I Want It That Way

The next morning, I woke up with the remnants of last night's concert still pulsing through my veins. My body ached from the mosh pit, and my ears still rang with the echo of guitars and drums. It wasn't supposed to turn out like that. He wasn't supposed to enjoy it. Yet, here I was, back at square one, with Caius still fully in the game, completely unbothered by my efforts.

I groaned, pulling the covers over my head. Sabotage part two: failed.

Part three was going to need more than just chaos; I'd have to get creative. My thoughts raced through a dozen potential plans before settling on one. If unpredictability couldn't shake him, maybe the answer was discomfort. Caius loved control, as I'd already figured out. But what would happen if I threw him into a situation where I held all the cards? Somewhere where his polished confidence wouldn't matter-where he couldn't use charm or smooth talk to navigate.

I reached for my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I found the one I needed: Yvonne's Animal Rescue.

Perfect.

***

Two days later, Caius arrived at the designated meeting spot, wearing his usual crisp attire-a tailored jacket, dark jeans, and polished shoes. He looked every bit the part of someone who thrived in luxury, and I couldn't wait to throw him into the opposite.

When his eyes landed on me, his expression turned from neutral curiosity to something resembling mild surprise. I stood there in old, faded jeans and a T-shirt splattered with mud stains. My hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, and beside me was a group of hyperactive dogs, tugging eagerly at their leashes. The air smelled faintly of wet fur and fresh grass.

"We're volunteering today," I said with a grin, handing him a leash attached to a particularly rambunctious Labrador mix. The dog immediately began jumping around, its tongue hanging out in wild excitement.

Caius looked down at the dog, then back at me, his brow arching slightly. "Volunteering?"

"That's right," I said, barely suppressing my smirk. "We're helping out at the animal shelter. Walking dogs, cleaning up after them, feeding them-you know, getting our hands dirty."

He gave me a long, measured look, then glanced around at the chaos of the shelter-the barking dogs, the mud-splattered volunteers, the sheer disorder of it all. I half-expected him to turn around and walk away. This wasn't his scene, not by a long shot. But instead, to my absolute surprise, he bent down and gave the leash a gentle tug, his voice calm as he addressed the dog.

"Alright, buddy. Let's do this."

I blinked. What?

Caius stood and began walking the Labrador, who was bouncing with enthusiasm, pulling him along the path. I watched, speechless for a moment, before quickly catching up, a pack of smaller dogs in tow.

"So," I said, matching his pace, "this isn't exactly your usual Saturday, is it?"

He glanced at me, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You're right, it's not. But I've been through worse."

I raised an eyebrow. "Worse than getting dragged through mud by a dog?"

He chuckled softly. "You'd be surprised."

I huffed in frustration. How was he so calm? This wasn't supposed to be fun for him. But there he was, adjusting seamlessly, even with mud splattering his shoes and a dog yanking him off course.

We walked in silence for a while, the sounds of barking and the distant hum of traffic filling the air. As we made our way down the trail, I couldn't help but steal glances at him. Caius had this irritating way of never showing discomfort, never letting on if he was even mildly annoyed.

But I wasn't going to give up yet.

"Ready for round two?" I asked as we approached the cleaning station, where rows of cages awaited with dogs that needed to be washed. The air smelled of wet fur and dog shampoo, and volunteers in aprons were splattered with soap and water.

Caius eyed the setup, his lips twitching slightly as though suppressing a smile. "Let me guess. You're hoping I'll back out now?"

"Oh, no," I said, grabbing a bucket and sponge. "I'm just waiting for the part where you crack."

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped up beside me, taking the sponge from my hand. His gaze met mine, and for a second, I swore I saw something flicker in his expression-something almost playful.

"Let's get to work, shall we?"

***

For the next hour, I did everything I could to make the task as unpleasant as possible for him. I assigned him to the largest, muddiest dogs, made sure he was in the splash zone whenever a dog shook off the water, and "accidentally" bumped into him, knocking the soapy bucket over his shoes. And yet, to my utter disbelief, Caius took it all in stride.

He handled each challenge like it was no big deal-washing the dogs, keeping his cool as they jumped all over him, and even cracking the occasional joke. At one point, I caught him laughing as a particularly rowdy husky drenched him in a spray of water, shaking itself off right in front of him.

I wanted to scream. How was he still enjoying this?

By the time we finished, both of us were soaked, covered in dog hair and mud. Caius was toweling off his hands, looking completely unbothered, while I was silently fuming.

"I have to admit," he said, glancing at me with a smirk, "this was unexpected. But not bad."

"Not bad?" I repeated incredulously. "You're covered in mud."

He shrugged, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "You said we'd get our hands dirty. Consider it a job well done."

I stared at him, completely at a loss. This had been my surefire plan-my ultimate sabotage. Yet somehow, he'd turned it into just another challenge, one that he passed with flying colors.

"Well," I said, forcing a smile and refusing to let him see how frustrated I was, "you handled yourself better than I thought. But don't get too comfortable. There's still more where that came from."

Caius smiled, that infuriatingly calm, confident smile that made me want to shake him. "Looking forward to it, Calista. You're full of surprises."

As we walked back to the car, I couldn't help but feel like I was losing control of this game. Every move I made, he countered with ease. But I wasn't giving up yet. No matter how cool and collected Caius seemed, everyone had a breaking point.

And I was determined to find his.

Sabotage, part four, I thought grimly as I climbed into the car. Coming soon.

The next week, I was back at it, determined to make Caius crack. Sabotage, part four, was going to be my masterpiece. If animal shelter chaos hadn't broken him, maybe something far more humiliating would. This time, I was taking him out of his element-way out of it.

I waited for him at a local dive bar, a complete contrast to the posh places he was probably used to. The place was packed, loud, and smelled faintly of stale beer. Neon lights flickered from a dusty sign above the bar, and a jukebox in the corner blared classic rock music. It wasn't dirty, exactly, but it had a rough, worn-in look that made it feel worlds away from the pristine environments Caius usually inhabited.

I wore ripped jeans and a leather jacket, my hair loose and wild, embracing the dive bar aesthetic fully. I was going for casual rebellion-something that would make Caius uncomfortable without being too obvious. This was my element, not his, and I fully intended to make it as awkward as possible for him.

When Caius arrived, dressed in another one of his tailored jackets and neatly pressed pants, the look on his face said it all. His eyes scanned the bar, taking in the sticky floor, the crowded tables, and the mismatched chairs. A flash of disbelief crossed his face before he quickly masked it with a neutral expression.

"Really? A dive bar?" he asked, his voice low enough that only I could hear it over the music.

"Yep," I replied with a grin, not bothering to hide my amusement. "Figured we could get a little more... down to earth tonight."

Caius raised an eyebrow, but to his credit, he didn't complain. "Interesting choice."

"Oh, it gets better," I added, gesturing to the small stage in the corner where a karaoke machine sat. A few people were gathered around, drinks in hand, waiting for their turn to sing. "We're doing karaoke tonight."

Caius looked at the stage, then back at me. I could see him trying to keep his cool, but the slight twitch of his jaw gave him away.

"Karaoke?" he repeated, as though he hadn't heard me correctly.

"Yep," I said again, my grin widening. "You're up first."

The color in his face didn't change, but there was a flicker of something behind his eyes-something akin to panic. Good. Finally, I had found his weakness.

"I'm not much of a singer," he said, trying to sound casual, but I could hear the strain in his voice.

"Oh, come on," I teased, grabbing a songbook and flipping through it. "Everyone sings karaoke. It's fun. Here, I'll even pick the song for you."

I scrolled through the options until I found exactly what I was looking for: a cheesy pop anthem, one that would be impossible to take seriously. I handed the book to the karaoke host, who winked at me in understanding. Caius was going to hate this.

When his name was called, Caius hesitated, glancing at me as if trying to decide whether to back out. But to my surprise, he sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and walked up to the stage. He took the microphone, standing stiffly in front of the small crowd that had gathered.

I could barely contain my laughter as the opening notes of "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys started playing. A classic boy band hit, complete with dramatic key changes and overly sentimental lyrics. It was perfect. Caius was way too cool for this, and there was no way he'd make it through without embarrassment.

To my absolute shock, however, he started singing.

At first, he was stiff, awkwardly holding the microphone as if it might burn him. His voice was deep, serious, completely wrong for the song. The crowd chuckled, a few people whooping in encouragement, but as the song went on, something changed. Caius seemed to relax, just a little. He started moving with the beat, his voice more in tune, and by the time he hit the chorus, he was fully committing to it.

I watched in disbelief as he hit the high notes, throwing in a few dramatic gestures, playing up the cheesiness of the song. The crowd was loving it, clapping along and cheering him on. Caius, the man who was too polished for chaos, was up there singing a boy band song like he owned the stage.

When he finished, the bar erupted into applause. I sat there, my mouth slightly open, completely floored. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to be humiliated, not... enjoying himself.

Caius handed the microphone back to the host and made his way back to our table, a smirk playing on his lips. He sat down, his cool exterior back in place, but there was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

"Not bad for someone who doesn't do karaoke, huh?" he said, leaning back in his chair, clearly pleased with himself.

I stared at him, still in shock. "That was... unexpected."

"Is that a compliment, Calista?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," I said quickly, shaking off my surprise. "I'm just impressed you didn't run off stage."

He chuckled softly, taking a sip of his drink. "You'll have to try harder if you want to make me uncomfortable."

I narrowed my eyes at him, a new sense of determination burning inside me. Sabotage, part four, had backfired-just like the others. But I wasn't done yet. There had to be something that would break through that calm, collected exterior.

"I'll think of something," I muttered, more to myself than to him.

Caius leaned forward, his gaze locking onto mine with a look of challenge. "I'm looking forward to it."

I stared at him for a moment, my mind racing with ideas. He might have won this round, but the game wasn't over yet.

Sabotage, part five, our final date planned by me was coming, and this time, I wasn't going to play fair.

-------

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***