CHAPTER SIX
– QUINN –
I’m making notes on my laptop while keeping my focus on the PowerPoint presentation in front of us. Bri elbows me against my arm and when I glance her way, she jerks her chin in the direction of the professor.
The corner of my mouth twitches. It seems like the professor fell asleep during his own class.
Not entirely surprising since the man’s class, along with his PowerPoint presentations, are the epitome of boring.
I couldn’t care less if they were informative, which they aren’t, and that’s why I’m writing notes to do more research myself.
The professor is leaning his head on his arm, deep in sleep.
Bri sticks her hand in the air and shows three fingers.
Slowly she counts down to two, one...the professor jolts upright and we both chuckle.
Every damn time he sets a timer on his watch, knowing he falls asleep anyway, and needs to be ripped away from his dream so he can dismiss us.
I close my laptop and place it in my bag along with the rest of my stuff. Bri waits patiently for me.
“Thanks,” I tell her and reach out to gently squeeze her forearm. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be hiding in my bedroom.”
She scrunches her nose. “It was the smell I couldn’t stand. It was seeping into the living room.”
Chuckling I bump her shoulder. “Talking about smells...what are we having for dinner?”
“We’re gonna get some coffee first, then I have a FaceTime meeting with Archi. He messaged me a grocery list yesterday and I picked everything up. We’re making gooey cheesy garlic chicken wraps.”
“Aren’t all things that include cheese gooey?” I wonder out loud. “And I really think your brother is a cheese addict.”
Those two have a strange habit of cooking together while trying new recipes. Though, most times it turns out to be delicious. It’s kinda nice for Bri and her brother to keep these things going because they talk and stay in touch by doing this.
Bri grins. “True, on both accounts. Now, let’s get some coffee. The professor’s not only good at napping, he also likes to pay it forward and make us tired as fuck. We need caffeine, stat.”
“Stat,” I agree, knowing I have a lot to catch up on.
“Aubri,” a male voice says, and I look up to see him blocking the exit.
Bri sighs. “Tate.”
I glance at the guy who Bri tutors, the one who offered her money to have sex with him. He has his two buddies, Holden and Moxen, standing behind him.
He gives her a lazy, sexy smile and asks with a husky voice, “I’m still waiting for you to accept my offer.”
“I don’t have time for this, and neither do you. We both need to use our time wisely. Stop wasting mine and go to the library, Tate,” Bri snaps.
Tate takes a step closer. “Darlin’, the library isn’t a good choice for us to fuck. It’s the whole needing to be silent thing, you won’t be able to stay quiet when you take my cock.”
Bri narrows her eyes and goes toe-to-toe with Tate when she hisses, “Head out of the gutter and get your damn nose into a book, asshole.”
She walks past him when he turns and tells her, “I’d rather stick my nose in your cunt.”
“Crude,” I mutter and quickly follow Bri while Holden and Moxen instantly start to tease Tate about the rejection he just got.
I can tell Bri is still fuming when we arrive at the coffee shop a block from our apartment. She’s silent while she normally talks my ears off. We give our order to the woman behind the counter and wait in silence for our coffee.
Once we’re outside and walking home, she snaps, “Can you believe that asshole? I turned him down three freaking times now and he just keeps on trying.”
“I have to agree, it sounds a little stalkerish.” Sipping my caramel latte, I tell her, “Maybe you should stop tutoring him.”
“And let him win?” she asks with wide eyes.
I hold my cup in front of my mouth, so she doesn’t see the smile I’m sporting. It’s as if she likes to verbally fight the dude.
“When do you have to see him again?” I ask as we enter our building.
We step aside to let a guy pass, and I grab my key when Bri answers, “Any day would be too soon.”
“You guys don’t have the next tutoring session set up?” I frown as I open the door.
“Next week or so. Don’t know, don’t care. I have an appointment set with my brother, and I couldn’t care less about Tate and his sex drive.”
I place my bag near the couch and throw my keys on the table. “Ooookay then. Well, say hi to your brother for me. I’m going to clean my bedroom and then I’m gonna work on my essay.”
She waves me off and I slip into my bedroom to open a window. Pulling off the sheets, I shove them into the laundry basket. I carry it into the main living room and place the basket on the couch. An envelope near the door catches my attention.
Bri is standing in the kitchen. She’s holding onto the doors of the cabinets and glares inside when I squat down to pick up the envelope.
“Did you see this?” I ask and walk into the open kitchen.
She spins around and snatches the envelope out of my hand. “Oh, fancy shit. It has a shield with horses, axes, a sword, and a crown? Geez, a little over the top with the gold. A fantasy deal. What kind of ominous shit is it? And who is it for? You or me? There’s no name on it.”
“I have no clue. Open it, maybe then we’ll know,” I suggest.
Bri grabs a knife and uses it as a letter opener. Her eyes bounce over the creamy thick paper once she’s pulled it out of the envelope.
“That pervy motherfucker,” she mutters under her breath and shoves the paper in my direction. “Read. I can’t believe he has the nerve to send me this when I turned him down three times already. As if a bag of cash or the offer to pay my tuition would motivate me.”
I can feel my eyes widen and take the letter from her. My jaw drops as I take in the offer written down in a simple few lines.
Stunned, I reread the letter out loud. “A one-time offer is granted to you. One week from today we offer a fantasy. Everything will be of your own free will, and on your terms. In return you will be granted the reward of your tuition in full. The list of limitations and wishes is listed below. This list will be included in the contract all parties will sign before you enter the fantasy room. Send a message to the phone number listed below if you accept.”
“It’s Tate. Who else would send it?” Bri huffs.
I bite my bottom lip and nod. Shit. What I wouldn’t give to have such an offer. Not because of the sex, even if the fantasy aspect sounds appealing. Tate is experienced, to say the least. The only experience I’ve had were a handful of awkward, slightly intoxicated humps in the sack.
Money. I would most definitely do it for the money. One night, and how long would it be? An hour tops? The list even includes an option to wear masks. Totally anonymous when it comes to those you have sex with. Ugh. Where do I sign? But this offer isn’t mine to accept.
“Yeah,” I sigh and hand the letter back to her.
Bri winces. “Sorry. I know this feels like a solution for you.”
I shake my head. “No, no, no. It’s okay. These are two different things, and it’s not your fault, so there’s no reason to be sorry. Hey, what happened to you calling your brother to cook together?”
“Archi canceled,” Bri grumbles. “So, how does mac and cheese with extra cheese sound?”
I snort. “Divine.”
Bri gets to work and I quickly clean my bedroom. Once done, I grab my laptop and try to work on my essay. My mind keeps drifting to the invitation Bri received. One night and my future would be mine for the taking. I jump in my seat when Bri places a bowl of mac and cheese next to me.
“You were miles away.” Bri scoops up a spoonful of mac and cheese and holds it in front of her mouth when she softly says, “I’m proud of you, getting out of bed and trying to move forward.”
I give her a sad smile. “Even if it’s all for nothing.”
“Don’t say that.” The words come out muffled because she’s still chewing the food in her mouth.
“I wish I could be you for one night. Wear a wig and take Tate up on his fantasy offer.” My shoulders sag, and I snort. “As if that would ever work.”
Bri laughs. “Oh, I don’t know...anything is possible if you put your mind to it. You’d have to wax ’cause I’m a natural redhead. Oh, and wasn’t there an option to wear a mask? It would keep the wig in place.”
I laugh right along with her and shake my head. “It’ll never work.”
She tilts her head and stares at me for a few breaths. “You won’t know if you don’t try.”
“What?” I sputter.
Bri shrugs. “I don’t want to accept the offer, but I see no reason why you can’t.
Wear a wig, wax, and go for it. I mean, there’s no names, you can check the anonymous box, wear masks, check boxes listed about no anal and stuff.
I mean...it’s Tate. I wouldn’t put my mouth around that man’s cock because it touched more pussy than my fingers have held books. ”
“You go to the library daily,” I instantly blurt.
Bri snickers. “My point exactly. Besides, I’d know he’d be conned so the joke would be on him.”