Chapter Five: The Kiss That Changed Everything


    The day after the bet, Steve sat in the cafeteria, eating lunch with Mike, Jack, and a few of the guys who had initiated the challenge. By now, most of them had accepted defeat. One by one, their attempts to win a kiss from Valentina had crashed and burned spectacularly. Steve had almost forgotten about the entire thing—he hadn’t planned to participate, after all.


    That was, until Valentina walked in.


    The moment she entered the room, the atmosphere around their table shifted. The guys straightened up, suddenly more alert, their eyes locked onto her as if she were some mythical prize they still had a shot at winning. Excited murmurs filled the group, and Steve could feel the energy intensify.


    Jack nudged Mike. “Last chance, bro. This is it.”


    Mike sighed dramatically. “I already embarrassed myself once. If she rejected me any harder, I’d need therapy.”


    Steve rolled his eyes. “You guys are ridiculous.”


    But then, an idea struck him. If none of these fools were going to back off, maybe he should just end the game himself. Not because he wanted the money, but because he hated seeing Valentina treated like a prize to be claimed. And maybe, just maybe, because he wanted to kiss her.


    Before he could overthink it, Steve stood up, adjusting his shirt as he walked toward her. The table erupted in whistles and cheers behind him.


    “Look at him go!” Jack hooted. “Steve was acting like a gentleman just so he could win the bet first!”


    Steve ignored them.


    Valentina was standing near the cafeteria counter, scanning the menu. When she noticed him approaching, a slow, knowing smile spread across her lips.


    “Hey, stranger,” she greeted. “Should I be worried?”


    Steve chuckled. “Probably.”


    She tilted her head playfully. “What’s up?”


    Leaning in slightly, he lowered his voice so that no one else could hear. “You see those guys over there?” He gestured toward his table. “They made a bet—two thousand shillings to the first guy who gets a kiss from you.”


    Valentina blinked before bursting into laughter. “You’re joking.”


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    “I wish I was,” Steve said, amused by how unbothered she was. “And since they’re not going to stop, I figured I’d save you the trouble and just win the bet myself.”


    She raised an eyebrow, arms crossing over her chest. “Oh? And what’s my cut?”


    Steve was momentarily thrown off. “Your cut?”


    Valentina smirked. “You think I’m just going to let you make money off my lips without taking a share?”


    Steve laughed. “Fair point. How about a date? My treat.”


    Valentina pretended to think about it. “Hmm… tempting offer.”


    And then, before he could process what was happening, she leaned in and kissed him.


    Right there, in the middle of the cafeteria, in front of everyone.


    Steve had thought this would be a simple kiss, a quick peck to win the bet and move on. But the moment her lips met his, he knew he was in trouble.


    Because it wasn’t just a kiss.


    It was fire.


    Warmth spread through his chest, his pulse hammering as the world around him seemed to fade. Valentina’s lips were soft, teasing, lingering just long enough to make his breath hitch. He felt her smile against his mouth before she pulled away, her blue eyes twinkling mischievously.


    The cafeteria had gone completely silent for half a second. Then, the place exploded into cheers and whistles.


    “Damn!” Mike shouted. “Did that just happen?!”


    Jack groaned. “Well, there goes my two thousand shillings.”


    Steve barely heard them. He was still standing there, dazed, as Valentina patted his cheek. “Congratulations, champ. Enjoy your winnings.”


    And with that, she walked away, leaving Steve standing there like an idiot, his heart racing in ways he hadn’t expected.


    <hr>


    Later, in his room, Steve sat on his bed, counting the money the guys had begrudgingly handed over. It was real, all of it. But no amount of cash could distract him from the thing that truly mattered—the kiss.


    He had kissed Valentina George.


    And he wanted to do it again.


    Just as he was lost in his thoughts, the door suddenly burst open.


    Tina stood there, her nostrils flared, fists clenched at her sides. One look at her and Steve knew—he had made a grave mistake.


    “Babie, what’s wrong?” Steve tried, attempting his best innocent face.


    “Don’t ‘babie’ me!” Tina snapped, marching toward him. “What the hell was that?”


    Steve sighed. “You heard?”


    “Oh, I heard,” she spat. “I saw! You, kissing Valentina in front of the entire cafeteria?!”


    “It’s not what you think,” Steve started, but Tina wasn’t having it.


    “Oh really?” she folded her arms. “Because what I think is that my boyfriend made out with another girl for money.”


    Steve groaned. “It was a bet, Tina. I was just trying to stop those idiots from bothering her.”


    “Oh, so now you’re a hero?” she sneered. “How noble of you.”


    Steve ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I can explain—”


    Tina cut him off by snatching the wad of cash from his hands. She flipped through the notes before stuffing more than half into her pocket, then tossed the remaining few bills back at him.


    “Next time, bet for more money,” she said coldly. “I’m coming back later.”


    And with that, she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.


    Steve sat there, stunned, staring at the empty space she had left.


    Well.


    That hadn’t gone as expected.


    He exhaled, flopping back onto the bed. He should be furious. He should be irritated. But instead, all he could think about was the way Valentina had looked at him before kissing him.


    And he realized, with an odd mixture of excitement and dread, that things between them would never be the same again.