Page 43 of Ink & Ambition

I expect a little bit of hesitation from her, the back and forth of which guy to choose. What I don’t expect is for her eyes to brighten when they meet mine.

“Yeah, I’m about ready to go,” she says with a smile that is not malicious or unkind to anyone. It’s just a simple fact. The night is late and she’s ready to leave.

Margot places her half drunk glass of wine back on the bar. “See you around, Ryan. Thanks again for the ride.”

Ryan smiles at Margot but I can’t help but sense the disdain he has for me written all over his face. When his gaze hits mine, I shoot him my favorite smile.That’s right fucker, she’s mine. He contains himself before looking toward Margot again.

“Anytime, seriously. I’ll call you, yeah? We can talk more about hog-tying.”

Margot giggles and nods before turning back to me and walking out the door by my side.

“Talk about what?”

She rolls her eyes at me and scoffs but doesn’t respond. I can’t help but notice her positive attitude has shifted slightly as we walk toward my brothers waiting at Devon’s car parked in the parking lot.

“Hey,” I stop her stride with a hand on her arm before we reach the car. When she turns to look at me, her expression is blank. “I don’t think I thanked you for everything you’ve done for me tonight.”

“There’s no reason to,” she says, crossing her arms in front of her chest, which causes my hand to fall away from her.

“No, there is. You did everything right. We can still follow through on the plan while they’re sleeping and they’ll just miss some of their morning classes instead of the gala. Same harm done.”

Her eyes soften a bit at the sincerity of my voice. She looks up at me, and I take a step forward. As I do, her body shakes a bit, and I realize she’s wearing a strapless dress on a cool September night. I immediately shrug off my jacket and wrap it around her back, pulling her body up against mine, whether purposely or not. I don’t stop to examine it.

“Well then, you’re welcome…frat boy.” When she hits me with that little dig, I can’t control the smile that breaks out on my face. She rolls her eyes but grins with me. We continue to walk toward the car, much closer than we were just seconds before and I take quick stock of everything that’s happened tonight.

Our prank is almost completed, I made good with my father and I’ve got my beautiful…friendnext to me. This might have turned out to be a perfect night after all.

Chapter Nineteen

Margot

Muchtotheentiretyof the passengers’ chagrin, I had Devon drop me off at my apartment instead of going back to the frat house with them. Even though all I had done was interview a few guys, take a picture, then sit and have a free meal, I feel completely exhausted. Waving goodbye to the boys, I head inside and upstairs to the apartment.

“Spill,” Danika is on me within a second of the door closing. “Spill. Spill. Spill.” She pulls me into the living room and pushes me down on the couch where Sydney is sitting with a book in hand.

“Hey, Syd,” I say looking backwards at her. She laughs, “Hey Margot.” Sydney closes her book as I adjust myself upright. Danika sits on the coffee table, placing her hands on my knees.

“I don’t think you understand how deeply I need this gossip. Please, Margot.” Danika is begging and the sight is almost unbearable.

“You’re going to be pretty disappointed at the turn of events, Dani. After a slight hiccup, I didn’t exactly pull off the prank, butit ended up being fine. I went to the gala, I ate, I drank, and then I left. The end.”

Danika’s hands grip my legs a little bit tighter. “The…end? That’s it? No big upset? No dramatic fight? No romantic kiss?”

I squint my eyes at her. “What were you expecting, a netflix rom com?”

She releases her grip slightly but not entirely. “I was expecting at leastsomething!” Danika looks to Sydney for backup but she just shrugs.

“Wait, you didn’t complete the prank? What happened?”

“Ryan is too gentlemanly for his own good. He walked me out the door, so the Kappa guys couldn’t seal it shut with him on the outside. But it’s okay, Alex said they’ll finish it tonight. Oh, and then Ryan took me to the gala.” I lean back into the couch, closing my eyes for the first time in what felt like decades. I feel my phone vibrate in my bag but don’t have a chance to check it before Dani’s hands become a vice grip. “Oh my god, Danika. If you don’t let me go—”

She immediately releases my legs and jumps up from the table. “Margot Elaine Davis. I’m grasping at straws here and you’re burying the fucking lead!”

“You’re mixing your metaphors,” Sydney says and I choke back my chuckle.

Danika, of course, ignores her. “How did you end up with Ryan? And what did Alex think about that?”

“Ryan walked me toward the Kappa house, but when he saw it was empty, I had to tell him that Alex stood me up. He told me he was on his way to the gala too and offered to drive me.”

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