Regina had never hated pajamas more in her life. The pink, cartoonish set she wore had been stuffed into her suitcase by her mother, no doubt as some cruel joke. She sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, her arms crossed, glaring at Daniel, who had swapped his suit for a plain white T-shirt and gray sweatpants. He looked too relaxed, which irritated her even more. How dare he be comfortable when she was fuming?
The silence in the room was thick, and Daniel didn't seem inclined to break it. Instead, he busied himself with his phone, scrolling through something with that same calmness that grated on her nerves.
Regina huffed loudly, tapping her fingers against her arm. The sound of her nails against her skin was the only thing breaking the tension. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she declared, "I'm hungry."
Daniel didn't look up. Instead, he reached for the hotel phone, dialed room service, and casually rattled off an order that made Regina freeze. He listed all her favorite dishes—exactly the way she liked them.
She narrowed her eyes. "How do you know what I like?"
Daniel leaned back in his chair, his phone still in hand. "I googled you."
"Of course you did," she sneered, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "And what else did you learn? My blood type? My childhood pet's name? Oh, wait—did you download my birth certificate too?"
He chuckled softly. "Relax, Regina. I just needed enough information to survive this… arrangement."
"Wow. You really go above and beyond," she snapped, rolling her eyes.
As they waited for the food, Regina paced the room, her arms swinging in frustration. When the food arrived, she sat down to eat with all the grace of a starving wolf, attacking the plates like they were her sworn enemies.
Daniel watched her, leaning against the table, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Do you always eat like this? I feel like I'm watching a competitive eating show."
She glared at him, her mouth full. After swallowing, she jabbed her fork in his direction. "You're walking on thin ice. Shut up before I stab you with this."
He raised his hands in mock surrender, the smirk still firmly in place. "I'm just saying, it's impressive. You should consider making it a sport."
Regina rolled her eyes and returned to her food, pointedly ignoring him.
The meal ended with the two of them seated in awkward silence again, their plates empty. Daniel broke it this time. "So, is your family going to do anything about the paint bucket incident? I mean, finding it on the roof—it's a pretty clear sign, it wasn't an accident."
Regina sighed, leaning back in her chair. "No. There will be no consequences. My mother wouldn't want to make a fuss. It's not worth the drama."
"That's convenient," Daniel said, his tone neutral but clearly probing.
Regina narrowed her eyes. "You're bored, aren't you? You keep bringing up these pointless topics just to get a reaction out of me."
He shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe I just enjoy watching you squirm."
Her fists clenched, and before she knew it, she grabbed the nearest pillow from the bed and hurled it at him. "You are such an ass!"
The pillow smacked him in the chest, and he blinked in surprise before a slow grin spread across his face. "Really? A pillow fight? That's your big move?"
Before she could respond, he grabbed a pillow of his own and launched it at her. Regina dodged, barely, the pillow grazing her shoulder.
"Oh, it's on now," she growled, grabbing another pillow and swinging it at him.
The next few minutes were chaos. Feathers burst out of the pillows as they hit their targets, floating through the air like a bizarre snowstorm. Regina laughed despite herself, her competitive streak kicking in. Daniel, for once, looked genuinely amused, his smirk replaced by an actual smile.
But then he managed to catch one of her swings, yanking the pillow from her hands. He leaned in close, his breath warm against her cheek. "You know, you're a lot more tolerable when you're not talking."
She shoved him away, her cheeks flushing. "And you're a lot less annoying when you're unconscious. Maybe I should aim harder next time."
He laughed, tossing the pillow aside. "Good luck with that, wifey."
"Stop calling me that!"
They both froze when the room fell silent again, the feathers still floating down around them. Regina glanced at the clock. It was late, and she was suddenly very aware of how close they were standing. She cleared her throat and stepped back.
"I'm going to unpack," she said stiffly, moving to her suitcase.
Daniel nodded, "I will do the same too."
As she placed her gowns into the wardrobe, her fingers brushed against a lacy piece of fabric. She frowned, pulling out a black lingerie set she hadn't packed herself. Her mother's doing, no doubt. She let out a bitter chuckle and shoved it back into the suitcase, muttering under her breath about meddling parents.
When Daniel emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered, he noticed her glaring at the wardrobe. "Do you need help unpacking?" he asked.
She turned to him, her hands on her hips. "I don't need another annoying person to deal with, thank you very much."
"Suit yourself," he said with a shrug, moving to his bed.
As he reached for the light switch, Regina stopped him. "Wait. Don't turn it off. I can't sleep in the dark."
He raised an eyebrow. "You can't sleep with the lights off? What are you, five?"
She glared at him. "I don't care what you think. Just leave it on."
He sighed and grabbed a remote, trying to dim the lights instead. Regina crossed her arms. "Still too dark."
"Are you serious?" he muttered, finally grabbing an eye mask from his bag. He slipped it on with a dramatic sigh. "Fine. Have it your way, Regina. But don't get used to winning."
She chuckled softly. "Oh, I already have."
Daniel settled into bed, his voice muffled by the mask. "This is only the beginning, wifey."