Chapter 9

After checking in, they were handed their room keys—a two-bedroom suite by the beach. Ethan, ever the gentleman, suggested that they share one of the rooms to avoid wasting space. Sophie agreed, thinking nothing of it. They were just friends, after all. And besides, what could possibly go wrong?

But Sophie quickly realized this wasn't going to be like any other vacation.

The moment they stepped into the room, Sophie was already eyeing the balcony with its breathtaking view of the ocean. The room had a luxurious feel to it, with soft, fluffy beds and a large window that let in the golden sunlight. There were two beds, but since the suite had a lounge area and more than enough space, it seemed silly to book two rooms.

"So, should we just pick a bed and get some rest?" Sophie asked casually, tossing her bag onto one of the beds. She was already peeling off her cover-up to change into something more comfortable for the evening.

Ethan, ever the cool and calm billionaire, nodded. "Yeah, sounds good. I'll just... grab a shower and change."

Sophie hummed to herself, oblivious to the fact that Ethan was about to have his first embarrassing moment of the night.

---

As Sophie rummaged through her bag, Ethan disappeared into the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind him. She didn't think twice about it—until, a few minutes later, she went to grab her phone off the bedside table and opened the bathroom door by accident.

She froze.

There stood Ethan, stark naked, his back to her as he grabbed a towel off the counter. The air felt like it had suddenly thickened. Sophie blinked, her mind trying to process what she was seeing, but in typical Sophie fashion, she was so used to awkward situations that she didn't even flinch.

"Ethan?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Ethan, caught mid-motion, whipped around with wide eyes, his face immediately flushed. His hand instinctively tried to cover himself, but it was too late. He was frozen, staring at her like a deer in headlights.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" Sophie quickly slammed the door shut, her cheeks turning pink. "I didn't... I mean... I didn't know you were in there."

From the other side of the door, Ethan muttered, "Sophie, seriously?! What the hell?"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to... I swear!" Sophie giggled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck as she turned around to face the wall, her hands pressed against her face in embarrassment.

"I can't believe you just saw me... like that," Ethan mumbled, clearly mortified. His deep voice was strained, as though trying to regain some sense of dignity.

"I—uh—yeah, well, I didn't mean to... You know what? Forget it. Just... just finish up." Sophie's voice trailed off, her awkwardness growing by the second. "I'll... go change or something."

She was sure she heard Ethan groan in disbelief as she awkwardly retreated to the other side of the room. Sophie could hear him shuffling around inside the bathroom, trying to regain his composure.

---

The rest of the evening went relatively uneventfully. They went out to grab some food at the resort's restaurant, but even then, Sophie couldn't shake the memory of the awkward bathroom incident. Every time she glanced at Ethan, she saw his reddened face, and she tried desperately to keep her composure.

"Seriously, Sophie, that was a disaster," Ethan muttered under his breath as they sat down at a table, both with menus in hand.

Sophie couldn't help but chuckle, her shoulders shaking slightly. "I didn't mean to see... you know... everything. But hey, it was an accident. It happens."

"I was not prepared for that," Ethan huffed, his voice thick with disbelief. "You know, I have a reputation to maintain, right?"

"Reputation?" Sophie laughed. "You're a billionaire, and I just saw your... reputation... for free. So I guess it's a win-win for me."

Ethan sighed and rubbed his forehead, looking anywhere but at her. "I can't even look at you right now."

"Hey," Sophie said, her voice light and teasing. "You're the one who left the door unlocked, not me. I was just trying to grab my phone."

"I'm going to be scarred for life," Ethan mumbled, still clearly embarrassed.

Sophie burst out laughing. "Oh, come on! It's not that bad. You should be grateful I didn't scream or anything."

"I was praying you wouldn't," Ethan grumbled.

---

Later that night, the two of them returned to their room, both exhausted from the day's events. Ethan went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, leaving Sophie to settle into bed. As she laid down, she pulled the covers up and smiled to herself, remembering the day's events.

Then, just as she was about to close her eyes, she heard a faint knock on the door.

"Yeah?" she called, sitting up slightly.

The door creaked open, and Ethan appeared in the doorway, wearing nothing but his boxers and a t-shirt, looking uncharacteristically sheepish.

"Uh... can I talk to you about something?" he asked awkwardly.

"Sure, Ethan. What's up?"

"Well... um, I just wanted to say... you know, about earlier—"

Sophie chuckled, leaning back against the pillows. "Look, Ethan. I said I wasn't going to make it awkward, so you don't have to apologize."

"I wasn't apologizing for me. I'm apologizing for you," he replied with a wink. "I'm sure you're going to be traumatized forever."

Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Trust me, I've seen worse. That's nothing compared to some of the stuff I've witnessed."

Ethan raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, you win. You're officially a trooper. But... I still owe you for the disaster I caused."

Sophie grinned, letting herself relax. "You owe me a lot, but let's just say I'll collect on that debt later."

Ethan laughed, shaking his head. "I swear, this vacation is going to be one for the books."

"Oh, you have no idea," Sophie replied, grinning ear to ear.