by Dawn Doyle
“Did he take the hint?”
Raven jumped at Beck’s question. He’d been quiet, and she hadn’t expected him to say anything.
“What?” she whispered.
“Kato. Did he take no for an answer?”
She had to tell the truth. He’d find out eventually, anyway.
“Not at first. I had to be blunt.”
“He didn’t look too happy about it. I saw how hard he was trying.”
“Yeah, well. I’m not interested.”
“I know.”
Raven glanced to him. He was looking right back at her.
“How do you know?”
“Because if you were, you would’ve said yes.”
She didn’t reply, and Beck didn’t say anything else. He just kept his eyes on her.
Raven’s pulse pounded in her veins. He wasn’t smiling anymore, and she couldn’t read his expression.
He turned towards the professor when she began to talk again as she wrote on the board.
The professor dropped her board pen and bent over to pick it up.
Beck waved his hand side to side as though he was spanking her ass.
Raven clamped her hand over her mouth as she snorted her laugh.
A low chuckle escaped Beck’s lips, and he put his fist in front of his mouth to stop himself from laughing too.
“Do you think she likes it rough?” he asked, as he leant in towards Raven to whisper.
“Beck!” she said through clenched teeth as she tried to stop her giggles.
“I wonder if her husband sings ‘Baby got back’ when he hits that?” he said with a grin. “I like. Big. Butts and I cannot lie…” he whispered.
Raven held her breath until she felt as though she could contain herself. “That’s awful! I don’t want to even imagine that.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” he shuddered. “That’s not something I want to envision.”
That was funny Beck. The joker. The one she didn’t get to see much of.
“Mr Traynor, please stop distracting Miss Valiente.,” the professor said as she smiled at him.
He wasn’t being told off; she was just telling him to be quiet. Beck never got told off.
“I can’t help it,” he waved his hand down his body. “Look at me.”
“Yes, you’re charming. Now if you don’t mind…” The professor turned back to her writing.
Raven shook her head.
“Uh oh,” Beck whispered, getting close again.
“What?”
“Limo driver’s shooting ninja stars this way. I think he wants to karate chop me.”
Raven glanced to Kato. “He looks angry,” she replied.
Kato was giving Beck the evil eye and Raven knew he didn’t like him at all.
“Only because I’ve got his girls’ attention.” Beck waggled his eyebrows at her.
“I’m not his girl,” she grumbled.
“I’m just kidding,” he winked, making Raven blush. “He’s jealous though.”
“Only because you didn’t get scolded for distracting me. He would’ve been told to pay attention.”
“Why would he get scolded and not me?”
“Because you’re smarter than he is, and he knows it too,” she said shyly.
Raven didn’t like to pay Beck compliments in case he twisted it around on her to mean something else, but she couldn’t lie to him about that.
“Don’t tell me, you know his GPA too?”
Raven nodded. “He was telling his friends a while ago. I’m guessing it hasn’t changed this past two weeks.”
“What is it?”
“Three point seven,” she mouthed as she pretended to scratch her nose because Kato was looking in their direction again.
Beck grinned. “What’s yours?”
“I’m not telling you!” she whisper shouted.
“Why?”
“Let’s just say, I’m not as smart as you either.”
“I promise I won’t tell. I can’t promise I won’t post it on social media…” Beck jerked his arm quickly as Raven swiped at him. “I’m kidding! I won’t breathe a word; I promise,” he said with his hand on his heart.
Raven took a deep breath before telling him. “Three point six.”
“Oh my God, you need tutoring,” he said as though he was disappointed.
“I do not!” she said, wide eyed then scowled when he grinned.
“Yeah you do. I could tutor you. You could even pay me…”
“You just had to go there, didn’t you?” Raven was annoyed.
Beck had turned their short, almost decent, conversation right back to dirt.
“Go where?” His eyes looked her up and down, and she heated where they touched.
“To the gutter.”
Beck licked his lower lip and glanced over to where Kato sat.
“I meant…” he slid his arm round the back of her seat and her breathing stopped as he neared. His voice lowered sexily. “…you could pay me fifty bucks. You’re the one with the dirty mind.”
Raven took a sharp breath when his fingertips touched the back of her neck.
She watched as Beck’s eyes glanced to Kato, then to her. A smirk pulled at his lips.
Beck sat back up and moved his arm from her seat. He paid attention to the rest of the lecture, but Raven had trouble.
Beck shifted constantly in his seat, and, of course that made her shift too.
“Can you two keep still back there?” the professor called out.
Raven turned bright red, and Beck shrugged.
“Sorry, it’s so… hard.”
Raven’s mouth dropped open, and her eyes bugged.
“Excuse me?” The professor asked, with an equally shocked expression.
A lot of the faces in the class hid their grins, or covered their mouths as they laughed.
“The work…it’s hard. I’m having trouble making sense of it.”
He sounded genuine with his answer, but Raven could see him writing something on his paper. “See? You have a dirty mind, Raven,” it read. “And so does the prof. :P”
“Well, ok,” the professor stuttered. “Just pay attention.”
Raven wrote her own note in reply. “Only because it’s expected for you to mean something else!”
“You’re welcome,” he wrote back.
Raven blew out a breath and got on with her work.
“That was an interesting lesson,” Beck said as they were heading out of the lecture room. “I feel like I learned a lot today.”
“Ok?” Raven replied as she stood waiting for Ava.
“Yeah, I learned that Miss Valiente has a dirty mind, gets goosebumps when I whisper in her ear, and also…” he stepped in to speak into her ear, “she holds her breath when I move closer, and she gasps when I touch her..”
“Why? Why did you do that?” she complained. Her knees trembled, and her heart hammered in her chest.
“What?” he looked amused.
“Ruin the first decent lecture I’ve had with you there,” she cried, noticing that his smile dropped. “Everything was ok until you said that shit.”
Every word he said was true, but to have it pointed out, by Beck himself, was embarrassing to say the least.
“Raven…” he began, but she wasn’t going to listen to whatever it was he had to say about it.
“Just don’t, Beck. I don’t even know why I bother.”
Raven walked away, not waiting for her friend. She couldn’t stay there with him one moment longer.
All of the confusing feelings she had running through her were only getting worse the longer she spent in his company.
Without turning to look back, Raven continued out of the building.
Chapter 5
“I couldn’t wait, I’m sorry Ay,” Raven apologized when Ava got back to their dorm.
“What happened Ray-Ray?” Ava asked, throwing her bag down and sitting next to Raven. She put her arm around her shoulders to comfort her. “What’
s he done now?”
Ava always knew when Beck had been involved in her current predicament. It was rare that it was caused by anything, or anyone, else.
Raven explained their class. The ribbing of Kato, the air spanking of the professor and the civilized conversation they shared. Well, up until his accurate assessment of her behavior.
“Oh my God, Ray. He called you on your reactions? That’s not fair one little bit. He knows you won’t sleep with him so he plays games with you instead. What an asshole.”
Sleep with him? That’s a joke! I doubt he’s actually ‘slept’ with a girl next to him.
Raven blew out a breath at her thoughts.
“It’s too much, Ay. I’m confused. One minute he’s nice, sweet even, and then it’s like a switch has been flicked and then he’s like ‘must continue operation embarrass Raven’. I just don’t get it.”
“Ok well look,” Ava rubbed her arms. “He’s been at you for years because he knows you’re not easy, right?” Raven nodded her head. “Then all you can do is let him do what he’s gotta do and hope he’ll finally get over himself.”
“And what is it that he’s gotta do?” Raven asked, uneasily.
“Let him say what he’s gotta say. Just react like you did at Orientation and the party, but…” Ava gripped Raven’s arms and looked into her eyes with determination. “Don’t let him see how much he affects you.”
Easier said than done when he turns me on so much!
“I’ll try.”
“Good, because the girls are up for going to the Green Bridge tonight,” she smiled, releasing Raven’s arms. “It’s going to be a busy one, so make sure you dress up. All eyes on Raven!” she cheered. “Let’s see how Beck deals with that then.”
If he goes. I’m pretty sure he’s due a ‘one-off’. Fuck! Why do I even care?
Kerry, Leila and Ava were looking through Ravens’ outfits for the night. She didn’t have anything even remotely daring in her wardrobe.
“I think I might have something,” Leila said then disappeared to her dorm.
“I’m afraid to ask,” Raven said with worry.
Leila liked her dresses short and she had the long legs to go with them. Raven, on the other hand, didn’t like to show too much leg in a dress because of the lack of material to keep her modesty.
“It’ll be fabulous, I’m sure,” Kerry assured her, then Leila rushed back in, closing the door.
“You’re wearing this!” she gushed, proudly holding up a scrap of black material.
It was a tiny dress that had a straight, cutout neckline with straps that went from the outer edges of the bust, thickening to around the back. It was beautiful but… a little on the small side.
“I’m not sure…” Raven began, but was rudely interrupted by Ava.
“You’re wearing that!” she shrieked. “That’ll look amazing on you Ray. Just think… how much attention you’ll you get, and not just from Beck!” Ava held her hands in fists in front of her mouth in excitement.
Raven thought about it as she held the dress in front of her body. She worried her lip between her teeth wondering how she was going to stay inside the dress and move at the same time.
“Just try it, Ray,” Ava pushed her towards the bathroom. “It’ll look sexy as hell.”
Raven removed her robe and put on the dress. It fit like a glove.
The material clung to her shape as though it was made for her. The hemline was above mid-thigh, and she turned to see just how high is looked at the back. It sat under her ass just enough to hide everything if she had to bend. Not that she did. She had a little more decency than that. Raven would stoop; not bend.
Satisfied that she wasn’t going to flash her panties, Raven turned back around.
The neckline held her breasts and the swells showed above a little more than she would normally like, but she was still covered in all the essential areas.
She looked good.
Three collective gasps sounded as she opened the bathroom door.
“Oh my God I think I’m bi,” Kerry said in a low voice as she stared.
“Wow, Ray, you look so fuckable right now. Not that you don’t any other time, but in that dress I concur with Kerry; I’m sexually confused,” Ava said in the same tone.
All four girls burst out laughing.
“That’s…erm…nice of you to say,” Raven chuckled.
“Ok, so maybe we’re not about to go down on you, but you do look fantastic,” Kerry smiled.
“Kerry!” Ava squeaked.
“What?” she asked with a naughty grin, as though she hadn’t just said something inappropriate.
“Nicole Sherzinger eat your heart out!” Leila cheered.
Raven laughed. The only similarities between her and the star were the long dark hair and slim body. Where Nicole was five feet five, Raven was five feet seven. Nicole’s eyes were brown, Raven’s were green.
The girls continued to get ready to go out, and Raven applied a light makeup to her face.
Smoky eyes, black mascara, nude lip gloss and a light blush.
All teamed with platinum hooped earrings.
Raven left her hair out and smoothed it down. It was so shiny it looked like glass.
Done. Now to get my legs to work.
She slipped on her plain black heeled shoes, and picked up her purse.
Ava wore skin tight black pants with a white gypsy top showing her midriff and shoulders. Kerry wore a red dress, similar style to Raven’s but a little longer, with a thigh split and spaghetti straps. Leila wore deep black shorts and a sparkling silver batwing top that hung off one shoulder. No straps, which meant no bra. All of them stood at least two inches taller in their shoes.
“Are you ready?” Ava smiled.
No.
“Yes.”
Leila called the campus taxi -the bar was at the other end of the huge campus, and they wouldn’t make in their heels- and they left the dorms.
Once at the Green Bridge, they saw that the bar was already busy. Live music was coming from inside and blared as the doors opened.
Some of the music majors were playing on the small stage at the back of the bar. The spotlights on them as the lead singer, Finn Kelly, belted out a cover of Aerosmith’s ‘Love In An Elevator’.
The girls walked towards the back of the bar, and Raven looked up at Finn as he sang. He smiled and winked at her. She smiled back politely, and carried on her way with the girls. As they passed other students, they received appreciative looks, and low whistles as they passed.
“This is exciting!” Leila bounced on her toes with a huge smile on her face.
It had been a long while since the girls had gone to the bar. They’d been to the orienteering party, and some others in the past, but this was just for the ‘adults’ of the students.
There were only so many ‘this is totally awesome’ and ‘like, I know!’ that they could handle from the younger ones.
“We need drinks and lots of them.” Ava shouted over the music.
The girls nodded and made their way to the bar. They ordered a round of shots and cocktails.
“Ok,” Kerry held up her shot glass. “Let’s down this, and knock back our first drink. Let’s get this night going!”
“Woo!” the girls chorused, banging on the bar.
“Three…two…one…” Ava counted. “Shoot!”
The four girls knocked back the strong shots and then gulped down the cocktail in their glasses.
Raven’s face twisted with the sour taste from the mix.
“More!” Leila shouted, ordering another round of drinks. They left out the shots and only sipped the next cocktail. “Dancing!” she called out, ushering the girls to the dance floor in front of the stage.
The girls moved to the music, their arms in the air, and Raven was enjoying herself. They were having a great time, and she was glad to be letting her hair down and relaxing instead of feeling like she had to look over her shoulder.
A few minut
es later, the band took a break and the usual music played.
A dance remix of Lady Gaga’s ‘Do what U want’ started and the girls threw their arms in the air cheering.
“Do what you want with my body!” Ava yelled as she sang along to the lyrics.
Raven laughed hard as Ava began to rub her hands over her body and moved her hips in a playful fashion. The other girls joined in.
Why not? When in Rome…
Raven lifted her hands and stroked down her own body from the sides of her breasts, down her waist and her hips as she wiggled side-to-side. She pouted her lips as she and Kerry shimmied towards each other, then spun around.
“Hi Raven,” A male voice said into her ear from behind her. She quickly turned to see who it was.
“Oh, Finn, hi.” She said nervously. She hadn’t expected him to approach her.
“I saw you watching the band. What do you think?” he asked, getting too close. The music was loud so he stepped even closer. Raven took half a step back.
“The band’s great,” she nodded. “Excellent covers.” She turned back to the girls who were all smiling widely.
Oh my God, just help already!
“Do you want to get a drink? Our table’s just over there,” he asked, as thumbed over to where the rest of the band were sitting.
“Oh no thanks, I’ve had a drink,” she replied, turning away again.
“Do you want come over anyway?”
Ava put her hand over her mouth and turned away from Raven. She could see her shoulders shaking as she laughed.
You’re going to pay for that!
“Thanks Finn, but no. I’m here with my friends, and we’ll be leaving soon anyway.”
Finn’s eyebrows pinched down to his brown eyes, and he smiled.
“Ok, maybe next time.” Without waiting for Raven to answer, he walked away.
“Bitch!” Raven said, holding back a smile as she poked Ava in her back.
“I’m sorry,” she laughed. “I could see him making a beeline for you. I couldn’t resist.”