Page 11 of The Billion Dollar Bet

For the rest of the day she completed the items on her list and then headed over to the University lab. Since it was Saturday evening, not many people were around. Dr. Jackson, a professor from the biochemistry department, met her in the hallway. He was about ten years her senior and had a killer smile. She knew of his reputation on campus and tried her best to stay away from his charms.

“Hello Dr. Melody,” he greeted. “I swear you look prettier each time I see you.”

“Hello Professor Jackson.”

“It’s raining out, will you join me for coffee?” he asked. “It’s is a bit chilly.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t drink coffee.”

“Tea then, or wine … water?”

“Thanks for the offer, but I must be going.”

She started to walk away when his voice stopped her. “I heard you were at the VitaLove Charity function last night. I hope you enjoyed it.”

Cassie turned, a frown on her face. “You heard I was there? Who told you?”

“I have a few friends in high places you know.”

Her suspicions deepened. Professor Jackson has been trying his best to get into her panties since before she completed her BSc Degree. That was two diplomas and a few years ago. Since she’d completed her PHD, he had not let up on his quest to charm her. This was baffling. He wasn’t even a part of her team. He was a complete separate area of expertise than hers. What would he benefit, other than to inflate his ego by impressing her with his so called contacts in high places?

She moved closer to him. “Did you recommend me to the foundation, Dr. Jackson?”

His brow furrowed as his eyes narrowed. He looked at her with some amount of confusion. “Recommend you?”

“Yes, to the VitaLove Foundation for sponsorship for my research.”

‘Sorry, I can’t take credit for that, but congratulations on acquiring a sponsor. You are one lucky woman to have the foundation behind you.”

Cassie’s shoulders deflated. She was certain that Jackson had done it in order to score points with her. Now she was back to square one, having no clue who had done such a big thing for her. However, giving up was not in her DNA and she would eventually discover the truth.

Chapter 9

Sunday saw more rain and she was grateful for the time to sleep in. She’d spent a few hours at the University where Dr. Jackson showed up at the research lab with herbal tea and sandwiches, assuming she might be hungry. The man was intuitive if nothing else. But something about him struck her as too slick.

He seemed to be mixed race with hazel eyes and curly hair, but his skin was a few shades darker than hers. He was striking, but his charms had no effect on her. When she had been a senior, she had liked him a little – she would not have been a warm blooded female if she didn’t at least fantasize once about the man. Tall, handsome and definitely a good body beneath his white coat. She’d seem him come in from jogging a few times on campus and he definitely had the body that fitted with the face. Then her perspective of the perfect male changed when she realized he’d been sleeping with a few of his students and some of the female professors.

She wasn’t about to get tangled with a man she knew could not keep his junk in his briefs. If she felt that she was starving for sex, she had ten fingers and her fridge was never out of cucumbers. So far, she hadn’t used any of them because she’d been focused on her research and nothing else. The closest she’d come to feeling any kind of sexual tension was when Devin had held her in his arms at the charity event.

Cuddling beneath the covers, Cassie giggled to herself that his plans for having a picnic were washed down the drain. She was somewhat disappointed because she was curious as to how he would convince her to go out with him. She didn’t even know him other than his name. It was apparent he was one the heirs of the city. There were several of them and all of them had no direction in life. All they did was partied, and could be seen at any time with the female socialites of the city. They were not interested in working for the companies their parents built and that was sad.

Cassie was not interested in dating someone like that and Devin appeared to be no different from the others. She was doubly curious as to why Devin took an interest in her. She was not one from his side of the tracks. Still he frequented her mind. Thinking about him brought a warmth to her chest. It was somewhat unnerving that she found him extremely attractive.

Perhaps it was the fact that she hadn’t had a man in such a long time. She racked her brain to recall the last time she had sex and it was during her college senior year. The relationship was short-lived, only lasting around three months. Neither had she the time nor the energy for casual encounters and most men she met were either married or promiscuous.

At around nine, she knew she needed to get out of bed. After taking her morning shower, she headed down to make breakfast. The morning called for oatmeal, poached eggs and ginger tea. Being that her work was sedentary, Cassie made sure she ate healthy since she was not keen on strenuous exercises.

By the time she finished breakfast, rinsed the dishes and was leaving the kitchen the doorbell rang and she made her way to answer it. The rain had slowed to a nice drizzle with an overcast sky. It was a day to curl up with a book and nice cup of hot cocoa – in her case it was mint tea. That was what she planned.

Upon opening the door, she stared up into the mesmerizing eyes of Devin. He was holding a basket with one hand and an umbrella with the next. His smile lit up his face and Cassie found her skin flushing.

“You?” she asked. “What are you doing here?”

He held up the basket. “Our date, remember?”

He was dressed in jeans, a leather jacket and sneakers. At least he was dressed for a casual date. Now she waited to see him convince her to go out into the rain on this date. As far as she could see, Devin was on the losing end of the battle.

“I never agreed to a date,” she retorted. “So you better turn around, get back into your car and head on home.”

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