Cruel Money (Cruel 1)

“I already have it! I just don’t test well,” I complained. Story of my life, honestly. Thank god Grimke University cared more for high school grades than standardized test scores.

“I’m going to make you sail next time, you know.”

“I have done it once! That’s not how it works.”

“That’s how I was taught,” he reasoned.

“Not happening.” I glared at him in the mirror as I pulled the straightener through my long hair one last time. It fell like a shiny sheet down nearly to my ass. “What do you think?”

“I’m thinking we’re going to be late.” He stepped forward and scooped me up into his arms.

“Oh my god!” I cried as he carried me into the bedroom and tossed me onto the bed next to Totle, who excitedly hopped up and licked my face.

“Aristotle, you’re ruining the moment, little man,” Penn said with a smile as he petted Totle’s head.

“We don’t have time anyway. We’re already running behind.” I pulled my hair over one shoulder.

“There’s always time,” he reasoned.

“The only thing we have time for is for you to tell me pink or red lipstick.”

“Trick question?” he asked. “Red obviously.”

“Why is that obvious?”

“Because later, when you’re sucking me off, you’ll leave a red ring behind, and I can think about that all night.”

I blushed unexpectedly. “You have a filthy mind.”

He gave me a hard kiss. “You’ve just hit the tip of the iceberg, Nat.”

If this was just the beginning of how his mind worked, I was both terrified and excited to see what else there was to come.

I quickly applied a layer of cherry-red lipstick, and then we left for the concert. As easy as it was to be with Penn, I didn’t know how I was supposed to act tonight. I wasn’t part of his crew, but we weren’t together either. We were somewhere in this in-between place. Casual…yet not. Friends with benefits…yet not. Not exactly at least.

Were we just supposed to be friends at this concert? Were we supposed to be nothing? Should I not be worrying about this at all? He was honest with his friends. Maybe they already knew what was going on between us, and I was second-guessing our arrangement for no reason. I didn’t know how to bring it up either. So, I decided I would just follow his lead. If it was clear that they knew we were sleeping together, then it’d be no big deal. But if he hid it, then I could do that, too. Maybe…

We met Katherine and Lewis outside of Madison Square Garden. She looked stunning with her dark hair in her signature supermodel waves. I was sure that Emmanuel had spent hours on her appearance to make her looks natural and flawless. Lewis was more casual in jeans and a button-up. He still had a bit of stubble on his cheeks, and it looked good on him. His face lit up when he saw me and Penn walking toward them.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he said, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me off of my feet.

I laughed and hugged him back. “It’s good to see you.”

“Lewis, please,” Katherine said.

He set me on my feet and shook hands with Penn. “Bro.”

Penn smiled back in that easy way he always did around his friends. I didn’t always understand their dynamic or the way they all seemed to not be entirely themselves. But I could tell that there was love there. Born of long years spent together, going through the same chaotic times of their lives.

Katherine reached for my hand and veered me away from the boys. “Here’s your pass.”

In awe, I took the lanyard VIP pass from her hand. I’d hardly been to any concerts, growing up. And in college, Amy had dated the bouncer at one of the venues, so we usually just snuck into crappy shows. First row tickets to Chloe Avana at Madison Square Garden had to have cost a fortune.

“I don’t know how I’ll be able to pay you back,” I told her.

“Oh, don’t be gauche. It’s a gift. No repayment needed. It’s the least I can do, considering how bad I felt after the gala.”

I was still not certain about Katherine. I liked her. I liked being around her and being in her circle of friends. But she seemed like the kind of person whose bad side you never, ever wanted to be on. That having her as a friend was a sincere privilege, and if you ever lost her favor, you would be better left to the dogs.

Her kindness made me uncomfortable. Especially because I knew there was no way that I could repay her. And I thought she liked that.

“I really didn’t mean project like that,” Katherine said carefully as we scanned our passes. The guys filed in after us. “I was just dealing with Camden. You can understand.”