by Blythe Reid
While we drove, I glanced at it again. He was still wearing the same short sleeve shirt from earlier, and it showed off his tattoo wonderfully. There was more of it tucked away beneath the fabric, but I could see most of it. I longed to reach over and trail my fingers along the ink, but I knew I shouldn’t. We barely knew each other, and random touches weren’t in our friendship description just yet. Still, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it, and eventually, he noticed my interest.
“Do you like it?” he asked, flexing his bicep slightly.
I blushed. “I do,” I said. “It’s so intricate.”
“It took two months to complete,” he said with a serious expression. “It was miserable, but so worth it. I’m obsessed.”
“I can see why,” I said. “It’s amazing.”
“Thank you.” He turned to smile at me, and my stomach flipped again.
Every time his eyes locked on mine, I felt like I was drowning. They were such a deep, dark brown. I could’ve easily lost myself in them.
We finally made it to Chinatown, and Lucien parked quickly. He hurried around to my side of the car and held my door open again. I smiled gratefully and jumped out of the car, eagerly looking around.
Chinatown was amazing. There were people everywhere, along with vendors and shop owners. I could tell some of the people on the streets were tourists, taking a late summer vacation. I felt like one of them, unsure of where to stand or how to act.
Luckily, Lucien helped me immediately. He took my hand and led me through the crowd. We hurried down the street until we reached a tiny restaurant on the corner. Lucien pulled me inside and the noise from the street disappeared.
I glanced around and saw that we were in a typical Chinese restaurant, just like the ones back home, but it felt different. It was more authentic somehow. Lucien led me further inside, and we found an empty table to sit at. When we sat down, a waiter brought us some menus and turned away without a word.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“The best Chinese food in town,” Lucien said with authority. “It. Is. Delicious.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” I said, scanning the menu.
I was no stranger to Chinese food, and I knew exactly what I wanted. We ordered quickly, and the food arrived almost immediately. I was impressed by the second bite. It truly was amazing Chinese food.
“What do you think?” Lucien asked.
“It’s delicious,” I said, repeating his words.
He grinned and kept eating. “So, tell me,” he said. “How was the rest of your day? I didn’t believe that bullshit you fed your grandmother.”
“Was I that obvious?” I asked.
“A little,” he said. “But I don’t think she noticed.”
“It was okay,” I said, shrugging. “It kind of sucked honestly, but the day’s looking up a bit now.”
Lucien smiled at my compliment, and we spent the rest of the evening shamelessly flirting with each other. I felt hot and excited the entire time. I’d never been on a date, and I had certainly never spent this much time flirting with a man.
He was sexy and interesting, smart and kind. My mother insisted the men from my romance novels weren’t real, but I felt like Lucien was as close as they came. He reminded me so much of the heroes in my books, the men who swept innocent women like me off their feet.
As we left the restaurant, Lucien reached for my hand and held it all the way to the car. He opened my door again, and I slid inside, feeling my stomach tighten nervously. I so badly wanted him to kiss me, but I was afraid he wouldn’t. Part of me thought he was just being nice, and he wasn’t attracted to me at all. I wasn’t sure if this was a real date or just two friends hanging out. Our flirting and hand holding seemed to indicate something more, but I was so inexperienced that I couldn’t know for certain.
We drove back to my grandmother’s in silence. When Lucien pulled up in front of the house, he shut off the engine and turned to face me. He smiled and leaned closer. I could smell his scent, and it made me light-headed.
“I had so much fun,” he said softly. “Thank you for coming.”
“Thank you for dinner,” I said.
Instinctively, I leaned closer to him. My entire body longed to feel him. I’d never experienced this kind of desire before, and it was overwhelming.
When Lucien’s lips pressed against mine, a jolt of electricity shot through my body. His lips were soft and gentle against mine. He kissed me slowly, letting me get used to the sensations. As the kiss deepened, I felt myself growing more excited.
When his tongue slipped in my mouth, I moaned softly. Lucien’s hand found my thigh, and he slid his fingers up and down, making me shiver with desire. I wanted him so badly.
My nerves got the best of me, and I pulled away. My breathing was ragged, and I could feel my cheeks flush bright red. I was embarrassed, but I knew that kiss was leading somewhere intense, somewhere I wasn’t ready to go.
“You should know,” I said weakly. “I’m a virgin. I’ve never been with a man.”
I expected Lucien to become uncomfortable and leave immediately, but he didn’t. He simply smiled and rested his palm against my cheek.
“Okay,” he said. “I’m happy to take it slow.”
“Really?” I asked, snapping my head up to look into his eyes.
“Of course,” he said, laughing.
I smiled and we finished saying goodnight. He walked me to the door, and I slipped inside, unable to wipe the smile from my face. My day had been terrible, and then Lucien turned it around. I went to bed that night thinking that New York may not be half bad after all.
Chapter 11
Lucien
My date with Scarlet didn’t go exactly as I planned. I thought after one night out with me, she would be ready to fall into bed. Deep down, I knew she wasn’t experienced, and I suspected she was a virgin, but I hadn’t given it much thought.
After a trip to Chinatown and some heavy flirting, I thought she would be ready to go all the way. Our kiss was intense and full of desire. I could tell she wanted me, but when she pulled away, things changed.
Her confession about being a virgin wasn’t a surprise, but it was a disappointment. I covered my reaction well, making sure she didn’t see the irritation in my eyes. I told her I would go slow for her, but truly, I didn’t want to. I’d already spent more time than I wanted to on her.
Most women didn’t get longer than one night, and yet, Scarlet had already occupied my thoughts for days. I was constantly thinking about her, wanting to be near her, wanting to kiss her, to touch every part of her. After our date, that didn’t change. I went home Wednesday night, wishing I wasn’t alone in my bed. I imagined what it would be like to lie next to her, and to hear her moan my name, to feel how fucking wet she could get for me.
It was almost too much to take.
I thought about her all night and into my dreams. The next morning, I refused to let myself think about her. Instead, I focused on my plans for the night. It was the first night of pledge season, which meant we would have twenty new recruits joining us at the house. Bryan had the event set up and ready to go. He’d spent days planning and recruiting and now, it was time to get started.
We set everything up that day, all of us blowing off our classes. It wasn’t uncommon for Delta brothers to miss class in favor of fraternity obligations. Most professors on campus gave us a free pass when it came to these things. Unless we missed multiple classes in a row, no one cared. The Deltas were kings of the NYU campus, and everyone knew it. And me? I was their leader.
It was my job to make sure everything went off without a hitch. Even though Bryan was the Pledge Captain, I still had to oversee everything. Every single new recruit had to fit in with the Delta image. If they didn’t, it was my ass on the line.
Once the house was ready, I called all the brothers into the common room for a quick meeting. The new recruits would be arriving at sundown, which was only an hour away. I wanted e
veryone to be on the same page once they did.
“All right,” I said, clapping my hands to get everyone’s attention. “Just a few things before tonight. First of all, I want to thank Bryan for organizing this event so thoroughly. I knew we picked the right Pledge Captain. These guys don’t stand a fucking chance.”
Everyone laughed and cheered. Hazing was the best part of getting new pledges. We never went too far with the new guys. After all, they were just freshman. Just a couple of months ago, they were in high school, applying zit cream and wishing a girl would touch their dicks. Now, they were in college and trying to join a fraternity.
We didn’t want to scare them too much, but we also wanted to make sure they were Delta material. If they couldn’t take a little bit of hazing, they wouldn’t be able to hack it in the house.
“When I’m done,” I continued. “Bryan will go over the plan for the evening. He’s taking the lead. Remember, if any of the pledges get spooked, send them my way. I’ll handle it.”
Everyone nodded and waited silently for me to continue. This was my least favorite part of the frat. As much fun as hazing was, bringing in new recruits was a pain in the ass. They were so young and nervous. I had very little patience for them, but I knew it was a necessary evil. Without new recruits, the frat would fold.
“Keep in mind that we’re trying to uphold our reputation,” I said. “Most of these guys tonight won’t make the cut. We don’t let just anyone in, all right? They all must complete the hazing process and come out on the other side. If you see anyone who doesn’t fit in with the Delta mindset, let myself or Bryan know. We’ll take care of it. Any questions?”
No one spoke, and I nodded toward Bryan. He stood up and took my place at the front of the room so he could address everyone. I barely listened while he spoke. The hazing plan hadn’t changed much since my pledge year. We did the same things every time. I grew bored of it when I was a pledge, and I never regained my interest. I wanted nothing more than to skip this entire process, but I knew that wasn’t an option.
Still, I zoned out during Bryan’s speech and didn’t start paying attention again until the recruits started to arrive. They all filed inside, looking eager and nervous. Most of them were young and pimply, but a few were older students. I looked them over closely, trying to gauge their usefulness based on their appearance.
As the night progressed, Bryan slipped easily into his role. He led the night seamlessly, making my job even easier. All I did was stand aside and watch with narrowed eyes. My job was to observe and step in when needed. I hoped I wouldn’t be needed. I much preferred the observatory role.
Already, I could tell that three of the recruits weren’t going to make it and that two were. The two I was certain about were the ones who, like me, seemed bored by the proceedings. They listened attentively, but weren’t fazed by anything.
Bryan took them through the paces. The rest of the brothers helped, doing their part to seem menacing. They yelled and screamed, threatened and belittled. If it wasn’t so boring, it would have been funny. These guys wouldn’t hurt a fly, and we all knew it. It was slightly entertaining to watch them act tough.
When the hazing hit its peak for the night, a few of the guys began to look worried. They huddled in the corner, eyeing us nervously. Most of the recruits stepped forward without a problem, and eventually, the ones in the corner followed suit.
Only one kid remained pressed against the wall, watching everything with narrowed eyes. He looked scared to death and seconds away from bolting. The challenge wasn’t a difficult one, but it was weird. Probably the weirdest we had. The kid looked like he was going to bail at any second. I sighed and stepped in, motioning for him to follow me.
He walked over to me, and I leaned in close to him. I wanted everyone else to think he was being punished.
“Can’t do it?” I asked softly. He just shook his head. “Come with me.”
He followed me out of the room. A few eyes were on us as we walked, but no one said a word. I glanced at some of the recruits and saw that they looked scared. I smirked to myself, knowing they were worried about their friend. Little did they know, he wasn’t going to be punished.
We stepped into the trophy room, which was just off the kitchen. The kid walked over to a leather chair and sat down. I could see that his hands were shaking, and I immediately felt sympathy for him. I never had trouble making it through my recruitment, but some guys did. This stuff could get rough, and everyone reacted differently.
“So, tell me,” I said, sitting down across from him. “What happened in there?”
“Nothing sir,” the kid squeaked. Calling us “sir” was part of the hazing, but I never found it funny.
“Cut that out,” I said. “You don’t have to call me ‘sir.’ Not in here.”
“Okay,” he said, still shaking.
“I just want to talk to you, that’s all,” I promised. “Everyone out there thinks I’m reaming your ass, and if you ever tell them differently, I will beat the shit out of you. Understood?”
“Yes,” he said quickly.
“Good,” I nodded. “Now listen, I know this stuff can get pretty rough. When I was a recruit, I got nervous, too.”
“You did?” he asked with wide eyes.
It was a lie, but I didn’t tell him that. “Yes,” I said. “But you get past it. You see, once you make it through all this shit, you’re one of us. You’re a brother, and brothers are forever, right?”
“I guess,” he said.
“We are,” I promised. “That’s the whole point of being in Delta, man. We’re all family here, and no matter what, we have your back. This hazing bullshit is just for fun, all right? It’s just a way to push your boundaries, to break you out of your shell. None of it really means anything.”
That wasn’t entirely true either. If a recruit couldn’t make it through most of the hazing, then we asked him to leave. This kid didn’t seem like the type, though. I got a feeling about him when I saw him hovering in the corner. He wanted to participate. He was just scared. After a little coaxing and reassuring, he would be fine.
“Listen,” I said, leaning closer to him. “You don’t have to do any of this. If you want to leave, you’re free to go. No one will think less of you. If we see you around campus, we’ll still say hey. We won’t blackball you from our parties or anything either. We won’t talk shit about you to other frats. We aren’t like that. We’re just looking to find some more brothers, that’s all.”
“I want to stay,” he said firmly. For the first time, he stopped shaking. His face was set, and there was a look of determination in his eyes.
“You sure?” I asked.
I leaned back and studied his face. I knew he was ready, but I wanted to push him a little further, just to make sure he was Delta material. If he caved, he wasn’t ready to be one of us.
“I’m sure,” he promised.
“All right,” I said. “Well, get back out there then. Get it done.”
He jumped up and hurried back to the common room. Once he was gone, I sat back and laughed to myself. It was so easy to play these new recruits. They were so fresh, so young.
By the time I made my way back to the common room, the night was over. Everyone was either leaving the house or heading up to bed. I saw Adam standing by the fireplace, and I walked over to him, shaking my head as I went.
“That kid was just like you freshman year,” I said.
“Really?” Adam laughed. “Think he’ll make it?”
“Definitely,” I said with confidence. “He just needed to be pushed. Once I made it a challenge for him, he jumped up. He’s Delta material, he just needed to realize he wanted it, you know?”
“I know,” Adam said. “Been there.”
“I remember,” I said not unkindly.
Adam had been nervous back then, too. Now, he was one of our senior officers. I knew this new kid would go far.
“Did you think any more about the party?” Adam asked suddenl
y.
I’d been focusing on the fire in the fireplace and hadn’t realized he was watching me. When I looked up, his eyes were dark with concern.
“I told you,” I sighed. “We’re doing it.”
“I figured,” Adam said. “Just thought I’d ask.”
“We’ll have a meeting next week to get it planned out,” I said. “We should start soon.”
“All right,” Adam said without argument.
I could tell from his tone that he disagreed with me, but I didn’t care. I was the Delta president, and it was my decision to make.
Chapter 12
Scarlet
As I walked between my classes on Thursday, I hoped to see Lucien hanging around. Everywhere I went, I looked around for him, but he was nowhere in sight. I wondered if he had any Thursday classes. I thought about texting him just to say hi, but I didn’t want to be clingy.
We’d only had one date. I wasn’t sure we’d progressed all the way to texting yet. This was yet another situation in which my lack of experience made things difficult.
By the time Friday arrived, I was giddy with excitement. Lucien and I had a class together today, so I knew I would see him again. I arrived thirty minutes early, not wanting a repeat of Wednesday’s awkwardness. I told myself I just didn’t want to deal with the embarrassment again, but really, I was eager to see Lucien.
I couldn’t wait to talk to him again, to hear his voice and his laugh. I hoped he might kiss me again, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. We would be in class after all. It wasn’t exactly the most romantic environment.
Still, as I took my seat, I couldn’t help but think about the way his lips felt against mine. I kept glancing around the room, desperate for a sign of him. As I looked, I let my mind wander to the other night.
Sitting in Lucien’s car, kissing him, had been the highlight of my week. I hadn’t made any other friends. Lucien was it. So, knowing that I had him made everything that much easier, but also knowing that he was attracted to me felt amazing. I was so worried he would run for the hills the second I told him about being a virgin, but he didn’t. He just smiled and said we could go slow.