Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
I wish I had a bookstore shift today, but I only work there when my classes end at noon. Maybe Chandra or Marla will be at Verge tonight?
I take my new shiny phone and hold it like its dynamite. I’m not used to uber expensive things like this. It’s small but slick, and so fast it’s like it does what I want it to before I even touch the screen. Crazy. Will this go away when our contract is up?
Damn. Re-entry will be hard.
But then I remind myself of the money he wired into my account today, and my heart races. God, I want this so badly.
“Cora?” I turn to see Giada approaching me.
“Hey,” I say, smiling at her. I haven’t seen her in a while, and we greet each other with a brief hug. “I thought you were done taking classes?”
“I am,” she says. “But I actually came to meet a…” her voice trails off and she shoots me a secret little smile… “friend of mine for lunch.”
It’s still a well-kept secret on campus that Giada dates Geoffrey, a professor of literature here. She’s no longer a student, but she sure as hell was when they met, so we all keep it a little quiet.
“Ah, nice.”
“I saw your name on a protest sign at the bookstore,” she asks, tipping her head to the side. “Are you on a crusade?”
“Yep,” I tell her, but suddenly I don’t feel so good about this anymore. I don’t want to think of Liam the businessman, because that one’s an asshole. I prefer Liam the dom.
Both, sweetheart. I’m both.
“What’s it all about?” she asks. God, I wish I could tell her everything. I could seriously use some advice, and Liam doesn’t have any clauses in our contract that prohibit me from talking to anyone. Still, discretion is best, and we both know that.
“Well… the Greenery is under construction,” I tell her. It saddens me a little that the cause that meant so much to me even a week ago seems so silly now. People are starving to death in third world countries, boys and girls who aren’t old enough to drink are enlisting in the army and willing to put their lives on the line, women and children are being abused and mistreated… and I’m concerned about The Greenery?
Well, yes. Yes, I am.
“Is it?” she asks. “Wow. Well that sucks. And you’re protesting to try to prevent it?”
“Yeah,” I say, and it sounds a little hollow.
“Nice,” she says with conviction. “I’m proud of you. See you at the club tonight?”
I breathe a sigh of relief, because I don’t want to talk about this anymore, and I like feeling like I belong at Verge.
“Yeah,” I tell her. “I’m, um, not tending bar anymore, though.”
Giada gives me a bold wink. “I know, babe. And all I’ve gotta say is good for you!” Leaning in, she gives me a quick hug, the fragrance of her perfume reminding me how very different we are. Giada is the one who should be in my position, not little ol’ me. She’s thin and beautiful and elegant, walking away from me on those heels I’d kill myself on. No wonder Geoff fairly worships the ground she walks in.
I sigh.
I suck at this, and I’m not super happy about the reminder of my damn crusade that Liam’s going to raze with the blink of an eye.
My phone vibrates with a text from him.
Tests are all clear. You’re mine.
My heart stutters in my chest and my mouth goes dry. Oh, boy. So now sex is on the table, too, apparently.
I walk home in a daze, completely forgetting that Liam told me I’m supposed to get a ride from Manuel, and I’m about a block away when my phone rings.
When I see Liam on the caller I.D. I suddenly remember.
Shit.
“Hello?”
“Hello what?” he bites.
I look around me, and we’re in NYC so of course there are a million people in every direction. Whatever.
“Hello, sir,” I say. What crawled up his ass?
“Where the hell are you?”
“I’m walking home,” I tell him. “I’m at the corner of Rose and Trinket Ave. And shouldn’t you know, since you’ve got the tracking app?”
“Yeah, but I wanted to hear you say it. Stay right there. Do not fucking move.”
Click.
Well. I guess he takes this sort of seriously.
He’s gone, and I’m standing in the middle of the sidewalk being jostled by people who walk by. My heart trips an erratic beat in my chest. Damn, I suck at this. I mentally berate myself until I see the familiar black car cruising to a stop beside me. The door opens, and Liam steps out, walks over to me, takes me by the arm, and hauls me into the car.
I sit quickly and reach for my seatbelt, but he’s already got it in hand. Buckling me in with a scowl, he finally sits back and shoots me a fierce look of reproval.