Page 37 of The Naughty Virgin

I stood stock still. This couldn’t be right.

“No, just last week I came in because I needed to figure out a payment plan with the school,” I said slowly. “I owe State something like thirty thousand for this year.”

But the woman was bored, barely even looking up from her screen.

“Nope, shows here your balance is zero,” she said again, her voice flat. “Did you get some scholarship money? Or some financial aid come in? Or,” and here she cackled to herself, “you got a fairy godmother maybe?”

I shook my head, puzzled. None of those things had happened. I knew there was no more financial aid coming down the pike and the scholarships I’d been awarded had already been applied. So I pressed forward.

“Well, can you see when my tuition was paid and who paid it?” I asked. This had to be a mistake and I was sure it was going to all come unraveled at some point. “Surely, you can tell that from the system.”

The woman stared at the computer again, flicking through a couple keys.

“Says here it was paid in full today,” she remarked, her eyes flicking to me. “Like I said, you got a fairy godmother?”

I flipped through my mental rolodex. Nope. There was no one who could have done this, certainly no one I knew had a spare thirty thousand and could write a check just like that. So I shook my head, mystified.

“But does it say who paid it? Where it came from?” I asked futilely.

The woman just shook her head.

“Nope, computer doesn’t have that information. Just says thirty-one thousand five hundred and fifty-two cents was paid earlier today. The check already cleared,” she added helpfully.

And shaking my head again, I picked up my gym bag, dazed, turning to go. Where had the money come from? It was like a jackpot had fallen from the sky and landed on my head, showering me with clinking golden coins, easing my life of financial strain. This was so weird, an enormous load off my back. Maybe now I could take an unpaid internship this summer to bolster my resume instead of double shifts at the coffee shop. So many opportunities had just opened and I was mystified and elated at once, dazzled by my good fortune.

So with slow steps, I made my way to the pool. Honestly, my work-out was the last thing on my mind and I was wandering around a little lost, like someone who’d just found out they’d won the Megamillions Lotto when a big shadow descended over me.

Slowly, I turned, still dazed, still on Cloud Nine, my eyes focusing slowly.

“Stone?” I said, confused. “What are you doing here? WTF, where have you been?”

And the big man chuckled.

“Girlie,” he rumbled, his eyes ravenous, devouring me in my skimpy cover-up, “I’ve been waiting for you.”

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