Page 17 of Ink & Ambition

“But I’m not going,” I say, wiping my mouth with the clean hand towel, waiting for Dani to say something else to convince me, but instead she’s quiet…scarily so. Slowing, I look over toward her and her expression looks guilty as hell.

“You didn’t.”

She gazes at me with that sheepish grin and I can’t run to my phone fast enough.

I'll be there

“I’m going to murder you!” Throwing myself at Danika, I’m caught by Sydney, who is surprisingly strong for her short figure. “Murder!” I shout, now unable to make any more moves. Danika skirts by Sydney and me quickly, keeping herself close to the wall until she reaches her bedroom door.

“See you in the morning, ladies! Don’t forget to set an alarm to meet Alex! Ok, I love you, bye!” She blows me a kiss and then slams the door behind her. As soon as it closes, Sydney lets me go and I sag against her, not realizing how much of my weight she was actually holding.

She hits me with that other shared “Danika” look. The one that says “we love her for a reason, remember that” and I find it harder to share in that one this time around.

“It’ll be okay, Margot.” Sydney says, rubbing my back once before heading to bed herself.

I’m left staring at the text exchange with me and the strange man that I agreed to work with for the foreseeable future. He didn’t even respond to Danika’s message. Just “liked” it and that was it.Typical.

I should just not go. Technically I wasn’t actually the one who agreed to go so I have no actual obligation to go. Gripping my phone a little bit tighter, I think about everything that happened tonight. How hot and cold Alex was with me. Then I think aboutThe New York Timesinternship contest. Then I sigh and set an alarm for eight thirty.

Chapter Nine

Alex

Byninefifteen,I’mconvinced she’s not going to show up. I’m halfway finished with my black coffee when the bell rings above the door and the sun shines through the doorway, adding a halo around the head of the girl that just walked in. Does that happen to her everywhere she goes or is it just for me? Every time, it shocks me.

Bolting from my chair, I step in front of her before she can get in line for her coffee. “On me, remember.”

“How could I forget?” she says with a roll of her eyes. “Hazelnut oat milk latte.”

I nod, repeating the order over and over in my head. I cock my head in the direction of the table I was previously occupying and Margot heads over to sit while I order her drink.

After a few minutes, I join her at the table, her latte in hand.

“Thanks,” she says, holding the drink in both her hands and taking a huge sip immediately. It’s actually pretty cute the way the normal-sized mug looks so massive in her small palms.

“I still don’t understand why we couldn’t just meet on campus.”

I shake my head as I shift in the wooden chair across from hers. “Too many witnesses.”

Margot’s eyes widen as she sets the mug down. Taking a second to gather herself, she leans back in her chair and motions toward the table with her palms up. “Well, frat boy, the floor is yours.”

“Lovely nickname, by the way.”

She only scrunches her nose at me, seemingly determined not to speak until I tell her the deal.Fair enough, sunshine.

“First of all, I want to apologize for saying what I said. It was uncalled for and untrue. I was caught up and distracted but that’s no excuse. I don’t want you to think that’s the kind of person that I am, because it’s not.” Margot blinks at me, apparently surprised by my apology. She remains silent, allowing me to continue.

“The reason I blew up the way I did is because of the prank. For the role I need you to fill, you need to be kind of invisible.” Her eyes narrow and I raise my palms up. “Let me explain.” I take a sip of my coffee before diving in.

“Every year the seniors in the fraternities set up one grand prank each to try and one up each other. It sounds completely childishand it is,but it’s tradition. Delta Epsilon is my fraternity’s rival and it’s up to me to come up with the prank of all pranks to take them down.”

“Why is it up to you?”

I didn’t expect her to ask any questions just yet, let alone that one, so for a second, I’m silent. “What do you mean?”

“Why do you have to be the one to come up with the prank?”

“Because I’m the president,” I say, as if it’s common knowledge. I thought everyone knew that? I mean, every girl I ever interact with certainly does.

---