15
Iwas almost surprised at how well the week had been going so far. My boys were letting me know at every opportunity they cared for me and that they were pulling strings to see what they could find. Their commitment to my safety and happiness was heart-warming.
I was writing up a storm with renewed confidence in my abilities. If my readers wanted something spicy, they were going to get it. Writing those new scenes stoked that fire between my legs, reminding me of every moment I’d spent with one of my boys. People were going to read my stories and get a vicarious thrill. I almost relished how my readers begged for more now.
I also helped out Dave and gave him some pointers on his romance chapters, but they didn’t need much work. Vanessa didn’t approve, of course, and made a few snarky comments about dragging down the quality of our magazine with smut. Dave and I had just looked at each other and shrugged when it happened. Every time I thought of Vanessa’s hurtful words, I thought of my boys and all the work they were doing to protect me.
By the time the planning committee meeting rolled around on Thursday, I was beginning to feel like I had everything under control. There were still stares, but I tried not to pay attention to them, and when I did, I forced myself not to care. I still had to keep my relationship with my guys a secret, but I was willing to put up with the stares and whispers after how well the previous week had gone.
It was raining on the day of the gala planning meeting. I left my dorm room early enough to take a leisurely walk under my umbrella on the way. I loved the rain; something about it was soothing, almost comforting, even in the grey gloominess it brought. The splash of it as I walked the cobblestone path reminded me of playing in muddy puddles as a kid back home. It was a nice memory, something to keep me grounded among all the opulence of a place like VIP College.
I shook my umbrella dry beneath the awning of the building, folded it up, and went inside. A minute later I was taking my seat, going for the one right next to Tiffany.
“You’re early,” Tiffany said, hugging me. “I feel like I barely saw you all week other than class.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” I said.
“You were busy writing, weren’t you? Because I read your most recent installment, and wow,” Tiffany mock fanned herself. “I don’t know where you get it, but keep it coming.”
“I plan on it,” I said.
Tiffany studied me. “You seem good, Aubrey.”
“How do you mean?” I asked.
“Confident. On your game. The last time I saw you this happy was weeks ago, maybe even months.” Tiffany stopped as the rest of the committee members shuffled in, all of them in various states of wet. “I don’t know what changed but I’m glad it did,” she said.
So Tiffany had noticed my change in mood. I wanted to believe this was the end of the bad times. It was getting easier to see the silver lining.
As people took their seats, Tiffany stood at hers. I looked over to Luka. He flashed me a smile, bright as ever. It filled my heart with warmth.
“Today’s going to be a work meeting,” Tiffany said, “but first I want to discuss a dance auction idea I came up with.”
“What kind of auction?” Jennifer asked.
“I don’t have all the details nailed down,” Tiffany said. “But I was thinking we could round up the most eligible bachelors on campus, with their consent of course, and auction off a single dance at the ball.”
There were murmurs of approval all around. It sounded fun but I was a little crestfallen I wouldn’t be able to participate in it. I couldn’t image how much these people would be able to afford on a bid.
“What would we do with the proceeds?” Jennifer asked.
“I was thinking we could give them to a charity,” Tiffany said.
“What if we used it as a new scholarship fund?” Amber suggested.
Tiffany’s eyes lit up. “I love that idea. I know a certain someone is probably sick of being the only ‘scholarship girl’ on campus.” She threw me a grin.
“I agree, it’s a brilliant idea,” Luka said. “We’ve benefited tremendously from Aubrey’s presence in VIP Lit. I believe we are overdue for some more economic diversity in our ranks. We want to attract some of the brightest minds in the world, not just the wealthiest.”
“I can sell that,” Tiffany said. “Anyone opposed?”
No one was. The motion passed unanimously. It was touching that my fellow peers would think to support an initiative so close to my heart.
“Now that we’ve taken care of that, it’s time to get to work,” Tiffany said.
We settled in at various tables and got ourselves organized. I sifted through some papers with names and phone numbers. There was an event company suggested by Tiffany that might have the string quartet I wanted to book.
“LuxurEvents, this is Faith Briars speaking,” came the voice on the other end.
