I had only two pills left in my bra and a wad of cash by the time midnight rolled around, and despite my apprehension surrounding anything social, I found I was actually having a really amazing time at this party. I was enjoying getting to know some of my fellow students outside the classroom, and as much as I might hate to admit it, I had forgotten how it feels to hold a little bit of sexual power over men. How empowering it feels to be desired.
Literally, one hundred percent of my sales were to men, and I flirted with every single one of them. Part of me worries that I might be alienating what could be a lucrative female clientele, but maybe I'll just have to accept the fact that I'll never be more appealing than Kaden to that demographic. Part of me wonders if the connection I seem to find with Kaden is purely fabricated by him in an effort to draw me in. The thought fills me with equal parts relief and irritation.
"How do I do it? Like this?" I say to the standard-issue-frat-guy ™ that is currently trying to teach me to play beer pong. He's using every excuse in the book to touch me, and I'm letting him as he places his hands at my waist, coming up behind me to help me position my arm. I'm taking every opportunity to maximize on the contact.
I rub my backside into his crotch ever so slightly, causing him to clear his throat and step back. "Yeah, you're lined up, now just take the shot." The huskiness that has entered his tone in clear opposition to his lighthearted banter a moment ago doesn't escape me.
I sink the shot with ease. Despite my hatred for binge drinking, I've always loved beer pong. It's a ton of fun and I used to play it with my friends in high school even though I wouldn't drink the stuff myself.
I made a dramatic show of giving my partner a high five and big smiles. "Oh my Gosh! Thank you. That was so fun. I can't believe we won!"
He leans in closer. "You wanna get outta here?"
I place my hand against his chest, adding enough pressure to push him back slightly. "I wish I could, but I have to get rid of these last two hits of molly I've got in my bra or I'm not going to be able to pay rent." I shoot him a dramatic pout.
His eyebrows shoot up and surprise settles into his features. "Molly? What are you charging for it?"
"Thirty-five."
His smile widens. "I'm happy to take one off your hands."
"Awesome!" I pull him away from the throng of drunken party-goers that have filled the space. At this point, I'm less concerned about the fact that someone might see us. Everyone has reached peak levels of inebriation. Even I'm a little looser than I normally would be. Dave can mix a mean cocktail and I've had more than my fair share of them.
Once we turn the corner at the end of the hallway so we're out of view from everyone else, I pull out the bag housing my last two pills and pull one out. He looks at it, then back to me, his gaze eyeing my lips greedily. "Can I Venmo you?"
I shrug. "Make it an uneven amount and make sure the note is something generic, then yeah that's fine, but in general I prefer cash if you have it."
He moves forward, placing his hands on my hips, the dark hallway adding a level of anticipation and naughtiness that I normally wouldn't find enticing, but for some reason, today I do.
My phone dings in my hand letting me know that the funds have been sent, and I move to hand him the pill. He shakes his head at me, in a slow seductive fashion. He grabs it out of my palm between his thumb and forefinger, "stick out your tongue."
I find myself hitching a brow in a challenge, a sarcastic quip waiting just beneath the surface, but something about the way he asks and the look in his eyes encourages me to step up to the plate and swing at whatever challenge he's posing. I run my tongue across my bottom lip before poking it out of my mouth, slightly.
He lifts his fingers and places the pill gently on the tip of my tongue, before diving his lips down for a kiss, his tongue entering my open mouth before his lips even touch mine.
An illicit thrill shoots through my body as I push the pill into his mouth and feel as the back of his tongue works, swallowing it down. The feeling is desperate, naughty, and somehow also powerful. I let the kiss go on another moment before pulling back with a blush creeping over the back of my neck. I'm careful not to let it into my face. I'm playing a confident flirt tonight so I don't want him knowing that's the first time I've had a man's tongue in my mouth in months.
I look up at him from under my lashes as I rest my hands against his chest. "Next time, that delivery method costs extra."
I allow one side of my mouth to quirk up as I make the statement and standard-issue-frat-guy ™ chuckles. We walk back toward the party, but I'm surprised when we're coming down the hall and we run right smack dab into Kaden.
His heated gaze appraises me, drifting down to my feet before going north back to my face. I feel myself shifting uncomfortably under his perusal. His eyes jump to Chad/Thad/Brad next to me before nodding backward to the party while meeting his eyes. Kaden doesn't say a single word to him, but the guy folds immediately, dropping his eyes to the floor and skirting around Kaden, leaving us alone in the dim hallway.
"Well, look at you, Val. You look like a sexy chick in a white dress." His tone is bored, his eyes lacking the playful glint I'm used to seeing when we interact. His mouth holds tension and I'm immediately confused.
"If that was your idea of a compliment you might want to work on your delivery."
He starts walking toward me, closing the space between us. I hold my ground until he's nearly toe to toe with me and shows no signs of stopping. Finally, I start carefully granting more space between us until I find myself backed against the far wall at the end of the hallway.
"There sure are a lot of blown-out pupils at this party. I was having trouble making any sales to my usuals, and finally, someone admitted to buying from some 'sexy chick in a white dress.' That's you, sweetheart."
I've never been known for my acting skills, so I know that I'd be hard-pressed to get away with any sort of actual lie. I go in the only direction I know. Offense as a form of defense.
"You think I'm sexy? Aw, that's sweet Kade."
The muscles around his eyes twitch softly. I can see the doubt bleeding into his reason, but his skills of intimidation are really impressive. I keep reminding myself that I need to look as though I have nothing to hide.
"I'm not sure if you noticed, but you're the only girl in a white dress here tonight, and what do I find? You being flirty with some guy you wouldn't take a second look at usually. Brad isn't even your type." Ha, Brad. I knew it.
"You don't know what my type is. You don't even know me."
The corner of his mouth lifts slightly, so slight I almost think I had just imagined the motion. "Right. I don't know you, at all."
The blatant sarcasm he injects into the tone gives me pause. Like me, his humor is subtle and easily missed. When I put a spin on a statement like that, I want it caught. I mean something by it. He meant something by that just now. I feel my brows dip in consternation but stop myself. I need to find a way out of this conversation but he's only taking me deeper. I'm still searching his eyes for meaning when I see his glare running down the thin column of my neck before flitting back up to my eyes.
"Let me make this real simple for you, Val. This campus is my territory. If it was you, then consider this your one free pass. If we have to have this conversation a second time, it's not going to be as friendly." He reaches his hand to the side of my face, brushing his knuckles lightly over my cheek in a quick caress before turning and wandering back down the hall.
I find myself releasing a breath I didn't realize I was holding. Jesus Christ, he is intense when he wants to be. As I wander carefully back to the party in search of Gabby I take a moment to remember last weekend when we had met him at the frat party. He beat the shit out of that other guy that had admitted to selling on his turf. It was the talk of the campus on Monday. He wouldn't hit a girl though, right? Right. Plus we have that banter thing going for us. That's gotta earn me a certain level of forgiveness. Maybe that's the only reason I got such a gentle warning.
I finally find Gabriella curled around Dave on the couch, deep in some level of flirty conversation. They've been dancing around a clear attraction for a long time, so part of me just wants to leave them alone and let them get it over with. The other part of me wants to get the hell out of there before any more fingers point my way and Kaden loses his goddamn mind.
Gabby's glazed eyes find mine over Dave's shoulder a few moments later and her smile vanishes. She stands, walks over to me, and grabs my shoulder, turning me away from the crowd.
"What's wrong, Vale? You're as white as a sheet."
I clear my throat and gesture with tense spread fingers between us while I explain the interaction I just shared with Kaden in the hall. Part of me expected her to tell me I was being silly, or even just tell me not to worry about Kaden, that it would be fine. To my surprise, she immediately called us a Lyft and we offered our goodbyes.
When we made it out onto the front steps to wait for our ride I laughed nervously. "You're not exactly making me feel any more comfortable with the entire situation."
She gives me a sad look. "That guy that Kaden beat up last week? He's still in the hospital. His bad boy, hard-ass reputation? It's not without reason. He's earned it. He's just as talented with a switchblade as he is with a guitar. I don't think he would want to hurt you, but I don't want to stick around and find out, especially if some fucking idiot ratted you out to him. Let's just go home."
She pulls the strap of her purse over her shoulder and fidgets with it nervously. Somehow I find myself even more flustered after the conversation with my roommate that I had expected to calm me.
And I have to go sit next to him Monday in Bio for an hour. Great.