“I really appreciate this, Will.” Locking my car as we slowly walked away, I shoved my keys into my pocket as William shrugged. He looked so much better than the last time we’d seen each other, and he popped the collar of his jacket to fight the biting wind. Despite the cold, the day was bright, and I stuffed my hands in my pockets before opening my mouth again. “You still haven’t found Luca?”

“No.” Tilting my head at the short, curt answer, I took in the new grays in William’s beard as he swiped his palm down the length of the coarse hairs in agitation. “Then again, no one is really looking. Julia put in a police report, but Nash and I are pretty much out of it. We put everything in her name, so Luca’s on his own.”

Grunting quietly, I shook my head at the shit-storm that surrounded Luca. Nash had filled me in two weeks after I landed on this side of the continent, and it was sad; it just wasn’t sad enough. Luca was a grown man, smart, and capable of making the right decisions. He wasn’t a stupid kid prone to peer pressure anymore.

“I’m sorry, man. Is that part of the reason you went to Utah for a whole month?” Everyone in this level of business knew each other, some better than others, and I watched William nod through narrowed eyes. I’d known him since I was in the fourth grade, but his ability to close off his expression so completely still amazed me. This was a skill I wished I could perfect, and he only let out a harsh sigh.

“Partly, yeah. Anyway- this is the main administration building.” Tearing my eyes from my friend, I paused my walking to stare up at the majestic, old building. Marble slabs coated the face, and I silently wondered what it cost to maintain such a structure. Surely the tuition here was sky high, and that realization gave me hope that this university wasn’t going to disappoint me.

“It’s beautiful. When was it built?” Gesturing me through the wide, turnstile door, William ignored my question as we emerged in an interior that rivaled the exterior. Marble coated the floors and walls, and huge, wide columns kept the ceiling from caving in under the weight. Craning my neck to stare at the magnificence of it all, I rolled my jaw as I took distracted, slow steps.

“1799, I think. I’m probably wrong, though. There’s the Dean.” Tearing my eyes off the buttresses high overhead, I easily caught sight of the woman William pointed out. Her pants suit flowed around her like a dress, heels clicking under her strong, sure footsteps. She couldn’t have been older than 40, and I held out my hand to receive a surprisingly firm shake and serene smile.

“Mr. Dunn, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Theresa Laude, the Dean of this university. And, as always, it’s a pleasure to see you, William.” Scanning this formidable woman, I nodded quietly as she shook William’s hand, but she didn’t appear to be the type to idle. Her smile was bright but professional, and her perfectly manicured fingers curled in a gesture to follow before she spoke up. “I know you’re probably anxious to get to it. If you’ll follow me, I’ll bring you to our financials building.”

“I did a bit of my own research, and I understand you’ve been nominated for 12 straight years for the University of Excellence award in the financial sector. Would you mind my asking- why haven’t you won it?” Closed office doors caused my question to echo around the otherwise quiet hallway, and Theresa twisted to talk over her shoulder.

“We don’t have any representatives on the Board of Nominators. Most of the actual work usually done by faculty here is actually done by students. Not only does that help the students majoring in that field, but it helps keep tuition costs low. Of course, they aren’t allowed to do anything that might result in falsification of records. Regardless, we’re nominated every year because our standard of excellence is much higher than most other universities. We don’t offer scholarships, so every student is working and schooling at the same time. Out of the 670 students we have yearly in financial, over 98% of them find employment in their chosen field.”

“… So, technically speaking, just being nominated for the award is a win for you, then… Other representatives would have to nominate you since you don’t have your own.” My shrunk version of happenings earned me a nod, and I hummed in quiet contemplation. “I suppose it’s a good way to weed out anyone that doesn’t want to invest effort beyond what’s expected of them.”

“Exactly.” Pushing open a back door, Theresa led William and I into a large, central courtyard surrounded entirely by buildings. The sun could barely shine down on paved walkways slicked with melting snow and ice. “In any profession, you’re expected to go above and beyond. It’s how you advance. You’re more likely to get hired if you go into an interview and explain that you worked through college rather than riding a scholarship. Over the years we’ve gained international recognition for our policies, but we’re still a small college. Rather than focusing on teaching as many young adults as possible, we focus on the ones that have the passion to move the world forward.”

Theresa’s little speech was quite good, and I didn’t bother to follow up as we took a sharp right in the middle of the quad. This college was probably the size of an inter-district high school, but the air was different. No one came here to slack off, and I glanced at William with a slight shrug. He only smirked haughtily, and I resisted the urge to punch his shoulder like a child.

No wonder William suggested opening applications to the students here.

“This is our financial management classroom. As you can see, all of our students are very dedicated.” Shuffling through the wide doorway, I gazed out at the large room to find heads buried in computers and scribbling in notebooks. No one spared me a glance, too busy with whatever they were doing, and I leaned on the frame as Theresa strode in to clap her hands together. “Attention students… I’m sorry to take you from your work, but we have a guest. Mr. Dunn will be coming around to speak with you.”

A wave of whispers met her words, and I narrowed my gaze and straightened my shoulders. William sauntered through the door first, drawing the attention from me as three dozen pairs of eyes followed his movements. For a long moment I simply listened to the whispers, taking in what the students had to say. They tried to be discreet, leaning close to each other around their desks. A few of the girls kept their attention on me, and I pushed myself leisurely off the door frame to stride into the room.

“As many of you are already aware, I’ll be looking for new employees for my firm. Although you’re all young, I’m hoping that your potential will be promising. For now, we’ll start with introductions. My name is Nicholas Dunn, and I own Dunn Financial Services.” Speaking loudly, clearly, I scanned the room again to look each student in the eye. Most looked away, but it was the few that dared to keep my gaze that had me most interested. “I’ll start with you.”

The man that sat lounging in the front corner of the room straightened as I made my way over to him, and I had to frown. Apparently his confidence was misleading, but not unexpected.

I was probably the most powerful man they’d ever personally meet, after all. That was nerve-wracking.

“What do you think?” I made it around to those interesting view before William spoke up, and I shrugged carelessly.

“Time for the less interesting ones, I guess.” Muttering more to myself than him, I wandered towards the nearest girl to stand behind her. Her computer screen was littered with spreadsheets, and I squinted to make out the incredibly tiny letters and numbers. Her sheet was crisp, and I glanced at her notebook to find it similarly neat and tidy.

“You’re very organized, I see. What’s your name?” Big, silky, blonde curls bounced when she jumped, as if she didn’t notice me. Tunnel vision. Not bad, but not great, either. Staring down at her face, I took in her pretty, blue eyes and smooth cheeks with a slight smirk.

“H- Hannah. Hannah Martins. Thank you, sir.” Ducking her head, Hannah blushed hard as I hummed in acknowledgement. Reaching for her mouse, I scrolled through her work while the smell of her soft perfume wafted into my nostrils.

“Well, I’m liking what I’m looking at. How long have you been enrolled here?”

“Three years. I’m in the excel program, and I’m going to graduate in a few months. I didn’t really expect you to show much interest in fresh graduates, Mr. Dunn.” The curiosity in Hannah’s voice couldn’t be masked, and I tore my gaze from her computer. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and she leaned back in her chair to stare at me.

“I usually don’t, but this school was recommended to me by several friends. What about your loans?”

“I’m almost done paying them off. I’ve only got 8 grand left.” Surprise took hold of my expression, and Hannah smiled wide. “I work at a strip club. I met your brothers earlier this week.”

“You’re the stripper Ethan was complaining about?” Her eyes widened, and I cleared my throat to expel the mild disgust that loaded my voice. “Relax. I didn’t go to college- I don’t know what it’s like to be faced with debt. James, at least, had some good things to say about you. That’s not something he does lightly…”

James’ words slung against my skull, and I frowned lightly. Very rarely did James say anything about the strippers he met, let alone complimented one. And now, she was sitting right next to me.

“I- I don’t know what to say… I’m flattered… But-“ Waving off her concern, I straightened to shake my head. Amusement swirled in my chest, and she pursed her lips tightly together.

“Don’t judge me. I would never hire someone without proper reasons. It was nice speaking to you, Hannah. See you soon.” Walking away without another word, I reached to rub my face as Hannah’s eyes bored into my back. She was a curious, little thing, and I could see why James was so enamored with her. Not only was she pretty, but she had guts- enough guts to degrade herself for a greater purpose.

Admirable… but not tasteful.

I spoke to a few other students, but my mind lingered on Hannah with no hope of being swayed. Her situation wasn’t unique, but I couldn’t stop thinking of it.

Striding out of the college with William by my side, I rubbed my palms together before finally speaking up.

“I wasn’t expecting that.” William knew what I was talking about, and he grunted as we stepped off the sidewalk towards the street. The sun was at its highest, but the time only read 12:18o.m..

“Are you going to hire her? I know you don’t like that kind of thing, Nick.” Shrugging at the question, I pulled out my keys to unlock my car. Climbing into my driver’s side, I wrapped my hands around the wheel tightly. Thinking of Hannah’s profession made me sick with disgust. Even then I could understand the allure of a debtless college education.

“I’m going to base my not hiring her on her actual qualities- or lack thereof. What did you think of the others? I trust your judgement.”

“I liked a few… took their names. It’s not as exciting as I made it out to be, I know- but you’ll be better for it.” Grunting at the admission, I didn’t try to keep the conversation going as my car engine roared to life. Pulling off the curb, I rolled my jaw absently as I thought.

None of those kids struck me as exceptional, but that part didn’t matter. Qualities like that rarely showed themselves on the first meeting.