(VALENTINO'S POV)
I almost choke on my drink.
"Oh," my eyes widen, eyebrows rising. "So we're starting off strong, huh?"
Krystal blinks at me innocently. "You said not to hold back."
I laugh under my breath. "Touché." I shake my head, then sigh. "Guess I'll have to drink to that one."
I fill my glass and down it in one gulp.
"What?!" she says. "You're not gonna tell me?"
"It's not that I don't wanna," I say, setting my glass down. "It's that I don't even know the number."
Her mouth drops open a little before she smirks. "Oh, so you're a whore."
I clutch my chest like I'm offended. "Wow. Slut-shaming me already?"
She laughs. "I'm not shaming, just stating facts. But at least you've got experience. I mean, damn, you really know your way around a woman's body. I've never had a man make me come more than once in one night."
I arch a brow. "Is that so?"
"Yeah." She shrugs. "Most guys just… talk big. But half of them don't even know where to find the clit. If you're gonna brag about getting laid, at least learn a thing or two."
I can't help but laugh out loud. Heads turn at nearby tables but I don't care. "You're unbelievable."
She grins, proud of herself.
"Alright," I say, pointing at her. "My turn. What's your body count?"
She doesn't even hesitate. "Six."
I nod slowly. "Fair."
Her gaze flicks up again. "How old were you when you lost your virginity?"
I rub the back of my neck. "You're not gonna judge me?"
"Promise."
"Fourteen," I admit.
Her jaw drops.
"Yup," I say, pointing at her. "There it is. The judgment."
"I'm not judging!" she says, laughing.
"The look on your face says otherwise."
She shakes her head, still smiling. "Fourteen is just… wild. I didn't lose mine till I was nineteen. You really are a whore. Maybe we should swap jobs, ever thought about that?"
That one actually makes me laugh till I start coughing. "You're trying to make me choke, huh?"
"I'm not trying to do anything," she says, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I'm just being myself."
"And that's one of the many things I like about you," I tell her before I even think twice.
Her eyes flicker for a moment—that tiny, genuine spark before she looks down at her wine.
"Okay," I say, leaning forward. "My turn. What do you like doing when you're not stripping or terrorizing men like me?"
Krystal pretends to think hard. "Hmm… take a nice nap after a cold shower. Or binge-watch a series under a pile of blankets. Especially when it's raining."
"That actually sounds kinda nice," I admit.
"Your turn," she says. "What do you do with your leisure time?"
"When I'm not engaging in any criminal activities," I say dryly, "I actually love to relax and play video games."
Her brows shoot up. "You play games? Ooh. Which ones?"
"Mortal Kombat, Fortnite, GTA."
She smirks. "Of course you love GTA."
"What?" I raise my hands in defense. "It's an accurate representation of my life. Can't blame me for loving it."
She laughs, shaking her head. "Okay, it's your turn again."
"What's your favorite movie?"
Krystal bites her bottom lip, thinking. "That's a tough one… but if I had to pick, I'd go with Mean Girls."
"Mean Girls?" I echo. "Never heard of it."
Her hand flies to her chest, like I just insulted her. "What?! You've never heard of Mean Girls?! It's literally a cultural phenomenon! That's it—our next date, we're watching it. I don't care what plans you've got."
She's still talking, all animated and expressive, her hands moving as she rants about how iconic it is, and I'm not even listening anymore. I'm too busy watching her. The way her lips move. The light in her eyes. The small dimple that shows when she smiles too wide.
She snaps her fingers in front of my face. "Hey! Val! Are you even listening to me?"
I blink, snapping out of it. "Yeah. Totally. You were saying something about… pink?"
She laughs, rolling her eyes. "I asked if you plan on settling down someday."
I lean back and cross my arms, thinking deeply about it for a moment. "Honestly? I've never really thought about it."
"Of course you haven't." She smirks. "Playboy."
I grin back at her. "My turn, right?"
She picks up her glass, swirling the wine lazily. "Ask away."
As she brings it to her lips, I ask,
"Do you wanna be my girlfriend?"