Something was wrong. She’d just been acting this whole time, but now…it felt real.

Then Dane’s thumb brushed against her neck.