Chapter Thirteen
~Summer~
I stare at the door that just slammed behind me, my blood boiling at his conflicting behavior. One minute he tells me to stay away, and the next, he’s shoving his denial against my waist. I reach out to grab the door handle, deciding I’m not quite done telling him what I think, when a voice startles me.
“What did Professor Walker want?”
I twirl around to find Blake leaning up against the wall across from the door. I can’t help but wonder if he heard any of the exchange between us, so naturally, my body betrays me as a hot flush crawls over my skin. Especially being he was the very subject of our conversation.
“Oh, Blake, hi.” I struggle to come up with a plausible reason for being pulled into Xander’s office, and try diverting the focus to him. “What are you doing here?”
He stares at me in silence, long enough to make me uncomfortable, before he finally pushes off the wall to walk beside me. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine.” I lie. “He knows my aunt and wanted to know if I had seen her recently.” I blabber on, weaving a complete fabrication out of thin air. “She hosted some fundraiser and wanted to follow-up on a donation he made.”
“Oh, so you already knew the professor?” He surmises, suspicion in his tone.
My step almost falters as I realize this lie is starting to feel like it’s snowballing out of control, the next falsity tumbling out of my mouth a little too easily. “No, not really. I’ve seen him at a couple of my aunt’s parties.”
“Hmm, interesting.” He murmurs.
“Interesting, how?” I push.
“I wonder if that’s why he’s so hard on you.”
“I don’t know what you mean?” I tilt my head.
“Just that maybe he doesn’t want it to seem like favoritism, since he knows you, so he does the opposite and pushes you instead.”
“Yeah, maybe.” If he only knew how close to the truth he was.
“ I mean, honestly Serena, who does he think he is?” It’s a day later and I’m at my aunt and uncle’s apartment downtown. They aren’t home, both of them off somewhere, doing whatever it is they do during the day.
I’m still fuming, and if I’m honest, a bit thrilled, about the little meeting Xander called me into his office for. I had held out exactly one week after sleeping with Xander before I spilled the whole story to my cousin.
“Well, it’s obvious he’s attracted to you.” She takes a sip of wine from the glass in her hand. “The question is, are you attracted to him?”
“To quote my father, “Does a bear shit in the woods?””. We both giggle before I continue. “You’ve seen him. He’s gorgeous. How could I not be attracted to him? And when he’s not being a prick, he’s actually pretty nice.”
“But?” Serena arches a brow, urging me to reveal my unsaid thoughts.
“But he’s my professor.” I finish.
“So, drop the class.”
“I can’t. I already tried that.” I take a sip of my wine. “He’s the only teacher that offers the class at that level, and it’s a required course for my curriculum.”
“It’s not like it doesn’t happen.” She shrugs, her face devoid of any expression. “Professors fuck their students all the time.”
“Serena!” I slap her shoulder. “Don’t be so crude!”
“What?” One side of her mouth quirks up in a smile. “It’s one of the oldest taboos in the book. And didn’t you say you wanted to come to the city to experience life?”
“Well yeah, but I don’t want to get thrown out of school!” I retort, holding back a giggle, the wine starting to hit me.
“So don’t get caught.” She grins like the Cheshire cat.
“You aren’t helping to solve my problem one little bit, Serena Ward!”
“You know what you need to do, don’t you?” She clicks a fingernail against the side of her glass as her brow furrows in thought.
I stare at her a moment, shaking my head slowly back and forth. “No. But I have a feeling you’re going to tell me.”
“You need to make him admit he wants you.” She states like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“First, why would I want to do that? And second,” I exhale, afraid of what her answer is going to be, “how exactly do I make him admit it?”
“Because, my sweet, innocent cousin, nothing is more satisfying than putting a man in his place, except of course, seeing them pant at what they can’t have.”
“You lost me.” My eyebrows squish together.
“Turn the tables on him, Summer!” She exclaims, a smirk playing over her lips. “We’re going to turn you into the sexiest little school girl he’s ever seen, and play out every damn fantasy he’s probably ever had in that class. You’re going to make him so uncomfortable in his need for you that there will be no way for him to deny he wants you.”
“Are you crazy, Serena?” I blurt out, taking a large gulp of my wine.
“Well, probably, but that’s beside the point.” She practically cackles. “But seriously, make him as uncomfortable as he makes you! Give him a taste of his own medicine. Don’t let him think he has all the control.”
“This just seems like I’d be playing with fire.” I retort. “So, I tease him, and then what do I do?”
“Whatever the hell you want.” She cocks a naughty grin at me. “You are a grown ass woman, own it.”
“Again, there’s that whole not getting thrown out of school thing that worries me.” I argue.
“Then don’t get caught.” She purrs, rising out of her chair. “Come on, let’s go see what I’ve got in my closet to slut you up.”
“Serena!” I yelp, dashing after her, and not to stop her.
An hour later, as I stare at myself in the mirror, my mouth hanging open, I cannot believe I’ve let my cousin talk me into this crazy plan.
“Oh, there is no way in hell he’s going to be able to take his eyes off you in that outfit.”
I turn from the mirror and face her. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
She tilts her head while lifting her glass. “All’s fair in love and war, baby.”