A Night Out, then back to Business

The next day they spent the morning and most of the afternoon unpacking and moving the furniture around to find that sweet spot they could both agree on. Bobby and Sophia were itching to cut loose. Naomi had been hounding them in the group chat all week, insisting on a big night out after they came back, and now it was finally here. Sophia had picked a red flowy maxi dress that hugged her in all the right places, and a pair of black strappy sandals. No way was she wearing heels in case they danced most of the night. Bobby had gone with a grey polo shirt and a grey pair of tailored trousers.

The place was electric, feeling alive, the lights bouncing off dark walls, a massive dance floor already packed with bodies dancing to the music, and a bar lined with people trying to yell orders over the noise. Their friends had booked a VIP table. It had a huge U-shaped couch with a long table in the middle and was roped off. The VIP section also had their own private servers, all you had to do was hit a button and it would call someone over. The relaxed atmosphere in the VIP section was another benefit since it was far quieter and less crowded they could have a decent conversation. 

As Bobby and Sophia stepped into the VIP area, their friends let out a roar.

"The newlyweds have entered the building!" Jenna yelled as they all jumped up to give them a big hug. 

As they sat down Marcus raised his glass. "Awww look at the married couple, their glowing.

"Perfect timing you guys our drinks had just arrived," Caroline said passing them theirs "Bobby we got you a Long Island Iced Tea, and Sophia ordered you a strawberry margarita"

"We missed you guys" Bobby smiled taking his seat

Drew smirked, clinking his glass against Bobby's. "Bet he hasn't stopped sweet-talking her since they got married."

Bobby grinned, wrapping an arm around Sophia's waist. "Can you blame me?"

Sophia playfully elbowed him. "You are so full of it."

Jenna grinned, tugging Sophia down onto the plush booth seat. "Alright, spill. We need details. Every. Single. One."

Naomi leaned in. "Yeah, don't you dare try to downplay it. Italy. Honeymoon. Newlyweds. We want all the juicy bits."

Sophia laughed, shaking her head. "You guys act like it was some steamy romance novel."

Caroline smirked. "Well wasn't it?"

Sophia blushed.

The whole group erupted into laughter.

The drinks flowed, everyone reminiscing about old memories, cracking jokes, and catching up.

At some point, the music changed to something more upbeat, and Naomi grabbed Sophia's hand.

"Alright, Mrs. Knight. Time to dance."

Sophia giggled as Naomi, Jenna, and Caroline pulled her onto the dance floor. The four of them moved in sync, swaying to the music, laughing, and enjoying themselves in the moment, not knowing the next time they would all be able to get together like this

Bobby stayed back at the table with Drew and Marcus. Downing a shot, his eyes locked on Sophia cutting loose. Watching the way she lost herself in the music.

Drew leaned over. "Dude, you're staring hard"

Bobby smirked. "She's my wife. I'm allowed."

Marcus chuckled, pouring another round of shots. "Marriage has you whipped, It's cute."

Down on the floor, the girls were owning it. Naomi spun Sophia around, The flashing neon lights flickered across their faces, casting streaks of blue and pink through the haze of bodies. Caroline busted out some exaggerated dance moves that nearly sent them all tumbling, and Jenna chased off a couple of guys trying to crash their party. They were a force, laughing so hard they could barely breathe.

After a few songs, Sophia stumbled back sweaty and beaming. "That was so much fun!"

Bobby slid his drink her way. "Here, cool off dancing queen."

She took a gulp, her eyes bright. "You've gotta come dance with me next."

He grinned, leaning in close. "Oh, I will. But don't blame me if we end up sneaking out early."

She swatted him, laughing. "Down, boy."

The night kept rolling—more shots, more food (someone ordered mozzarella sticks, and they vanished in seconds), and more chaos. Marcus started telling Drew about some old hookup gone wrong, and Caroline whipped out her phone to show off pics of her new dog, which had everyone yelling how adorable he was. Bobby finally caved and hit the dance floor with Sophia, spinning her until she was dizzy and shrieking with laughter. The others whooped and hollered as the crowd moved around them.

It was loud, sweaty, and a total blast—just them, a group of friends, and the wild heartbeat of the city. No fancy nonsense needed just a fun night where everything clicked.

As the club started thinning out, Bobby and Sophia slipped outside, hand in hand, the neon glow of the streets lighting their way. He pulled her in, voice low against the hum of the city. "Ready to kick off this next chapter?"

She smiled up at him, all warmth and certainty. "With you? Hell yeah."

****

Bobby rolled out of bed, seeing his wife sleeping so peacefully he didn't have the heart to wake her up. She didn't have to be at work for another few hours anyway so he just wrote her a little note and stuck it to his pillow

The morning rush at Knight Industries was as relentless as ever. The moment Bobby stepped into his office, Lena was already sitting there waiting for him, two coffee cups in hand.

She smirked, handing him one. "Ready to get back to work, big bro? Or did Italy make you soft?"

Bobby took a sip, eyes scanning the multiple reports she already had stacked in her arms. "No chance. And remind me why I let you work here again?"

"Because I make your life easier," Lena shot back. "Now, let's go. The legal team's waiting for you."

The next few hours were brutal—conference calls, back-to-back meetings about upcoming acquisitions, and a particularly annoying discussion about a potential merger Bobby wasn't convinced was worth the investment.

By noon, Bobby was sitting in his office, reviewing proposals when his assistant, Claire, poked her head in.

"Sir, your wife is on line one."

Bobby smiled, reaching for the phone. "Hey, beautiful."

Sophia's voice came through, sounding slightly exhausted. "Hey hon, how's your first day back?"

Bobby leaned back in his chair, loosening his tie. "Meetings, contracts, and trying to stop Lena from running this place better than me."

Sophia laughed. "Sounds about right."

"You?" Bobby asked.

Sophia hesitated. "Just… a lot to take in."

He frowned slightly. "You okay?"

A pause. Then Sophia brushed it off. "Yeah. Just first-day jitters."

Bobby let it go. "You'll be great. You always are."

Sophia smiled softly through the phone. "I love you."

Bobby smirked. "I know."

She groaned. "Seriously?"

Bobby chuckled. "I love you too, Soph."

As he hung up, his frown deepened. Something about her voice didn't sit right with him. But he pushed the thought away. It was probably nothing.

****

Sophia rolled over, blinking at the empty spot where Bobby should've been. He was already up and out probably at Knight Industries by now. She stretched, her hand brushing something on his pillow: a little folded note.

**Good luck today, Mrs. Knight. You're going to do wonderful it.

Love, Bobby**

She smiled, pressing the paper to her chest for a second before dragging herself out of bed. Time to get moving.

As she arrived at Lancaster Developments, her father was already waiting for her. As she entered his office he already had a stack of reports waiting for her to go over. Henry Lancaster didn't believe in sugarcoating things. It was time for Sophia to show off everything she learned up until now.

"Let's see if you've got what it takes, Sophia," he said, his voice all business.

Sophia took the reports, straightening her shoulders. "Let's do this."

The day was a blur—back-to-back meetings, spreadsheets that made her eyes water, and walking through the projects her dad had been overseeing. By mid-afternoon, she was running on fumes and made a beeline for the breakroom, desperate for coffee.

She was pouring a cup when someone lightly bumped into her

"Well, well," a voice drawled. "Didn't expect to run into you here."

Sophia froze.

Daniel Monroe. what was he doing here? She turned, and there he was leaning against the counter with a coffee in hand and that same cocky grin he had in college

Daniel grinned, holding his coffee. "Small world, huh?"

Sophia forced a polite smile. "I guess so."

He leaned against the counter, studying her. "so you're working here now huh?"

"My father is training me," Sophia said, keeping her tone neutral.

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. So you and Bobby are married now "

Sophia's grip on her cup tightened slightly. "Yeah. We are."

Daniel smirked. "Well, he always was a lucky guy."

Sophia didn't respond, instead checking the time. " I should get back to work."

As she turned to go Daniel called out.

"We should catch up sometime."

Sophia didn't look back. "Maybe."

As she walked away, she felt a strange unease settle in her chest.

Something about Daniel being here rubbed her the wrong way, But for now, she would ignore him and if he ever stepped out of line she would deal with him.