The campus is huge. We only make it halfway across the quad before our stomachs growl, and we stop in the Student Center to test out our meal plan cards. We’re sitting at a table, chowing down on burgers, when my curiosity gets the best of me.
“So, is it just you and your dad?” Does his wife know he has a wandering eye?
“Yeah. My mom cheated on my dad a few years back. She packed up and left shortly after. We barely hear from her, which is fine by me. She’s living it up in Las Vegas with her yoga instructor—the one she cheated with.”
I take another bite, digesting this information. How shitty of her mom. I can’t imagine cheating on someone like Heath. He seems kind, compassionate. Obviously he’s extremely attractive. From what I learned about Hazel in her bio, they are pretty wealthy, which means he’s successful too.
“That stinks. Sorry to hear.”
“Oh, don’t be. I love my dad, and he’s better off. Took him some time, though. He was super angry. But who wouldn’t be? The only bummer is he throws himself into his work. I’d go days at a time without seeing him.”
“What does he do?”
“Real estate. He works with high-profile investors, making the big bucks. It’s nice and all, but sometimes I wish he took a break. He’s been wearing himself thin.”
The thought of coming home to him every night, rubbing his shoulders to relieve the day’s stress, and having wild, animal sex sounds hot, amazing and so so—
I choke on my burger.
“Whoa—you okay?” She hands me my drink as I cough and sputter. Clearly, I’m not. I’m daydreaming about being her new mommy.
“Yeah…fine. Hey! Let’s hurry up and finish the rest of the tour. I hear they’re doing ice breaker games on our floor later.” I wiggle my eyebrows, making fun of the lame schedule they posted for us to get to know one another, using it to deflect from what my out-of-control mind is thinking.
Violet
The first week of school is a lot more fast-paced than I expected. More than half of my professors give out test dates before even introducing themselves. It’s a lot to take in, and I’m worried this whole college thing is a mistake. This wasn’t the plan I had in store for myself. I was perfectly fine with staying home and continuing to work on my ambition of having a non-degree based career, but Mom wanted me out of the house so it would be less distracting when she brought her flings home—especially the ones who had an eye for her young, attractive daughter.
I never considered myself appealing. Not like my roommate. Hazel and I are the exact opposite. Unlike her bright blonde hair, mine is jet black. My mother used to always compare me to the mythical creature, Medusa, luring men in with my venomous thick, wavy hair. One year, I dressed up as her for Halloween, just to piss Mom off—which backfired when her flavor of the week got drunk and tried making a move on me. I always wondered if she wanted my fate to be like Medusa’s: beheaded.
There’s no love lost between us. Sending me away was probably the best thing for us both. This way, I get an education while she finds me Daddy number six. That train of thought has my mind running back to dangerous territory. Heath Winters: hot, sexy, off-limits.
I blame this sudden obsession on my mother. Maybe I’m pining for a daddy to pay attention to me, but it’s not the nighttime stories and hand holding I’m craving. Sure, I’d want him to tuck me into bed. But then I’d want him to get under the covers with me, run his hands all over my flushed and eager body, devour me with his tongue, fuck me with his fingers, and put his cock in places I’m ashamed to admit I lust for.
“I need to get laid,” I mumble out loud, walking into my dorm room. Maybe I can find some random frat boy to fuck the image of Mr. Winters out of me. That’s my solution to all this. Not to mention, it’s wrong, and I’m starting to feel guilty. He’s Hazel’s dad, for crying out loud.
“Hey! How was class?” Hazel startles me as she greets me at the door holding her backpack.
“Oh, hey. It was okay. I feel like I should have taken a note-taking class before all this. The professors talk so fast and about so much, how do they expect me to get it all down?”
Hazel laughs, grabbing my backpack and tossing them both in the corner of our room. “Right? I don’t even get half the stuff. I’m about to find a cute boy to swindle into taking my notes for me.”
“That won’t be hard. Every single guy on this campus drools over you. Maybe you can throw a good word in and have them take notes for me too.” And that’s a fact. Hazel and I have psychology together, and I swear more eyes are on her than the professor.
“Shut it. Guys trip over themselves when you walk by. But listen, there’s a huge party going on tonight. A guy in my physics class invited me to it. Let’s go check it out.”
“Oh, I don’t know…” I’d kinda rather stay home and stare at the photos you have up of your dad. Shut it down, Violet! “Or…yeah, screw it. I’m in major need of a hookup.”
Hazel squeezes my hand, jumping up and down. “Yes! It’s gonna be awesome! Our first official college party!”
And hopefully, a hookup that will cure this lingering craving that won’t disappear.
The music blares and the bass is pounding in my chest. Drunk college kids crowd the lawn and porch, creating a sea of red Solo cups. Hazel drags me up the stairs, and we head into the house in search of the guy who invited her. “There are like a billion people here,” I point out.
“Yeah, but he was super cute. I wanna thank him and try to get a gauge on him.”
Being thrown into a small space with a stranger, you tend to have nothing to do but talk. Over the past week, Hazel and I have learned a lot about each other. We have a ton in common and a lot of the same likes and dislikes. We both lost our virginity at sixteen too—mine to my boyfriend, hers to her private yoga instructor.
“This is awesome, isn’t it?” She grabs two full cups of beer and hands me one as she takes a huge swallow of hers. “Gross. Guess we better get used to keg beer for the next four years.” We “cheers” and make our way farther into the house. The night zips by in a blur, and before we know it, we’re both pretty buzzed. The music flows through us, and we spend half the night dancing. Hazel finally runs into the physics guy and takes him up on his offer to do a shot, leaving me alone.
“Looks like you just got ditched.” I whip my head around, pleasantly surprised to find a cute guy—shaggy blonde hair, kissable lips, and a smile that certainly does things to my libido.
“It does, doesn’t it?”
“Jim.” He sticks his hand out, and I return the gesture, taking his hand in mine.
“Violet.”
“Yeah, I know. We actually have psychology together.”
I stare at him, searching for why he looks familiar. “Wait, you’re…don’t you—?”
“Teach the class? Yeah.”
“Do they allow professors at parties?” I ask, my lips forming into a playful smirk.
“Not normally, but this one’s off-campus. I tend to sneak to a few every now and then.” We hold each other’s gaze until a shyness falls over me. Breaking our connection, I stare back off into the crowded dance floor. “Wanna dance?”