Chapter 14

King

“Let’s watch Krista from the street to make sure she actually gets safely into a cab,” I tell the other guys who nod in agreement.

“Sounds like a good idea to me. Who knows whether that damn freak will come out of the shadows and pounce on her again?” Simon adds.

“I still can’t believe the fucking douche has the nerve to come up here and confront her,” Dylan offers.

“Well, either way, thankfully, we were there to swoop in and protect her,” I say as my natural instinct to be aggressive to a potential jerk continues to subside in the aftermath.

“I really thought you were going to punch that prick.” Dylan laughs.

“I would have if Krista hadn’t jumped in front of me to stop me,” I confess. “Hell, I still want to punch him in the face.”

“Maybe you’ll get another chance someday,” Simon teases.

“There she goes.” Dylan points in the direction of the dark Manhattan street.

“Okay, should we go back in and get some more work done?” Simon, ever the scholar, asks of the group.

“Are you fucking kidding me, dude?” I look at him as if he’s crazy.

“I know it’s late, but I have this wild idea. Hear me out.” Simon shifts his weight, and Dylan and I know he’s about to go off on a tangent.

“Fine,” I drone and roll my eyes. “I’d rather just submit than have to hear another one of your explanations,” I tease Simon.

“Fuck you.” Simon laughs, pretending to take offense.

As we walk back inside the building, I glance behind my shoulder just to make sure that tool bag ex-boyfriend of Krista’s isn’t going to attack me from behind with a tire iron or something.

Once the coast is clear, we file back in and return to the research facility.

“Okay, I guess I can stand for a second wind,” I tell the guys as we switch the lights back on.

“It’s all in the name of impressing Krista,” Simon reminds me. “Think about it…” he starts, but I cut him off.

“I already agreed to come back in here, you fucker,” I joke.

“Let me finish.” Simon ignores me. “If we get ahead on our research for Krista, she’ll be impressed by our efforts and will want us to continue fucking her.”

“I like those odds,” Dylan mentions and raises an invisible glass.

“Exactly!” Simon shoots a wave at Dylan.

“You don’t think she’ll want to fuck us just based on our good looks and charming personalities?” I smile.

“Maybe for me and Dylan,” Simon toys.

“You wish,” I retort with a playful scoff.

As I start to let the words sink into my brain, though, I begin reflecting on whether or not Krista actually cares for us.

More importantly, do we care for her on a deeper level?

We don’t know each other very well for starters.

Here’s what scares me about this situation: I’m Kingston Samuel Griffin. King for short. Obviously, that goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway.

My point is, Kingston Samuel Griffin doesn’t fall for girls. He’s not into the sappy romance love story.

I am not boyfriend material.

I’m just going to proclaim that and put it out there for the world to hear.

In saying that, however—yes, there is a proposal of the word but here—there’s something electric about Krista.

Maybe it’s her beautiful long dark hair, or her smoky, gorgeous eyes. Perhaps it’s her curves or the way she arches her back and balls her fists when she orgasms.

It could be a number of things, but I’m fucking hot for her, and there’s no denying it.

“You know,” I burst out of nowhere after being deep in thought.

“Yeah?” Dylan and Simon give me a funny look.

“I can understand where Krista is coming from.”

Simon clears his throat and crosses his arms, ready to hear my explanation. “Okay…care to elaborate?”

“Well, yeah,” I start. “I know the scholarship is important to her. We were in her shoes at one point too, you know.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Dylan nods.

“She’s weary for a good reason. I would be scared too, if I were her,” I offer.

“Are you thinking like a chick now?” Simon pokes fun at me.

“No!” I shout, although probably a little too defensively, so I throw in a “Fuck no,” denying his quip.

“Why the hell do you care so much about her feelings?” Simon asks, but he’s smiling, so I know he’s only kidding.

“I’m just trying to be a gentleman here,” I tell him.

“Good for you,” he states sarcastically and laughs with Dylan.

“Hey, fuck you, guys.” I laugh. “If I try to connect with her on a deeper level, I’ll have the best chemistry with her.”

“We’ll just see about that,” Dylan says.

“It’s not a contest,” Simon reminds us.

“In Krista’s defense, it is against the rules and policy of New York University to be romantically involved with a colleague or a student,” Dylan adds as a point in my favor.

“I think that point is moot since we’ve had sex with her twice already,” I sigh and lean against the side of the desk.

“She still flirts with us, so I feel like she’s a fair game,” Simon shrugs.

“If only there is a way we could ensure that our relationship would never be found out,” Dylan mentions.

“We can’t forget we would be in deep shit too if that happens,” Simon offers with a cough.

I point my finger at Dylan, and he stares at me.

“What did I do?”

“You are giving me an idea,” I say and stare off distantly into space.

“Hang on, you are thinking? Is hell freezing over?” Dylan jokes.

I smirk at him. “Ha, ha, you are such a fucking comedian.”

I’m getting ready to propose my idea to them, considering it could take flight and spread wings when something ominous happens.

I open my mouth to speak, and before I get a word out, the lights go out. I instinctively look to the front of the research room to see who’s coming in.

Maybe it’s the maintenance guy, and he doesn’t see us.

No one is there.

I glance at the guys. “What the hell?”

They appear just as alarmingly perplexed as I am.

“Do you think someone is out there?” Now Simon’s voice has a hint of fear.

“Like a ghost?” Dylan’s lips curl into an excitable grin.

“No, not like a ghost, you fucking idiot,” Simon hits his arm.

“Ouch! Fuck you, man.” Dylan rubs the affected area.

“Guys.” I raise a hand. “Stop fighting. Let’s go out into the hallway and see what’s going on.”

“Says every stupid fucking person in every horror movie ever made,” Dylan laughs.

“It’s probably just a power outage,” Simon offers.

“That’s why I want to go check,” I tell them.

“Knock yourself out.” Dylan gestures to the door.

“Nobody is coming with me?” I roll my eyes. “You guys are fucking pussies.”

“We’ll put that on your tombstone.” Simon laughs.

I shake my head and walk over to the door and peer out. Nobody is there.

I feel something behind me and turn around. “Shit!” I jump a few feet in the air because the other two guys are behind me. “I thought you weren’t going to check it out?”

“Curiosity kills the cat every time,” Dylan says.

“Whatever.” I sigh, and we all cautiously step out of the room.

My skin prickles because I have a portentous feeling about this. “Well, I guess I’ll get my wish after all,” I joke after a few seconds.

“What’s that?” Simon asks.

“Well, look,” I point to our dark research facility. “We can’t exactly work without lights.”

“That’s weird.” Dylan points down the hall. “Look, the lights are still on that way.”

Simon and I peer down the hallway, and it gives me chills. “Hmm,” I whisper. “How fucking peculiar.”

Simon goes back into the room and flicks the lights on and off, but nothing happens. It remains blanketed in darkness.

“We will just have to report it in the morning,” I offer.

“It’s late anyway,” Dylan says.

The power situation is creeping me out, but Krista still lurks in my mind. I know she’s having a hard time being conflicted between her feelings for us and her desire to keep her scholarship for her research studies.

She’s driven and passionate about her studies, and I respect that about her.

“Before we leave, I want to propose my idea,” I tell the guys who groan in response.

“Its about Krista,” I reassure them.

“Okay, I’m all ears,” Dylan perks up.

“I knew you would be,” I say. “Anyway, I know how we can pursue her without freaking her out.”

“Spit it out already,” Simon says impatiently. “I’m done being in the dark for the night.”

“Maybe she can date all three of us,” I say.

“How will that work?” Dylan furrows his brow.

“Think about it,” I chatter excitedly. “Nobody will ever expect or suspect her to date three guys at once. It’s the perfect plan.” I cackle with a mock evil laugh.

“You might be onto something,” Simon nods his head.

“Thank you.” I smile with relief, knowing that I might have him on my side.

“I don’t know…” Dylan trails off.

“Otherwise, we have to cut the cord with her, because she’ll be too nervous to talk to us anymore,” I argue, trying to convince him.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Simon offers.

“Thanks, man,” I say and beam at him. “I’m just looking out for the greater good of the group.”

“I think you’re forgetting one thing,” Dylan says.

“What?” I shrug.

“We still have to propose the idea to Krista. Ultimately, we have to allow her to make the final decision.”

“Absolutely,” I agree and nod my head. “It will be totally her call.”

As we leave the university that night, I can’t help but feel nervous butterflies in my stomach, hoping that Krista will embrace our idea.

I can’t imagine not seeing her every day, even after such a little amount of time knowing her.