Elias popped the passenger door open and leaned against the frame, the faint thrum of his truck's idle engine echoing against the checkpoint wall.
"Come on," he called, motioning to Lucas and Ava. "We're ten minutes out. A few friends, some drinks, and a quiet office I actually trust not to be bugged."
Lucas didn't wait for confirmation. He gave Ava a lazy nudge, already moving toward the back.
"Let's take the scenic route," he said, sliding into the far corner. "Besides, we've got an image to maintain."
Ava raised an eyebrow just before Lucas reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her down—directly into his lap.
"Lucas—"
"Fake perfect girlfriend, remember?" he murmured, adjusting her legs over his. His arms looped around her waist casually, but the warmth of it wasn't fake. "Convincing always starts with proximity."
"You're lucky I don't stab you for comfort."
"I'd bleed fashionably."
