Lust Meter System: Conquering Beauties-Chapter 65: After Dinner Sex 1

Liam woke to the muffled groan of his phone alarm vibrating against the coffee table.

His neck was stiff, his back aching from the awkward angle he’d fallen asleep in on the couch.

He reached over, swiped the screen to silence it, and sat up slowly, rubbing the heel of his palm against his eyes.

The apartment was still dim, the early morning light barely filtering through the blinds.

He glanced toward the bed and saw Tasha still curled up under the blanket, her black hair spilled across the pillow.

He stood, stretched his arms over his head until his shoulders cracked, then grabbed a clean shirt and a pair of jeans from the small dresser near the bathroom before heading inside.

The shower was quick, barely five minutes.

He let the lukewarm water run over his face and shoulders, washing away the stiffness from sleeping on the couch.

The steam helped clear his head slightly, but it didn’t do much for the exhaustion sitting heavy in his chest.

He dried off, pulled on his clothes, and stepped back out into the main room.

He was halfway through lacing up his sneakers when he heard movement from the bed.

"Why are you being so loud?"

Liam looked up.

Tasha was sitting up now, one hand rubbing her eyes while the other pulled the blanket up to her chest.

Her hair was a mess, sticking up in places, and her face was still flushed with sleep. She squinted at him like he’d personally wronged her.

"I’m not being loud," Liam said, keeping his voice low. "I’m just getting ready for work."

"You are," Tasha shot back, her voice thick and groggy. "You’re stomping around like you’re trying to wake the whole building."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "I literally just put my shoes on."

"Well, do it quieter."

He stared at her for a second, then grabbed his jacket off the back of the couch and slung it over his shoulder.

"I already got a day off yesterday. I can’t skip again. Sam’s gonna lose his mind if I don’t show up."

Tasha let out a long sigh and flopped back down onto the pillow, pulling the blanket over her head. "Fine. Just... can you be less loud about it?"

Liam smirked slightly and walked over to the bed. He leaned down and tugged the blanket off her face.

"You’re evil," Tasha muttered, glaring up at him.

"You’ll survive."

She turned onto her side, facing away from him. "Whatever."

Liam straightened up and moved toward the door, but paused before reaching for the handle. "Did Kaleb get back to you yet?"

There was a beat of silence.

"No," Tasha said quietly, her voice muffled against the pillow. "Nothing. I’m kind of worried."

Liam glanced back at her, his hand resting on the doorframe. "From talking to him, he sounds like someone who can handle himself."

"I know, but..."

"He’ll reach out when it’s safe," Liam said, keeping his tone steady. "Just give it time."

Tasha didn’t respond, but he could see her pull the blanket tighter around herself.

"Alright." Liam nodded even though she couldn’t see him. "Just... remember to lock the door after I leave. And don’t open it unless you hear three knocks. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

He pulled the door open, stepped out into the hallway, and waited. A few seconds later, he heard the click of the lock sliding into place.

’Good.’

He turned and started walking.

The street was narrow, lined with older buildings that hadn’t seen a fresh coat of paint in at least a decade. Cracks spiderwebbed across the sidewalk, weeds pushing up through the gaps.

A few cars were parked along the curb—most of them older models with dents and faded paint jobs.

Liam passed a small corner bodega with its metal shutters still half-closed, the owner inside sweeping near the entrance.

The guy glanced up, gave him a quick nod, and went back to his work.

Further down, a dog barked from behind a chain-link fence, its tail wagging as it watched him pass.

Liam didn’t stop.

He kept his hands in his pockets, his eyes scanning the street ahead out of habit.

The walk took about ten minutes.

By the time he reached Mr. Sam’s Store, the sun had climbed higher, casting long shadows across the pavement.

Liam pushed open the door, the bell above it jingling softly.

Elsa was already behind the counter, her arms crossed over her chest.

She looked up the moment he walked in, her expression shifting immediately into something between annoyance and disappointment.

"You’re five minutes late," she said flatly.

Liam glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. 8:05 AM.

"But I’m here," he replied, shrugging as he walked past her toward the back room.

"That’s not the point."

"Sure it is." He didn’t look back. "At least I showed up. That’s gotta count for something."

Elsa let out an exasperated sigh. "You know, most people actually care about being on time."

"Most people aren’t dealing with the shit I’m dealing with right now."

"Oh, so now you’ve got an excuse?"

Liam stopped at the doorway to the back room and turned to look at her. "You want me to leave? I can turn around right now if you’d rather handle everything yourself."

Elsa’s jaw tightened. She stared at him for a long moment before waving him off dismissively. "Just go change already."

"Thought so."

He disappeared into the back room, shrugging off his jacket and pulling on the store’s standard red polo shirt.

He tucked it into his jeans and walked back out.

Elsa was still at the counter, scrolling through something on her phone. She didn’t look up when he approached.

"Any deliveries?" Liam asked.

She set her phone down and reached under the counter, pulling out two brown paper bags. "Just these two. One’s going to the apartment complex on Fifth. The other’s for Mrs. Chen on Maple."

Liam grabbed both bags and checked the addresses scribbled on the front. "Got it."

"Don’t take forever," Elsa added as he headed toward the door.

"Wasn’t planning on it."

The first delivery was straightforward.

The apartment building on Fifth Street was only a few blocks away, and the guy who answered the door barely said two words before taking the bag and closing the door in Liam’s face.

’Friendly as always.’

He pocketed the cash tip, a crumpled five-dollar bill, and headed toward Maple Street.

The second delivery took longer. Mrs. Chen lived on the third floor of an older building with no elevator, and by the time Liam reached her door, his calves were burning.

He knocked twice.

"Coming, coming!" a voice called from inside.

The door opened to reveal an elderly woman with silver hair tied back in a neat bun. She smiled warmly when she saw him.

"Oh, Liam! Thank you so much, dear." She took the bag from him, peering inside to check the contents. "Everything looks perfect."

"No problem, Mrs. Chen."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a ten-dollar bill. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Liam took it and slipped it into his pocket. "You need anything else?"

"No, no, I’m all set. You be safe out there, alright?"

"Will do."

As he walked back down the stairs, his senses were on high alert. Every footstep behind him, every door that opened, every engine that revved on the street—he noticed all of it. His hand stayed close to his pocket, ready to fight back.

But nothing happened.

By the time he made it back to the store, his shoulders had relaxed slightly.

He swung his leg off the delivery bike and leaned it against the wall outside.

"AHHHHH!"

Liam froze.

His heart slammed against his ribs. His first thought was immediate and sharp:

’Shit...they found me. They actually came here.’

He didn’t think. He just moved.

He rushed inside, his eyes scanning the room for threats full of men with crowbars, for broken glass, for anything...

But there was nothing.

Just Elsa.

She was standing behind the counter with her head down, her phone lying face-up in front of her. Her shoulders were shaking slightly.

Liam slowed down, his pulse still hammering in his ears. "What’s wrong?"

Elsa didn’t respond right away. She just stood there, staring at the counter.

"Elsa."

She finally looked up at him, and her eyes were red.

Without a word, she picked up her phone and held it out toward him.

Liam walked over and took it from her hand. The screen was still lit, showing a text message thread. The contact name at the top read: Mom.

He scrolled up slightly and read the most recent message:

Mom: Hey baby! Your dad and I were talking, and we think it’s about time we finally meet this boyfriend of yours! How about dinner this Saturday? Let us know! Love you!

Liam frowned and looked up at Elsa. "I don’t see what the problem is."

Elsa let out a bitter laugh and rubbed her face with both hands. "The problem is I broke up with Ray last night."

Liam blinked. "You what?"

"I broke up with him," she repeated, her voice sharper now. "Last night. It’s over."

"Why would you do that?"

Elsa stared at him like he’d just asked the dumbest question in the world. "It’s kind of your fault."

Liam’s frown deepened. "How is it my fault?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the wall behind the counter.

"Last night. When you came in here asking for pads and ibuprofen and heat patches for your girlfriend. The way you were so... careful about everything. Making sure you got the right stuff. Asking me all those questions."

Liam said nothing.

"It made me realize," Elsa continued, her voice quieter now, "that Ray doesn’t do that. He doesn’t care like that. He’s selfish. He only thinks about himself."

’Wait, I didn’t clear that girlfriend part out.’

"I’m the one who’s always doing everything," Elsa said, her voice rising slightly.

"I’m the one who pays for dates all the time. I’m the one who makes sure we actually have plans. I’m the one who—" She stopped herself and shook her head.

"All he wanted was to get high and have sex. That’s it. Nothing else mattered." She paused, her jaw tightening.

"And then I see you, and I realize what it’s supposed to look like. And I can’t ignore it anymore."

Liam rubbed the back of his neck. "So... you broke up with him because of me?"

"Not because of you," Elsa corrected, glaring at him. "But meeting you made me see the difference. And I couldn’t keep pretending it was fine."

Liam didn’t know what to say to that.

Elsa sighed and looked down at her phone again. "Now I have to figure out what to tell my parents."

"Just tell them the truth."

"Yeah, right." She let out a humorless laugh. "That’ll go over great."

Liam crossed his arms. "So what are you gonna do?"

Elsa looked up at him, her expression shifting into something more determined.

"You’re coming with me."

Liam stared at her. "What?"

"You’re coming to dinner with me," Elsa said again, this time more firmly. "This Saturday. You’re pretending to be my boyfriend."

"That’s a terrible idea."

"I don’t care. You owe me."

Liam shook his head. "I don’t think that’s a great idea right now—"

"I’m cashing in," Elsa interrupted, her voice cutting through his protest. "Remember, you owe me for the time I didn’t tell Mr. Sam that you went to see your girlfriend when it was still working hours on first day too. This is what I’m asking for in return."

Liam opened his mouth to argue, but before he could say anything—

A translucent blue screen materialized in front of him.

[System Notification]

[New Target: Elsa Hart]

[Age: 25]

[Status: Recently Single]

[Bio: Sharp-witted with little patience for excuses. Works full-time at Mr. Sam’s Store while saving to start her own business. Ended a one-year relationship after realizing she was doing all the work. Has been watching Host more closely than she admits.]

[Personality Traits: Blunt, Self-reliant, Stubborn, Observant, Practical]

Liam stared at the screen, his jaw tightening.

’I am so not in the mood for this.