How I reacted to him definitely shocked me. Because I’m a little conceited, it’s easy for me to admit that boys had always fanned over me. And in some level, I had enjoyed the attention. But I’d never gone boy crazy. In my twenty one years of life—soon to be twenty two—I’d only had two serious boyfriends. Both relationships had ended badly.
However, even when I’d felt in love with them both, my physical response to them had been moderate at best. With Dakota, I was very much confused. I could not understand why my body was acting as if it had a mind of its own. He wasn’t even my type. I’d never had a thing for geeky looking guys, but damn. This was very confusing for me. I had no idea if being celibate for the past month and a half had something to do with my hormones running wild, but it was the only explanation I would accept under the circumstances.
“Do you two need to be alone?” Uziel’s voice shattered the magic of the moment.
We both drew back a bit and stared into each other’s eyes.
“My friends want to meet you,” I said, hoping to sound as if his warm hands centered on my lower back were not driving me crazy. Fucking hormones.
“Sure.” He pulled back all the way, dropping his arms to the sides.
Uziel laughed next to us. “Boy, you two are really obvious.”
My attention snapped to Dakota’s cousin. “Obvious?” I asked, eyebrows arching as I gaped at him.
He nodded. “You two have the hots for each other.”
Fighting the urge to roll my eyes, I folded my arms over my breasts. How could Uziel assume so much over such a simple gesture? It was only a hug. Nothing more.
“We’re just friends,” Dakota added, mirroring my exact words from moments before.
“Whatever you say.” Uziel shrugged.
I looked away, slightly embarrassed. There was no denying how fast my blood pumped through my body, or how, even though Dakota had already released me, I could still feel the warmth from his skin on my back, reminding me over and over again where he’d touched me.
“Uh, would you mind following me?” Grabbing Dakota’s wrist, I pulled him along as I made my way toward my grinning friends. “There are a few people I want you to meet.”
“So who are they?” Uziel asked as he followed Dakota and me. “I mean, I already know Delilah, but I’m not really familiar with all of them. At least not by name.”
Dakota knowing Delilah should not have been such a surprise to me. She socialized with many people from campus, but for some reason I felt as if there was something about being more than just passing acquaintances that put me on high alert for some reason. She had certainly never mentioned either of them before and I wondered at that. What was she trying to hide? Why had she said everything she knew about Dakota had been passed down to her when it was obvious the guys knew her—or seemed to know her better than I originally thought?
“Some friends I want to introduce you to,” I replied.
Both guys said nothing else until we reached the area where my good friends were still waiting. Once we were within earshot, I introduced everyone.
“Michaela you already know.” I pointed to her with my index finger. “This is her boyfriend, Kevin, and my best friend, Audrey.” I pointed to each and every one of them, who in turn, acknowledge Dakota with a quick bow of the head. “Guys, this is Dakota, and his cousin, Uziel.”
Dakota extended one hand for Kevin, who shook it briefly before releasing it.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Kevin said, holding his hand out for Uziel. “And you too.”
“Thanks.” Uziel shook Kevin’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you all.” Releasing Kevin’s hand, he took a step back.
“I suspect we’re going to see a lot more of each other from now on,” Delilah commented as she eyed Dakota. He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other as they exchanged looks.
“I think so too.” I leaned against Dakota and he surprised us all by draping one arm over my shoulders and pulling me to him. Even Kevin seemed a little stunned. I glanced up at those dark round orbs he had for eyes and smiled contently, openly showing off my gladness and he quickly returned the gesture.
Dakota was playing his part well and I was thoroughly satisfied with that. As long as he had no problem spending time with me, we’d have no problem convincing others of our supposed relationship. Maybe this strangely concocted plan of mine would work out well for the both of us. Maybe by the time we went our separate ways he’d be happily over Margaret or would have the satisfaction of seeing her beg for his forgiveness—whichever he preferred—and I would have the pleasure of letting Kirk know he wasn’t the only one that could play mind games.
Content with how well things were working out, I turned my attention back to my entourage, but quickly noted their attention was centered elsewhere. Any concerns I had over how well we were handling things vanished the second I realized we were no longer the center of attention.
Since no one stared directly at us but off into the distance, I followed the direction of their gazes and realized why they had suddenly gotten so quiet.
Kirk stood to one side a few feet from us, glowering as he eyed first Dakota, and then me. I had no idea what was going through his head, but he definitely looked furious. My inner demon rose, tossed a sombrero on the floor, and danced around it in celebration of the perfect timing. There was no doubt in my mind that Kirk was simmering with jealousy and that suited me more than he’d ever know. Just as I had predicted, he could not stand the sight of me with someone else and it clearly showed in his expression.
I wanted to openly gloat. I wanted to laugh in his face. Hell, I even wanted to stick my tongue out at him, but decided against it. Appearing as if I could care less of him or what he thought of us was the better option. His ego would receive a double strike by not only having to see me with someone else, but because my behavior showed him that he was nothing to me anymore and that he, too, could be easily replaced.
Dakota stared right back, as if challenging Kirk to say something. But Kirk did not utter a single word, he just stood there and glared until one of his friends grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him away.
“Somebody’s upset.” Delilah stifled a laugh with the back of her hand.
I shrugged. “I don’t think anyone present right now cares.”
Though watching Kirk’s reaction really did it for me, I felt slightly cheated over the fact that Margaret was nowhere within sight. I would have loved to see her reaction, especially if it turned out to be anything like Kirk’s, but the girl was noticeably absent.
I had no clue whether she had seen us and had decided to avoid an awkward situation by sneaking into the building by means of another entrance, but I figured it didn’t matter. Many had seen us together and even if none were her friends, the rumors would start to spread soon enough.
Margaret’s reasons for skipping out eluded me. So far Dakota appeared to be a fairly decent guy, but looks could be deceiving. On the other hand she could have just gotten bored of the monotonous relationship and decided to open her legs for someone else’s significant other, which, under normal circumstances, would have gone on without much of a problem. But as luck would have it, she just happened to mess with the wrong guy—mine.
“Still meeting me for lunch?” I asked Dakota, pushing all thoughts of Kirk and his mistress aside.
Nodding, he replied with, “Yep.”
“We better get going people or we’ll be late for classes.” Michaela tugged on Kevin’s hand as she started for the front entrance. Delilah and Audrey soon followed and although I noted the moment Uziel stepped in next to Audrey and struck a conversation with her, I didn’t put mind to it.
With Dakota’s arm still draped over my shoulders, we started toward the entrance.
“The game is on,” he said. “But I’m not sure where it’s going though.”
I laughed. “I don’t know either, but whatever happens happens.”
He nodded. “You’re not easily di
ssuaded, are you?”
I shook my head. “No. When I want something, I don’t stop until I get it.”
He didn’t look the least bit surprised. “Yeah, I can already tell that much.”
Glancing up at him, I added, “I’m pretty sure that by the time this is all over with, we will know a lot more about each other.”
He didn’t argue with me. “I believe that.”
“On a more positive note, you’ll be spending a lot more time with me,” I teased, knowing deep down that I was probably digging a hole I wouldn’t be able to climb out of. Our pretense could either work greatly to our advantage or end up screwing us more than what we’d already been.
Dakota didn’t seem all that concerned though because he looked at me and flashed his pearly whites in my direction. That simple gesture I found to be absolutely captivating. He may not have been drop dead gorgeous but he definitely had his charms. And his smile was sexy as hell.
We continued on into the building as if nothing was amiss. The barrage of people who stopped, stared, and murmured did not escape my notice. Even when I couldn’t make out what they were saying I had a pretty good idea what the fuss was about.
Rumors had already begun to spread like wildfire. Those who knew me were surprised to see me with someone other than Kirk. And I could only speculate as to how shocking it was for everyone to see me trade down—as some would put it—but since no one knew the real reasons or the motives behind the huge change I didn’t care. It felt good to walk down the hall with Dakota, knowing that soon others would be talking about it and Kirk would be the butt of their jokes.
Phase one had been set up, and the only thing I needed to do was wait and see what fruits I’d be able to gather on my way to phase two.
Chapter Twelve
The morning classes passed by without any incidents, which nearly bored me to death. With the exception of finishing a lab or two and doing research for an upcoming essay I had to write, nothing significantly important happened. Not that I was expecting something to occur, but with my mind straying constantly toward things I did not want to analyze further, I became restless really quickly.
Even though I’d heard many snide comments about Dakota and me, I didn’t let it ruin my day. No one understood what was going on. And I imagined that to those who knew all four of us they might have thought we were exchanging couples or something. Since no one else knew what was really going on, their wandering gazes or immature quips did not bother me at all. If anything, they served to add to my determination. I knew very well that if I heard what was being said, Kirk was too and that was another added bonus.
By the fourth period class, I was well on my way to being a dedicated student. I mean, if only boredom served to force me to pay attention and keep me from falling asleep in class. Unfortunately, all the constant thinking could ruin my day. I was the kind of person that could not have too much time in my hands or my thoughts could fully take over. Bad things happened when that was the case. And as the day progressed—as painfully boring and slowly as it was—I did recall, more than once, the occurrences of the past forty eight hours. And the more I thought about it all, the more confused I was.
Though this plan was supposed to be good for getting payback, my brain kept trying to remind me that I was doing something wrong. That I shouldn’t use others. That this whole thing could turn against me. But my inner demon really screamed in horror as she realized I may have been developing a conscious. It was scary having a conscious because it nags, and nags, and nags constantly.
I’d learned a long time ago how to ignore my conscious, but it really was popping up with a mind of its own nowadays. And yes, it was very annoying.
“You seem distracted,” Audrey whispered next to me.
I sighed. “Yes, well, I can’t concentrate on anything.”
“I wonder if Dakota has something to do with that.” She raised an eyebrow. “You seem different since you met him.”
I did my signature roll-of-the eyes move. “Oh, please. I met him two days ago. How does someone change over a meeting?” Was something like that even possible?
Audrey scooted her chair closer to mine. “I’m just saying…well, you’re not as mean as you usually are,” she pointed out.
My head snapped sideways as I glanced at her. “What do you mean?”
“You haven’t made anyone cry in two days.” She typed a few words on the computer, her gaze busy staring at the screen in front of her as she added, “That’s a record.”
Tapping on my chin with my index finger, I gaped at her. “That’s not true, I’m pretty sure Kirk cried after I smashed my knee in his groin.”
She laughed. “Well, you have a point there.”
“Besides, I’m trying to figure out where to go from here.”
“Where to go from here?” This time Audrey did look at me.
“With Dakota I mean.”
She nodded. “He’s agreed to be your pretend boyfriend?”
I grinned. “I think he has.”
“You think? Did you talk to him about—”
“Yes, we talked, but Dakota has deep feelings for that slut and I honestly don’t know for how long he’ll be willing to play along. He might get tired of playing this teenage game.”
“Teenage game?”
“Those were his exact words.”
Audrey made a face. “That’s not good.”
“I know. In fact, I think the only reason he’s going along with me is because he’s hurt and angry over what Margaret did. But something tells me that if the girl comes crawling back on her hands and knees he’d forgive her in a second.”
Audrey stared at me for a moment without saying a word. After about a minute or so, she finally said, “I know how much you hate it when I become the voice of reason, but I really think you should forget the whole thing. I have the feeling you’re going to get hurt, again.”
I let out a quick rush of air. “I can’t get hurt if there are no feelings involved.”
Knowing Audrey as well as I did, I could tell she was itching to continue voicing out her opinion, but one frown from me deterred her attempt to do just that. Instead she said, “So what are you thinking about doing now?”
“Gee, I don’t know. The whole point of seeing Dakota is so that I can drive Kirk crazy,” I whispered harshly.
“It seems to me as if it’s already working,” she commented as she turned her attention to the computer screen in front of her. “Did you not see his face this morning? He was absolutely livid.”
My shoulders lifted. “It’s not enough.”
“Look, if you want my advice, I’d recommend you let things flow naturally. Don’t push things with Dakota. Remember, he still has feelings for the girl and he’s bound to take her back is she asks him to,” she said, voicing out my concerns. “Don’t wrack your brain. Be spontaneous. When things feel right, go with them. You’re a smart girl, go with your instincts.”
Well, isn’t the voice of reason changing her tune on me. Moments ago she was trying to deflect my plans and now she’s agreeing with me?
I smiled. “The problem with that is that my instincts are always telling me to kick someone’s ass.”
Audrey laughed softly. “You have that natural instinct to lash out.”
My best friend was right. I’d become a fighter to push away from the pain that had taken over my life years back. It had been the only way for me to deal with so many losses. It was the only way I knew how to keep myself from wallowing in self-pity and weakness.
Feeling a little emotional as memories of the past assailed me; I quickly scrambled to my feet and made a beeline for the door.
“Going somewhere Miss Rowe?” Mr. Robinson, the accounting instructor, asked just as I reached for the door knob.
Spinning around to face him, I said, “To the bathroom. Why? Is there a problem?”
He scowled. “Can’t it wait? I’m in the middle of a lecture.”
When have I ever paid atten
tion to a lecture? And when did he start caring what I did? Usually he didn’t pay any attention to me as long as I wasn’t causing any problems for him.
“What am I, ten? I don’t need permission to step out. This isn’t high school.”
The class erupted in loud murmurs, forcing Mr. Robinson’s cheeks to redden. He was one of the many professors that did not like me. And he made it clear every Monday through Friday when I stepped inside the room and he glared at me until his eyes watered from the lack of moisture that came as a consequence of staring at an object—in his case, a person—for so long the eyes dried out.
I’d been called out, more than once, by the many instructors and the only reason my presence was tolerated in class was because of my father’s financial influence. However, I’d come close to being kicked out a couple of times.
“Besides, it’s not like I won’t be back.” I reached out for the knob and swung open the door, slamming it a little too hard on my way out of the classroom.
Needing a bathroom break, I hurried down the hall, rounded a corner, and headed to the bathroom a few feet away. However, as soon as I saw the line of girls waiting to use it, I made a beeline for the staircase at the other end of the hall and rushed down the stairs to the second floor. One of the biggest problems in college is too many students and not enough bathrooms.
Racing down the stairs, I made it to the second floor and directed my strides toward the bathroom just around the corner. I was about to round the corner, when the sound of familiar voices stopped me dead in my tracks.
I didn’t have to peek around the wall to know who it was.
“I know what I did. I can’t say I’m sorry enough times but,” the sound of Margaret’s voice drifted toward me, “I really got scared of all this talk about marriage.”
Even though their tone of voice was low, I could hear them well enough from where I stood. As luck would have it, they were conversing directly in front of the bathroom doors.
Payback is Sweet Page 11