Harem Investment System: Getting Money And Women

Ethan tilted his head. "Never thought of it that way."

She smirked. "Yeah, well, I actually pay attention when I cook."

He chuckled. "Guess I'll have to take lessons from you, then."

Riley snorted. "Please, you'd probably burn water."

Ethan held a hand to his chest in mock offense. "I'm offended by how little faith you have in me."

She laughed, shaking her head. "You? Cook? I'd pay to see that."

As a matter of fact, she would. She would give a whole lot to see him sweaty and in an apron cooking for her.

He smirked. "Careful what you wish for."

As the dish started coming together, the smell of spices filled the air.

Riley moved effortlessly between the stove and the counter, stirring, tasting, adjusting.

Ethan just stood back and watched, more intrigued by her than the food itself.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she plated the meal and slid a plate in front of him.

"Moment of truth," she said, resting her hands on her hips.

Ethan picked up his fork, eyeing the dish. It looked good.

Like, actually good. He took a bite, and the flavors hit instantly — rich, savory, perfectly balanced.

He chewed thoughtfully, dragging out the suspense.

Riley stared at him. "Well?"

Ethan swallowed, then let out a slow nod. "…Not bad."

She groaned. "Oh, come on! It's amazing, and you know it."

Ethan smirked. "Alright, fine. It's damn good."

As Ethan set down the fork after his first taste, Riley wasted no time scooping the rest of the food she had made into a tray.

There was a kind of satisfaction on her face, like she was pleased with how it had turned out — and more importantly, pleased that he had enjoyed it.

Ethan didn't say much, but the way he reached for another bite without hesitation was all the confirmation she needed.

She grabbed the tray, balancing it with practiced ease, and nodded toward the living room.

"Come on, we're not eating at the kitchen table like some cave people. Couch it is."

Ethan smirked, standing up. "Lead the way."

As they made their way over, Riley detoured toward the fridge, grabbing a couple of drinks. "What do you want? Beer? Juice? Water?"

"Surprise me," Ethan said, sinking into the couch.

She rolled her eyes but still smirked, pulling out a can of soda for him and a bottle of iced tea for herself.

She padded back toward the couch, setting the drinks down on the coffee table before plopping down beside him.

As she got comfortable, she hesitated for a second before muttering, "Uh — sorry in advance."

Ethan glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "For what?"

She shifted slightly, not quite meeting his gaze. "My TV's kinda small compared to what you're probably used to. No giant flatscreens or fancy surround sound. Just…this."

She gestured toward the modest-sized television mounted on the wall.

Ethan blinked, then let out a short laugh. "That's what you're worried about?"

Riley's cheeks heated slightly. "I mean…yeah?"

He shook his head and reached out, placing two fingers against her lips, effectively silencing her before she could ramble more.

"It's good enough," he said simply.

Riley blinked, her lips parting slightly as if to argue, but then she closed her mouth.

He was being genuine — he really didn't care.

And maybe that was a stupid thing to feel touched by, but it made her stomach do a little flip anyway.

Adding to the thousands of times Ethan had made her stomach flip in the past few days.

She huffed, shaking off the weird fluttering feeling in her chest, and grabbed the remote. "Alright, let's pick something."

Ethan leaned back into the cushions as Riley logged into her Netflix account, scrolling through the various categories.

"What are we thinking?" she asked. "Action? Comedy? Something so bad it's actually good?"

Ethan smirked. "I feel like you have strong opinions about terrible movies."

"Oh, I do," Riley confirmed. "Some of them are pure art. Others…pure garbage."

Ethan chuckled. "Alright, let's go with something fun. Something you'd actually enjoy."

Riley paused, tilting her head as she scrolled.

Her lips curved into a mischievous smile. "Oh, I got just the thing."

She clicked on a movie, and the title screen appeared.

Ethan glanced at her, amused.

"Really? A classic?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Riley grinned. "Absolutely. You cannot go wrong with a good old-fashioned ridiculous action flick."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, let's see if it lives up to the hype."

As the movie started playing, they settled in, sharing the tray of food between them.

Ethan found himself surprisingly comfortable.

Maybe it was the warmth of the room, or maybe it was the way Riley casually nudged his arm whenever something ridiculous happened on-screen.

Halfway through, she tossed a pillow at him when he made a sarcastic comment about the MC's impossible stunt.

"You are not allowed to trash-talk my childhood favorites," she scolded, though her lips twitched in amusement.

Ethan smirked, tossing the pillow right back. "I'm just saying, physics doesn't work like that."

"Shhh. Don't bring logic into this."

They fell into an easy rhythm, sharing commentary and laughter as the movie went on.

The tension from earlier — the nervousness Riley had about hosting him, the awkwardness of everything melted away, and Riley found an excuse to snuggle him.

By the time the credits rolled, Riley stretched her arms above her head, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"See? Perfect choice," she said smugly.

Ethan shook his head with a smirk. "I'll admit, it wasn't bad."

Riley gasped. "High praise."

He chuckled. "Don't get used to it."

She rolled her eyes but smiled, leaning back against the couch.

For a moment, they sat in silence, the only sound in the room being the faint hum of the TV.

And then, without thinking, Riley murmured, "This was nice."

Ethan turned his head slightly to look at her. "Yeah," he agreed.

Riley's fingers toyed with the hem of her shirt, and she hesitated before adding, "We should do this again."

Ethan didn't respond right away. Instead, he just looked at her — really looked at her.

There was something soft in her eyes, something hopeful but uncertain.

And then he smirked. "Only if you cook again."

Riley laughed, nudging his shoulder. "Deal."