Chapter 152 - Sweeten the deal

I lean back in my chair, phone still in hand, letting the faint hum of the television fill the silence. Tamrin’s reply is still fresh on the screen, her cheerful acceptance of another date. It didn’t take much to get her to agree—just a few words crafted with care and a touch of desperation.

The key to manipulating people like Tamrin is understanding their hunger. She’s starving for attention, validation, anything to make her feel less invisible. I gave her just enough on our first date to plant the seed. Sure, I acted aloof, even dismissive, but I knew that would keep her chasing. And now? Now she’s hooked.

I scroll through our conversation from earlier tonight.

Trevor: Hey, Tamrin. I’ve been thinking about our date, and I feel terrible about how I acted. I was nervous, and I handled things badly. You didn’t deserve that.

I imagine her face when she read it, the little