The Handbook

by H. P. Mallory

  “My point exactly,” I responded as she caught up to me and we both walked outside the front door and into the crisp night air.

  “Would you slow down a little bit?” Dani insisted. “These shoes are new and I haven’t broken them in yet.”

  “You should have worn my black ones,” I grumbled as I waited for her to catch up to me and then extended my elbow so she could hold on to me while she walked, which would hopefully hurry her ass up.

  “Why are we in such a rush?”

  “Two reasons. First, I wanted to get out of the house before one or more of our sisters invite themselves to come with us.”

  “And the second?” she asked.

  “I’ll tell you when we get there.”

  Dani frowned at me. “Why are you always doing that?”

  “Doing what?”

  “Starting a list and then teasing me with the last item, and leaving me dangling.”

  I shrugged. “String theory.”

  “Haha, Nikki,” she grumbled. “But isn’t the point that we’re supposed to do that to guys, not each other?”

  “Turns out, it works on everybody,” I answered with a knowing smile as we reached the end of our street and hung a left.

  When we arrived at Hardigan’s, there was already a line out the door and around the side of the old brick building. “Ugh,” I grumbled in response. “This is why I was in a hurry.”

  “So now that we’re here, what was the second reason you were in such a rush?” Dani asked as we found our place at the end of the line.

  “I didn’t want you to lose your nerve,” I calmly replied, even though I’d started tapping my right foot, a sure sign that I was anxious. I just hated waiting in lines. Especially when it was cold outside and I was wearing next to nothing.

  “Well, I guess it worked, ’cause you got me here,” Dani answered as she wrapped her hands around her arms and shivered.

  “This sucks!” I grumbled.

  “Yeah,” Dani started to shift her attention before she snapped it back to me. “Why are we waiting in line, anyway?” she asked. “I can’t imagine a seductress waits for anything?”

  Hmm, she had a good point. I glanced behind us and noticed two other couples had joined the line, which meant if my attempts to get us in got shot down, we wouldn’t be that much worse off when we got back into line. “Come on,” I said as I grabbed her hand and started for the front of the line, where a burly bouncer was sitting on a barstool.

  “Hi!” I greeted him with a huge smile. He glanced over at me and frowned. “How’s your night?” I asked, still maintaining my happy candor.

  “It’s going,” he responded as he motioned to two girls at the head of the line and they approached him, immediately handing over their drivers’ licenses so he could inspect them underneath his flashlight.

  “If you don’t mind,” I continued as I sidled up closer to him. “We wanted to wait up here because it’s freezing in line.” I purposely wrapped my arms around myself and shivered. Dani nodded as she stood close beside me, wrapping her arms around me.

  “We didn’t exactly dress for the cold,” she added as she motioned to both of our outfits. The bouncer glanced at us for a split second and looked completely uninterested as he allowed both girls whose IDs he’d just checked inside. Hmm, this wasn’t going so well.

  “I don’t see how it’s any warmer up here,” he muttered.

  “Well, can’t you feel the heat every time the door opens?” I asked with a smile. I was seconds away from reaching inside my purse and slipping him a twenty so he’d let us in. But then I decided that was absolutely unseductress like. Nope, better to do it the way Jane intended for us to.

  “Not really,” he answered as he faced the next people in line and motioned for them to come forward.

  “Would you mind if we just huddled next to you?” I asked as I smiled at him and shivered again, hoping he might feel sorry for us.

  “As much as I’d like that,” he started as his eyes finally met mine. “I don’t want to get in trouble, so you girls just go inside and stay warm.”

  “Thank you!” I said as I reached in and hugged him, mainly because I couldn’t control my excitement. Dani did the same.

  “Yeah, yeah,” he muttered as he patted our backs and motioned for our IDs. We each handed them to him and smiled as he gave them back and pointed us forward, into the club. The doorman got the door for us and then the bouncer leaned back in his chair.

  “Theresa!” he called at the girl who was directly inside and charging an entrance fee.

  “Yeah, Bud?” she responded.

  “I got these two!” he yelled back as he glanced at Dani and me and nodded briefly.

  “Oh my gosh,” Dani started as she smiled at him.

  “Thank you,” I finished.

  He didn’t say anything but nodded again as we walked inside and Theresa stamped each of our wrists and bid us a good night.

  “I can’t believe what just happened,” Dani said as she beamed at me. “That was all kinds of awesome.”

  “Yeah, it was,” I answered with a quick nod. “We need to remember to thank him on our way out. What a nice guy.”

  As we entered the club, I noticed that pretty much all of the tables surrounding the dance floor were taken. Not that I was surprised. Those were always the first to go. So it looked like it would be loitering at the bar for us. We walked around the dance floor and headed for the bar.

  “So, was that all you wanted to tell me about the scene at the library?” I asked as the bartender made her way over to us to take our order. Dani ordered a Captain Morgan and Diet Coke, while I ordered a vodka soda.

  “Yeah, basically,” she answered as she scouted the surroundings. “It just felt really good.”

  “Why?” I asked. “What part made it feel so good?”

  She shrugged. “Just the sense of power I had, maybe? I felt like I was unstoppable, you know?”

  “Yep, I do,” I answered as I held my drink up and we both cheered each other before downing our first sip.

  “I almost feel like doing it again,” Dani announced guiltily.

  I instantly beamed at her. “There’s my girl!” I took another sip of my drink and faced her again. “So, do you have your eye on any potentials?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “Not sure, but it appears that the three guys across the room have spotted us and are now making their way over here.”

  “Hmm, park it and they will come,” I said as I started to turn around to see who she was talking about. I immediately spotted the three guys who were in the process of making their way toward us, and my heart dropped.

  “Mmm, they are all hot,” Dani whispered.

  “Yeah, except the one in the middle,” I grumbled in response as I took a deep breath and suddenly wished we hadn’t come.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Dani asked as she faced me with a frown. “He’s probably the hottest one.”

  “Yeah, and he’s also Derek Anderson.”

  EIGHTEEN

  The Femme Fatale Handbook

  Part Two: Putting all of this to use

  Chapter Five: The “C” Word

  Okay, so you’ve figured out which seductive character type you most associate with or you’ve picked which type of seductress you are most comfortable portraying. What now? Now we move to the subject of just how you are going to become Venus, Cleopatra, Marilyn Monroe or Mae West. Now we talk about how to make all of this a reality, your reality.

  Step One: Don’t rush! Seduction is not a get rich quick scheme. Instead, it’s a process. Yes, I know this part is a bummer, but it bears repeating. This. Will. Take. Time. You’re going to have to be patient. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, your abilities to seduce the opposite sex are going to take practice! You won’t have the object of your seduction eating out of your hand in a week. It will take much longer, so you must be patient! Remember that seduction is a fine art, and as with all fine arts, it takes time and perseveran
ce to reach your goal. So digest that fact, and once you’ve come to terms with it, let’s move on.

  Ready? Good, I commend you.

  Confidence is the key to the femme fatale’s sexy personality. And in order to emulate that sexy personality, you need to let go of any and all negativity. You know what I’m talking about—that nagging voice that tells you you aren’t good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, funny enough, rich enough, etcetera. Tell that voice to take a hike because it’s not doing you any good! When you worry about anything, it kills your mood and affects your attractiveness. Jealousy and insecurity are the antithesis of confidence and, therefore, the antithesis of sexy.

  ***

  DEREK

  I was definitely surprised to see Nikki, but by the time I recognized her, it was already too late. The two guys I was with, John and Luke, had spotted Nikki and her friend immediately and were already on their way over, ready to make a move like the wolves they were.

  “How are you lovely ladies doing this evening?” John asked as he sidled up next to Nikki, who immediately glared at me.

  “We are fine,” she said between clenched teeth.

  “Hi, Nikki,” I said with a quick, uncomfortable smile. Based on our body language, it was fairly obvious that neither one of us wanted to be there.

  “Hi,” she responded as her friend leaned over and tapped Nikki’s hand.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?” she asked at the same time that John faced me quizzically.

  “You know each other?” he asked, looking dumbfounded, which was a good word for him because, in general, John was pretty dumb. Good thing for him he was good looking, because he’d managed to skate by on his looks all his life.

  I nodded, but Nikki was the one to speak. “The only person I can introduce you to is Derek,” she said with a well-pronounced frown as she turned to face me. “Derek, this is my friend, Dani. Dani, Derek.” Then she took a huge gulp of whatever it was she was drinking and continued to glare at me.

  “Nice to meet you, Dani,” I said to the very attractive brunette. Both she and Nikki were dressed to kill—their legs and breasts on full display for everyone to see. And based on the hawkish looks they both were getting, I’d say they were succeeding. I suddenly wished I had a blanket to throw around the both of them. Yes, I was just as annoyed now as I had been the first time Nikki had shown up to class dressed in a seductive way. Of course, the way she was dressed now put to shame what she’d been wearing to class.

  My own irritation over my irritation irritated me even more.

  “Likewise,” Dani said as she offered me a flirtatious grin.

  “Dani, Nikki,” I started before motioning to my two friends. “This is John, and the silent one is Luke.”

  “Thanks for that, dude,” Luke said as he frowned at me but then turned his pearly whites to the girls. Somehow, I needed to let them both know that Nikki and her friend were off limits because they were undergraduates and Nikki was my student.

  “Nice to meet you,” Nikki said to the guys. It wasn’t lost on me that she refused to so much as look in my direction. I took a swig of my beer and decided to fuck with her. Why? Because I wasn’t in a good mood, and I didn’t appreciate being ignored. That, and she looked so hot, I wanted nothing more than to replace that frown with the expression of intense passion as I shoved myself inside her.

  “I’m surprised to see you here,” I started as I faced her. “I didn’t think you were old enough to drink,” I finished with a broad smile, daring her to up my bet.

  She speared me with a narrowed expression that said my comment had gotten underneath her skin. Then she released a pent-up breath, as if talking herself out of letting me piss her off.

  “Well, lucky for me, I am!” she answered with a smile that she aimed at John and then Luke alone. Both of them responded by leaning in closer to her. I suddenly felt like jumping in between them and pushing them away. Truth be told, I hated the way they were looking at her—like they were starving and she was a slab of juicy meat.

  “Nikki turned twenty-one earlier this year,” Dani said as she eyed me with interest. It was fairly clear that she appreciated what she saw. “And I turned twenty-two a few months ago,” she added.

  “How old are you both?” Nikki asked John and Luke as I downed the remnants of my beer and wished I had another.

  “Twenty-seven,” Luke answered with a smile.

  “I’m thirty,” John said as I inhaled deeply and tried not to continue looking at everyone with murderous intent.

  “They’re old enough that they should know better than to flirt with undergraduates,” I spat out, grilling Luke and John with my insistent stare. John said nothing but took a swig of his beer while Luke met my gaze with his steady one.

  “Don’t let Derek get to you, girls,” he said as he waved me away with an unconcerned hand. “He’s just in trouble with the dean again and it’s put him into a bad mood.”

  Clearly, Luke didn’t know that Nikki was one of my students, otherwise he would have kept his big mouth shut. Of course, it wasn’t exactly his fault that I hadn’t let him know otherwise, but I didn’t care. I was pissed off, and I needed a scapegoat.

  Nikki immediately faced me, her smile radiant. “Is that so?” she asked as she ran her index finger around the rim of her glass, her expression challenging. God, I wanted to rip her clothes off and see that hot little body naked. “Is the dean pissed off because he caught you sleeping with one of your students again?” She paused for a split second. “Only those in graduate school, though, of course.”

  I nearly choked in response. Meanwhile Luke and John erupted into a fit of laughter. Nikki smiled at both of them before gripping her friend’s arm. “And on that note, we bid you gentlemen a good night,” she said as she and Dani walked away.

  “None of that is true, by the way,” I started, but it was too late because the girls were already retreating. I faced my friends with a shrug. “Well, at least, not anymore.”

  “Holy shit,” John said as he threw back the rest of his Jameson before setting it on the counter beside him. “That was all kinds of awesome.”

  “Who the hell was that?” Luke asked, turning to face me with the same awed expression John had. Clearly, they were both taken by the girls.

  “That was one of my students,” I answered, my eyes narrowing on both of them in a way that said Nikki was off limits. “Who also just so happens to be a huge pain in my ass.”

  NINETEEN

  NIKKI

  “Oh, my God, Nikki!” Dani gasped once we were outside of the club and walking back to the ZTS house. “I can’t believe what you just said to Derek Anderson! I mean, what you just said to your professor!” She shook her head as if she still couldn’t make sense of it. “I mean, I heard the words coming out of your mouth, but I still can’t believe you said them!” She continued to shake her head, her eyes still wide. “You accused him of sleeping with his students!”

  “Well, it’s probably true,” I muttered.

  “So what? You actually said it to his face!” She took a deep breath. “I seriously can’t believe you said that!”

  Actually, neither could I. The words had sort of just spilled out of their own accord. And now, looking back on them, I wished they hadn’t. Derek was definitely not someone I wanted to pick a fight with, because when it came down to it, he could win much more easily than I could. In this case, he pretty much held all the cards.

  “Shit, I hope he doesn’t take it out on my grade in the class.”

  “Did you see his expression?” Dani continued with a raucous laugh. “He was totally shocked!”

  “He’s going to fail me, I just know it,” I responded as I shook my head and wished I’d been able to curb my tongue. Now I was scared to death to know what our relationship would be like moving forward. I was beyond sure that he wouldn’t take what I’d said kindly. I’d seen the shock in his eyes and then his total irritation as his friends started to lau
gh at him. Oh, man…

  “No, he won’t,” Dani responded with a frown. “Come on, he started to smile once the shock wore off. I don’t think you pissed him off. If anything, I think you amused the hell out of him. You know as well as I do that he’s not used to anyone talking to him like that, especially not an undergraduate!”

  “I didn’t see him smile.”

  “You’d already turned around at that point.”

  I sighed deeply. “I hope you’re right.” The last thing I wanted to do was piss Derek off to such an extent that my grade might be in jeopardy.

  “Dude, he looked at you like he wanted to pounce on you right then and there!” Dani continued. “Bet we know who’s going to be in Professor Anderson’s dreams tonight.”

  “I don’t even want to give that thought life,” I muttered, my heart still racing in shock over what I’d said to him and the possible consequences.

  “Oh come on, you know you think he’s hot. How could you not?”

  I shook my head. “I’m not attracted to him.”

  “I so don’t believe that.”

  “No, seriously, I’m not,” I insisted.

  “Why the hell not?”

  I shrugged as I tried to pinpoint the reason. “He’s just too … too …” Hmm, why wasn’t I attracted to him? Well, it wasn’t so much that I wasn’t attracted to him … I mean, I could admit that he had total bedroom eyes and a smile that made you want to smile, but … “He’s just so cocky, and he’s just … too cool for school,” I finished, sounding every bit as stupid as I felt.

  “What does that even mean?” Dani asked with a frown.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know, but suffice to say I don’t want to become another head mounted on Derek Anderson’s wall of women.”

  “Wow, that was pretty poetic!”

  “Ha ha,” I grumbled as I shook my head and wondered how much trouble my big mouth was going to get me into. “Let’s drop it, okay? This whole subject is totally stressing me out.”