High Society

Slade Smith a Dangerous game

Chapter one

I knew he was behind me, his eyes boring into the back of my skull - assuming it was because I was getting friendly with his girl when Deric said, "I hear you're the guy to come to when I need someone taken care of?"

I cringed at how bad that sounded.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean?" I side-eyed him, taking one step closer to the counter to place my coffee order.

"Don't play dumb with me, Smith."

My phone vibrated inside my jacket pocket giving me a much needed distraction from Mr Douche. Ignoring him I checked up on the message. Sure as shit it was a message from Campus accounts, a final demand notification for outstanding fees. My nostrils flared as I discarded my phone in my jean pocket.

"I heard about the raid." Deric added,  leaning into me from behind. "Too bad, all that cash they confiscated, I'm sure that last legendary win would have covered your fees for at least two semesters." I could almost hear the smile in his voice.

Stepping a position closer in the line I asked him. "What do you want Deric?" My eyes glued to the cute girl behind the counter as we exchanged smiles.

"I can make it worth your while."

Talk about temptation. I was getting desperate. With the bust on my last winnings from my poker game I was tapped out. And with 'campus cops' on my ass I could not risk being caught. I'd be kicked out of law-school forever. Happens when you run an illegal gambling ring from your dorm room. 

Deric stood next to me waiting to place his Starbucks order, his foot tapping at a show of his impatience.

"Who's the target?" I winced at my own cheesy line.

"Miss Jade." He pulled out his phone and shoved it in my hand.

I felt my jaw tighten at the picture.

"Your ex?"

I felt him stiffen next to me at the word, then he snatched the phone up.

"Damn bitch took it to my baby last night." 

I glanced at him from over my shoulder, I'm sure I must have pulled a strange face because he answered with a nasty glare in his eye. "My Corvette Smith."

"Right."

I stepped to the front of the line with Deric falling in right next to me.

"Will you do it?"

"I'm not sure what you need me to do, Deric?"

"You date her, make her swoon and then you break her little heart."
I sighed. He couldn't have been more predictable. 

"You hoping she will see how bad other guys are compared to you and come running back into your loving arms?"

He nodded. 

I shook my head. That was the stupidest thing I have ever heard come out of his mouth. 

"Come on Smith, we all know you're a master of games. You live for it. Is that not what makes a good prosecutor, reading people, manipulating them..." He prompted.

I stepped forward to place my order. Shaking my head. "No."

The waitress frowned as she took in  my irritating appendage gawking at her from over my shoulder.

"Tall coffee, black please."

"Make that two sweet cheeks." Deric gave the girl a wide smile, more like a creepy smile. I saw the brunette look between us two and immediately her demeanor changed. I couldn't blame her, Deric was filthy rich entitled chump that cared for no one. His father's name was just about on all the benches and halls of Harvard. He was a walking-rich-boy-basket-case if ever I saw one.

"So you will do it." He more like told me.

Again I did not answer. The problem wasn't that I couldn't do it, it was just that I didn't want to do it.  Sure, there is nothing else in the world that could compare to the thrill I could get from taming any of these incredibly controlling and tight- tempered cheerleader types - but that was such a high school thing to do. 

|I said, "I'll think about it." just to get him to go away. 

He shook his head instead. "Nothing to think about." He turned around, leaned back to place his elbow on the counter and stared at me. His beady brown eyes gave me the chills.

"Or have you gone soft." He lifted his chin. "Chicken shit."

"I am not interested. Thanks."I said bluntly. If this was high-school he would have gotten his head knocked off for calling me that. But it wasn't and I needed to be an adult these days, that meant staying out of trouble, keeping my tempter and paying bills. 

He moved in closer to me. "It would be sad to see a good legal student; the only student that could perhaps parallel my skills one day, be taken off the board so to speak."

My stomach pinched. He was right. I was good, one of the best Harvard had had in a long time, it's the only reason Dean Elderidge tolerated my presence. Still I felt apprehensive. Card games and manipulating rich boys out of their not -so -hard -earned –cash was one thing. What he was asking was stupid, something meant for teenage flicks.

"What if I sweetened the pot?"

"Like I said, Derick. I am not interested."

The waitress called out my name. "Slade?"

I walked up to the counter and pulled out my wallet only to discover I was short on cash.

Behind me someone called out. "Move it along Peter Pauper."

"I got this." Deric chipped in.

"No." I said, looking at the waitress. 

 She in turn  said. "On the house." Giving me a wicked smile, winked and placed the coffee in my hand along with her phone number."

"Bitch." Derick sneered.

"Watch your mouth Deric."

"Or what?"

I felt like throwing that coffee in his face followed by a head-butt, but once again the waitress came to my rescue.

"Deric your order is getting cold."

I made my way out of Starbucks express cafe, unfortunately not quick enough. As I got to my car Deric was right there behind me, calling my name.

"Smith." He came closer. "My offer is for 3 semester's tuition, but you have one day to decide, after that my offer drops a semester a day."

Leaning in with his shoulder as he walked past he bumped into my upper chest, with only a small amount of coffee spilling on my leather jacket. How I wish I could just knock the smugness from his ugly face. He was challenging my alpha. Not that I conformed to any of that - anymore. It was just annoying that he thought it could get to me. Everything about him was highly annoying. I watched him leave, got into my car and pulled open the glove compartment for a napkin to wipe the spilt coffee from my jacket. As I opened it, a stack of bills came tumbling out. Bills for study fees, bills for textbooks and, worse, doctor's bills for my younger brother that still had to be paid. I swore so loud a bunch of girls walking past stared and hurried along. 

Being kicked out of law-school was one thing, my brother being kicked off medical insurance while he suffered a terminal illness – I would not allow. I bent down to retrieve some of the papers when I realized I still had Courtney's shoes in my car.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." I kicked my dash. The devil didn't give up. Reminding me what I was facing, but not forgetting to let me know that the one girl I actually could like was my next target.