Page 24 of Ink & Ambition

Kai peeks over and looks at the growing list of comments. His eyebrows raise. “Damn, you’re really taking one for the team here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought you were doing this because it was the only way to get that girl to help us with the prank, right?”

“Oh, right…that’s—”

“Go, go, go, fucking Aaron Judge every fucking time.” Kai’s ass finds its way back to its cushion after standing up in support of the almost home run. He’s not really paying attention to me,which is why I drop the conversation entirely, taking another sip of my beer as I shut down my laptop. There’s definitely a lot of things I want to say to Margot about all this and at the rate she plans, I don’t think I should wait until Monday.

You're needed for official prank duty

KA house. 9pm

I'll come if you can swear you didn't giggle at the word "duty"

…

Please come anyway

By the time nine rolls around, I’ve paced my room enough to carve a hole in the floor. It was risky to ask Margot to come over while there’s a party going on, but I figured it was easier than her coming another time. Considering how her roommates like to party, she’d probably be here anyway.

I glance out the window for what’s probably the billionth time and still see no sign of Margot or her two roommates. The task that I’m about to set before her for the prank is none too pleasant. I’m seriously hoping she doesn’t run for the door and call the whole thing off. I guess I could hold the podcast andNew York Timescontest over her head but that seems like an asshole thing to do. I’ve been actively trying not to be an asshole these days, especially when Margot is involved.

The next time I glance out the window, I’m convinced it’ll be my last time. I’m only proven right when I see Margot and her roommates walking up the path. From here, I can already tellshe looks incredible. I need to get downstairs and snatch her up before other guys see her and start to take notice.

Heading for the stairs, I take them two by two until I’m at the door at the same time as Margot.

“Hey, Alex,” she says, with more glee than I thought she would greet me with, especially considering the way the last party that she attended ended. “You’ve met my roommates, right?”

Danika nods. “We’re acquainted.” To be honest, I don’t really know them well but I’ve seen them around at parties, the gym or class. They’re both beautiful girls, though. Sydney’s fit from the copious hours she’s spent at the gym. Danika’s fire red hair is a force to be reckoned with, but I’ve never felt the pull to her like some of my brothers have. Apparently I have a pull toward uptight, workaholic brunettes. Who knew?

“Nice to see you guys,” I say, in a hurry to get Margot upstairs and out of sight so I can talk her through the plan. “Margot, mind coming upstairs with me to…talk?”

I don’t miss the widening of her eyes at the suggestion of us being alone upstairs in my room. And I can’t control my body’s reaction toherreaction to the idea.

After a moment, Margot’s jaw closes and she nods once in agreement and once toward the staircase, motioning for me to lead the way. I turn immediately and have a gut feeling that she’s mentally communicating with her roommates about the situation. Even though this meeting is strictly professional, I can’t help but feel a flutter of goodness float through me. Her roommates, especially Danika, wouldn’t let her come upstairs with me if they didn’t trust that I had good intentions. Hell, she wouldn’t come up with me unless she knew I meant business. And I do, I definitely do…this time.

Once outside my bedroom, I open the door and gesture Margot inside, following quickly in her wake and closing thedoor behind me. I lock it for good measure and don’t miss the quickening of Margot’s breath.

She brushes it off and takes a slow glance around the room. There’s nothing much to see, to be honest. A few Led Zeppelin posters and a small bookcase filled mostly with course textbooks and one or two Stephen King novels.

“Into horror?” she asks, and I can tell she’s just trying to break the tension that came suddenly when I locked the door.

“I guess,” I reply, shrugging. Truthfully, I don’t read much. Those books have probably collected more dust than they’ve had pages turned, but she doesn’t need to know that.

Margot just nods slowly, continuing her perusal of my room. I’ve had loads of girls in here before. Believe me, this room is not unaware of the female sex, but I can’t say I’ve ever had one that I haven’t immediately just taken right to my bed. The thought is…kind of jarring.

Margot goes to sit on the edge of the bed but seems to think better of it, opting instead for my surprisingly clothing-free desk chair. “So, you wanted to talk?”

I breathe out a sigh of relief. Yes, let’s get down to the real reason I brought her up here. I end up sitting on the edge of the bed, not disgusted by my own bodily fluids that might be lingering there, as Margot clearly was.

“The prank is in place for next Sunday night, that’s when the alumni gala will be going on. The guys should all be there early in the day, getting ready. You’ll need to get in touch with Ryan Walsh, their president, to set up the interview for that time but I can’t imagine he’d say no. Any press for DE is good press, they hardly have anything going on over there.”

“About that…”

I tilt my head at her.

“You know, my journalistic integrity is not feeling too great about having to lie about this interview. In fact, I think it wouldmake me feel a whole lot better if I was actually able to write something about them, then I wouldn’t be lying.”

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