◊◊◊
Emily’s mom had been happy about her joining a sorority, but she’d been more interested in learning that her daughter had met David Dawson. Emily decided that her dad might be justified in worrying about her mom and David.
When she’d arrived at the sorority, Emily discovered that she had fifty new friends. She noted that almost all of them would have been the prom queen or head cheerleader at her old high school. Emily had a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that she’d been picked. What kept her insecurities in check was that everyone was friendly to her.
◊◊◊
They’d taken an Uber to the hotel. Jim and David got unpacked and then walked to Tami’s dorm. When Tami saw him and looked at him with concern.
“Sit!” she ordered. “I know about your concussion, and I don’t want you taking any chances.”
David gave in to the inevitable and took a seat on her bed as she greeted Jim.
“It’s been a while,” Tami said as she hugged him. “How’s your sister?”
“Suzanne is busy finishing up her bachelor’s. She’s planning on staying there and getting her master’s. I talked to her yesterday, and she told me to tell you hello.”
Jim’s sister had been a senior when David and Tami were freshmen. David suspected she was becoming a professional student because it looked like it would take her five years to get her bachelor’s. Going to school was way better than having to get a real job.
“My roommate turned eighteen today. We planned to grab dinner in Palo Alto, and then she’ll hit some parties.
She went over to get us a table when you called.”
“Maybe I could make her day,” David said.
“Here we go again. I miss David doing weird stuff,” Jim said.
“I don’t,” Tami said.
David stuck his tongue out at her.
◊◊◊
Each pledge class had someone who rose to the top.
Emily could already tell that was Wren, with her stunning looks and infectious personality. She had shoulder-length brown hair and wore tight black pants and a beaded pink tank top. Her smile lit up her entire face. She was currently flirting with this blond-haired Norse god named Lars.
Crystal came to Emily’s side, shaking her head.
“I’ve been warned to stay away from Lars,” Emily giggled.
“Please tell me you’re joking.”
“Nope. Apparently, they are ‘equals,’ and I’m to keep my distance.”
“That’s rather ironic.”
“Well, he seems to have the one thing she wants.”
“What? A pulse?”
“A pedigree. Like a puppy.”
Crystal cocked her head in amusement.
“Lars’ family are fishermen, not royalty,” Crystal shared.
“We should go save Wren before he soils her,” Emily said.
“I don’t know. Lars has his uses.”
They both laughed at that.
◊◊◊
David borrowed Jim’s baseball cap and slouched as he slid into the booth across from Tami’s roommate, Nia, and handed her a bouquet he’d bought at the convenience store down the street. She looked startled, confused, then suspicious—all perfectly natural and expected emotions under the circumstances.
“For you,” David said graciously, bowing just a hint.
“For … me? Who are you?” she asked brusquely.
Trace of a Southern accent—Georgia or South Carolina.
“I am a representative of the rest of the universe, which has directed me to bring a bit of sunshine into your life.”
“Uh … why?”
“Because it’s your birthday,” David said as if that explained it.
Instead, it made her more suspicious, but he detected the seed of a smile. Women loved flowers, so he hadn’t been told to leave … yet.
“And how did you know it was my birthday?”
“Hey, I just work here,” David said in mock protest. “I get the work order, and I go and dispense sunshine and happiness. I don’t ask why.”
The smile started to blossom. Time to strike.
“Hi, I’m Ian. Ian Bond,” David said as he removed his hat and gave her his best panty-dropping smile.
“Tami! Get your butt in here!” Nia called out.
In the process, the whole restaurant figured out who David was. Welp. This might have just gone south.
◊◊◊
The Phi Sig party was starting to wind down. Crystal found Taylor.
“Are all the pledges accounted for?”
“We’re missing Wren,” Taylor admitted.
“She was with Lars.”
“We better go get her,” Taylor decided.
Crystal asked the Phi Sig president which room was Lars’ and warned him that she and Taylor were going up.
They came to his door and could hear what sounded like sex. Before Crystal could knock, Taylor threw the door open.
Crystal could see that her friend was pleased with herself because on display was Lars’ muscular back and butt as he pounded Wren.
They thought it was Wren until Lars’s head snapped around, and the girl in question turned out to be Lucy Springs. Crystal knew her through the Panhellenic Council.
She was the Tri-Delts’ representative.
Both Crystal and Taylor stood frozen because Lucy was the biggest slut they knew. And that was saying a lot since they knew pretty much all the sorority girls at USC.
“What do you two want?” Lars asked as he pointed his man parts at them.
“We thought … uhm … we’re looking for Wren,” Taylor stammered.
“She’s on the floor, passed out,” Lars said as he pointed to the other side of the bed.
“Did you …?” Crystal asked.
“She’s untouched. I prefer my women to at least be drooling.”
Crystal knew he was goading them, so she took hold of Taylor’s arm and led her around to where Wren was lying.
Taylor woke her up, and the two of them helped her stand up. When Wren saw Lars’s slick dick, she smiled.
“That’s not for you,” Taylor said.
It took a moment for the penny to drop, but Wren suddenly had a scowl when she saw Lucy. That was followed by her barfing at Lars’s feet.
“Let’s go,” Crystal said as she dragged Wren and Taylor out of his room.
Lars slammed the door and locked it. A moment later, they heard two bodies slapping together. Guys were gross because Crystal could never have had sex with barf on the floor. Well, some girls were, too. After all, Lucy hadn’t objected.
◊◊◊
David spent a nice evening with Tami and Jim after Nia went to her parties. Chloe had visited Alex while Rachel and Cormac did their own thing. When David got back to the hotel, he sent Crystal a text. She was back from the frat party, so he got out his tablet, and they jumped onto video chat.
“Tell me again why Wren was a ‘no’ on your list of pledge candidates?” Crystal asked.
“She came across as entitled and full of herself. She actually said that I would be her boyfriend by Thanksgiving.”
“Your comment only said ‘Princess.’”
David chuckled because he could tell Crystal had ignored his advice on the pledges.
“What did she do?”
“She bullied Emily a little,” Crystal said. When she saw David’s look of disapproval, she added, “but Emily thought it was funny.”
“If you say so.”
“Then she locked onto Phi Sig’s biggest man-whore, Lars. At the end of the night, we found her passed out in his room.”
“Had she …?” David asked.
“Lars said ‘no.’ When Taylor and I went to find her, he was actually with another girl.”