She was done with this woman. Done with the territorial claim she wanted to make over Kona. Keira turned on her heel, took three steps toward the door before the woman’s voice stopped her.
“You are an insulting, disrespectful brat, Keira Riley and I promise I can make things very difficult for you.” Keira looked over her shoulder, watching Alana as she stepped away from her desk. “Starting with your academic standing.”
It was rare that Keira used her “rich bitch” card, but this woman was trying to use her teaching position as a tactical advantage, trying to scare Keira with the flagrant threat of claiming she was a cheater. Instead, Keira let a wide, lethal smile pull her mouth until her cheeks ached. The Cheshire smile, as Kona called it.
“Oh, you can try it. It might actually be funny to watch you accuse me, of all people, of something I would never do.” She turned around and dropped down one step. “I can imagine you going to the dean, or as my mom calls him, Mikey. They’re second cousins. Did you know that? Or,” she said, taking another step, “maybe the Chancellor, you know, Uncle Bobby. He was my dad’s best friend in college. They were frat brothers and he made sure that I landed the room I wanted when I applied here and that my cousin and I didn’t get stuck in the smallest freshman dorm.”
Keira’s smile lowered but it wasn’t because she felt less confident or was no longer amused by the ridiculous way Professor Alana seemed to have been completely deflated as she fell back against her desk.
“You’re on a tenure track, right? I’m sure you’ve been working your ass off jumping through all those little hoops you academic types have to navigate to make sure you’re approved for the whole ‘job for life’ gig.” Keira used her fingers to air quote the phrase. “Let’s see, History Department… the head of the tenure committee would be Sarah Broussard. Nice lady who also works with the Alumni Services, specifically the fundraising board, an organization that my mother and her husband… you know, the cardiologist who saved your father’s life? Yeah, that’s him, well, they both donate substantially to the university.”
Professor Alana’s face had gone pale, but the shock didn’t make Keira feel good. She wouldn’t mention to the woman that Keira had nothing more than passing acquaintances with the people she mentioned.
“I want you out of my class.”
“Not a problem.” Keira had planned on heading to the History Department office for a drop slip just as soon as she left Professor Alana’s classroom, anyway. Keira jogged up the steps, but before she opened the door, she leveled one last warning at Kona’s mother.
“One more thing. If you ever threaten me again, make sure you’re ready for a fight. I might be a kid, I might even be a trust fund brat, but lady, I’m not a coward. I’m a CPU Legacy with a very bored mother who likes to start shit. I promise you, you don’t wanna mess with either of us.”
Keira was going to do something for love. Well, not love, she didn’t think. Not yet anyway, but she was going to do something she never thought she would because her boyfriend—she was still getting used to the term—asked her to.
She was going to a Blue Devils game.
Kona had been giddy, mildly ridiculous when she agreed and he promised her a great seat, two of them since Keira bribed Leann into going with her. She was fifty bucks poorer, and somewhat surprised at how excited she was to watch Kona play. Not that she’d tell him that. His ego was too inflated already.
The temperature was frigid for November, especially this early in the month and Keira pulled her scarf closer to her neck, leaning back when Leann slipped her hand in the pocket of Keira’s wool pea coat.
“Where are the tickets?”
She slapped her cousin’s hand away and reached inside her pocket to hand Leann her ticket. “Take this. I’m gonna go wish Kona luck. He said the team would be lining up a half hour before the game and the girlfriends usually come by for good luck kisses.” Leann looked at her like Keira was sporting horns and a halo. “What?”
“You. Oh my God. Are you turning into one of those sports groupies?” She stepped closer, grabbing Keira’s hand. “Are you gonna start following the team to all the games and then steal Kona’s sweaty, stinky jersey so you can wear it while you get off?”
“Shut up.” Keira looked around them, hoping no one had overheard her cousin and then decided she didn’t care if they had. Leann’s smile and high laugh had her returning the grin. She started to step away, but then pulled her cousin close, whispering in her ear. “FYI, I don’t need to jerk off. Kona does it for me.”