Not So Casual [Part 2]

by Kelly Harper

  Call me a kiss-ass if you want, but business is good.

  But I’m not even able to make it out of the Parlor before I hear something that stops me dead in my tracks.

  My heart is suddenly pounding furiously in my chest. It feels like I just finished sprinting a marathon. That laugh, coming from the corner of the room…

  I take a couple slow, deep breaths before turning my head toward the table at the far end of the room. Sitting there is a couple that I’d first noted when I came in, but I hadn’t thought anything special of them, at the time. Now, I think differently.

  The rest of the world seems to melt away as I focus on that one, single table.

  I recognize the VIP sitting there, facing the center of the room. His name is Wade Foster and he’s one of my newest VIPs. He’s got a smug, little smile on his face, not completely unlike Declan’s. I know that kind of smile. I’ve used that kind of smile.

  The smile is directed at the girl sitting across from him with her back to me. But I don’t need to see her face to know who she is.

  It’s the laugh that gave her away.

  She’s the girl from all those years ago that still dances through my dreams every night. The only girl I’ve ever really loved. And the reason I’ll never love anyone else again.

  Sofie Bennett… What the fuck are you doing in my club?

  Click here to download Black: Part 2

  The Professor

  Chapter 1

  "Don't forget your end of semester projects are due in two weeks," the Professor said.

  Groans rolled through the half-empty lecture hall, but I could do little other than admire the way his shaggy brown hair bounced around his eyes. I should have been paying attention to the lecture, but sometimes I couldn’t help myself. He was a beautiful specimen. Besides, my grades were high enough to get me through the class. What was the harm in taking a little time for myself?

  The Professor taught the Intro to Accounting and Finance "weed-out" class. I thought it was going to be boring but it turned out to be very informative, but I could see why the College of Business used it as one of their criteria for admission. At times it was like learning a foreign language - the language of business. It was the final obstacle in a long list of prerequisites for attending a top 10 business school.

  My family didn't have much money when I was growing up. They had scrape and sacrificed to get me into a nice college - and I wanted to repay them with an education that would take me places. I had my other passions: music, literature, the arts, but I needed something that could pay the bills. That could let me take care of my parents for a change.

  "Don’t forget to pickup your exams before you leave," he said. "Class dismissed."

  Concerned murmurs dinned the lecture hall as students made their way down the aisles to the front of the room. The Professor held a large folder with each exam concealed away. He passed them out one by one, and the faces of the students exiting through the side doors were more pained than not.

  I lingered behind everyone else, slowly placing my iPad into my large purse and killing a few minutes by pretending to text on my phone. I wanted to be the last in the line. I wanted a moment between just the Professor and myself. The semester was waning and soon the class would be complete. It’s not like I had any intention of pursuing a sexual relationship with the man - but a little flirting never did anyone any harm.

  "Ms. Ellis," he said when he saw me approach.

  A smile perked at the corner of my lips as he pulled my exam from the nearly depleted pile. He tilted his head down, and his tasseled hair fell in front of his eyes again; it was a small thing but it drove me wild.

  Our eyes met when he handed me the exam; another wave of heat coursed through me. I managed to tuck it into my deep purse without making too much of a fool of myself.

  "I was hoping to talk to you about my final project sometime," I said after composing myself.

  "Please feel free to stop by during my scheduled office hours," he said curtly. He leaned to the side and looked to see if there were any other students waiting behind me. I already knew there weren't, and I had an overwhelming need to have his full attention on me.

  I leaned over the desk, bringing myself closer to him. My cleavage hung in front of him; on display. His eyes fluttered over them, briefly, before they connected with mine again. His eyes were as stony as ever - immune to my charms.

  "Was there anything else?" he asked. His body language told nothing.

  Had I offended him?

  I shook my head and managed to restrain myself from running out of the lecture hall as fast as possible. If he had a list of foolish students - surely I had just made it to the top.

  "No. Thank you," I said, awkwardly.

  I left in a rush, trying not to trip over my own feet in the process. I could feel his eyes on me, judging me. Why must I be such a foolish girl sometimes? I swear no one else went from calm and collected to complete mess faster than me.

  I had walked halfway back to my dorm, still mortified that I had all-but thrown myself at the Professor, when I realized that I still hadn't looked at my exam score. I fished the exam out of my purse and turned it over. It took a moment to find what I was looking for. The front of the exam was a mess of red scribbling that left me completely miffed. Then I found what I was looking for. A tiny number in the margin at the top of the paper with a courteous little message attached.

  "62% - What happened?"

  Fuck me.

  Chapter 2

  "You don't understand," I said. "The entirety of my future hangs in the balance."

  Dana looked at me, her eyes sad. She brushed a strand of hair from my eyes and gave me the warmest look I'd ever seen.

  "Kayla, everything is going to be all right, you'll see."

  "No it's not. Acceptance to the College of Business is very competitive. If I don't get an A in this class I can kiss my future goodbye. Everything I've ever worked for goes up in flames. Like that - pfft!"

  Her mouth quirked upward in a smirk. "You're overreacting. Don't forget, I took the class too. I know what you're going through."

  I sobbed, giving up the futile attempt to hold back the tears. The tissues in my hand were wet and soggy already. Dana just didn't understand. She and I were best friends, but I had no illusions that we were the same. Not by a long shot.

  "But your father graduated from the college. You're a Legacy. Everyone knows it's easier for Legacies to get admittance."

  Fire flashed in her eyes, and I immediately regretted saying it. I winced openly.

  "I'm sorry," I said. "I know you work hard to make your own way." I dabbed at my eyes again with the wet tissue. "I'm just upset."

  The fire lessened, but only slightly. She blew out a sight and put a hand on my shoulder.

  "Have you talked to Professor Dewey about the grade yet?"

  I shook my head. "No. Instead I made a complete fool of myself in front of him. You wouldn't believe what I did if I told you."

  She frowned. "It can't be that bad. What happened?"

  I sat as straight as possible and looked down at my breasts. I held my hands up, framing them for her.

  "I put the Ladies on full display for him. Somehow I got it in my head that it was the perfect time to make things really awkward between us."

  Dana's eyebrows scrunched suspiciously, and the corner of her lip turned up in a disbelieving smirk.

  "You didn't," she said.

  I nodded my head emphatically. "I most certainly did. I should have just stripped from him while I was at it."

  "Oh," she said. "Well, I'm sure he was very flattered. What did he say?"

  "No way he was flattered. You should have seen him. You know every slut in his class has tried to hit on him at least once or twice." I sniffed again and wiped away a new stretch of tears. "I thought I was better than that."

  "He is a very attractive man," she said. Her eyes went a bit distant for a moment, then they met mine again. "But girl, you are b
etter." She gave me a warm smile. "We all act a little crazy sometimes."

  A new flood of tears streamed down my cheeks. "You're absolutely right. It was crazy."

  She pulled me into her and held me tight. The warmth of her body was comforting, peaceful. I wanted to punish myself for being so childish, but I couldn't help but feel a bit better as she held me.

  "Go to his office hours. Talk to him. Straighten everything out."

  I pulled away and looked up at her. She was only six months older than me, but somehow she had a wisdom beyond her years. She had a way of breaking things down and making the answers so simple.

  "He's going to think I'm just there to hit on him again. He's lost all respect for me."

  "Don't be foolish. I was in a similar situation when I took his class and everything worked out." She paused for a moment, like she was trying find her words. After a time she said, "He's got a good head on his shoulders."

  I stared at her, confused. There was something in her look that I hadn't seen before. We never kept anything from each other, yet I got the impression that there was something she wasn't telling me.

  "What is it?" I asked.

  She was silent for a moment and then waived her hand. "It's nothing," she smiled. "Not even I'm perfect. I struggled in his class too, but he was kind enough to let me do some extra credit as make up."

  I frowned. “He told us that he never does that. He said that we earn our score by way of his tests.”

  “I think that’s because there are so many people that fail. You know it's a weed-out class - the University expects the grades to be a bit lower because it's so difficult."

  “So why would he give you extra credit?”

  She shrugged. “He said that he can make exceptions in certain circumstances. He said I showed initiative and drive - two qualities the business school appreciates.”

  Another moment of silence passed. I didn’t want to say what was on my mind – that he had given her the extra credit because of her father’s connections with the school. I guess it didn’t really matter anyway. It’s not like she had failed the exam for me – I had made my own bed and now I had to sleep in it. And if that meant that I needed to beg and plead for an opportunity to improve my score – I would do just that.

  “So you think he’ll work with me?” I asked.

  "Just talk to him.” She rubbed my shoulder again, and I felt immediately comforted. For the first time that afternoon I let a glimmer of hope creep into my mind. Maybe things weren't as bad as I had thought - the grade was just a minor set back. But I couldn’t get ahead of myself - there were still a lot of variables to consider; still a lot of things that could go wrong.

  “You’re right,” I said resolutely. “The Professor has office hours tomorrow. I’ll talk with him and get the whole situation worked out.”

  “Good. I don’t like seeing you this upset.”

  Her eyes lingered on mine for a time, and a small pang of guilt lumped in my stomach. I wasn’t sure why I felt it - but there was something in her look that I hadn’t seen before. I didn't know what it was, but it looked like some kind of sadness.

  “You’re the best friend a girl could have,” I said.

  “And don’t you forget it,” she grinned.

  Chapter 3

  The next twenty-four hours felt like a lifetime. The Professor's office hours didn't begin until the afternoon, and I had no classes beforehand to distract me. I spent the time thinking about everything that had happened, and everything Dana and I had talked about. For a brief moment I considered calling my father to talk it over with him - he had a way of giving me perspective on things - but I didn't want him to worry about me until I knew there was something to worry about.

  I thought about what Dana had told me. She had said that he had allowed her to do some extra work to improve her grade - but what exactly did that mean? I got the feeling that there was more to the story. We never kept anything from each other, and for the first time since meeting her I like there was something I couldn't talk to her about.

  The other thing that haunted my thoughts was the note the Professor had written on the exam. "What happened?" it read. What had happened, indeed? The long and short of it was that I had been cocky. I had done something very uncharacteristic before an exam and had stayed out all night drinking. I had such a massive hangover the next day I'm surprised I made it to class at all. It was a mistake that might have been forgivable in my freshman year, but not when I was preparing my formal application to the business college.

  I had lunch at the student union then left for the College of Business. The Professor's office was on the third floor and I climbed the stairs up.

  “Come in,” the Professor called after I tapped on the door lightly.

  He looked up at me from behind his desk. For a moment my stomach twisted itself into knots - he looked so good sitting there. Papers were scattered all across the desk, and his face was tight with concentration.

  "Ms. Ellis," he said, looking up from his work on the desk. He had a pair of tiny reading glasses on and his hair teased the corners of the rims as he peered over them. "Please, come in. What can I do for you?"

  I shut the door behind me. "I wanted to talk about my score on the exam."

  He leaned back in his seat and took me in. With a deft hand he swiped the glasses from his face and ran the edge of the tips along his lips. Heat solidified in my core, and I struggled to keep my thoughts innocent. He wore an expensive button up shirt with a bold red tie. The shirt was a light blue with fine white pinstripes. It was sexy as hell, and I had to remind myself why I was there.

  "I hoped you would come see me," he said. His eyes watched me for a moment then he gestured toward one of the chair opposite him. "Please, have a seat."

  I did as he directed, hoping all the while that I wouldn't make a fool of myself. I had never been this close - this intimate - with the Professor before, and I was already having a difficult time keeping my concentration. Now I knew there was a reason I had never been to his office hours before. It had been a subconscious decision - a way to protect myself from the vicious little thoughts I toyed with while in his lectures.

  "So, what's on your mind?" he asked. He didn't budge an inch in his seat. He watched me like some predator ready to pounce, and I felt put on the spot by his question.

  "I don't know what happened," I began, struggling to find my words. "I haven't had any problems in your class before." I hung my head, not wanting to admit what had really happened - but there would be no way around it.

  "I got cocky," I continued, my head slumping as I focused at a neutral spot on the desk. "I was out late the night before. Drinking and partying."

  There was a long silence as the Professor considered what I said. An eternity of silence passed between us, and a sense of dread crept through me. I wondered what the Professor must think of me.

  He probably thought I was just some typical rich college girl that was here on Daddy's dime. He probably though I had no real goals or ambitions - that I was just going through the motions. He couldn't have been more wrong.

  "That's a touching tale," he said, leaning forward on the desk to draw my attention. "And I'm sure it took a lot to swallow your pride and admit what you had done wrong. But I'm not sure what it is that I can do to help you."

  His lips pursed together as he studied me, and my eyes searched him; pleading with him.

  "Is there anything I can do to make up the grade?" I asked. "Maybe take on some extra projects or something? I'll do anything."

  He leaned back in his chair again, his lips twitching in time with a jerk of his head.

  "I made my policy very clear at the beginning of the semester," he said.

  "Please," I begged. "There must be something. I won't tell anyone, and I'm more than willing to putting in the work." His face was stern; granite. "I don't want one stupid night at college to mess up my entire future."

  I thought I saw a chink in the armor. His face soften
ed a touch as he digested what I said. The hard exterior he was putting on was beginning to wear thin.

  He considered me for a long time. The silence was deafening. In twenty years I didn't want to look back at college and have regrets - especially the one time I failed an exam in the most important class I'd ever taken because I had gone out drinking the night before.

  "Maybe an exception can be made," he said finally. The weight on my shoulders immediately began to recede. His eyes glanced down over me, drinking all of me in. The heat inside of me ignited - hotter than ever before. The look in his eye told that he was hungry, too, and that I was beginning to look like a tasty meal.

  "What did you have in mind?" I asked. My body had already begun to respond to what it thought was going to happen. Instantly, I forgot the whole reason I was there, the whole reason I had come to see the Professor. A primal desire and need was taking hold and was demanding that I give in to it.

  The corner of his lip turned upward in a wolfish grin. He knew exactly what was on my mind - and that I was helpless to defend myself from his advances. He probably even knew that I didn't want to defend myself. That, right now, I wanted his advances more than anything in the world.

  He licked his lips before he spoke.

  "Be here bright and early tomorrow. Eight o'clock."

  He didn't move an inch, and the hungry look in his eye remained.

  "On a Saturday?" I asked. My voice had taken on a lower, more sensual pitch. "What do you have in mind?"

  He considered me again, letting the tense moment draw out even longer. Then, his hands gestured toward the wall. Bookshelves filled to swelling stood there looming over the office.

  "You'll be helping me on a research project," He said. "Be prepared to do a lot of reading."