Ace slumped over his office desk in the dimly lit room, the blue hue from his laptop screen somehow making everything feel even dimmer, like it was sucking the light right out of the air. He scrolled through his gallery, hunting for pics worth posting on Instagram, his thumb flicking past a bunch of raw ones—stark naked shots with his dick fully out, fresh from the shower or whatever. No way he'd post those raw; instead, he picked one from this morning's quick workout in his home gym, cropping it carefully to show just his upper body. Twelve chiseled abs strapped firm and neatly arranged, his skin glistening with sweat like he'd just battled a blaze. He moved the cursor slow and steady, stopping right below his mermaid line to tease without showing too much. "Yes!" he muttered under his breath. The fans would eat it up—they always did. That's how he'd racked up over 200k followers anyway, one thirsty like at a time.
He tapped "post," and boom, it was up. Notifications buzzed his phone beside the laptop almost instantly, likes rolling in like waves. He leaned back, scrolling through his own page now, pics scattered haphazardly with no real aesthetic vibe—not that he gave a damn. Comments and DMs were a nonstop thirst trap: pleas for hookups, shameless begs for a "quick fuck" from men and women of all ages. He'd even gotten one from a fifteen-year-old once—"I won't tell anyone," she'd said after he politely turned her down. But she kept pushing: "I turn 18 in three years, please wait for me." He'd ignored her at first, but when the messages wouldn't stop, he blocked her quick. Sugar mommies flooded in too, offering cash and trips for a night, even celebs like that actress Zara Kline, the rom-com queen with her blockbuster hits, sliding in with "Name your price for a weekend." It should have thrilled him, but it all felt empty, like chasing highs that fizzled out fast, leaving him unfulfilled and missing something he couldn't name.
Just then, a notification pinged sharp: "Dani Voss has just liked your picture." Then another: "Dani Voss has just followed you."
"What the fuck?" Ace whispered, a mix of excitement and fear bubbling up inside him like a sudden backdraft. It had to be the real Dani—no coincidence this big. He beamed wildly, the idea of Dani following him leaving him breathless, his hands shaky as he clicked the notif to see which pic. It was his latest one, the shirtless tease. "Oh my God," he breathed, wondering what Frederick would say if he caught Dani liking another guy's thirst trap. "I know he'd be heated as hell," Ace muttered to himself in the darkness, a smirk creeping up despite the knot in his gut.
He tapped on Dani's profile fast, heart pounding, and got slammed with harsh reality. Turns out, he wasn't the only one who needed Dani—a huge crowd felt the same. The bio screamed success: 2.4 million followers, but only following 100 people back. Ace knew those had to be the big shots, the celebs who actually mattered in Dani's world.
He dove into the posts, starting with the one pinned at the top: Dani's engagement announcement with Frederick, a cozy shot of them tangled up under golden light, rings shining like trophies. A whopping 3 million likes stared back, comments exploding with congrats from everyone. Dani was that popular? Ace thought, stunned, as he kept scrolling. Pics of his artwork popped up—vibrant abstracts and cityscapes that screamed talent—mixed with shots of him and Frederick on dates, solo selfies where Dani sat pretty with that effortless glow, and dinner snaps with friends laughing over wine. Every post raked in massive likes, the numbers climbing high without fail.
"Damn, stop liking," a message popped up suddenly—it was Dani. "Stop liking?" Ace wondered, confused, until he paid attention and realized he'd been subconsciously hearting Dani's photos like crazy. He'd scrolled deep, liking way back to posts from previous years without even noticing. His face flushed hot with embarrassment, but he decided to reply anyway. "Sorry, I can't help it—you're too beautiful," he typed, smiling as he hit send.
Dani shot back with a smiling face emoji first, then followed up: "So you think Frederick is also hot?" The mockery dripped through the text. Damn it! Ace had unknowingly liked the pics with Frederick too, the ones where they looked all coupled up and happy.
"I only had my eyes on you," Ace replied quick, making it crystal clear, his fingers flying over the keys to set the record straight.
"Gotta go now, Ace—I'm on my way to brunch," Dani messaged back, and Ace's stomach twisted with instant jealousy. Could he ever ask Dani out for something casual like that? "With who?" he typed, curiosity burning.
"Jalen Carter," Dani replied casually, like it was no big deal.
"You mean the No. 1 music artist in the world right now?" Ace stared at his screen, dumbfounded, envy spiking sharp.
"Yes, that Jalen! I was commissioned to paint for his wedding... we're meeting to smooth over details." Ace rolled his eyes, fingers hovering before he responded.
"Jalen seems to have too much time on his hands," he muttered aloud, then typed it out.
"What do you mean, Ace?" Dani asked, and Ace sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"I mean, everything could just be smoothed over on the phone... IDK," he sent, trying to play it cool but feeling the pettiness seep through.
"No... that's not really the same, Ace," Dani countered.
"Like I said, I don't know—maybe that's how y'all celebs roll," Ace fired back, a hint of snark creeping in.
"Yes, Ace, yes... bye now, got to get going," Dani replied, and with that, the convo ended abrupt, leaving Ace staring at the screen, a mix of thrill and frustration churning inside him.
He set his phone down, the office suddenly feeling smaller, dimmer than before. Dani's profile lingered in his mind—those millions of followers, the celeb connections, the life Ace had run from but now craved a piece of. His cock stirred faintly at the thought of Dani scrolling his pics, liking the shirtless ones, but the unfulfillment hit harder. What was he missing? It wasn't the likes or DMs; it was something real, something like the spark in that chat. Ace sighed, closing his laptop, the blue hue fading to black as he wondered if Dani felt it too.