18 Bribe

I'm dreading the end of class. I'm dreading it so much that I can barely focus on the lecture.... Or maybe I can't focus cause there is a whole hunk of a vampire -that I desire with every bone in my body to punch in the face- sitting beside me.

It's one, or the other.

Anna doesn't seem to notice my dread. In fact, she seems way overly-excited about this turn of events. I can bet right now, that when I get back to the dorm tonight, I will have to relay every single detail to her.

I better start coming up with lies now, cause no way in hell am I telling her that Luca is begging me to return to the ping pong club.

I can imagine it now, if I told Anna that he was on the ping pong club, she would drop the debate club like it was old news. She'd put on a cute tennis skirt and wear a visor and show up to the ping pong club with more enthusiasm than all of the rest of the members combined. And that's a lot of enthusiasm, especially if you consider how much enthusiasm Charlie has.

"Alright, that's everything for today." The professor says and snaps the book in front of him closed. "I'll see everyone tomorrow."

The class slowly starts packing their things and moseying toward the door. Anna is the last to leave, as she goes, she walks backwards, giving me two thumbs up, and winking each of her eyes in succession until she reaches the door. At which point, she closes the door of the classroom, peaks through the little window in the door, and gives me another thumbs up and a wink.

I roll my eyes. What does she think is gonna happen? Does she think a make out session is gonna happen over study notes?

But now..... Oh crap, Luca and I are alone together in here.

I slowly look back to him, he has his elbow resting on his desk and the side of his head resting on his hand, and he's staring at me. He smiles again and flashes his vampire teeth at me, and for a brief moment I think I'm seeing a poster of a Calvin Klein model in Time Square.

~This is not good. He's too hot and I'm too vulnerable.... and I'm only even in this stupid situation because of PING PONG!~

I conspicuously move a desk away from him, he watches me go, but says nothing.

~This way, if he tries to jump at me and kill me, I'll have a head start to getting away~

"How are you doing?" He asks.

I stare at him.

~What is he playing at?~

I can't decipher his tone of voice. Does he actually want to know? Is he maybe concerned about the scar on my neck? Or maybe it's just small talk? Or.... What the hell is it!?

~I'm thinking too much.~

"I'm not coming back to the ping pong club." I say, then my eyes dart around the room, paranoid somebody might have heard me implying that Luca was on the ping pong team.

"You like to cut to the point, I see." he says, half to himself.

"Yes." I say, and stand, "And there is nothing you can do to change my mind." I begin to gather my belongings.

"Well I guess it's good that I'm not trying to convince you to stay, then." He stretches his long legs out into the aisle between our desks, and my head whips up to him.

"What do you want then?" I ask. "Oh my god, did the teacher actually ask you to help me catch up? I though you were lying!"

"No." he seems amused by my jumping to conclusions, but at his words I start packing my things again. "I want to offer you help."

I laugh sardonically, "I don't need your help." I regret saying it, nearly as soon as the words pass my lips.

~What if he gets annoyed and kills me instead?~

"Is that so?" he twists a pencil between his fingers. "Even if I'm offering to pay you $5,000 dollars?"

My body freezes.

~He's offering to help me get out of the club? ohhh how the turn-tables.~

He shrugs, "Charlie mentioned how you were surprised at the contract fee. I can't imagine a normal college student just has $5,000 laying around."

~But you do, of course.~

"My family is well-off." He says as if reading my thoughts, "Getting the money shouldn't be a problem."

I stare at him again.

~This is too good to be true.~

"Or," he goes on, "I could offer you more money... Maybe $10,000."

My mouth start to water at the words.

~$10,000? that's enough to get out of the club and take a trip with Anna to Fiji!~

He smiles when he's sees that my interest has piqued. "If you want the 10,000, all you have to do is stay on the team."

I laugh immediately. "Oh! I get it, it's a bribe! you're trying to bribe me into staying!"

He shakes his head, "it's a bribe if you choose the $10,000. If you choose the $5,000, your welcome to leave the club."

I scoff, "Oh yeah? What do I have to do to get the $5,000?"

Luca's lips rise into a wicked smile. "You let me drink from you."