Page 26 of Ink & Ambition

Chapter Thirteen

Margot

WhileIdon’tnecessarilywant to be lingering at the party after that talk with Alex, I know Danika just got her night started so I move to settle into an empty chair in front of the fire pit. It’s a beautiful spot and yet almost always left empty during these parties. Not that I’m complaining, I think, as I pull my novel out of my bag. I get a sudden flashback of the last time I sat here with Alex and my cheeks start to warm but not because of the heat in front of me. Quickly, I shake the vision away, opening the book to where I last left off.

“This seat taken?” After a few minutes, my zen is interrupted by a somewhat familiar voice. Looking up, I see Ryan, the boy that I danced with last week. A small grin forms on my face as I shake my head and he sits down in the seat next to mine.

“I appreciate a girl who does what she wants,” he says. When I look at him with confusion, he laughs, gesturing toward the book in my hands. “Reading during a party.”

I giggle, inserting the bookmark back into place and putting the book inside my bag again. “Hey, sorry about just leaving you in the dust last week.”

Ryan scratches the back of head in a nervous gesture. “It’s all good. I didn’t mean to step on any toes if you and Alex are–”

“Oh, we’re not anything,” I interrupt, probably a little more forcefully than intended but the comment hits its mark when Ryan’s small grin becomes a full on smile.

“Cool,” he says. “Alex isn’t exactly my friend, but I don’t want to get on his bad side either way.”

I cock my head, giving him a questioning look. “If you aren’t his friend, why do you come to his parties?”

Ryan laughs, nodding his head toward the packed house behind us. “Everyone comes to these parties. Unfortunately, I have to admit Kappa Alpha is more popular than my fraternity so these parties tend to be more packed than ours.”

I’ve never been privy to fraternity life before meeting Alex but now I feel like it’s everywhere in my life. “Which frat do you belong to?”

“Delta Epsilon,” he replies, taking the last sip in his beer bottle. I freeze, having just heard that name upstairs in Alex’s bedroom. Is that why he was so upset seeing me with Ryan last week at the party? Now that I know the logistics of the prank, it’s probably best that I don’t cozy up to Ryan, as cute and nice as he is. Alex is right, he can know I’m connected to the Kappas afterward but beforehand, I wouldn’t want to give him any reason to doubt my reasoning for coming to their house for the interview.

Although, Alex did mention that I would need to reach out to Ryan toaskfor the interview. Now would be as good a time as any to make that connection, especially after he just offered up all that information about his fraternity.

I perk up a bit as the idea forms in my mind.But first, play dumb for a bit.“Oh, you’re in DE? Do you know who the president is?”

Ryan’s chest puffs up a bit with self-importance. “I’m the president, actually.”

“No way!” I feigned as much shock and interest as I could. “I’m actually on the campus newspaper and I’ve been trying to find the president of Delta Epsilon to ask if I could do an interview of your fraternity.”

“Really?” he asks, skeptical.

“Yeah, actually, that’s why I was here last week - to ask Alex for an interview for the Kappas. He said if I wanted a good picture of the group, I should come on Sunday before the gala when everyone’s all dressed up.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Ryan mutters.

Like taking candy from a baby.

“Now that I know who you are, I can see why he wasn’t really happy to see me talking to you last week. I bet he doesn’t want me to interview both frats.”

Ryan’s eyes dance with deep thought. “That makes sense.”

I nod, trying to hide my triumphant smile. I haven’t sealed the deal just yet.

“So what do you think? You up for it? I could go to KA first and then come to DE right before the gala. That way everyone is looking their best for the…front page?” I raise my eyebrows, suggestively.

Ryan grins and I know I’ve got him.Bingo.

“Sounds great, Margot. Let’s do it.”

I beam for more reasons than one. There’s a slight twinge of guilt in there as well but it’s not like I’m really lying. Iaminterviewing them and Iamwriting an article for the paper. Just…not exactly what they are going to expect.

“Awesome!” I squeal. Ryan smiles and for a second we’re both just standing there grinning at each other. It’s…nice? Awkward? Both? I’m not sure.

“Maybe we should exchange numbers so we can coordinate the interview and stuff.” I nod, handing him my phone where he puts in his number and then calls himself.

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