How not to fall for your grumpy best friend

Ethan D'Angelo was not a man who liked to admit defeat. But as he sat in his car outside Sophie's apartment, gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing holding him together, he knew he couldn't let another day go by without unloading. Sophie had been on his mind all week—not just because of her date with Tom, but because of what came after.

The blind dates. His family. His grandma.

He threw his head back against the headrest. What the hell had happened to his life?

---

Sophie had just finished a long, exhausting day at work when her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and saw Ethan's name. Without a second thought, she answered.

"Hey, Ethan! What's up?"

There was a long pause before he spoke, his voice slightly strained. "I'm outside."

Sophie frowned. "You're outside? Why? You didn't say you were coming over."

"I'm coming in, Sophie," Ethan replied bluntly.

"Wait—" Sophie's voice turned playful, "Are you serious? I thought you were still recovering from those blind dates your family set you up on."

Ethan didn't respond immediately. He stepped out of the car, slamming the door and heading up to her apartment. This was a bad idea. But he couldn't help it.

---

Sophie opened the door to find Ethan standing there, looking like he had just stormed out of a battlefield. His hair was a little messier than usual, his jaw tight with frustration. He didn't look like himself—he looked... well, disheveled.

"You okay?" Sophie raised an eyebrow, stepping aside to let him in.

Ethan forced a smile. "I'm great. Fantastic, actually. Just wonderful."

Sophie wasn't buying it. "What happened? I thought those dates were supposed to be... what's the word... helpful?"

Ethan rubbed his temples and walked over to the couch, flopping down dramatically. "Helpful? Ha! More like horrible."

Sophie followed him, sitting down next to him. "Tell me everything. What happened this time?"

Ethan's frustration burst forth in a rush. "Okay, so the first one was a disaster. She was a social media influencer. I didn't know what was worse—her constant need to film every second of our date or the fact that she spent more time checking her follower count than talking to me. At one point, she asked me to sponsor her 'new vegan lip balm.'"

Sophie couldn't help but snicker. "That sounds... awful."

"Awful doesn't even begin to cover it," Ethan continued, massaging his temples. "Then there was the second one. The second one, Sophie..." His voice dropped dramatically. "She thought she was auditioning for The Bachelor. She spent the whole evening asking me what my 'perfect woman' looked like and whether I liked long walks on the beach. It was like I was in some sort of interview."

Sophie burst into laughter. "Oh my god, you're kidding."

"I wish," Ethan muttered. "And don't even get me started on the third one. She had the audacity to talk about astrology the entire time. Apparently, I'm supposed to connect with someone based on the alignment of the stars. I'm a Capricorn, Sophie! I don't know how that's supposed to help me find my soulmate."

Sophie was barely holding herself together, laughing so hard her cheeks hurt. "I'm sorry, I really shouldn't be laughing, but this is... I mean, really?"

Ethan threw his hands up in the air. "Yes! And now my grandma's convinced I'm 'holding out for something impossible.' She wants me to 'just go on one more.'"

"Your grandma's matchmaking skills sound like they're straight out of a sitcom," Sophie teased.

"They are," Ethan deadpanned. "I swear, my family thinks I'm the last bachelor on Earth who hasn't been lured by the siren song of social media influencers and astrology charts."

Sophie couldn't stop giggling, wiping tears from her eyes. "Well, sounds like your grandma's got high expectations for you."

Ethan grinned wryly. "That's the understatement of the century."

---

After a few minutes of laughter, Sophie noticed something—Ethan was still tense. Despite his comedic venting, his shoulders were tight, and he had this faraway look in his eyes.

"Hey," she said, nudging him lightly. "You know you can relax, right?"

Ethan shot her a glance but didn't respond. He didn't want to admit how much he needed to unwind after a day full of awkward dates and matchmaking schemes. Instead, he leaned back on the couch, rubbing his neck.

"You sure you're okay?" Sophie asked, not letting it go.

"I'm fine," Ethan replied quickly, but his voice was tight.

"Well," Sophie said, raising an eyebrow. "You've been stressed all evening, so if you're up for it, I could give you a little foot massage. You look like you need it."

Ethan blinked. "A foot massage?"

Sophie laughed, not expecting him to take her seriously. "Yeah. You know, the kind where you sit back, relax, and let someone help you with that whole 'stressed billionaire' thing."

Ethan gave a small, amused snort. "Are you serious?"

"Totally," she replied casually. "You did say you were tense. So, what do you say?"

Ethan hesitated, then, realizing he didn't have much of a choice, shrugged. "I suppose one foot massage wouldn't kill me."

---

To his surprise, Sophie wasn't just giving a half-hearted foot rub. She was good. Really good. Ethan closed his eyes, trying to act unaffected, but his mind was racing. She was so close to him, and he could feel her warmth. She didn't even seem to notice how her touch was making him feel... something he couldn't quite name.

Sophie, on the other hand, was completely at ease, chatting away about her day and how her boss had gotten mad at her for a minor mistake. She even made a joke about accidentally spilling coffee all over his desk, and Ethan couldn't help but chuckle.

"So, what's your grand plan now?" Sophie asked, looking up at him with a smirk. "You going to let your family set you up with more crazy women?"

"I think I'll pass," Ethan replied with a grin. "I'm not sure my ego can take another one of those."

Sophie laughed again. "Smart move."

As the conversation carried on, Sophie ended up lying on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder. She was comfortable, completely at ease, completely oblivious to the storm of emotions brewing inside him. And Ethan, for his part, was trying so hard to keep it together.

But it wasn't working.