Page 46 of Forged By Sacrifice

I couldn’t help the smile. “Sorry. My boyfriend needs me to come get him. Car broke down.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Yes. I moved to Washington to be with him. He works for Senator Matherton.”

I was name-dropping and lying all at the same time. Things I normally hated, but things I knew would at least put some distance between me and a professor with predatory tendencies. He would be less apt to pursue me if I had important connections and a boyfriend to come storming down his door. It might, at the very least, not offend him so he wouldn’t take the rejection out on me.

Professor Collins frowned again then turned back to his desk. “I’ll need the binder back before the first week of school, so get what you need and then return it.”

His smiles were no longer as wide. Shit. I had pissed him off.

I held back again, wanting to say, Thanks but no thanks, dickhead, and throw the binder into his office so it would spill open and rain papers all around. Instead, I said with a sweetness I didn’t feel, “Absolutely. Thank you so much for the opportunity to get ahead on the course.”

“You’re welcome.”

I rushed out of the office, fingers trembling with anger and bile. I’d handled way worse in New York. Finance guys who didn’t know how to take no for an answer. Model friends of Jared’s who thought that being in a relationship just meant there was more to go around. But what had my hands shaking this time was the possibility that this man was in a position to screw up my new life for me.

UNKNOWN: Dani is calling 911 as we speak.

ME: I’m fine. Sorry. Just walked out of the douchebag’s office.

UNKNOWN: So, he was hitting on you?

ME: And is now completely pissed off and going to make my life hell.

UNKNOWN: Did you taser him or pepper spray him?

ME: Neither. I’m assuming this is Mac, BTW.

UNKNOWN: Yes, it’s Mac, and do you need me to come take care of him?

I started to type, “No, I think it’ll be fine. I told him that I had a boyfriend,” and then backed it up. I’d used Mac and his position, and that wasn’t normally me. I wasn’t sure how he’d react to it. Then, I sighed and just typed the truth.

ME: I told him I had a boyfriend who needed me to come get him because his car broke down.

There was a long pause while the dots came and went, letting me know he was texting me.

UNKNOWN: So, I was the boyfriend?

ME: Don’t go freaking out on me, Mac-Macauley. He didn’t know it was you on the other end of my buzzing phone. It was just a buzzing phone to him.

UNKNOWN: If you need me, I’ll always pretend to be your boyfriend to ensure the douche doesn’t think he can take advantage of you.

My stupid heart went pitter-patter too fast. Ridiculous. I had to get a handle on this. It was exactly what Descartes warned of. Don’t let the dream senses override the reality.

My pause had given Mac ammunition to use against me.

UNKNOWN: Don’t freak out, Georgie-Girl. I would just be pretending to be your boyfriend.

ME: ** Eyeroll GIF**

UNKNOWN: Dani and I are almost done here for the day. We’re going to stop at Franklin’s for happy hour. Do you want to join us?

Yes. No. Yes. No. That was the war that went on between my body and my brain.

ME: Thanks, but I’m going to take a look at this binder of case studies that I now have to give back to him next week.

After way too much deliberation, I changed Mac’s contact name simply to “The Guy.” I’d no sooner done that than Dani was texting me.

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