“What are you doing?” Alex asked, the question coming out as a groan.

“I think I forgot my phone in here during class,” I said casually, walking straight past him without a second glance. I marched up the stairs and walked toward my seat near the aisle, bending over. My translucent underwear peeked out from underneath my short skirt, staring him straight in the face. I exaggerated the movement, taking my time to feign my search. After a few long moments, I walked back toward his desk and placed my hands on the top of the surface.

“Did you find it?” he asked, his face contorted as if he were in pain.

“Nope,” I pouted. “Maybe I didn’t leave it here after all.” I stared him in the eye and leaned forward a little, my boosted breasts practically bulging from my tight top. I knew how ridiculous it must have looked, but it was worth a shot. “If you happen to find it, would you let me know?” I asked. “I’m sure you could look up my room in the student directory,” I said with a wink.

Alex closed his eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath. “Yeah, sure, I’ll keep an eye out for it.”

“Thanks,” I said, giving him a pat on the arm. I wasn’t sure if this was what Carol meant when she told me to touch him, but I went for it anyway.

Before I could withdraw from him, he snatched my hand and held it in his.

“What’s this all about?” he asked, checking me out.

“What?” I asked innocently.

“I saw you a few hours ago. You were wearing normal clothing. Now, you’re back here when you know I’m going to be alone. You’re all dressed up, when I know the first thing you’re going to do when you get back to your dorm is put on sweatpants and sit in front of your computer. What’s with this new outfit?”

I shrugged, my boobs bouncing as I moved my shoulders. “I don’t see any problem with what I’m wearing. Do you?”

He began to smile, but quickly bit his lip. “No.”

“Can’t I wear my own clothes in my free time?” I said, though technically, they were handpicked for this exact occasion. “Do I not look good?”

He sighed again. “No, you look very nice.”

“Thank you,” I said, smirking at him. I felt like I was gaining some ground in this battle. I was forcing him to notice me and I could tell that it was paining him to do so.

“Look, I should be going,” he said. “I need to lock up the classroom and go back to my office for a few hours. Then, I have to pick up my tux from the dry cleaners and run a few more errands. I can’t wait until one of your classmates is working as my intern. I won’t have to do all of those tasks myself.”

I smiled curtly. “Make me your intern now, and I’ll do it this instant.”

“I don’t think that’s fair, seeing as I haven’t collected essays yet,” he replied. “What about the other students?”

“Fuck them,” I replied coarsely.

He raised his eyebrows. “Would you like that?”

I smirked. “I know you would. Well, I’ll leave you to it. Have a nice weekend. Enjoy your event tonight. I’m sure you’ll be able to convince the lovely people at the event that you’re not a douche bag.”

I removed my hand from his and traced my fingers along his back as I strutted toward the door.

“Wait,” he said.

I turned back to face him, walking a little closer. He was now sitting on top of his desk, his legs wide. I stood just a few feet away, to the point where he was practically straddling me.

“You’re going to get me fired,” he muttered to himself.

“I’m not doing anything,” I said innocently. “What do you want?”

He blinked a few times. “I think you know what I want.”

“Can you be more descriptive?” I asked, licking my lips.

He thought for a minute before responding. He was trying very hard to stay calm and I loved watching him squirm.

“I want you to have a lovely weekend,” he said softly. “I want you to go out and have some fun.”

I frowned. “Why?”

“I think you know why.”

I was confused. His demeanor changed so suddenly. I really thought he was going to say something filthy, so I could leave him behind in return. I had planned all of my moves very carefully, but he threw a wrench in what was supposed to be a very predictable conversation. Had I gone too far with him? Perhaps there was a kind, sensitive guy underneath all of that bad behavior. Maybe I had been too hard on him.

“Why?” I asked sincerely.

He cracked a wide smile. “You’re walking around here like a cat in heat. You’re trying to beg me to chase you.”

My mouth gaped open. He had figured me out. “No, I’m not!” I said, offended.

“What do you want from me?” he asked, turning the questions around again. “I don’t have a lot of time. Just tell me what you want and maybe I can help you out with it, unless you’re asking for the internship. I can’t give that to you if you haven’t earned it.”

I hesitated to say anything. I felt like he was playing the game better than I was, and he was just wearing the suit he showed up to class in. He even looked a little tired and had stubble on his chin. He made it all seem so easy. I had to put in so much work to be seductive, and it just oozed out of him with zero effort at all.

“I came here for my phone,” I said, still feeling a little tipsy from the alcohol I drank before I stormed the classroom.

“Sure,” he said, squinting his eyes a little. “And you want me to stop by your place if it magically shows up?”

I nodded. “That’s right.”

“And if I came to your place, would you open the door wearing absolutely nothing at all?”

My stomach fluttered. “Maybe. I don’t have to wear clothes in my own home.”

“And if I returned your phone, would you be so pleased that you had to repay me in any way you knew how?”

“Yeah, I think that sounds reasonable,” I said, my hips closer to his now. He was painting a picture in my head that I really wanted to come to fruition. I was so lost in this fantasy that I kept forgetting to play hard to get.

“Well, I’m about ready to go out and buy you a new phone,” he said, licking his lips.

I rested a hand on his knee. He didn’t even flinch.

“Then you didn’t earn the reward, much like I haven’t earned your internship,” I teased. “I’d gladly take a new phone, but that’s not why I came here.”

He leaned forward a little bit. I could smell his minty breath.

“Let’s just make this easier on the both of us,” he said softly. “The charity function is in about four hours from now. Your hair and makeup are already done, so you don’t have to worry about that. You clearly don’t have a ton to do, or else you wouldn’t be trying so hard to torment me. I suspect you’d rather enjoy prime rib or salmon and endless amounts of champagne, instead of the instant noodles and cheap vodka and three dollar bottles wine you’d have on a normal Friday night. Instead of sitting in front of your TV in sweats, you could be chatting with my co-workers in a beautiful gown. If you want, we can even dance, but it’s not required.”

He was tempting me. Everything he described about my other plans was painfully accurate. Everything he listed about the event sounded awesome. Would I be a complete sellout if I went? Alex’s annoying behavior aside, it did all sound a lot better than staying home. Would it be so crazy to accept his offer? As long as there were no strings attached, it didn’t seem like a bad deal.

“What do I get out of it?” I challenged.

“Didn’t I just list everything you get out of it?” he chuckled. “What more could you want?”

“An internship, for one.”

He thought for a second. “Let’s consider tonight your interview.”

“Fine,” I said after a few seconds of deliberation. “What should I wear?”

He shook his head and grabbed a scrap of paper and pen from the desk. “I already took care of it. I’m glad you finally agreed, because that dress was expensive.”

He wrote an address on a piece of paper and handed it over to me. Then, he reached into his wallet and pulled out a credit card.

“Take a cab to this address for your fitting. If you get there soon, they should have it ready in a few hours. Then, they’ll have it sent to my apartment. That’s the second address. You can get your nails done, or whatever girls do, in the meantime. Come by my place no later than six thirty so you can finish getting ready and we can leave. I’ll have you home by midnight. Is it a deal?”

I clutched the scrap of paper in my hand, along with Alex Rye’s credit card. This guy was a multimillionaire and he was just giving me free rein to go out into the city and pamper myself for a few hours. For a second, I thought about calling Carol and going out for some sushi to celebrate, but I wanted him to respect me at least a little. After all, this was strictly business.

“It’s a deal. I’ll go back to my dorm and then get a cab for the fitting.”

“Perfect,” he said. “I’m really glad you changed your mind. I hope tonight won’t disappoint.”

I only really hoped that I didn’t disappoint—both Alex and myself. The event that he painted in my mind sounded like something out of a fairytale. Girl goes to fancy ball with the handsome prince, networks with high-powered financial advisors, and lands her dream internship. I could have sold the rights to that movie right there. If the two of us stuck to our duties, I didn’t see why this couldn’t be a pleasant evening. However, the alcohol was starting to wear off, making me feel nervous again.

“I’ll see you at your place,” I said, the words sounding strange in my mouth. In what universe was I going back to Alex Rye’s place, after the disaster in the bar?

I started to turn to walk out the door when Alex hopped down from the desk. He gently cupped my cheek in his hand and planted a soft kiss on my lips. I think I swayed on the spot, woozy from this surprise. And, much to my shock, I really enjoyed it.

“Bye,” I said in a hurry before rushing out of the classroom. I’m not sure if I really heard it, or if I imagined it, but I swore I could hear Alex quietly chuckling to himself as I hauled ass out of the building, my nerves on fire.