Perfect Match
Sofia's POV
The second we got inside, I tossed my bag on the couch and started pulling off my heels.
“Alright,” Bri said, flopping down beside me with a dramatic sigh. “Spill. Every. Damn. Thing.”
“I thought you were the one showing up at my house like a surprise guest star.”
“And I thought you were going to text me before running off to be the most hated billionaire’s new obsession,” she shot back, smirking.
Fair.
I grabbed the remote, muted the TV, and took a breath. “Okay, so remember the day you called? The day you were worrying about not being able to reach me and I assured you I'd tell you the details later?”
“Hard to forget. You sounded like you were about to commit a felony.”
I was just about to start, lips parted to begin the wildest story of my life, when Bri’s phone rang. Loud and obnoxious, like it had a personal vendetta against timing.
She glanced at the screen, and the way her face lit up—like actual sparkles might shoot from her eyes—made me freeze mid-sentence.
I narrowed my gaze. “Who’s that?”
Bri bit her lip, smile still ghosting her face. “No one. Continue. This is getting good.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, suspicious. “You don’t smile at ‘no one’ like that.”
Before I could press further, the phone rang again.
This time, she didn’t look excited. She looked guilty. Like a cat caught on a countertop.
I raised a brow. “Start talking, traitor.”
She sighed. “It’s… okay, fine. It’s him.”
“Him?”
“Mateo, the restaurant owner."
"Again? What happened to you outrightly losing interest in him because he's on your level. And you promised it wasn't serious when he dropped you off the last time.”
“That’s a harsh question but listen to me first.”
I was about to roast her when a loud honk blared from outside.
We both jumped.
“The hell was that?” I asked.
We rushed to the window.
Parked outside, sleek as hell, was a black Tesla.
And leaning against it—hair slicked back, button-down slightly undone, arms crossed like he was auditioning for a music video—was him.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered.
Bri smoothed her hoodie and patted me like a child. “Stay here. I’ll be back.”
“Nope.” I grabbed my phone and followed her outside. “I’m not missing this.”
The moment we stepped out, he looked up.
“Hey,” I said, giving him a small wave. “So you’re the one stealing my best friend’s attention.”
He smirked. “Guess I’m guilty.”
“Matthew, right?”
He tilted his head slightly. “Mateo. Mateo Alvarado.”
“Right. True.” I offered a sheepish grin, and before the awkwardness could multiply, Bri stepped in.
“Come here,” she called to Mateo, dragging him a few steps away.
I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.
Okay, maybe a little.
Bri hissed under her breath. “Why would you just show up like this?”
Mateo shrugged. “You’ve been ignoring my calls. And you know what happens when you do that.”
“I was busy!”
“And I was patient. Now I’m not.”
There was something dangerous and exciting in his tone. The kind of edge that would either make you run or melt.
Bri didn’t move. She just stared at him like she wanted to slap him and kiss him at the same time.
Then Mateo turned to me. “We’re heading out to have some fun. You’re welcome to come.”
“Oh, no. I wouldn’t want to crash your tension-filled date night.”
Bri scowled. “It’s not a date.”
Mateo smirked. “Could be.”
I held up my hands. “You two enjoy yourselves. I’d just be a third wheel, and I’m not in the mood to be pitied or stared at awkwardly by restaurant staff.”
Bri groaned. “You’re sure?”
“One hundred percent.”
She turned to Mateo. “Give me ten minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
He went back to the car like he owned the whole damn street.
As we walked back into the apartment, I gave her a sly grin. “So. You slept with him.”
“What?! No!”
I gasped. “You totally did!”
“I didn’t!”
“You so did!”
“I—okay, look, it was just one time!”
“I knew it!” I squealed, grabbing a pillow and smacking her with it. “You tried to act all uninterested but the moment he shows up, you melt like butter.”
She buried her face in the pillow, cheeks pink. “He’s just… argh, it’s not supposed to be like this!”
“He’s your match, Bri. He actually handles you.”
“That’s the problem,” she muttered. “I like being the one in control.”
“You mean, you like dating guys who follow your every word like puppies.”
“Exactly.”
“Well, bad news, babe,” I said, sipping water. “You finally met a lion.”
She flipped me off playfully, then dashed into the bedroom to change.
\---
Ten minutes later, she strutted out in a black crop top, jeans that could cause car accidents, and confidence so loud it didn’t need a speaker.
Mateo honked once. She flipped her hair.
“Try not to fall too hard,” I teased.
“I already tripped. I’m just trying not to face-plant.”
I laughed and waved as she slipped out the door. The moment it clicked shut behind her, silence filled the apartment.
I slumped onto the couch, took a deep breath, and let the quiet settle.
Until—
Knock. Knock.
I groaned. “Bri, did you forget your lipstick or your spine?”
But when I opened the door—
It wasn’t Bri.
It was Adrian Florencio.
Dressed in a navy coat, casual but calculated. His lips were curved in a knowing half-smirk, the same one he wore every single time he shows up in my presence.
“If it isn't our stunning assistant,” he drawled.
I blinked. “What the hell are you doing here and how the hell did you even know where I live?"
His gaze swept over me slowly, like he already owned the answer. “Definitely not the best way to treat your favourite billionaire, belleza."