by Jess Bentley
“Oh!” he says, more interested than I thought he was going to be. “Brilliant girl. Really, top-notch. We are lucky to have her.”
“In what way?”
He waves his hand in the air as though searching for the most expedient explanation. I can tell he wants me out of his office now.
“Miss Sokolov received the Dean's award, a full scholarship that's administered by my office. I go over all of the applications personally, and she was uniquely qualified. Her work with the anti-bullying app has been outstanding. There is a good chance she could be successful with that.”
“An app?” I repeat, incredulous.
“Yes, her professor brought it to my attention. The department was considering purchasing it from her. Not bad for a freshman, wouldn't you say?”
Not bad at all. I study him. “Are you aware that she plans on quitting school?”
He stands up suddenly from his chair. “No… no I should hope not!”
“Yes,” I nod seriously. “The hazing that she received at the hands of Elizabeth Whitmore was so brutally severe that she wanted to withdraw from school. I'm fairly certain I have convinced her otherwise for the moment, but…”
He shakes his head sadly, frowning as he stares out the window. “You know, it's always the really talented ones who have the most to lose. People like Lizzie Whitmore will be fine, no matter what happens. There’s practically nothing anybody could do to her, which is why she's been able to be such a pain in the ass since she's been here. But if she's putting real talent at risk… well, I'm glad you intervened, Mr. Lockwood.”
He thrusts out his hand and I stand, shaking it. I can feel that he really means what he is saying to me and it pleases me, if I'm honest. I certainly wasn't expecting an endorsement.
“Just out of curiosity,” I venture, “how much would it cost to replace that sign on the Sports Pavilion?”
“I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Mr. Lockwood.”
“Five hundred? Does that sound about right?”
“Thousand?” he chokes out. His cheeks get shiny with anticipation. Sounds like half a million dollars just bought me a couple of tennis courts and a soccer field.
“As long as we understand each other?” I nod, waiting to catch his eye.
He smiles grimly, apparently weighing his responsibilities against each other and finding in my favor.
“We do, Mr. Lockwood,” he agrees.
The Lockwood Sports Pavilion. It has a nice ring to it.
Chapter 16
Kita
After yanking on the parking brake, I swipe my books out of the passenger seat and climb down from the Jeep. It gleams darkly in the sun, shiny as a beetle shell. Freddie keeps the cars all waxed and spotlessly clean all the time. It makes me feel like kind of a princess. For the first time in my life.
Automatically I just start walking diagonally across the quad, heading for the computer sciences building. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a flash of fiery red hair sparking in the light. It's Lizzie, about a hundred yards away. She's walking with Claudia and Babs, their heads tipped toward each other as they stare at a cell phone screen.
Instantly my stomach is in knots. I know it's stupid to assume that they are laughing at me again, but that wound is still fresh. My heart starts pounding and my mouth is as dry as sand. I pivot, thinking that maybe I should just walk around the administration building instead. I don't want to walk run into them. All I want to do is finish my finals, finish the semester, and then maybe think about what comes next…
Like quitting school.
But, that's a thought for another time. I quicken my step because going behind the admin building means adding a few minutes to my path, and I don't want to be late for the test. I shift my books to my other arm and cross the long back strap over my neck, lengthening my strides.
It feels kind of nice, almost like running. I have really missed exercise. Yoga is fun but it's not really the same kind of burn as cardio.
While I'm rearranging all my stuff I almost slam completely into a person-shaped obstacle. I dive quickly to my left, but he throws out an arm, catching me under my elbow. As I gasp in surprise, my eyes lock with Daniel’s and my shock turns to a bursting bubble of joy in my chest.
“Daniel!” I smile breathlessly, letting myself just grin at him without trying to hide it like I usually do. But he has caught me by surprise, so I don’t have time to remember to be coy.
“I'm sorry, Kita, I didn’t mean to startle you. You just sort of came out of nowhere.”
His eyes drift down my form, checking me over possessively. It gives me a little thrill, the way he’s not being shy about it. We’re in public where anyone could see us.
“Yeah, I've only got a few minutes,” I stammer, trying to not sound flustered. “But, hey, you're here?”
I let the question hang in the air and search his eyes, trying to make sense of this. Did he just come out of the admin building?
He stands me back upright and I get my feet under me, taking a moment to look him over. He's wearing close cut trousers and a fitted, button-down shirt. It's only slightly more dressed up than his usual outfit, but it does sort of stand out. The fabric hugs so close to his skin that I want to reach out and run my hand across the muscles that show through it. He clearly made an effort to look serious. But why?
“I had a meeting with the Dean,” he explains, though I can hear there's a little bit more to that story than he's letting on right now. “From time to time they come to me with requests. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“You’re like Batman,” I joke, trying to stifle a giggle.
He quirks one eyebrow me. “Excuse me?”
“Oh you know, just the mysterious bachelor that is always swooping in to save people… but you know what? Never mind. I don’t even know why I said that.”
I shake my head, totally embarrassed. I'm all flustered and off-balance and babbling like a doofus.
“Actually, that's sort of a compliment. Batman was always my favorite superhero.”
“Really?” I ask him, happy to have a chance to dig a little deeper below the surface and realizing I haven't had many of those chances at all so far. “Why is he your favorite?”
He shrugs one shoulder, clenching his jaw and looking around, surveying the few other people within earshot. It's a gesture I have seen him do many times, like he's always on the alert. Like he is the Secret Service or something.
“Well, probably because Batman is not a superhero at all. No magical powers. Just a man with a mission, I guess you could say.”
“A mission… and a billion dollars.”
He cracks a smile, his cheeks dimpling into long lines that bracket those beautiful white teeth. I love making him smile. Makes me want to wriggle like a puppy.
“Yeah, I guess a billion dollars doesn't hurt either.”
“Oh, hello, Daniel,” comes a voice, shooting through the air like a dart.
I startle, flinching to the side and almost rolling my ankle. Daniel catches me under my right elbow and draws me to him, but then pulls me further, pushing me behind him. He sidesteps slightly, inserting himself between me and Lizzie Whitmore, who's sneering like a tiger with a meal in front of her.
“Oh, I don't bite, Daniel!” she protests. “You of all people should know that. I just want to talk to Kita, is that all right?”
“About what?” he growls.
I press my hand to the middle of his back and feel the vibrations there. His muscles are tense as he rearranges himself to a defensive position. Literally, he is shielding me from her. And I can't help but be grateful, because there goes my heartbeat again, racing like a rabbit around my chest. I don't know why. What could she even really do to me? But I just want this to be over. I want to be away from her.
Far, far away.
“Kita, aren’t you even going to say hello?” Claudia scoffs. “Seriously? You’re just going to hide behind your daddy here?”
I feel Daniel m
ove his arms and assume he's holding his hands up, palms out. He's managing the situation, and all I need to do is stand here. I can do that. I can trust him to take care of this for me.
I know that, but ninety-nine percent of me wants to just run the hell away.
“We miss you around the house, Kita,” Lizzie singsongs. “Like, a lot.”
Claudia chuckles, and I hear Babs’ high-pitched giggle chime in too. I hate the sound of their laughing. What's so damn funny?
“A super-lot,” Claudia says. “Where have you been?”
“Kita was just on her way to an exam,” Daniel says in a barely audible voice.
“With you?” Lizzie sneers. “You know, she's an adult. She's expected to do this on her own, not take her daddy with her to class.”
“All right, Lizzie, that's enough.” I can not only hear his voice but feel the vibrations of it through the fabric covering his back. I want to curl into his arms.
“You know what? I don't think it is enough,” she says, her voice spiraling upward. I can feel that she's gotten closer and Daniel stiffens.
“I think that whatever you guys have got going on here, it is more than a little bit weird. Don’t you think so, Claudia?”
“Oh, definitely skeevy, I would say, personally,” Claudia agrees.
“Kind of gross,” Babs pipes in.
“Yeah, you know, I always thought you were a little weird, to tell you the truth,” Lizzie continues. “This skulking around campus, interfering with sorority business… maybe you should entertain yourself with women your own age, Daniel, don't you think?”
The air chills around us. I feel his breath accelerate, then it slows again to an eerily subdued rate.
“I mean, what are you planning? You can’t just keep her locked up in your warehouse of pervy delights. You know that, right? You think nobody knows she's over there? Do you have a proper dungeon in the basement or something?”
I bite my lips together, trying to keep any words from coming out. Who does she think she is? What is she suggesting? There is absolutely nothing wrong with me staying at Daniel's place. It's a perfectly normal relationship…
Isn't it?
“I think Kita needs be getting to her exam now,” Daniel says slowly, not even acknowledging Lizzie's suggestions. But I want him to. I want him to defend me, to defend us. To explain that I wouldn't have to be hiding out in his house if I felt safe anywhere else. Which is not his fault… it's hers.
But I'm not going to say any of that. And it doesn't seem like Daniel is either.
“Really?” I hear Claudia ask. “So, what about a coffee or something? You never did buy me that drink.” A flame sparks in my chest. Don’t you flirt with…my man.
To my surprise, Daniel shifts to the side, pivoting to face me. His hands slide under my jaw, tipping my chin upward. Then, in full view of everybody he dips down, kissing me tenderly for long seconds, so sweetly that it takes my breath away. I hear my lab book slide from my hand and flutter to the ground, but I couldn't care less.
When he pulls away, he is smiling.
“Dinner tonight?” he says, loud enough for anyone to hear. “Say, seven o'clock? Fish Market on Sullivan?”
I nod tightly, trying not to breathe too hard so I don't burst out giggling by mistake. Well, this is a surprise. Batman just asked me out on a date!
“I'll take that as a yes,” he smiles brilliantly. “Wear something pretty. Now, run along to class.”
I'm not sure I can say anything without giggling or babbling like a dope, so I just stay quiet as Daniel leans over and picks up my lab notebook, handing it back to me politely. Then he pivots again to position himself between me and the sorority girls as I hurry away to my test.
I've only got about two minutes before class, but I practically fly across the quad, lighter than air. I feel so buoyant, not even gravity can stop me from where I'm going. I have to stop myself from doing tumbles across the expanse of grass.
Chapter 17
Daniel
After Kita is out of earshot, it’s time to get serious with these young ladies. I need to make a point.
“Elizabeth Whitmore, I want to be completely clear with you—”
Lizzie holds up one finger, stop. She pulls her cell phone out of her pocket and drags it under her hair. As she turns to take the phone call and walk away from me, Claudia jerks her chin toward Kita’s receding form.
“You really do have a thing for the young ladies, don't you, Daniel? Is that your problem? Did I just get too old for you?”
“Claudia, in all honesty, there will never be an age at which I find you even the remotest bit attractive.”
She narrows her eyes at me, her gaze steely and sharp as a blade. But I suppose it’s for the best. If I had not been completely clear with her before, the message has now gotten through.
I see Elizabeth’s mouth drop open, and she takes a step toward me, shoving the phone back in her handbag. Her sharp heels knock against the concrete sidewalk.
“What did you do??” she hisses at me.
I cross my arms in front of my chest, still unconsciously positioning myself between them and Kita. She's probably already in class by now, but it's just where I feel like I need to be.
“I don't think I know what you are talking about.”
“Our charter… it’s been dissolved!”
Babs looks completely confused, but Claudia just blanches. She gasps and grabs Lizzie by the upper arm.
“Dissolved? But how? What does that mean?”
“It means you guys need to look for new housing,” I mutter, but they can't even hear me. They chatter among themselves about thirty seconds, realizing that life is about to get very different.
“You did this,” Lizzie says with certainty. She's right, so I'm not going to even attempt to deny it.
“I warned you, Elizabeth. I told you to stop,” I explain simply.
“Stop?” she repeats, incredulous. “Why should I have to stop? Do you know how much stuff I haven't even released yet? Do you know all the juicy videos I've got of sweet little Kita? I can fucking destroy her!”
“Lizzie, don't,” I warn her.
But she's on a roll. She steps toward me, her nostrils flaring with every shallow breath. I can feel the heat coming off of her and the trembling rage in her voice.
“Oh but I have to,” she explains evilly. “You see, little Nikita has been a favorite since she arrived at the sorority house. She's been practically a superstar. There are a lot of people with a lot of money who expect —”
I take a step forward, almost nose to nose with her. I won't touch her, but I want her to know how easily I could.
“You're finished, Lizzie,” I explain calmly. “Everything you have has already been pinpointed and destroyed. Did you really think that you could be hosting that kind of bandwidth and no one would notice? You're an amateur and what you’ve been doing is highly illegal.”
“You have no right—”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter. You see, I didn’t do it,” I interrupt her. She stares lasers at me, furious and considering her next move.
But she’s out of time.
“Elizabeth!” comes a voice from inside a Town Car that just pulled up. A long leg bends forward, followed by the lithe, primal figure of Marilyn Whitmore.
“M-mother?” Lizzie stammers, reddening almost to the shade of her hair. She glares at me. “You called my mother??”
I shrug. “You’re lucky I didn’t call my friends in the Secret Service.”
As Marilyn advances, the other girls go completely quiet. I back away as subtly as possible and head home, satisfied the situation will be handled more or less immediately. Marilyn Whitmore is even more terrifying than her monster of a daughter.
The day goes by excruciatingly slowly. I know Kita will be in class for a few more hours, so I take a drive around, looking at my businesses, past and present. Soon, my name is going to be on the University as well. People will see it every day. Tha
t's a little more obvious than I've been in the past, but I feel all right about it. It certainly seemed to make the Dean friendlier toward me. Which is currency I can use.
But Marilyn's arrival was brilliant timing. I couldn't possibly have planned that better myself. After I spoke to Candace, she followed up with an email saying she would contact Marilyn to discuss “all the options." I was fairly sure what she meant, and I'm relieved to find out it's all been put into motion so quickly.
As I pass by the technology incubator, the Dean's admiration for Kita flashes through my mind. So, she designed an app? A socially significant app? How did I not know this?
I can't wait to learn more about her. She gets more intriguing with every day that passes. I had intended to invite her to dinner, but making my offer in front of Lizzie and her cohorts was just too perfect. I could tell by the expression on Kita's face that she was grateful. And that came with a twinge of guilt too, because maybe some of Lizzie's insinuations that I have been hiding Kita away have a small amount of truth to them. Maybe Kita felt like I didn’t want to go out with her publicly. I’m such a private person, it didn’t become obvious to me until just now.
But no longer. We are going to turn that ship around.
When I get home, I take a long time to pick out an outfit, trying to imagine what she's going to wear. One of those sweet, feminine dresses, no doubt. Something that is going to make it almost impossible to spend the evening next to her without wanting her more every second.
That's all right. That's a challenge.
I hope I am up to it.
When I hear her come home, I stay in my room until I hear her head for the shower. Then I go downstairs and putter around, letting the anticipation build.
Finally I just stand at the bottom of the stairs, practically breathless with excitement. I hear her moving around upstairs and with every passing second, my excitement gets bigger. I don't know if she's doing this to me on purpose, or if it just comes naturally to her, but the ache in my core is exquisite.