by Haley Ladawn
“Stop trying to distract me!” She swooped out from underneath my hug. Damn it! She was seeing right through me. “I’m going to finish doing your hair if it kills me!”
I sighed as she started pulling at my hair again. This was so not worth the pain.
“Why do I have to get all dolled up?” I groaned, folding my arms across my chest. “Margo is a woman! She isn’t going to care about how my hair’s done up, or if I’m showing any cleavage.”
“Well, you’re not going to be showing any cleavage.” Elisa chuckled, seeming excessively amused by my pain. “So, that’s why the focus is your hair! You have to give her something to look at.”
“You’re so vain.” I muttered underneath my breath, letting a low sigh escape my parted lips.
“I’m not vain.” She put her hands on her hips to emphasize her point. “I’m honest.”
Yeah, that she was. She never failed to tell me when I looked horrible, or when I was being too bitchy. She always made sure that I was being the best version of myself. I guess that’s why we had been friends for so long.
Another fifteen minutes passed, and my hair was finally finished. I looked into the mirror quickly, expecting to see a knotted-up bird’s nest, but there was only an intricate bun with braids wrapped around it.
That’s what she was doing? It was a lot better than what I expected.
My glance wavered on my hair for a while before falling onto the rest of my body. Yeah, I was tall, but I was still curvy. My hips were rounded, and to my dismay, my chest was on the bigger side.
Sometimes it felt like I was carrying two heavy watermelons on my chest. It was a struggle, and Elisa always made fun of me for it. She called me bazooka boobs.
I glanced down at my watch to check the time. It was half past eight. My interview was at nine. I needed to get a move on if I wanted to make it to Santoro Court on time. I probably should’ve shown up a few minutes early to make myself appear interested in the internship. You see time was of the essence, but I was lazy as hell.
“I love it, but I have to go.” I said to Elisa, searching for my car keys. I found them thrown underneath my bed. God, I was too messy for my own good.
Elisa gave me a quick embrace and a piece of advice to take with me.
“Be polite, read the fine print before signing any contracts, and tell me if any hot guys go there!” She let out a soft chuckle. “If you get this internship, I just might apply as a student. I want to know what men are on the market before I make my final decision.”
“You have a boyfriend.” I gave her a weak smile.
“We’re on a break,” she corrected me. “I might be in a complicated relationship, but my eyes are not. I can check out whoever I want. It’s a free country.”
I shook my head in bemusement, sliding into my small black car. It was 8:45 now. I had fifteen minutes to make it to the interview if I wanted to be there on time. I crossed my fingers as I started the car, praying that I wouldn’t be late.
Santoro Court was colossal to the point where you needed a map to find your way throughout the multiple buildings. Each building was several stories high, but fortunately, they were all close to one another.
All the buildings shared the same Gothic architecture with the stonewalls and high, pointy towers.
I wondered if Rapunzel was locked up in one of those dark towers. One thing was for sure. There were many secrets hidden in this place, and I wanted to find them all out.
Locking my car doors quickly, I ran toward the office building, hoping that I wouldn’t twist my ankle in the process. I was that uncoordinated. I was the kind of girl that could trip over nothing, and then trip while getting up.
I pushed my way past the glass doors, slowing my pace once I stepped foot inside of the building. Running in the hallways was a complete no-no, even a hooligan like myself knew that. I didn’t want to be kicked out before I even got the chance to be interviewed.
Stepping inside, I was bombarded with the smell of cigarette smoke and what smelled like marijuana. Why on Earth would there be drugs in a school environment?
I stepped toward the front desk apprehensively, scrunching my nose up at the strange scent.
A girl with caramel-colored hair sat on a leather seat, typing away on a computer. Her lips were coated in glossy pink lipstick. I envied the color because it really brought out the blue in her eyes.
Before I even got the chance to say a word, she glanced at me robotically and said, “Lilith James?”
I was waiting for her to say something ominous like, “Mr. Grey will see you now.”
“Yes.” I mumbled, wondering how she knew who I was. It wasn’t like I was wearing a name tag.
“I’m Margo!” She extended her hand in an effort to seem polite. It seemed forced. “We’ve been expecting you.”
“What do you mean by we?” I raised my eyebrows. Who else would be part of this interview? The thought of more than one person judging me made my stomach churn.
“Elliot Santoro! The son of the man who built this fine college.” She offered me a tentative smile that seemed to lack emotion. “He’s going to be the one interviewing you this morning.”
“Wait…” I pursed my lips together, feeling uneasiness wash over me. “I thought you were going to be the one interviewing me. You’re the one who sent me the information.”
“I just organize the interviews and set them up.” Her eerie smile didn’t waver one bit. “Elliot makes the final choice in all of the decisions. His father put him in charge for a reason.”
“You can take the elevator up to the twelfth floor.” She pointed to a set of silver doors that were covered in carved emblems of trees and other symbols. “His office is the only room up there. You won’t be able to miss it.”
“You’re not coming with me?” I looked back at her with hopeful eyes. I really didn’t want to do this alone.
“He doesn’t bite… that hard.” She offered me a wry smile. “He likes redheads, so you’re already off to a great start!”
As I entered the elevator and tried to prepare myself for this interview, I couldn’t help but think about the sarcastic tone to Margo’s voice. Her words had made me even more nervous than before.
I just had to keep reminding myself that Elliot was going to ask me basic questions, and all I had to do was reply with basic answers.
As the elevator doors slowly opened, I realized Margo was right. There was only one room on the twelfth floor. I stepped out into the foyer, noticing double-doors. The glass was frosted, making it impossible to see inside of the room.
I stared blankly at the entrance, wondering if I should knock or walk right in like I owned the place. I chose the latter, deciding that it showed that I had confidence. Everyone likes a person with confidence, right? As my fingertips reached out for the door handle, I noticed that it was locked shut from the other side. Whoever was inside didn’t want anyone getting in.
I kept looking down at the watch on my wrist, awaiting the moment the door would open dramatically like the gates to Heaven. At nine-thirty, the doors still remained closed mysteriously. With my back rested against the wall, I was beginning to wonder if there was even anyone inside of that room.
Maybe Elliot Santoro was running late, or maybe he had forgotten about our appointment. Either way, it was unprofessional.
At ten o’clock, just as I was about to leave, the door opened slowly. Standing in the doorway was a girl with long brown hair.
Elliot Santoro was a girl?
She carried a jacket in front of her, but you could see the back of her dress riding up, showing the bottom of her silky black underwear. It was as if the dress had been tossed over her body, and it probably had.
Her cheeks reddened when she saw me standing there. It was like she had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Her eyes stayed on me as if she were frozen in place.
“Why haven’t you left yet?” A deep, baritone voice said from behind her. The huskiness of the vo
ice shattered the silence, causing goose bumps to rise on her skin. The man had a foreign accent and it was deep.
What was I getting myself into?
“I told you to leave, so why the fuck are you still standing there? Do you want a kiss goodbye? If so you can kiss my ass.”
The dark-haired girl turned around quickly to be greeted by a man with disheveled black hair, and bright-blue eyes that were framed in thick eyelashes. There was a lightness in his eyes, but they held no emotion. His glare was icy and undying.
His jawline was rigid and sculpted, while his cheekbones were high and noticeable. The man was shirtless, making it possible for me to see the rifts and ridges of his abdomen muscles. My eyes glanced down further, until I saw his dark happy trail. It ended at the hem of his black boxers that were sticking out underneath his jeans.
“There’s a girl standing here—” The woman began to explain, but he put his fingers to her mouth, literally telling her to shush.
“Do you not see me standing here looking right at her?” The man growled, seeming exasperated. “You don’t have to play the fucking narrator! Now, go! Don’t make me tell you again. I hate repeating myself.”
“Okay, babe.” The girl muttered underneath her breath. She didn’t seem surprised by the man’s sudden anger, but it was rattling me to my core. I wondered what she did to piss him off so much. “I’ll call you later tonight.”
“Don’t, just don’t,” he groaned, crossing his arms. “Talking to you isn’t worth adding money to my phone bill. It’s called a hit it and quit it for a reason. I know you’re not the brightest, but the definition is literally in the name, puttana.”
The girl didn’t say another word to him.
“See something you like?” His smoldering gaze moved to me, reminding me that my eyes were still on his muscular chest.
I didn’t even get the chance to come up with a good comeback before he sauntered back off into his office, leaving the door wide open.
I was just about to follow him in there, when I stopped underneath the threshold. There was something dark about this room and this man. Something told me to turn away, but there was also something telling me to stay.
“Are you going to come in, fiorella?” His husky voice echoed through the room. “Or do you want me to drag you in here? I’m game. I mean, we’re already off to such a rough start. We might as well have some fun before you leave.”
Chapter 3: The Bad Guy
The smell of cigarette smoke and sex infiltrated my nostrils, which caused me to cringe inwardly.
As if it couldn’t get any worse, I noticed the smell of expensive cologne. I couldn’t tell if the cologne was coming from him, or his t-shirt that was still lying on the ground. He didn’t even bother putting a new shirt on, so I was left staring at the back of a man who wouldn’t dare glance at me. I’d never in my life felt more insecure than I did at that moment.
“Are you going to put a shirt on?” I asked while fidgeting with my skirt. Suddenly, it was feeling too short, even though it ended just above my knees. He had a way of making everything feel provocative.
“Probably not.” He finally turned around to face me. His chiseled chest came into view, while a menacing grin found its way onto his velvety lips. “I like giving people a good view.”
His gaze stayed on me too long, to the point where I had to break his stare by looking down at the polished floors. The shininess of the clean-cut marble couldn’t compare to the vibrant intensity that was in his eyes.
“I think you broke that girl’s heart,” I mumbled quietly, biting down on my bottom lip. I was terrible at making small talk.
“I think you should stay out of my personal life.” His eyes flashed with a snap of anger that subsided into devilish amusement. It made me twitch.
Who could just go from being frustrated to entertained in seconds?
“And she’s lucky I didn’t break her face, no?”
“Right. I’m s-s-sorry.” I tucked a piece of my red hair behind my ear, cursing underneath my staggered breath. This bun wasn’t holding up as good as I thought it would, and neither was my mouth. I couldn’t stop stuttering for the life of me.
“I’m sure you will be.” Elliot let out a raspy laugh, sliding his hand around the nape of his neck to stretch out. I could see his muscles contort and shift as he moved his body in slow motions. It was almost calming, seeing how relaxed he seemed in that moment.
“What’s your name?”
Suddenly, his hands were tugging at his jeans vigorously. He was shaking his legs as if he was waiting for something to fall out of them. His hands searched all the deep pockets before he began unbuttoning the dark jeans immediately. I didn’t even get a chance to register what was happening before his pants hit the ground.
What in the actual fuck?
Now, the only thing that was covering his body was the tight material of his Calvin Klein boxer briefs. The fabric gripped him to the point where I could see the mold of every inch of his body.
I made myself look up at the ceiling that was decorated with dim lights that cast the room in an orange haze.
My neck was going to break before I looked back at his silhouette. I didn’t want to make this anymore awkward than it already was.
I heard the movements of his body, but he seemed to be further away now. Well, at least he wasn’t going to pounce on me like a cat… because I wasn’t so sure I could get away if he tried. I also wasn’t sure why I was still standing there. Any sane woman would have left by now.
“That girl stole my wallet! How in the hell could I let her do that? I thought she was touching my ass, but she was really emptying my pockets.”
“You probably deserved it.”
“Care to say that to my face?” His voice had suddenly lightened, but the husky laugh brought it back to its original state. Heavy, warm, and completely swoon worthy. “All you have to do is look. You know you want to.”
Nope, Satan! Not today! You aren’t getting my soul today!
Although, the heat on my skin was rooting against me. It was causing a delicious tingle to spread from head to toe, making my breathing laden with desire.
“What are you going to do to her?” I raised my eyebrows in curiosity. I really needed to stop asking unimportant questions. However, what else was I supposed to do in this situation?”
“I was going to be the good guy for once in my life and let her go.” He muttered underneath his breath with a burning intensity smeared onto his rugged face. “But now I have to reap her soul and drag her to the underworld.”
“You’re a man of many metaphors.” I stifled a laugh, shaking my head.
“I’ll be that, but you’re a girl of few brain cells.”
There was a long stretch of time where he didn’t say a single word to me. Judging by his insatiable need to insult others, I appreciated his silence.
He stood there playing with the waistband on his boxers. He would tug the fabric down, exposing another inch of his dark happy trail, then pull it back up before I could see anything.
“It’s like a boomerang.” He laughed at the horror that was in my eyes as my gaze trailed a little too far south. “It just keeps coming back.”
His manhood, that was already large, had grown another four inches. I’d never seen anything so big in my life, and suddenly I felt sorry for the brunette woman that was here earlier. After having that thing inside of her, she probably needed to go to the emergency room.
I averted my eyes as he slid on a new pair of pants. Clearly, this man had no shame and I had no willpower.
“Why are you shaking?” He furrowed his eyebrows, running his fingers through his tousled hair, moving it away from his face. “I haven’t even touched you, yet.”
He wasn’t going to, or I was going to beat the shit out of him! For all he knew, I could be a psychopath that looked like a sweet little girl. I wasn’t nearly as nice as I looked.
“Can we get to the real questions?” I crossed my leg
s, trying to be ladylike. I even fixed my posture, hoping to look more studious. My chances of getting this internship had already flown out the window, but I wanted to end this stupid rendezvous on a good note.
“If you insist.” He didn’t seem amused this time. “What’s your cup size?”
“Excuse me?” I narrowed my eyes at him, which seemed to cause his interest to pique. I didn’t care how attractive he was. If he didn’t stop, I was going to choke him with the straps on my purse. I was a savage when I needed to be.
“We have a strict dress code here.” His lips curled into a weary smile. I could tell there was ulterior motives to his dumb question. “If you get hired, we’ll need your measurements to get you the appropriate attire.”
“Well, I haven’t been hired yet.” I rolled my eyes, cursing underneath my breath.
My skin was boiling and it wasn’t just because he was still shirtless.
“Damn, fiorella.” He bit back a laugh, licking his lips. “You remind me of my mother. She had an attitude just like yours… and that’s what got her killed.’’
His eyes seemed to darken as he bared his white teeth. He picked up a clipboard from his desk, going over it quickly. “It says that your name is Lily. Is that short for something? Liliana or Lillian?”
His sudden interest made me very suspicious, but I was just glad that our conversation had gotten back to an ordinary topic. It needed to stay on the road to normal from here on out, or else I was going to make a detour for the door!
I shifted my standing position, trying to get more comfortable.
“It’s short for Lilith,” I answered, drooping my head. “But don’t call me that.”
“Your name is Lilith?” He burst out laughing, shaking his head back and forth. His midnight hair was disheveled once again. “Are you a bad girl like your name suggests?”
“What?” I tightened my grip around my purse, ready to strangle a certain someone. So much for a normal conversation.
“Lilith means of the night.” He stepped closer to me, but I couldn’t step back to get away from him. I was already pressed up against the wall for support. His face looked so soft, despite some newly grown stubble. His hair shadowed the right side of his face. For some reason, I really wanted to brush his hair back. “All of the best things happen at night, hence what you saw earlier with my one night stand.”