by S. E. Smith
“Then, why hasn’t he called you? I mean, you left your number for him in the broadcast room when you went to fix that piece that broke, didn’t you?” Angela asked. “Maybe he’s just talking about something else.”
“Or someone else,” Velma pointed out. “It may be a line he uses with all the other girls.”
Tilly shook her head and folded her arms again. “No, he’s not like that,” she insisted. “He’s sweet and smart and just dreamy.”
“He’s weird,” Velma retorted dryly.
Betty Ann giggle before looking apologetically at Tilly. “She’s right, Tilly. He’s always mumbling to himself and writing in those notebooks,” she said before her voice faded when Tilly turned to glare at her.
“He is not weird! He is just thinking out loud and those notebooks are going to make him rich one day, you mark my words! Angus Bell has a brilliant mind and his imagination and stories are unbelievable,” Tilly growled, lowering her arms and clenching her fists.
“Okay, he’s brilliant,” Angela interjected, coming to stand in front of Tilly. “But, really? Kidnapping him? What are you going to do once you’ve got him?”
Tilly’s eyes lifted to look with a silent plea at Angela. “Just talk,” Tilly whispered. “And it’s not really kidnapping. I’m just going to lock myself in the broadcast room with him until he either agrees to go out with me or tells me once and for all he’s not interested in me.”
“Why?” Sue demanded in exasperation, throwing her hands up in the air. “What is it about Angus Bell that is making you act like a raving lunatic?”
Tilly turned to look at Sue. She bit her lip, debating if she should confess her infatuation with Angus. How did she explain that she knew deep down that he was the man for her and she knew she was the woman for him? She understood his stories. They touched something deep inside her that she understood. It was more than science fiction, it was a vision of what was really out there – somewhere – in the vast universe that they called home.
“I think I love him,” Tilly whispered, turning so that she could stare at each of her sorority sisters. “Deep down… It’s more than his stories. I just want to find out if it is for real. Will you help me?”
All the girls looked at each other. Tilly knew they were questioning not only her sanity, but their own. The only way down to the broadcast room was through the front door of the House of Geeks as the fraternity house was called. She would have to get past the other residents and down into the basement without getting caught. She could do it on her own, but it would be faster – and more fun – with her friends help.
A collective of loud sighs escaped all of the girls. She was going to owe some major debt if this worked, she thought in amusement when she saw the pained expression on Velma’s face. Even so, she could see that they were going to help her.
“Okay,” Angela finally said. “What do you want us to do?”
Tilly grinned and rubbed her hands together. This might not only be rewarding for her, but one of the craziest stunts that the others had done in their entire life. Operation Angus Bell was about to go into full swing!
Chapter 4
Tilly glanced around the side of the building. It was just after eleven o’clock in the evening. She grimaced when she heard some drunken shouts of laughter from the house next door. Doing this on a Friday night might not have been the best time, but she was tired of waiting. She adjusted the head gear she had on, and positioned the tip of the microphone closer to her mouth. Now, she just needed to wait for the others to get into place.
“This is Team Leader One to Black Ninja. Operation Angus Bell has begun. Are you ready, Tilly?” Betty Ann whispered into the two way radio she was carrying. “I see two targets sitting on the front porch.”
“Who is Team Leader One?” Velma breathed out in her ear.
“It’s Betty Ann,” Sue responded. “I’m Little Red Riding Hood.”
“Oh, I like that one, Sue,” Angela exclaimed over her radio. “Is Tilly Black Ninja?”
“Yep,” Betty Ann whispered back. “We are using code names in case anyone is listening in.”
“Who am I?” Velma asked in confusion.
“Who do you want to be?” Angela asked.
“I know,” Sue said excitedly. “Mae West. You’d be a great Mae West, Velma.”
“Oh yeah! I’m totally the Mae West with this head of blonde curls and big boobs. Angela, who are you?” Velma chuckled.
“Lonesome Dove,” Angela replied. “I so love that movie. If only I could find me a handsome cowboy.”
“I think you need to check three houses down. I heard country music playing from there,” Tilly couldn’t help chirping in.
“I’m checking them out on the way back,” Angela vowed. “Okay, what do we do next? Betty Ann said there were two targets on the porch. Personally, I think nerds is a better description. Did you see what they were doing?”
“There’s nothing wrong with playing chess!” Tilly hissed, staring at the two guys sitting across from each other.
“Tilly, it’s Friday night, for crying out loud!” Velma groaned. “Friday night! Look at the house next door? Do you think anyone is playing chess there?”
Tilly released an exasperated sigh. “Not everyone enjoys killing off their brain cells when they are young, Velma,” she hissed back.
“Yeah, just take a look at us,” Angela retorted. “You know, Tilly, I don’t think that they serve beer in the local jail.”
“This is so going to look bad on my resume,” Sue remarked. “Kidnapping is a felony, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and I’m not technically kidnapping him,” Tilly replied with a huff of breath. “I’m merely detaining him in his own home. Besides, you don’t even like beer, Sue.”
“Well, I do,” Velma retorted. “She’s right, Sue. No one will even know we were involved. The only one who has the potential to get caught is Tilly.”
“And we all promised to bail her out if she does,” Angela reminded everyone. “Okay, now what? Tilly, Angus goes on in less than an hour. You’re going to have to hurry if you want to get some kinky sex with him.”
“Yew, TMI, Angela,” Betty Ann complained. “I wonder if he even knows what to do.”
“Will you gals just shut up, already?” Sue complained. “Between jail and the thought of Tilly and Angus having kinky sex, I’m about ready to go join the house next door and lose a few brain cells and my virginity.”
“Okay, you girls get the nerds out of the way,” Tilly explained. “I’ll go over the balcony and in through the front door once you girls lead the guys away.”
“Good luck, Tilly,” Angela replied.
“Yeah, blow his mind,” Velma added with a giggle.
“Ugh!” Sue and Betty Ann groaned.
*.*.*
Tilly watched as the other four girls stepped out from behind the trees further down the road and started walking up the sidewalk. Each was dressed in a different outfit that showed off either their long legs or the tight tops. She shook her head when she heard the catcalls coming from some of the guys from the fraternity house next door. From the way they were hanging off the railing, the distraction was working… just on the wrong guys.
“Come on, notice them already,” Tilly muttered under her breath. “Geez, look at the girls, already!”
Tilly released her breath when the two guys on the front porch finally looked up to see what all the hollering was about. Velma was doing her best Mae West impression. She walked right up to the steps and leaned forward so that her ample cleavage was showing.
“Hey, boys, could you give us girls a hand?” Velma purred.
“Yeah, or two?” Sue added, turning just enough to thrust out her breasts.
Tilly fought the urge to roll her eyes. Distraction was one thing. This was more a full force assault. The two guys were practically falling over themselves to get closer. Taking a deep breath, she darted forward across the sma
ll yard. Reaching up, she grabbed the railing and pulled her leg up to get her foot between it. It was a stretch for her, but she was determined to climb over it.
She almost fell backwards when the door opened and two more guys hurried out. Holding onto the railing and she peeked through the slats. A wave of relief swept through her when she saw that Angus wasn’t one of them. Glancing at her watch, she saw that she had thirty-five minutes before his show began.
Tilly slowly pulled herself up and over the railing when the four guys followed the other girls. She couldn’t help but grin. They had decided that Angela’s old Mazda was going to have engine trouble. Tilly had loosened the battery cable. She wondered how long it would take the guys to figure that out.
Glancing back at the retreating figures, she silently walked toward the screen door. She planned on going through the window, but decided the door would be easier. There were currently five guys living in the house and only one was still in there. Betty Ann had gleamed that little bit of information from Harry when he called asking if Tilly had changed her mind about going out with him.
She listened at the door for a moment before peering through the screen. Carefully opening it, she winced when it made a loud squeaking noise. Tilly stuck her head inside and glanced around. The coast was clear. She slipped inside and hurried past the center staircase to the door leading down to the basement.
With an excited grin, she pulled the door open and gazed down at the dimly lit stairs. Tilly raised a trembling hand to push her curls away. Her heart was pounding and her palms were sweaty. She hadn’t been this flustered since she built her first engine in the third grade and had to show her dad and grandpa that it worked.
“This is it, Tilly,” she whispered, staring down the stairs. “You’re opening yourself up to heartache.”
She pushed down the negative thoughts. She refused to believe that Angus wasn’t the man she was destined to be with. If just hearing his voice hadn’t convinced her, then seeing him up close had definitely sealed her belief that they were a match made in the stars. There had been an electrical charge and a chemical reaction in their first touch.
“Come on, Tilly, get your feet to work,” she murmured, stepping down so that she could close and lock the door behind her.
She slowly descended the steps, trying to be as quiet as she could. At the bottom, she could see the soft glow of light coming from the console. She paused and frowned when she saw the chair in front of it was empty.
Panic swept through her and she felt a sudden rush of despair. A soft curse started to escape her at the injustice of life trying to mess with her destiny. Her lips parted, but the curse turned into a startled gasp when a hand reached out and wrapped around her right wrist. With a slight jerk, she lost her balance and fell into Angus Bell’s arms.
“Angus!” Tilly whispered in shock, staring up into his dancing brown eyes.
“And you, my delicate, black ninja, are now my prisoner,” Angus exclaimed with a slightly menacing smile pulling at his lips.
“Oh!” Tilly choked, her mind going blank when he suddenly lowered his head toward hers.
“You really should have used a different frequency, Tilly Graham. Because now you are mine,” Angus whispered in a soft voice before he captured her lips with his.
Tilly’s eyes widened as his words sank in before her eyelashes fluttered close and she reached up to wrap her arms around Angus’ neck. The sharp charge that had struck her the first time flashed through her again.
She didn’t complain when he removed her headphone and tossed it aside. He didn’t complain when she unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. Their loud gasps and moans filled not only the basement, but the air wave as they both would later find out. Never before in the history of the college radio station had there ever been a larger audience, nor a more interesting broadcast.
In the excitement, Angus had forgotten to start his pre-recorded broadcast and the listeners were given a live performance that would go down in college history as being the most exciting, and loved filled, one yet.
About S. E. Smith
S.E. Smith is a New York Times, USA TODAY, International, and Award-Winning Bestselling author of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and contemporary works for adults, young adults, and children. She enjoys writing a wide variety of genres that pull her readers into worlds that take them away.