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Congratulations and welcome to the incoming class at The City University of New York. On behalf of faculty, staff, and students, it gives us great pleasure to inform you that you have been admitted into the program of Fine and Performing Arts…
How did they…?
Who…?
Fuck. “Fuck.”Fuck!
This calls for something stronger than water. Even at two in the morning after swearing off drinking. I grab the bottle of tequila and take a long swig. Why would he do this for me? Go through all this trouble? There are at least seven applications, which means hundreds of paid fees.
I take another swig. Is he trying to have control over me? Force me to confront him? Of course. Another swig. If he thinks that’s going to work, he’s way wrong. I toss the acceptance letters in the trash and walk away. Then I rush back and scoop them out. Did I actually get accepted into college? Holy shit! I grab my phone to text Fay, then remember it is, indeed, two in the morning. I leave the letters on the counter, deciding that if I feel the same way about them tomorrow, into the trash they’ll go. But maybe sleeping on it is a good idea.
***
“Go to hell, you devil device,” I moan. My phone stops ringing just to start back up. I roll over and cuss up a storm. It’s seven in the morning. “Someone better be dying,” I growl into the phone without bothering to open my eyes.
“Be at my office by eight.”
One eye pops open, and I look at the screen. “Why?”
“Don’t be late,” Theo barks.
“But why?” The line goes dead. “Fucker.” I drop my phone and flop back onto the bed. Hopefully, he meant eight p.m. I close my eyes and snuggle back under my sheets. My phone dings with a text. Slapping my bed, I grab it and peer open one eye to read it.
Boy Toy Monroe: That’s 8 a.m.
Dammit! He creeps me out when he does that. I grunt and pop out of bed. After a quick shower, coffee to-go and a sideways glance at the pile of letters, I’m off to Theo’s castle, walking in at eight on the dot.
“We meet again.”
His secretary looks at me as if it pains her to smile. “He’s expecting you.”
“Duh. I’m like his second in command.”
Her brows scrunch in amusement. “The wifey is first. But when she’s not around, I call the shots—”
“Mindy. Now,” Theo barks.
“See.” I wave her off and strut down the hall.
“Close the door,” he demands from his big, bad boss chair.
I walk up to his desk, the latch of the door clicking behind me. “What’s with the impromptu meeting? You making me sign something so I won’t get strippers for your fiancée’s bachelorette party? If that’s the case, I refuse. She needs to know her options before taking the plunge.”
“Sit down, Mindy.”
“Wow, pleasant as always. I’d really love to have met youbeforeyou were in love.” He ignores me and tosses a stack of papers across his desk. “Dude, I was kidding. And she totally turned down my offer—”
“I need you to read that and sign it.”
“Seriously? Is this about that one time? If I had known she was allergic to—”
“Read it and sign it.”
I roll my eyes and grab the paperwork. This is so silly. I give it a half-assed read, not really caring what it says. Probably something along the lines of ending my life if I bring Fay within half an inch of another man. I skim through it, all the lawyer mumbo jumbo making my eyes cross. “Wait…” I back up, rereading the second section. My eyes dart up to meet Theo’s. “What is this?”
“Read it.”
“Iamreading it. Jesus. But it’s not making sense. There’s nothing about strippers and threatening my life. And why is…” I read further and raise my head in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
