Page 51 of Fembot
Winston rubbed Lucky’s back in slow circles. “What if I called my dad?”
“What good would that do?”
“The only thing money respects is money, and I hate to sound like a little kid, but my dad is richer than your dad.”
Lucky turned his head and looked up at Winston with watery eyes. “Do you think that would work?”
“I think my dad owes me a favor or three for all the shit he’s missed over the years.”
“According to the Department of Education bylaws, paragraph ten, subsection eight, what the dean did is unethical and illegal. It constitutes a bribe,” Calvin said from where he lay curled up on the bed. He’d cleaned up after their escapades and now wore a pair of skimpy pajama shorts.
“So we could get the dean in a lot of trouble.”
“And I won’t graduate. I’ll probably be expelled even though I wasn’t the one to do it.”
“They can’t do that.” Winston frowned but Calvin nodded.
“Unfortunately, it is possible that this coming to light would harm Lucky’s reputation and his stance at the university. He might lose his space.”
“I’m almost out of here anyway, regardless. I’m not really graduating, but I’m gone at the end of the semester. And if I don’t graduate, I’m not coming back here.” Lucky pushed himself up into a sitting position, putting some distance between him and Winston.
“I’ll call my dad,” he said again with more conviction. “Money respects money. But my dad also didn’t get where he is by being dumb. He’ll know how to out-rat a weasel.”
“I don’t want you to go to any trouble for me.”
Winston practically launched himself at Lucky. Grabbing Lucky’s face in his hands, he looked him in the eyes. “Lucky, you’re not trouble. You’re my boyfriend. You’re one of the most important people in my life. Helping you is not a burden because you are not a burden. I fucking love you, okay? I love you so much, and I hate that you kept this from me for so long. But I know now, so I can help now.” Winston wet his lips. “Let me help you.”
“Let us help you.” Calvin put his hand on Lucky’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
“What do you say, Lucky?”
Lucky took a deep breath and let it shudder out of him. He looked sad and lost and a little broken, but a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes.
“Okay. But call your dad, Winnie. See what he says. And put it on speakerphone so Calvin and I can hear.”
Winston dialed his dad’s number and put it on speaker. He didn’t often call his dad because he was always busy and could never talk long. He hadn’t been someone Winston had tried to rely on in years, and he wasn’t really expecting him to pick up the phone so quickly, but he answered on the second ring.
“Winston, this is a coincidence. I was about to call you.”
“Dad, I have a problem.”
“What is it, son?” As absent as his dad was, he did care about Winston in his own way. The gift of Calvin had been one way that he showed his affection. He also relished an opportunity to throw his weight around.
“Lucky’s dad found out that Lucky wasn’t going to graduate, so he bribed the dean. Lucky will graduate now, but he’ll be beholden to his father. His dad wants to control him.”
“Ah. And you want me to do something about it?”
“Can you?”
The line was quiet for a minute before he spoke again. “Is Lucky there with you?”
“Yes, sir.” Lucky leaned closer to the phone when he spoke even though he’d have been heard just fine from where he was.
“If I interfere, you probably won’t graduate.”
Lucky scoffed. “I’m failing. I’m failing so badly I can’t catch up. I don’t want to graduate if it means being stuck with him. He’s… he’s not…”
“I understand.”
