by Blythe Reid
“Sure,” she said.
I could tell she was nervous, but also excited. Her eyes darted between my face and the classroom building.
“I’ll pick you up,” I said. “Can I get your address?”
“Yeah,” she said. She pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled her grandmother’s address on it before she handed it to me with a smile.
“Great,” I grinned. “Well, have fun in class. Don’t be late again.”
“Ha, ha,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“I’ll see you tonight,” I said.
She smiled and turned toward the building. I watched her disappear inside, already looking forward to dinner that night.
10
Scarlet
My next class of the day dragged on endlessly. After my coffee with Lucien, everything went downhill. Being late to my first class was nothing compared to the rest of the day. I got lost three times, and no one would help me find my way.
I ended up having to ask a professor for help, and even she looked at me like I was an idiot. By the time I made it to my last class, I was exhausted and beaten down. I didn’t know if I could handle life in New York after all.
I left class with my bag thrown over my shoulder and made my way back home. My grandmother’s house wasn’t far, but I managed to get lost five times on the way. It took me over an hour to make it, and when I did, I’d forgotten all about my date with Lucien.
He asked me to dinner earlier in the day, and I was so excited to say yes. He was my first friend at NYU, and I couldn’t wait to spend more time with him. It didn’t hurt that he was also gorgeous as hell.
When I finally made it to my grandmother’s house, there was a strange car sitting out front. I frowned and wondered if Lucien had already arrived. Checking my phone, I realized it was much later than I thought.
I sighed as I walked up to the front door and let myself inside. My head was aching, and I just wanted to fall into bed, but I knew that wasn’t an option. Lucien was already there, sitting in the kitchen beside my grandmother. It was nice to see him there. After feeling alone and lost all day, seeing a familiar face felt nice. It felt safe.
“Hi there,” I said with a smile. “I see you beat me.”
“I did,” he said. “Sorry about that.”
“No worries,” I said. “I got a little lost on the way home.”
“That can happen,” Grandmother said. “This city is a confusing one.”
“It really is,” Lucien agreed.
“You don’t have to make me feel better,” I said, chuckling. “I basically spent the entire day lost.”
“It was just the first day,” Lucien reassured me.
“How were your classes?” Grandmother asked.
I looked at her, ready to tell her the truth, but I stopped myself. She looked so happy and excited that I didn’t want to ruin her mood. It must have felt good for her to see that I’d already made a friend.
Her only hope for me was that I did well in school and lived my life. So far, she thought I was doing just that. I didn’t need to admit that my day had been absolutely miserable. I couldn’t tell her I was questioning whether moving to New York was a good idea. Instead, I smiled widely and nodded my head with excitement.
“It was great,” I said. “All my classes are really interesting. I think this semester is going to be amazing.”
“See?” Grandmother asked. “There was no reason to be nervous.”
“Not at all,” I said, grinning. “You were right.”
“Well,” Grandmother said, turning to Lucien. “Where are you going tonight?”
“I have a couple ideas,” Lucien said slyly. “We need to introduce Scarlet to the local cuisine.”
“There’s a great sushi place down the road,” Grandmother said.
“Sakura,” Lucien nodded. “I love that place. It was definitely one of my options for tonight.”
“Well, you better get going,” Grandmother said with a meaningful look at me.
I shook my head and smiled at her. She seemed more excited about my date than I was.
“I won’t be late,” I promised, leaning over to kiss her cheek.
She shrugged. “Whatever.”
Lucien laughed and held the front door open for me. We walked silently toward his car. The whole way there, I was acutely aware of his hand swinging just beside mine. I had a sudden urge to grab it and interlock my fingers with his, but I resisted. This was just dinner. It felt like a date, but I couldn’t be sure. He may have just been being polite, welcoming the new girl and all that.
When we reached his car, Lucien held the door open for me, and I slid inside. I was impressed by his chivalry, though I wasn’t surprised. He’d proved himself to be a gentleman when we first met in the Paris airport. Not many people would’ve jumped up to help me the way he did. I knew then that he was one of the good ones.
As we pulled away from Grandmother’s house, I felt certain I was right. He drove quickly through the streets, weaving in and out of traffic like a true New Yorker, but I wasn’t scared. His driving was superb, and I wondered if there was anything he didn’t do well.
“So, where exactly are we going?” I asked. “To that sushi place?”
“Nah,” he shook his head. “I didn’t want to say this in front of your grandma, but that place is for old people.”
“Oh, really?” I laughed.
“Definitely,” he said. “It’s good food, but not really the right atmosphere. We’re going for something a little more fun tonight.”
“Where’s that?” I asked.
“It’s a surprise,” he said, grinning. “But it is in the realm of Asian food. I’m guessing you’ve never been to Chinatown?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Never.”
“Excellent,” he said.
His smile was brilliant and made my stomach flutter nervously. As we drove through the city, I looked out the window to keep from staring at Lucien. I knew I would never look away from him if I could help it.
In class that morning, it took all my strength not to stare at his face during the lecture. I forced myself to stay focused on my notes, but it was impossible. I wasn’t sure I would remember a single thing the professor discussed, but I did know exactly what Lucien’s tattoo looked like.
While we drove, I glanced at it again. He was still wearing the same short sleeve shirt from earlier, and it showed off his tattoo wonderfully. There was more of it tucked away beneath the fabric, but I could see most of it. I longed to reach over and trail my fingers along the ink, but I knew I shouldn’t. We barely knew each other, and random touches weren’t in our friendship description just yet. Still, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it, and eventually, he noticed my interest.
“Do you like it?” he asked, flexing his bicep slightly.
I blushed. “I do,” I said. “It’s so intricate.”
“It took two months to complete,” he said with a serious expression. “It was miserable, but so worth it. I’m obsessed.”
“I can see why,” I said. “It’s amazing.”
“Thank you.” He turned to smile at me, and my stomach flipped again.
Every time his eyes locked on mine, I felt like I was drowning. They were such a deep, dark brown. I could’ve easily lost myself in them.
We finally made it to Chinatown, and Lucien parked quickly. He hurried around to my side of the car and held my door open again. I smiled gratefully and jumped out of the car, eagerly looking around.
Chinatown was amazing. There were people everywhere, along with vendors and shop owners. I could tell some of the people on the streets were tourists, taking a late summer vacation. I felt like one of them, unsure of where to stand or how to act.
Luckily, Lucien helped me immediately. He took my hand and led me through the crowd. We hurried down the street until we reached a tiny restaurant on the corner. Lucien pulled me inside and the noise from the street disappeared.
I glanced a
round and saw that we were in a typical Chinese restaurant, just like the ones back home, but it felt different. It was more authentic somehow. Lucien led me further inside, and we found an empty table to sit at. When we sat down, a waiter brought us some menus and turned away without a word.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“The best Chinese food in town,” Lucien said with authority. “It. Is. Delicious.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” I said, scanning the menu.
I was no stranger to Chinese food, and I knew exactly what I wanted. We ordered quickly, and the food arrived almost immediately. I was impressed by the second bite. It truly was amazing Chinese food.
“What do you think?” Lucien asked.
“It’s delicious,” I said, repeating his words.
He grinned and kept eating. “So, tell me,” he said. “How was the rest of your day? I didn’t believe that bullshit you fed your grandmother.”
“Was I that obvious?” I asked.
“A little,” he said. “But I don’t think she noticed.”
“It was okay,” I said, shrugging. “It kind of sucked honestly, but the day’s looking up a bit now.”
Lucien smiled at my compliment, and we spent the rest of the evening shamelessly flirting with each other. I felt hot and excited the entire time. I’d never been on a date, and I had certainly never spent this much time flirting with a man.
He was sexy and interesting, smart and kind. My mother insisted the men from my romance novels weren’t real, but I felt like Lucien was as close as they came. He reminded me so much of the heroes in my books, the men who swept innocent women like me off their feet.
As we left the restaurant, Lucien reached for my hand and held it all the way to the car. He opened my door again, and I slid inside, feeling my stomach tighten nervously. I so badly wanted him to kiss me, but I was afraid he wouldn’t. Part of me thought he was just being nice, and he wasn’t attracted to me at all. I wasn’t sure if this was a real date or just two friends hanging out. Our flirting and hand holding seemed to indicate something more, but I was so inexperienced that I couldn’t know for certain.
We drove back to my grandmother’s in silence. When Lucien pulled up in front of the house, he shut off the engine and turned to face me. He smiled and leaned closer. I could smell his scent, and it made me light-headed.
“I had so much fun,” he said softly. “Thank you for coming.”
“Thank you for dinner,” I said.
Instinctively, I leaned closer to him. My entire body longed to feel him. I’d never experienced this kind of desire before, and it was overwhelming.
When Lucien’s lips pressed against mine, a jolt of electricity shot through my body. His lips were soft and gentle against mine. He kissed me slowly, letting me get used to the sensations. As the kiss deepened, I felt myself growing more excited.
When his tongue slipped in my mouth, I moaned softly. Lucien’s hand found my thigh, and he slid his fingers up and down, making me shiver with desire. I wanted him so badly.
My nerves got the best of me, and I pulled away. My breathing was ragged, and I could feel my cheeks flush bright red. I was embarrassed, but I knew that kiss was leading somewhere intense, somewhere I wasn’t ready to go.
“You should know,” I said weakly. “I’m a virgin. I’ve never been with a man.”
I expected Lucien to become uncomfortable and leave immediately, but he didn’t. He simply smiled and rested his palm against my cheek.
“Okay,” he said. “I’m happy to take it slow.”
“Really?” I asked, snapping my head up to look into his eyes.
“Of course,” he said, laughing.
I smiled and we finished saying goodnight. He walked me to the door, and I slipped inside, unable to wipe the smile from my face. My day had been terrible, and then Lucien turned it around. I went to bed that night thinking that New York may not be half bad after all.
11
Lucien
My date with Scarlet didn’t go exactly as I planned. I thought after one night out with me, she would be ready to fall into bed. Deep down, I knew she wasn’t experienced, and I suspected she was a virgin, but I hadn’t given it much thought.
After a trip to Chinatown and some heavy flirting, I thought she would be ready to go all the way. Our kiss was intense and full of desire. I could tell she wanted me, but when she pulled away, things changed.
Her confession about being a virgin wasn’t a surprise, but it was a disappointment. I covered my reaction well, making sure she didn’t see the irritation in my eyes. I told her I would go slow for her, but truly, I didn’t want to. I’d already spent more time than I wanted to on her.
Most women didn’t get longer than one night, and yet, Scarlet had already occupied my thoughts for days. I was constantly thinking about her, wanting to be near her, wanting to kiss her, to touch every part of her. After our date, that didn’t change. I went home Wednesday night, wishing I wasn’t alone in my bed. I imagined what it would be like to lie next to her, and to hear her moan my name, to feel how fucking wet she could get for me.
It was almost too much to take.
I thought about her all night and into my dreams. The next morning, I refused to let myself think about her. Instead, I focused on my plans for the night. It was the first night of pledge season, which meant we would have twenty new recruits joining us at the house. Bryan had the event set up and ready to go. He’d spent days planning and recruiting and now, it was time to get started.
We set everything up that day, all of us blowing off our classes. It wasn’t uncommon for Delta brothers to miss class in favor of fraternity obligations. Most professors on campus gave us a free pass when it came to these things. Unless we missed multiple classes in a row, no one cared. The Deltas were kings of the NYU campus, and everyone knew it. And me? I was their leader.
It was my job to make sure everything went off without a hitch. Even though Bryan was the Pledge Captain, I still had to oversee everything. Every single new recruit had to fit in with the Delta image. If they didn’t, it was my ass on the line.
Once the house was ready, I called all the brothers into the common room for a quick meeting. The new recruits would be arriving at sundown, which was only an hour away. I wanted everyone to be on the same page once they did.
“All right,” I said, clapping my hands to get everyone’s attention. “Just a few things before tonight. First of all, I want to thank Bryan for organizing this event so thoroughly. I knew we picked the right Pledge Captain. These guys don’t stand a fucking chance.”
Everyone laughed and cheered. Hazing was the best part of getting new pledges. We never went too far with the new guys. After all, they were just freshman. Just a couple of months ago, they were in high school, applying zit cream and wishing a girl would touch their dicks. Now, they were in college and trying to join a fraternity.
We didn’t want to scare them too much, but we also wanted to make sure they were Delta material. If they couldn’t take a little bit of hazing, they wouldn’t be able to hack it in the house.
“When I’m done,” I continued. “Bryan will go over the plan for the evening. He’s taking the lead. Remember, if any of the pledges get spooked, send them my way. I’ll handle it.”
Everyone nodded and waited silently for me to continue. This was my least favorite part of the frat. As much fun as hazing was, bringing in new recruits was a pain in the ass. They were so young and nervous. I had very little patience for them, but I knew it was a necessary evil. Without new recruits, the frat would fold.
“Keep in mind that we’re trying to uphold our reputation,” I said. “Most of these guys tonight won’t make the cut. We don’t let just anyone in, all right? They all must complete the hazing process and come out on the other side. If you see anyone who doesn’t fit in with the Delta mindset, let myself or Bryan know. We’ll take care of it. Any questions?”
No one spoke, and I nodded toward Br
yan. He stood up and took my place at the front of the room so he could address everyone. I barely listened while he spoke. The hazing plan hadn’t changed much since my pledge year. We did the same things every time. I grew bored of it when I was a pledge, and I never regained my interest. I wanted nothing more than to skip this entire process, but I knew that wasn’t an option.
Still, I zoned out during Bryan’s speech and didn’t start paying attention again until the recruits started to arrive. They all filed inside, looking eager and nervous. Most of them were young and pimply, but a few were older students. I looked them over closely, trying to gauge their usefulness based on their appearance.
As the night progressed, Bryan slipped easily into his role. He led the night seamlessly, making my job even easier. All I did was stand aside and watch with narrowed eyes. My job was to observe and step in when needed. I hoped I wouldn’t be needed. I much preferred the observatory role.
Already, I could tell that three of the recruits weren’t going to make it and that two were. The two I was certain about were the ones who, like me, seemed bored by the proceedings. They listened attentively, but weren’t fazed by anything.
Bryan took them through the paces. The rest of the brothers helped, doing their part to seem menacing. They yelled and screamed, threatened and belittled. If it wasn’t so boring, it would have been funny. These guys wouldn’t hurt a fly, and we all knew it. It was slightly entertaining to watch them act tough.
When the hazing hit its peak for the night, a few of the guys began to look worried. They huddled in the corner, eyeing us nervously. Most of the recruits stepped forward without a problem, and eventually, the ones in the corner followed suit.
Only one kid remained pressed against the wall, watching everything with narrowed eyes. He looked scared to death and seconds away from bolting. The challenge wasn’t a difficult one, but it was weird. Probably the weirdest we had. The kid looked like he was going to bail at any second. I sighed and stepped in, motioning for him to follow me.
