04

Hypothesis; the subject of my seduction will be attracted to what he can't have, like every male specimen.

Those eyes. I hated staring at Daniel's eyes. It was like they held something there. And it was terrifying. Made my breath catch each time my gaze wandered there.

So instead, I focused on the space between them.

"What are you doing here?" It's not like he was supposed to be having any classes right now. Chanelle had given me his lecture schedule so I knew.

Daniel tucked his hands into his pockets and licked his lips, staring down at me. "You're in my seat, freshman."

I frowned. The only reason why I was here was to finish up this drawing so I wouldn't have too much work to do later. And I could have just gotten up and walked away because I was already done-save for the nose on my cup. But where was the fun in that?

Besides, I was supposed to be seducing him.

So with a sickening sweet smile, I put away my art tools and took out my copy of the love hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, lifting my feet onto the table and relaxing in the seat.

"I don't see your name written on it."

He studied my posture for a moment with a brow corked in amusement. "I see," he mused. Then he shrugged and began walking away.

It was my turn to lift up a brow in confusion. Wasn't he going to try and fight for his seat? I thought boys liked what they couldn't have?

My eyes travelled with him as he walked to the back of the class. Just when I thought he was going to head for the door, he took a sharp turn and went round the column. Realisation dawned on me.

When Daniel noticed my eyes on him, he winked as he made his way towards me. He apologized to a few students as he made his way through them, passing chair after chair until he plopped down into the seat next to me. His black irises had a glint in them as he grinned, facing me. "Hey, Freshman."

I shut the book and placed it down on the table, front cover up. "Do not call me that."

His eyes glinted again when he feigned oblivion. "What? Freshman?"

"Fuck you, Daniel."

His grin turned cocky and he waggled his eyebrows. "I'm sure you'd love to, stalker. How do you know my name?"

Oh shit. I wasn't supposed to know him. Er... Think, Noah!

"It's hard not to know the name of the golden boy of Furman." I rolled my eyes, trying to act smooth and my subconscious gave me a pat on the back for that save.

Daniel snorted, adjusting himself in his seat so he was upright. "I'm not that."

I lifted a brow at him. "No?"

He gave me a deadpan expression but chuckled. "There's a lot more to this," he motioned to himself. "Than 'Furman golden boy'." His gaze seemed to soften on me. I looked away. Incase he was a mind reader and could tell I was a girl on a mission.

"I'm sure there's more to you too than stuck up freshman. So why don't we have coffee together sometime?"

My eyes widened and I gasped at his still smiling face. Was this guy daft?

An unbelieving chuckle left my lips as I shook my head, picking up my book and putting it into my backpack. "You did not just insult me and ask me out in the same statement."

He shrugged. "You are stuck up."

I picked up my bag and scoffed, throwing him a sarcastic smile as I stood up. "Guess what? You can stick your fat ego and your coffee up your ass. Infact, stick it so far up that it reaches your head. I'm sure there's plenty of room in there."

His jaw dropped and I smirked in victory. "I hope you burn in hell, Daniel," I said and walked away like the lead character in some badass movie.

Alright, I'll admit it, maybe I might have taken it too far with Daniel when I told him to burn in hell. My hypothesis that boys wanted what they couldn't have was carefully developed after many many romcoms. All the male leads usually fell in love with the female leads either because she was stubborn or she was the one girl who wouldn't get in bed with them. Boys loved a challenge. And that had been what I was going for with Daniel when I said no to his coffee offer, but the hell part might have been too much.

Now that I'd accepted that fact, how the hell was I supposed to correct my mistake? Especially since Chanelle was badgering my phone with multiple texts asking where I was and how it was going with Daniel. I'd only begun the mission today and this girl was already trying to take away my sanity.

Just as I took a sip from my orange juice, my phone lit up with another one of her messages.

From: Barbie

-Where are you, Noah? And why aren't you replying my texts? If you think you can take my money and not deliver, let me remind you that I will make your life a living hell. I'm going to find you.

Fucking hell. Could she be any more crude?

I picked up my phone and dialed her number, deciding I was ready to speak to her now. Chanelle picked up her phone on the first ring.

"What the hell, Noah?"

I mentally cursed but maintained my calm demeanor. "Can't a girl have lunch in peace?"

"Let me remind you that you work for me now. I'm sure it's my money you used to buy that lunch you're having." I could literally hear the scowl in her voice as she spat the words. Reminding myself to inhale, exhale and count imaginary sheep to calm down, I bit the inside of my cheek.

She wasn't wrong. The plate of piping hot fries I'd just consumed was bought with the money she'd deposited in my account. She made it sound like I was a slave at her mercy, like I was pathetic. Like I was begging her for it. When in actual fact I was working for the money.

I tried to channel the burning rage I felt towards the task at hand. The sooner I got this done, the sooner I could be rid of Chanelle and her bitchiness.

"I'm working on it, Chanelle."

She exhaled in aggravation. I had no idea why she sounded like she was in such a hurry. "Work faster. One of the girls just reported to me that she spotted Daniel touching the shoulder of a girl that wasn't you."

Stalker much?

I shook my head, glancing around the shop I was in. Waiters smiled at customers as they took their orders. The sounds of utensils meeting glass filled the air. Somewhere in the middle of all the noise, someone laughed.

"I can't be everywhere he is. I'm supposed to win him over, not stalk him."

"If that's what it'll take to be successful, then do it." Chanelle dropped her tone. "You know how important to me this is."

I exhaled again. This girl was going to kill me. "He asked me out to coffee," I blurted.

Her side of the line went quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "That was... Sudden. This morning?"

"Yes."

"What did you say?"

I bit my lip and shut my eyes tightly, praying to the skies that this wouldn't backfire. "I said yes."

A squeal from Chanelle had my eyes flying open. "That's awesome, so when are you guys doing it."

"Er..." I searched my brain for something to throw her off my case for just a little bit longer. "He didn't say."

Chanelle went silent again and I sat on edge until she finally broke it.

"It's fine. That's progress at least. Keep doing whatever it is you're doing because it seems to be working. No one has ever reported to me this fast."

Then why was she so-

"Make sure you report to me about everything. Leave nothing out. You're bound by a contract. Remember that," she warned. And with a sigh, she said, "I'll talk to you later, Noah."

Without so much as a goodbye, she hung up. Rude. I stood up, tucking the phone into my back pocket and picking up my bag and orange juice before heading out of the shop.

The warm September breeze dusted my cheeks as I made my way down the sidewalk. The sun was out, but it wasn't as heated as it normally was so that was a good thing. I took another sip of my orange juice, the cold liquid hitting me in contrast to the atmosphere. All the while, I tried to come up with ways to get to Daniel and came up with nada.

With a sigh, I lifted my drink to my lips to take another large sip when someone literally walked into me and sent orange juice up my nose and seeping into my white tee shirt. A million curses exploded in my brain as I stepped back, coughing furiously, trying to get rid of the orange juice which was currently burning down my trachea.

Large hands patted my back with a foreign softness that had me flinching away and lifting my hot glare onto whoever it was that had put me in this predicament. However, all the curses stuck to the sides of my throat when he spoke in a soft tone.

"Are you okay?"