Chapter 3: Goddess and Baby Boy.

February 3, 2024, 4:00 PM.
Kate turns onto the winding road that leads up to Château des Rêves. The familiar gates swing open. The sprawling French-style mansion rises ahead, ivy clinging to pale stone walls like green veins. She parks in her usual spot and steps out into the warm California sun.
Kae comes out to meet her, wearing sleek black thong panties and a smooth black bra.
"Oh, the mistress is back!" Kae laughs, walking up as Kate climbs out of the car. Her eyes roam over Kate—light blue jeans, loose white shirt over a simple black bra, fresh white sneakers.
Kae tugs lightly at the septum ring in her nose with two fingers.
"See? Your slutty housekeeper's been a good girl. Didn't burn the mansion down, didn't sink it, nobody died. So I figure I can fill in for both Amy and Madi if they ever decide to damn off for another 'happy little weekend getaway.' Madi's got an excuse—she works at Health&Cozy. But Amy? What, she run off to another Geek-fest?"
Kae sighs. "Whatever. Damn 'em. So how was Swag&Pop? Dara still killing it?" she teases, flashing a grin.
At first Kate barely registers the words, too busy pulling five big boxes of pepperoni and mushroom pizza from the back seat—no pineapple, just like Alex asked when she called him at lunchtime. Her mind is still tangled in the phone call with Aria she'd had in the car, the one about Brian…
She snaps out of it with a small shake of her head, Aria's voice still echoing somewhere in the back. She grabs the last box and closes the car door with a gentle bump of her hip.
Movement by the front entrance catches her eye. Lila stands a few steps away, watching them with that unreadable expression she always wears when things get messy.
Kate pivots toward her, features shifting from playful to guarded. She studies Lila's face for a second before offering a small smile. "Hey, Lila. What's up?"
"Kate, we need to talk. Alone. Right now." Lila glances warily at Kae.
"I'll take the boxes," Kae says, grabbing them from Kate. She heads inside.
"This is for Alex, right?" she calls over her shoulder.
"Yeah, for him!" Kate shouts back, still by the car. Then she turns to Lila. "Lila, what's so urgent?"
"Kat, have you lost your mind? You and Ari both completely lost your damning minds?" Lila hisses, keeping her voice low. "I've been calming Alex down all damn day after that morning chat he had with Aria—when your bestie showed up here and basically announced you wanna be with Brian. And she wouldn't even leave right away, just soaking up his reaction like it was some kind of show. Kat, what the hell is wrong with you?"
Kate lets out a slow breath. "I don't know, Lila," she says, running a hand through her hair. She looks away, then back, searching Lila's face. "I just… I think I need this."
Lila's eyes narrow, lips pressing into a thin line. "Need it? Or want it?" She crosses her arms under her small breasts. Her white tank top rides up, revealing a sliver of toned stomach.
Kate hesitates. She hadn't really let herself draw the line before. "Both," she admits quietly.
Lila's eyebrows shoot up. "Both? Really? So you've actually thought about this?"
"I mean…" Kate shifts her weight, fingers brushing the car's hood. She exhales sharply. "I've thought about it, yeah. Obviously. He's… he's very attractive, Lila. And Aria brought it up and—" She cuts herself off, rubbing the back of her neck.
Lila studies her for a long moment, then snorts. "And what? You got curious? Or did she plant the idea and you just let it stick?"
Kate scowls. "That's not fair."
"Isn't it?" Lila tilts her head, dark hair shifting over one shoulder. "Listen, 'that's not fair' is about Alex, not you. Yeah, damn, I get it—we're not exactly puritans around here. But Kat, you and Alex have been strictly monogamous for four years. The sweetest couple on the entire West Coast while everyone else at your mansion parties is busy having fun in every way and throwing wild parties left and right. And now you…"
She slaps her thigh in frustration.
"Okay, Okay, it's your personal life, I know. But you and Alex—you're the damning bosses here, remember? Whatever happens to you two ripples through the whole staff. That's over five hundred people, Kat. And instead of talking to Alex yourself, you sent Aria. You know how your bestie talks to Alex—hell, how she talks to everyone. I've spent the whole damn day convincing him you're not gonna dump his ass the minute you get back from that gallery run. Kate. Are you seriously about to trade your happy little perfect life—your Baby Boy—for Brian?"
Kate's breath catches. Her fingers tighten around the hem of her loose white shirt, the smooth black bra faintly visible underneath. She exhales through her nose, straightens, and meets Lila's gaze—defiance mixed with something quieter, almost vulnerable.
"First of all, nobody's trading anything, Lila." Her voice stays measured, but a sharp edge cuts underneath. "Second, don't pretend you don't see how complicated this is. You've watched the way he looks at me. You've watched the way I look at him."
Lila scoffs, arms crossing tight. "Yeah, I've seen it. And I've seen the way Alex looks at you." She steps closer and sets a hand on Kate's shoulder—gentle, but firm. "Kat. I'm your friend too. Maybe not back to college like your precious Aria, but still. We're all in this together. Unlike Alex, I'm at every single party you throw. And I remember exactly when this started—September 2nd last year. Aria brought Brian to one of your parties, and you spent the whole night talking to him. Since then? Every gathering, you and Brian end up downstairs while Alex holes up on the third floor in his office. I'm not saying drag our introverted writer out of his cave, or stop throwing parties—you do it for us, not yourself. What I'm saying is: don't hurt Alex. We both know you love him. Talk to him, Kat. He's on the first floor right now, in that same old office where he used to write—back before you two even got together four years ago. You realize how damned this is? After the stunt with Aria this morning, he already thinks you're his ex."
Kate lets out a slow breath. Her fingers finally loosen from the hem of her shirt. She feels it now—the tightness in her chest, the quickened pulse. Not just guilt, though that's there too, but because Lila's right about one thing: Alex is waiting, and today has already been hell for him.
"You think I don't know that?" she mutters. No real bite behind it. She drags a hand through her blonde hair, pushing it back, letting it fall again.
Lila keeps going, arms still crossed. "He didn't even remember who Brian was at first. Alex has only seen that 'Aria's chocolate' guy a couple times these past months. When I kicked Aria out—shit hit the fan. He swung from 'Okay, Lila, you're right, this is just life drama and she loves me' to 'She's a goddess and I'm a disgrace to mankind, might as well die' and back again. It's damned. Not my job. My job is editing his stuff and keeping his inspiration high—fluttering around in bikinis and thongs. All this psycho drama? That's Amy and Madi's department. Oh, and by the way—he called me to his office this morning to kick Aria out, not them, because 'They'd start a fight and argue with Kate immediately.' Damn…"
Lila exhales hard, rolls her eyes, then meets Kate's gaze again. "You're in love with Brian. Alex is in love with you. Brian? I don't know. I think he likes the idea of you more than the reality of dealing with all your bullshit. But that doesn't mean he won't bed you the second you give him half a chance."
Kate shifts her weight, arms folding loosely across her chest. Lila's words land with almost clinical detachment, the same tone she uses to tear apart a weak manuscript.
"He felt a little better around one," Lila continues. "When you called and said everything was fine at the gallery, that you'd be having lunch with Tori at FOODLand. He asked you to grab some pizzas, but right after the call he crashed again. Like that all day. Listen—do you realize sending Aria with that news was a terrible damning idea?"
Kate exhales, voice low and steady. "Lila, I'm not trading Alex for anyone. But I can't lie—this curiosity is real. I need to figure out what I want, even if it scares me."
She locks eyes with Lila. Defiance and vulnerability flicker there together.
"Maybe I'm damning up. Maybe I'm about to burn everything down. But I can't keep pretending Brian isn't in my head."
She steps back from the car, shaking off the tension.
"Let me talk to Alex. Alone. I owe him that much."
Kate turns toward the mansion, jaw set with fresh determination.
Inside, Alex waits. Whatever comes next, she's done running from it.
February 3, 2024, 4:08 PM. Château des Rêves, first floor, Alex's old office.
Kate pushes the door open without knocking. Her hand lingers on the brass handle, steadying her racing pulse. The room smells of sun-warmed wood and old paper—exactly the way it always did, even though Alex hasn't really worked here in four years.
Sunlight spills across the rug and the bookshelves lined with abandoned drafts. Alex sits in his old leather chair by the window, pink shorts and matching T-shirt slightly wrinkled, hair tousled like he's been raking his hands through it all afternoon. His elbow rests on the armrest, cheek pressed to his knuckles as he stares blankly into the garden, lost somewhere far away.
Kate steps inside and closes the door quietly. The pizzas are already in the kitchen with Kae. Nothing left to hold on to now except this moment.
She takes a breath and moves toward him. "Baby Boy," she says, voice low and uncertain.
Alex jumps up and rushes over, wrapping her in his arms.
"Hey, I'm sorry. Please forgive me." His voice trembles. "I just needed to get it all out today and Lila… whatever, forget what she said. I'll go meet Brian tomorrow at 3:00 like Aria wants—we'll sort it out. I don't mind…"
He presses a kiss to her lips. Kate melts into it for a heartbeat—long enough to taste his familiar sweetness, to feel his arms squeeze around her like he's terrified she'll slip away. Then she pulls back, hands rising to cradle his smooth cheeks, thumbs brushing gently over flawless skin.
"Alex…" Her voice is low, shaky, the truth catching at the edges. "Hey. Stop saying sorry, okay? You didn't do a damn thing wrong. If anyone's screwing up, it's me."
She lets out a soft, breathless laugh that cracks into something almost sad. Her eyes roam his face, searching, memorizing. "God, look at you. You've been tearing yourself apart all day, haven't you? All because of me. Because of this mess in my head."
Kate slips her arms around his neck and leans in until their foreheads touch, blonde hair falling to brush his shoulders. "I don't want you to feel like you have to be okay with this. Like you have to be some perfectly unbothered boyfriend who just accepts me… thinking about someone else. I love you, Alex. I love you so much. And yeah, I'm scared. Scared of losing this. Scared of what happens if I keep chasing these thoughts. And maybe even more scared of what'll happen if I just keep pretending they're not there."
She pulls back slightly to meet his soft green eyes. "So please… don't agree to meet Brian tomorrow just because Aria's pushing it. Or because you think it'll fix me. Only do it if you want to. If you don't, then damn it—we'll figure something else out. Together. I promise."
Alex presses closer. "Look… uh… this is a weird situation. I just didn't get the context. I didn't think Aria would be the first one to say it instead of you…"
He exhales shakily. "And… look, I'm sorry it bothers me so much, not liking your parties. It's stupid, because I love everything about you and… because of that, you end up spending time at those parties either with your girlfriends or with guys like Brian."
Kate's lips twitch into a sad little smile. Her arms tighten around his neck. She leans in, presses a soft kiss to his temple, then rests her forehead against his, breath mingling with his uneven ones.
"Baby Boy… don't you dare apologize for that," she whispers, voice warm but raw. "You know I love that you're not into the same shit everyone else here is. That's never been stupid—it's just you. My sweet, shy, brilliant boy who'd rather hide upstairs reading than get drunk with a bunch of half-naked strangers grinding on each other."
She laughs faintly against his skin. "Honestly? That's half the reason I throw those parties at all. So you don't have to be my entire damning universe—even if you kinda already are. So I have somewhere to pour out all that reckless, messy energy instead of drowning you in it."
Her fingers slide into his hair, gently scratching his scalp. "I'm sorry Aria dropped it on you first. That was never how I wanted this to come out. I should've been braver. Should've trusted you more. Because you're right—it's damning weird. It's messy and selfish and I hate that it's hurting you. But Alex…"
She pulls back just enough to look him in the eyes, thumbs sweeping under to catch the start of tears. "I don't want any of it if it means losing you. That's not a price I'd ever pay. No matter what Aria thinks. No matter what stupid fantasies run through my head."
Alex waves a hand vaguely. "Look… if this is something you need… That whole Lila thing today—it wasn't the total shitshow she probably made it out to be. I don't know exactly what she told you, but… damn, Kat—I don't want you drowning in my love only to regret never trying something you were curious about. Goddess… just listen to what you're feeling and figure it out. You know me—all I really want is to be close to you. That's it."
He pulls her into a tight hug. Kate lets out a shaky breath, forehead resting against his chest.
"Yeah… maybe I need to feel a little crazy for a while," she murmurs. "But I swear, I'm not throwing us away. Just… figuring out if I can still breathe with something else in the air."
She hugs him tighter, voice soft. "Thanks for not freaking out too much, Baby Boy."
Alex giggles, playful. "Just don't call me Baby Coco or anything like that. Okay?"
Kate's breath hitches. A smile curls at the corner of her mouth. She pulls back just enough to look at him, fingers still tangled in his hair, thumbs brushing away the last of his tears.
"Coco?" she repeats, laughing softly. "Oh my God, Alex. You really think I'd do that?"
She shakes her head, pressing another kiss to his temple before resting her cheek against his. Her arms tighten around him, like she's memorizing the exact way he fits against her.
"Damn," she breathes. "You're really gonna let me do this, aren't you?"
"Uh… Kate? What do you mean?" Alex asks. They're still huddled together, bodies close.
Kate exhales shakily, fingers tracing lazy circles at the nape of his neck. "I mean… I didn't think you'd actually be Okay with it. That you'd let me explore something without… without you totally losing your shit."
"Kate… we've never really fought before," Alex says softly, running his fingers through her hair. "It's just…" He pauses, then blurts out, barely holding back a laugh. "Is he really that big?"
Kate lets out a startled laugh and pulls back just enough to see his face. Her fingers tighten slightly in his hair as she studies him—amusement mixed with something softer.
"Oh my God," she says, shaking her head with a small smile. "You're really asking me that right now?"
She exhales, breath warm against his skin while she thinks. "Yes," she finally admits, voice dropping to a near-whisper. "It's… big." No hesitation, just quiet honesty that twists something in Alex's chest.
"But that's not why I want to do this," she adds quickly, thumbs brushing over his jaw.
"And the reason is?" Alex asks, serious but warm.
Kate exhales slowly. Her fingers stay tangled in his hair as she meets his gaze. Something unguarded flickers across her face—something she usually keeps hidden, even from him. She swallows, nails lightly scraping his scalp in a way that makes his skin prickle.
"I don't know," she says softly. "Maybe because it's new. Maybe because I'm tired of pretending I don't notice things." Her thumb brushes his cheekbone, gentle but firm. "I've been with you for four years, Alex. I love you so much it scares me sometimes. But…"
She hesitates, searching his face.
"But I'm not twenty anymore."
Alex brushes his hand along her cheek, half teasing, half dead-on. "Actually, you were twenty-three four years ago."
Kate barks out a surprised laugh, fingers tightening in his hair. "Damn, you're right," she murmurs, shaking her head with a fond smile. Her thumb strokes his cheekbone again—light, like an apology and a promise at once.
"But still," she continues quietly, "I don't want to stop exploring things just because I'm with you." Her gaze holds his, steady. "I want to keep living. Even if it scares you."
Alex exhales slowly and cups her jaw. He can feel her pulse jumping under his thumb—fast, unsteady.
"You're not scared?" he asks, then gently takes her face in both hands and looks into her eyes.
"Alright. Let's be real." His voice stays soft. "Fact one: I'm the luckiest guy alive that a woman like you ever looked my way. Fact two: I'm even luckier that four years later you still haven't left. That's practically unheard of for people our age in modern California. Fact three: I've never given a shit about who you hang out with or who your friends are."
He places his palm over her chest, right where her heart beats. "This is where I wanna be. In your heart. Not constantly in your head. I can handle it, Goddess. Just… don't leave me."
Kate's breath catches. Her fingers tighten in his hair, pulling just enough to rest her forehead against his. She's breathing fast, pulse racing under his hand.
"You're impossible," she murmurs—no bite, just awe and something soft and cracked open. Her thumbs brush his temples; her fingers stay tangled in his hair like she can't let go.
"I don't want to leave you," she says, voice hushed. "But I don't know how to explain this without sounding like an asshole."
"My Goddess can't be an asshole. Speak," Alex says.
Kate exhales shakily, fingers still curled in his hair. Her gaze flickers—uncertain, but resolved. She's thought about this hard.
"Okay," she begins, soft but steady. "Four years ago I fell in love with you because you let me be myself. No judgment, no pressure—just freedom. And I don't want to lose that." She swallows, fingers brushing the back of his neck. "But I also don't want to stop feeling new things. Doing new things. Especially with you."
"Alright, fine… I'm in. Just…" Alex scrunches his forehead, voice turning playful. "So, uh… how big is he? I kinda need to know… um… for the next book."
Kate barks out a warm, full laugh and shakes her head. "Oh my God, Alex." She slides her hands from his hair to his shoulders, giving them a light squeeze. "You're really committed to this 'research' thing, huh?"
Her grin holds, but her expression turns thoughtful. She twists her mouth, biting the inside of her cheek. "Well… I haven't seen it in person yet," she admits, quieter now. "But from what I've heard… and from the video… he's not lying about the size. It's impressive."
"Videos? Aria actually shows you her videos of them together?" Alex laughs. "That's seriously massive."
Kate shrugs, a small smirk tugging at her mouth. "Yeah, she does. Guess she figured I'd need to see it to believe it." She rubs his shoulders absently, thumbs pressing into the muscle through his pink t-shirt. "I've seen enough porn to know what big looks like, but this is next level, even for me."
"Alright, now the real question," Alex says with a playful grin. "Did you get the pizza? The one I asked for? No pineapple, right? How many boxes?"
Kate exhales a short laugh, shaking her head at the sudden shift. "Yes, Alex, I got the pizza," she says, rolling her eyes fondly. "Five boxes—sausage and mushroom, no pineapple."
"Well, just like I asked. Perfect. Thank you." Alex presses his forehead to hers, looking straight into her eyes.
Just then the door swings open—no knock—and Kae strides in.
"So here you both are… damn, Alex, you really do use your old office like a storage closet? That's damned. It's been four years—clean it up already." She glances around. "Pizza's in kitchen one, blue fridge. You two know the passcode, so none of our lovely little château-slash-Pascal Lainé's Tendres Cousines orphanage rejects—hi, by the way—will eat it. Alright, I'm out."
She turns, tugs the strap of her black bra—the skeletal hand print on the cups—back into place, and heads for the door.
Alex and Kate watch her go, then burst out laughing together.
"Why do they always compare that movie to our life?" Alex says through his laughter. "This is our home, not some boarding house. Even if… yeah, we do have a lot of staff…"
Kate wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him close as she shakes with silent giggles. Her hair spills over both of them as she presses her forehead to his again.
"You know I don't mind it," she murmurs, nuzzling her nose against his. "The staff makes this place… special." She kisses him lightly, her smile lingering in the touch. "Plus, it's kind of funny when Kae says it like that. Like we're running some orphanage-slash-party house."
When she pulls back, her blue eyes sparkle with mischief. "Well… the two of us wouldn't exactly cut it. No way we'd keep all these rooms clean by ourselves. Shit, I don't even remember how many rooms are in the main house, let alone the rest of the property."
Alex gestures around with one arm, keeping the other wrapped around her. "And why the hell is the staff so heavily female? Is it because I'm an erotic writer? Or because you dragged all your college girlfriends in here, and they dragged their girlfriends in, and… voilà—one big collective nepo-HR?"
Kate throws her head back with a loud laugh, blonde hair swaying. "Oh my God, Alex. You think I planned this? That I just… collected my friends like Pokémon cards?" She's still laughing. "And what do you mean 'dragged'? They came because they wanted to work here. Because they wanted to be part of… whatever this is."
Still chuckling and teasing each other, they step out of his old office—only to nearly collide with Lila.
"So, Lila—crisis averted," Alex says with a crooked grin. "I'm officially the side guy now. Thanks for holding my hand all day since this morning…"
Kate looks up at Lila, face still flushed from laughing, and nudges Alex playfully. "Oh, come on. You were the one who asked her for help. Don't pretend you didn't want to be rescued."
She slips an arm around Alex's waist as they head toward the kitchen. Lila stands there in her gray shorts and white tank top—the same outfit from a couple hours ago when she was sipping Coke and mock-wrestling Alex on the backyard lawn—arms crossed, watching until they disappear around the corner.
"Idiots," she mutters under her breath, almost smiling. "Lucky idiots. Don't even realize how close they are to losing everything."