by Cynthia Hart
“What, seriously? He doesn’t even seem like the type to date people. Who was he cheating on?” Rachael gasped in shock and then in anger when Liz started laughing. “What’s so funny, Liz?”
“Nothing, just he wasn’t cheating on someone.” Liz stopped to laugh some more. “Academic cheating. That’s what the rumor was about.” Liz took a deep breath. “There was some ‘evidence’,” Liz put the word into air quotes. “That Blake was caught cheating, and instead of expelling him and making the news public, the university asked him to leave quietly.”
“That makes sense. That kind of scandal wouldn’t look good on the university or Blake. I could see why they would want to keep that quiet.” Rachael thought for a minute. “Wait, why’d you put evidence in air quotes?”
“The only evidence to support that rumor was something that an office aide overheard and told her cousin who was a student here. Kind of flimsy evidence but it was enough to convince, or at least placate, the people that wanted to know why he left.” Liz started to scan the pages of the book in front of her again.
“What do you think happened, Liz?” Rachael couldn't help herself, she had to ask.
“I think he found something better,” Liz said with a note of finality in her voice, Rachael knew it was time to drop the subject, but she wasn’t ready to.
“Do you know more than you’re telling me?” Rachael stared at Liz, looking for any sign of lying.
“I told you what I know, Rach. You’re asking me questions about someone I hardly know, about something that happened four years ago. I’m sorry I can’t be any more help, but we both know he isn’t worth us talking about.” Liz picked up her pen and kept her head down, not wanting to make eye contact with Rachael.
“He might be worth more than you give him credit for.” Rachael huffed, picking up a highlighter.
“And what does that mean?” Liz finally lifted her head from her books.
“I mean he’s the one that gave me the tip to write about Mendel, Cuvier, and Lamarck. He is capable of being nice.” Rachael didn’t know why she felt the need to defend Blake, but she did.
“Why are you suddenly sticking up for the guy that you slapped today?” Liz rolled her eyes.
“I slapped him because he grabbed my ass, Liz. That doesn’t make him a bad guy.” Rachael barely kept herself from shouting.
“Do you even hear yourself?” Liz hissed, keeping her voice low while maintaining the anger in it.
“I think I need to spend some time alone, Liz.” Rachael stood up and started putting things into her bag. “Before I say something I really regret.”
“What is up with you, you were fine all day and now this?” Liz gestured her hand up and down Rachael’s body.
“I just need to focus on this essay, okay?” Rachael’s tone was a step above pleading. She didn’t feel desperate because of Liz, she was pleading with herself. She was pleading with her mind to stop thinking about Blake.
“Okay. Good luck with it.” Liz looked a little relieved as Rachael walked away. Rachael’s nerves, on the other hand, started to skyrocket the minute she walked away from Liz.
Rachael considered going back to the bar, but she was too concerned that Blake would see her and get the wrong idea. Finally, she decided to work on her essay in her dorm. She could only hope that it was too early for her party-girl roommate to be there as well.
Rachael considered herself lucky when she walked into her empty dorm room. She had found a nice, quiet, and distraction free place where she could focus on her essay. She definitely was not going to think about Blake, she wasn’t going to do it. Maybe if she kept telling herself that it would become true.
After some time had passed, Rachael turned on her laptop to start her first draft of her essay and looked at the time. Half an hour until Blake wanted to meet her at the bar. She didn’t want to see him but she was curious about him, she hadn’t stopped thinking about the fact that he dropped out when he was so close to graduating. Why would someone devote so much time and money to just walk away in the final stretch? Rachael shook her head and pushed Blake out of her head once more.
Just as she started to type, her door swung open. She looked up to see the back of her roommate’s head as she made out with some guy up against the door, Rachael groaned. Her roommate from last semester transferred to a new school, they may have been messy, but at least they didn’t bring a new guy into the room every week. Rachael coughed to let the two know they weren’t alone.
“Oh, sorry.” Rachael’s roommate giggled after she separated from the guy. “I didn’t realize you would be here.”
“I know, it’s so bizarre for people to be in their rooms at 11:30 at night,” Rachael said with sarcasm that went right over her roommate’s head.
“It is weird. I don’t normally get in until two or three in the morning.” Then she giggled again, that laugh was getting on Rachael’s nerves.
“I know.” Rachael gave her a tight-lipped smile as she tried to keep her annoyances in check.
“Oh, where are my manners?” Rachael’s roommate turned to the guy she had brought into the room. “Rachael, this is Brad. No, Thad. No, sorry, his name is Chad.” She giggled again.
“Actually, it’s Mike.” Mike took a step forward and shook Rachael’s hand before going to catch her roommate before she slid down the door.
“Who’s Chad then?” She asked.
“Chad’s my friend. Remember, you were making out with him, and then he got sick, he told me to go in his place.” Mike explained, Rachael felt like she was going to be sick now. She’ll never understand this university’s party culture. were sex and tag in, tag out sports all you did on campus?
“Well, I think I’ll leave you to do whatever it is that you plan on doing,” Rachael explained, she didn’t know if they even heard her. They were far too invested in each other right now to notice anyone else, Rachael did feel a little left out. It seemed like everyone had a sex life except for her. Rachael put everything back in her bag and moved around her roommate and man of the week so she could leave. “Don’t wait up,” Rachael told them as she left.
“Don’t worry, I never do.” Rachael’s roommate shouted back before slamming the door closed. Just a few more weeks and Rachael would never have to see that roommate again, it’s bad enough she knows what she sounds like when she has sex when she doesn’t even know her last name. Rachael hit her head against the wall. Since she had to leave her room, she has to go to the bar, where Blake will be.
Chapter 4
Rachael took a deep breath, Blake was beyond annoying, but he was smart, and she needed help on this essay. As much as it pained her to admit it, she was attracted to Blake, she wished she wasn’t, but she can’t stop thinking about him. Heck, even when she’s asleep she has sex dreams about him. It was time for her to face facts, she wanted to have sex with a smart jerk who said he’d help her with her Biology essay.
That’s not so bad, is it? It could be worse, Blake could be a drug dealer or some other type of criminal. That was one good thing about deciding to take Blake up on his offer, she could get some of her questions about his past answered. Unless they were too painful to talk about, then she could just fake sympathy and sleep with him. Rachael kicked a wall outside her building. She didn’t want to become a jerk just to justify having sex with a jerk. She just wanted to pass Biology, that’s all.
At least that’s what she would keep telling herself as she paced outside the bar until it was five minutes past midnight. She didn’t want to come off as eager to Blake, he would be insufferable enough as it was just because Rachael was bothering to show up. Rachael took a deep breath, today is as good a day as any to take this leap.
Rachael breezed into the bar, doing her best to act nonchalant even when she saw Blake looking at her from the corner of her eye. She would not approach him, she would wait until he came to her, she would wait here even if he took all night. Rachael unpacked her bag and started working on her essay again, letti
ng her eyes flick briefly over Blake. He was talking in a corner to various people who kept coming and going. Even the owner of the bar, Jerry, had spent a good amount of time talking to Blake in that dark corner. Rachael wanted to know what was going on but couldn’t think of a way to find out casually.
After about a half an hour, Blake finally moved out of the corner and walked over to Rachael’s booth. He was wearing his black ripped jeans, the same pair he was wearing three weeks ago Rachael couldn’t help but notice. She lifted her eyes slowly from his legs as he walked towards her, he was looking very typical James Dean Bad Boy with his skintight white t-shirt and black jacket. Blake seemed to smile, albeit only half a smile but still a smile, as he sat down in the seat across from Rachael.
“I’ll admit, I almost thought you wouldn’t come,” Blake told Rachael before looking over his shoulder.
“I almost didn’t come, if I’m honest,” Rachael told him. “What are you looking at?”
“I’m waiting for someone,” Blake said, turning his full attention back to Rachael. “It’s not that important if they don’t come they come. No big deal.”
“It’s not a girl, is it?” Rachael asked, keeping her tone teasing even though on the inside she felt like a fool, of course, Blake would be waiting for a girl, he was probably getting ready to take her on a date, and they would have a nice evening and wonderful sex. Rachael really needed to get her mind out of the gutter. “You’re waiting for someone to take on a date, I fully understand.”
“What, no. It’s business. You looked like you put yourself through a whirlwind there, are you okay?” Blake asked with genuine concern.
“Yeah, I’m good. I just, I hate that I need help with this essay and all of Biology, really.” Rachael half-lied, the truth was she was nervous to be around Blake. He was so gorgeous, and she was so, well, not gorgeous. She was all right looking, but she always felt a little bland.
“Well, I understand that. Life’s hard for overachievers like us.” Blake waved the waitress over and order a drink.
“Excuse me?” Rachael scoffed. “You’re an overachiever?” Rachael barely bit back a laugh.
“Yes, I am.” Blake laughed. “Is that so hard to wrap your mind around?”
“Honestly, yeah.” Rachael leaned back in her seat.
“Why is that?” Blake leaned forward, wanting to stay close to Rachael.
“Well, you know, you kind of dropped out of university, in your senior year. That doesn’t see very overachiever to me.” Rachael chuckled, finally starting to feel relaxed. Until she realized that Blake wasn’t laughing, she looked into his eyes. She thought she would see anger, but instead, she only saw a flicker of pain, before Blake quickly replaced it with indifference.
“You heard about that then?” Blake’s laugh was hollow. “While you’re learning things about me, I don’t date so you don’t need to worry about keeping me away from dates.”
“Why don’t you date?” Is what Rachael wanted to ask. Instead, she straightened her back and said, “Interesting. I really don’t want to talk about who you are or aren’t dating. I just want to get help on this essay.”
“Okay, you could be a little more polite. I am helping you, you know.” Blake smiled at the waitress when she dropped off his drink, and Rachael felt a pang of jealousy run through her. “Are you sure you don’t want one, Rach? You are 21, after all.” Blake raised an eyebrow when he asked his question, trying to get a reaction from Rachael.
“No, I’m good thank you.” Rachael addressed the waitress. “I don’t like to write essays while drunk.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re the only student that has sense.” The waitress laughed. “Let me know if there’s anything I can get you, okay? It’s my first night, so I’m kind of nervous.”
“I thought you were new, I never forget a pretty face.” Blake flirted, placing his hand on the waitress’ forearm. “I hope this isn’t too forward but, what time do you get off?”
“When the bar closes in an hour.” The waitress was blushing and couldn’t stop playing with her hair. The whole thing was making Rachael sick.
“Do you mind if we have a little chat when you get off?” Blake’s eyes were shining with charm, Rachael’s desire to have sex with him was diminishing by the second.
“Sure. I can’t wait.” The waitress was beaming with joy as she walked away, Rachael just rolled her eyes.
“What happened to not dating?” Rachael scoffed.
“That’s not dating.” Blake sipped his beer. “It’s business.”
“Sure it is.” Rachael was jealous, she wouldn’t admit it, but she was completely jealous that she wouldn’t be the waitress in an hour.
“It is, but moving on. You said you were here to get help in Biology, so let’s get to it. We have an hour, then we can take a short break, and I’ll be back when I’m done with the waitress.” Blake picked up Rachael’s notebook.
“How romantic, a quickie after work.” Rachael rolled her eyes.
“It’s business. And keep rolling your eyes like that, and they’ll fall out of your head.” Blake checked his watch, then pulled out his phone and sent a text.
“You sound like my parent when you say stuff like that.” Rachael pointed out.
“Well, you could call me daddy. I wouldn’t mind.” Blake smirked at Rachael.
“Oh, gross.” Rachael didn’t even let her mind go there, she wasn’t sure if she could get it back if she did.
“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Blake teased.
“I’m trying very hard not to,” Rachael said with honesty.
“All right then, your loss. I would be a great daddy.” Blake wriggled his eyebrows.
“Enough, let’s get started on this essay.” Rachael was laughing with Blake, and it felt good, comfortable. She could get used to this.
“I read over your outline, and I like what you have planned, it sounds much more interesting than your original plan, but I do have a few suggestions.” Blake started out, picking up a spare pen and making notes in the margins.
Chapter 5
As Blake and Rachael worked on the essay, the bar started empty out. Rachael noticed that the only people left other than them were a few of Blake’s friends by the bar and the waitress. She hissed the word in her mind, in a few minutes Blake would leave to do some “business” with the waitress and Rachael would have to pretend like she didn’t care when she actually did.
“Wait right here, I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Blake told Rachael after he looked at his watch and stood up, as if on cue his friends walked outside, following the waitress.
“Isn’t this place closed, shouldn’t we be going?” Rachael asked, the thought of staying in an empty bar was slightly scary to her, and she was also worried about the waitress. What kind of business was Blake involved in?
“I’m friends with Jerry, the owner.” Blake fixed his jacket. “He’s okay with me staying late occasionally. Why don’t you start writing the conclusion and see if you want to add more to the paper. I can’t believe you’re almost done.” Blake said with pride in his voice.
“Okay.” Rachael nodded, she was reveling in the pride she received from Blake. She just gazed at him as he walked out the door, she wanted to know what business he was getting up to. Or maybe she didn’t maybe it was better if she didn’t know, the thought sent thrills up her spine.
Blake leaned against the outside of the door and lit a cigarette. He checked to make sure his friends weren't too obvious, and they were doing good. Only two of them were in sight, and if someone saw them, they’d think nothing of it.
“Smoking kills, you know.” The waitress said with a smile, letting her eyes travel up and down Blake’s body.
“Want one?” Blake offered the pack to the waitress. “It’ll calm your nerves.” The waitress took a cigarette and Blake lit it for her.
“Aren’t you going to take a puff or are you just going to leave the cigarette burning?” The waitress asked with
a flirtatious tone.
“Oh, I don’t smoke. It’s for aesthetic.” Blake gestured up and down his self. “The whole outfit feels incomplete without a lit cigarette between my fingers.”
“Aren’t you a stylish one.” The waitress giggled before taking a small step forwards. She tilted her head and leaned in towards Blake for a kiss, but he held his hand up, stopping her.
“Sorry, I know I mislead you, but I’m not really interested. This is just business.” Blake put his hand down once the waitress took a few steps back.
“What business?” She asked, eyes darting around the small alley as fear started to set in.
“The less you know, the better. Here’s what you need to know: If anyone comes in asking for KT or any variation, you’ll tell them nothing. Instead, you’ll go to me or one of my friends and then you’ll put it out of your mind. That’s all. Also, my friends and I never pay for anything. Jerry knows about that, so you don’t need to worry about your job or anything.” Blake kept his tone friendly with a slight edge to keep the waitress’ attention.
“What friends?” The waitress tried to keep the fear out of her voice but failed miserably. Her ability to hide the fact that she was scared only got worse when Blake nodded and his friends started coming out of their hiding places.
“Don’t circle around her boys.” Blake chided. “No need to make her even more afraid than she is now. The only thing I want to do is make sure she knows the rules. Do you know the rules?” Blake asked.
“Yeah, yes. I know the rules.” The waitress’ voice quivered slightly.
“Good.” Blake turned to the door but stopped. “The girl I’m with tonight. She doesn’t pay for anything either, and she gets the best service.”