Page 25 of Ink & Ambition

“Oh, go right ahead if that’s bothering you, sunshine. Just don’t write anythingtoonice about them,” I joke, mostly.

“Actually,” she starts and suddenly I feel like she’s about to grab my balls in a vice grip. “I want to cover the gala. You can get me in for that, right? Spare an extra ticket?” She looks equal parts hopeful and determined and I almost wonder how long she’s been sitting on this request.

Truth is, I can get her into the gala, but not as event press. The Greek community is very specific about the people they allow at these parties so anyone unknown by other members would have to have a very special pass. So, I can get her in but…I don’t think she’ll like the circumstances.Do I?

I realize I haven’t answered her request yet and she’s starting to look more and more crestfallen. “I can get you into the gala.” Her eyes perk up immediately. “But you’d have to be my date.”

For a moment she’s stunned into silence and I think this might be the first time I’ve made a girl truly speechless. She’s looking back and forth into my eyes and I’m worried for a second that she might never speak again. Thankfully, she does.

“Why do I need to be your date? You don’t have a press table at these kinds of things?”

“Not typically. Or if we do, it’s very exclusive and, no offense, but the campus newspaper isn’t the type of press the alumni board typically caters to.”

“So, I’d be like…sneaking in?”

“You wouldn’t be sneaking in. You’d be walking in, with me.”

She’s shaking her head. “But I don’t understand, you said we shouldn’t be seen together and now you want me to join you on the dance floor to boogie the night away?”

“Yes, well…minus the boogying part. Do you know what decade you’re in?”

Margot rolls her eyes, pushing herself up from the chair. She starts to pace around the room similarly to how I did just minutes before.

“Fact is, we’re going to have to seal the last door the second you leave their frat house so they’re going to know that the Kappas pranked them and that you were involved, whether we want them to or not. Ryan and the Deltas aren’t stupid. If you’re going to be at the gala, it’s better you’re with us than on your own anyway.”

Margot stops pacing, squints her eyes and lets out a deep breath.

“I need to think about it,” she says, turning toward the door.

Wait. Don’t go,my mind screams and I do the first thing that comes to my head, which is bolt off the bed and stand directly in between her and the door.

“What’s there to think about? You want to write an article for the paper, we need them distracted for the lock-in, this whole thing is like killing ten birds with a bat.”

Margot takes a step out of my personal space and crosses her arms. “That’s not a thing.”

“Also,” I continue, ignoring her. “This will be better for your podcast. If they see us together at the gala, it would start some whispers on campus and they’d be more interested to check out our first episode.” I raise my eyebrows at her, knowing I made a good point.

“Technically though, we aren’t going to be seen together for the podcast. With the way I designed it, I’ll be–”

“Yeah, that’s another thing. I know you want me to be the center of attention for this thing, but I really need it to be a partner production. I can’t just be sitting there answering questions and looking like I’m talking to myself. This is your project, sunshine. You need to be there too. On camera. Talking with me.”

Margot opens her mouth to fight me, but I close my hand over it. “Another topic for another day.”

Margot shoves my hand away and I reluctantly let it drop, missing the feel of her soft lips on my palm. “I hate you, you know that?”

I chuckle at the little lion cub trying to tussle with the alpha. “Sure you do.”

Margot releases a deep breath. “I would need to change before the gala.”

I nod. “Bring your clothes, we can run over to Kappa quickly before the gala.”

It’s only then that I notice we’re still painfully close to each other, her arms having dropped in the heat of the conversation. If I take another step forward, I know she would undoubtedly take a step back to keep the comfortable distance, but I’m hoping to prove myself wrong. Stepping forward, I keep her eyes and watch as they widen softly, but she doesn’t step back. Her neck cranes a bit to keep my eyes on hers.

“You can text me these details, right?” She asks, her words a little breathier than normal.

“Sure, sunshine,” I nod, taking another step closer to her and farther away from the door. Her coconut scent fills my nose, momentarily catching me off guard.Do I want to kiss Margot?Before I could even entertain the idea, she looks up, meeting my eyes again.

“Great,” she gives me a lazy smile. “Be sure to do that, then,” she says suddenly, quickly stepping around me, unlocking the now available door and heading into the hallway without another word uttered, leaving my brain confused, my ego bruised, and my mind more than a little amused.

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