Keep Her From Harm(27)

           



       

She was probably way too young for him, and yet, from everything he knew  about her, he found her utterly charming and sweet. In a world that was  all about corruption, he found her sweetness something to hold onto.

One of the dogs gave a little tug, and she giggled as she followed after  them. She never lost her temper, not that he saw. Her friends adored  her, and she was loyal. All the traits he had seen, he wanted in his  woman. The moment Sophia belonged to him, there would be no turning  back.

He intended to make her fall in love with him, and then he was going to  fuck her, get her knocked up with his kid so she belonged to him  completely. The plan was simple. Now he just had to hope that everything  else fell in life to fit into his perfectly ordered plans.

****

"Brown Enterprises has called again," Freya said.

Sophia looked at her best friend, and extended roommate, and shook her  head. "I have no idea who that is, and I don't know why they're  calling."

"Didn't Mr. Coleman say he was going to present your resume to a couple  of candidates, and you accepted?" Freya, the beautiful blonde siren,  smirked. "Clearly, you're wanted."

Sophia groaned and flopped onto the bed, and stared up at her best  friend, shaking her head. "I don't want to go to any corporation. They  are what is wrong with our entire world. They're a curse, a plague."

"Wow, Miss Doom-on-you. Technically, it's an enterprise."

"Is it wrong that I don't want to be head hunted? I'm a soon to be  college graduate, and thought of being stuck at a desk all day drags."

"You are so not my friend right now, but I get it. The thought of being  in the same old clothes all the time, and working for a company that  sucks the fun out of fun, it will suck something major. The thing is,  Sophia, you can't walk dogs the rest of your life."

Moving to rest her head on her friend's lap, she looked up at the  ceiling. "I am in such a bad place right now. I can't even think  straight." She placed a hand to her head, and groaned.

"That is so not like you at all. Usually after you walked your precious  pooches, you're in a good mood." Freya stroked her hair back.

They had been friends forever, and had been so lucky to get this room on  campus together. She couldn't imagine going through college with anyone  else.

"I hate this, I really do. What do you think I should do?" she asked.

"Brown Enterprises is a really good company. A lot of college graduates  fight for a chance to be on their programs. A lot of people who get  selected, and go through their rigorous training often make a career out  of it."

She stared at her friend. "You know I don't want to be working on numbers."

"I know. You want to be bringing two lost souls together in a romantic,  and somewhat steamy journey. You've always written. I get that."

"But it's not always a guaranteed career choice."

"It's really not. The market is really tough. You know that, sweetie. I  just, I don't want you to be sucked down by all that negativity, you  know."

"I'm not negative. I'm optimistic."

"Well, you can still write that cookbook you always said you wanted to, or you can go into porn."

"Please, plus size porn?"

"Why not? You've got a smoking bod," Freya said, giggling.

"I have jiggly bits, and I think to be a porn star you've got to, you  know, have sex." She sat up, pulling out of her ponytail, and gathering  the things she would need to go and take a shower. It had been a really  hot day, and she needed to freshen up. She stank really bad.

"You've got to give some guys a chance," Freya said.

"Kind of hard to do when you discover that they were marking each other  for points on who to bang. Did you know if they bagged a virgin and  recorded it as proof, they got a thousand dollars?" Sophia said. "Guys  are idiots, morons, and losers." From the moment she had seen that  notebook in freshman year, she had been sworn off every single guy on  campus. She didn't care who they were or what their parents did, she  turned everyone down.

It still made her shudder to see that if they bagged her, it would be extra points. Gross.

Freya laughed. "They're not all bad."

"You're talking about Greg."

"Yep, I am. He's being really sweet, which I have to say makes me nervous."

"How come?" Sophia asked.

"Mom told me that if a guy ignores you for a period of time, and then  all of a sudden starts with the compliments, and buying me gifts, then  it means he's probably cheated, or done something he's not proud of."                       
       
           



       

Sophia winced. If anyone would see the signs of cheating it was Freya's  mom. Her best friend's parent hadn't done well in the guy department.  Four marriages, all ending in divorce via adultery. Not pretty, and  Sophia had once seen one of the explosions.

One night they had gone to get ice cream after school, only the shop had  been shut. They had gone to the store instead, returning home within  minutes. There on the couch, Freya's stepdad had been banging the  neighbor, and at fourteen, she had seen all the goriness.

She had gone home with Freya while the explosion went on.

Her view of men hadn't improved at all.

Freya, however, was a hopeless romantic, who was determined to see the good in everyone and everything.

"Why don't you ask?"

"He'll lie."

"You'll have to find out some way." She stood up. "I'm going to take a shower. I think I smell like a dog."

Freya chuckled. "Just a little bit." She got to the door before she was  stopped. "What are you going to do about Brown? One little interview  wouldn't hurt, right?"

Her shoulders slumped, and she glanced back at her friend. "I guess one  interview won't hurt, but I don't know. Something doesn't seem right.  When they call again if I'm not here, arrange an interview, and I will  go for you." She blew her friend a kiss, and left to go and take a  shower.

"Excellent, I made one for you next week."

College was coming to an end, and life was changing. Freya already had a  job lined up for some kind of advertising agency that meant she could  put her art into some real action. For Sophia, she didn't know what she  wanted. Freya always had a plan, always knew what she wanted.

Sophia had never been able to settle, always struggling with making that  final leap. She loved writing, always had. When she had been in the  library studying for lengths of time, she found herself typing away at a  new story.

Mr. Coleman had been really nice in directing her toward a company where  her skills would be useful, even though she didn't want to work for a  large organization or enterprise, or company.

Still, beggars couldn't be choosers, and all of her tutors had warned  her about this. If she didn't make decisions herself, then others would  make them for her. How could she decide what she wanted to do for the  rest of her life?



End of sample chapter