Page 68 of Collin: Episodes 1-3
Collin stood up, hand going into his pocket. “I still want a degree. That recognition and status, it’s still important to me. And I may not always have you. It might be flimsy security, but it’s more than I have now. But I’d rather I not finish it in bitterness. And I think, I think I’ll be learning even more here, in the next few months, then I would in these classrooms, at least with the classes I’m in right now.”
“I’ll add it to your contract that you want to have finished a degree. Do you have a timeframe?”
Collin cocked his head to the side. “Three years. Even if I have to start again, I should be able to transfer enough credits. Unless you know something I do not, sir.”
Mr. Reevesworth also stood up. “If just having the degree is the requirement, you can take the classes more slowly and graduate from your current institution in less than two years even with working. If you are disillusioned and care more to study and master something you can give yourself to fully, then four years is more achievable while still serving me.”
Collin bit his lip. “What if I just finish this degree, to have it, and then I continue learning, as I want to learn, without that pressure, sir?”
Mr. Reevesworth’s eyes lit up from inside. “That is both sensible and in service to one’s truth.”
Collin nodded. “I-I’m going to make a call.” He turned away. There was a twitch in his bladder. He hung his head. For a moment, the words were trapped in his throat. He half turned around. “Sir? I…”
Mr. Reevesworth was smiling openly, hands in his pockets.
“Gah, I want to hate you right now.”
Mr. Reevesworth’s smile grew wider. “Come, Collin. I think you have something you need to ask me.”
Collin glared. His hands curled into fists. “I need to relieve myself, sir.”
“Ask for help.”
Blood infused Collin’s face.
“Can you not do it, Collin? Is this too difficult for you? Do you need more help? I’m sure Damian would love to see you punished tonight.” Mr. Reevesworth’s lips curled in amusement.
Collin gritted his teeth. Even if the idea of Damian watching a scene like what had happened the previous night made his dick want to grow hard behind the steel bars of the device trapping him, the idea of failing was a red flag being waved in front of the bull of his ego.
“Will you help me relieve myself, sir?”
A true smile transformed Mr. Reevesworth’s face. He crossed the room in an instant. “Of course, kitten.”
Collin pressed the phone to his ear and closed his eyes. Even with the door shut, he could still feel Mr. Reevesworth beyond it, a presence like a shadow, if a shadow could be a stabilizing force. Perhaps it was the power of the man’s belief.
The phone rang twice.
His mom answered. “Collin?”
“Hey, Mom.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I mean, yes. Yes, I am. Do you have time to talk for a moment?”
“I’m holding office hours, but like always, no one’s here. What’s going on? Are you still at that place with the Reevesworth man?”
“Mr. Reevesworth, and yes, I am. I’m going to be staying here. And working for him. And his sister’s company sometimes.”
“Can you do that much? What does it pay?”
“More than my previous jobs combined.” Collin rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I haven’t really been talking about how this semester has been going, Mom. And Mr. Reevesworth has made me an offer that I’m going to accept. It means finishing school more slowly, but it also means that I can allow my head to finish healing and that I’ll finish school on a stronger note with experience.”
“Oh, Collin. This is what I was afraid of. Don’t be blinded by the money, baby. You’re so close, just half of this semester and then one more. You can do this.”
“I probably can. And I’m not going to because I have the option of doing it well instead of just doing it. And just doing it, that’s something I had to do before, but now I have options.”
“And what if you’re fired? What if he drops you? Rich men are very temperamental.”
