Underneath It All (8 page)

“Yes, seriously. Tell me what you are wearing.”

Well, this could be interesting.

“I’m wearing one of my t-shirts and panties.”

“I wish I was beside you.” With those words, I tensed. “Don’t tense, just listen.” As if he was seeing me through the phone. “I want to kiss you just like I did in my room last night. You have no idea how much I wish I could take your shirt and panties off and lick your whole body, paying attention to specific areas.”

“Reeve. No.” A breathy voice left me.

“Shh. Just listen, baby.” He gave me a second to decide whether to hang up or keep listening. “Have you touched yourself before?”

“No.” I bit my lower lip.

“Will you touch yourself for me?”

I was frozen for a second, the sound of my breathing growing rapid. My fingers inched under my panties and I touched myself, rubbing gently as I listened to his voice.

I knew he could tell I obeyed by the change in my breathing pattern.

“Close your eyes. Imagine my lips on your neck kissing you the way I did before.” Heat flooded my body as I recalled it so vividly. “My tongue moves farther down your neck and to your chest, where I take your nipple into my mouth and suck gently.”

My fingers moved faster as the vision of being at Reeve’s mercy sent crippling waves of pleasure through me.

“It feels so good, doesn’t it?”

“Yes,” I whispered letting him take every ounce of doubt I felt about doing it because I could hear the ecstasy in his voice and I knew he was touching himself too.

“I am stroking faster as I listen to your small moans, Agata”

My eyelids shut even tighter as I tried desperately to feel him somewhere amidst what I was doing.

“I suck harder and nip at your breast. Do you enjoy that?”

“Very much.” Small moans emanated from my throat as I became lost in the sensations. The pleasure became addicting and the excitement of it all heightened every sense I had.

“I drag my tongue lower, lingering at your belly button, then continuing down until I reach your thighs. My lips and tongue kiss inside your thighs before I replace your fingers with my mouth.”

I was breathless now and whimpering for him, making me stroke myself even faster. I could hear him breathing hard now and I knew he was ready to come.

“You taste so good, Agata. Feel my tongue and my warm breath on you, licking faster.”

I could tell I was close by the way my breathing rapidly increased. His breathing responded the same way.

“Reeve…” I panted, the sounds became muffled as I buried my head into my pillow.

“That’s it, baby.” Reeve growled into the phone and I knew he came too.

“That was good,” I uttered breathlessly, my eyes shut to withstand the first orgasm I ever had.

“Never in a million years did I think I would be having phone sex with someone I hadn’t fucked yet,” he voiced quietly. “Sleep now, Agata. I’ll see you in my dreams.”

He hung up before I could respond. I closed my eyes knowing tomorrow I would be a different Agata, but tonight I would allow what happened to soothe me.

***

I slept better last night than I had in years. Climbing out of bed and stretching, I couldn’t pinpoint the exciting feeling I had. I stood in front of the mirror feeling energized and refreshed. My hair was disarrayed, my eyes bright, and I looked relaxed, even felt it. I was absolutely ready to face the day.

The shower was warm and wonderful, and I just let my wet locks hang loosely around my shoulders. I threw on my dress and shoes. My foundation and contouring were always the same and never changed. I generally would throw on some mascara, blush, and lipstick but today, I felt bold. I took the eyeshadow and applied it, keeping it simple but of course it enhanced my eyes making them wider, more appealing.

“Morning,” I greeted, heading to the coffee pot to get a mug of coffee.

“Woah.” I heard Tats from the kitchen as I walked past her.

“Your make-up is different.”

I offered Tats a look of acknowledgment.

“You’re glowing,” commented Raven.

“Thank you, see you later guys,” I bade and left the dorm.

My normal everyday routines were suddenly filled with Reeve Gates.

The rumor I was expecting to spread like wildfire about me and Reeve died even before it began.

In one of my classes my phone went off, suggesting a text message came in. The screen displayed Reeve’s name and I unlocked my phone to view it.

Reeve: You look hot today. You make Paris Hilton look like a Teletubbie.

I almost burst out laughing, glad I controlled myself.

“What?” Apple asked.

“Nothing,” I replied, still beaming like a loon.

Until one day, before the start of my lab class when Professor Lee turned on the lights. Written in bold letters across the white board I saw—

AGATA, STOP HOOKIN’ UP WITH DEAN GATES, BITCH!

Chapter X

Fast and Furiously Falling

“Who the fuck wrote this shit?” Apple immediately went over the white board and erased it.

“What’s going on here?” Professor Lee asked curiously as he advanced in front of the class.

“Nothing, sir,” Raven answered. “Just a work of some jealous, insecure bitch.”

I stood watching, mortified. My body stiffened while my face was impassive with a questioning brow. I was the picture of nonchalance. My classmates were murmuring behind my back. I couldn’t have been more embarrassed.

“You’re saying something? Are you talking trash about her?” Tats confronted Miranda and pulled her by her ponytail.

“Get your hands off of my hair!” Miranda snapped back.

“Stop!” Professor Lee yelled. Neither of the two listened to him.

“Tats, stop it!” I grabbed Tats’ arm and tried to break her grip on Miranda’s hair while Miranda’s friends pulled her back.

“You’re done!” Miranda shouted, struggling to get out of their grip. “Why are you all defensive about it? It’s true, isn’t it? She’s hitting on Dean Gates. She even yelled it across the football field but made it look like she was saying Dean Richie. My boyfriend wouldn’t even lay a finger on her!”

“Watch your mouth, wannabe,” Raven snarled.

“Goth freakin’ girl!” Corrine, Miranda’s closest friend scoffed.

“Weirdo,” Apple talked back.

I heard Nadine say “Agata is a slut.”

“Sorry. You seemed to have mistaken me for yourself,” I said smiling forcefully and trying to pretend like it didn’t hurt. It did, but I didn’t want to show it.

“Oh shut up, you stupid hoe!” Miranda said right in front of my face.

“Shaw! Ferrero! Stop this right now!” Professor Lee warned.

“You shut up, you STD ridden pig!” I told her as I slapped her across the face.

I was pissed off. How could people think, let alone say stuff this harsh?

A full brawl broke out. Apple and Raven charged at Nadine and Corrine. The previously enraged Tats was now trying to control the situation.

The class cheered.

I brought my hand back again, but Miranda kicked me making me fall. She reached out and grabbed me by my hair and started slapping my face. Tats grabbed Miranda by her hair and slung her to the ground.

“Stop it, everyone!” shouted Professor Lee. He stood in the middle and broke up the fight.

“Bring it on, bitch!” Miranda yelled.

“Miranda, enough of your language, young lady,” Professor Lee chided.

“Sorry, sir.”

“You little bitc—”

“Tatiana, don’t you dare finish that sentence,” he chastised.

The next thing we knew, we were being taken to the Dean’s office.

Professor Lee practically pushed us inside and closed the door behind us.

“Take a seat, girls,” Reeve said monotonously. He looked as if he was already waiting for us. Tats and I exchanged quick glances before settling into the chairs in front of his desk.

My palms began to sweat and my heart pounded quickly in my chest. A few moments of silence later and he spoke again, “Can someone tell me what happened?”

Miranda cleared her throat.

She was about to say something, but Raven interrupted her. “Uhm…I, for one, would like to apologize for what happened, Dean. We were just defending our friend; nevertheless, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again,” Raven humbly said.

Reeve looked from her and over to me with an expectant look on his face.

“Dean,” Miranda gulped. “With all due respect, they were the ones who started the fight. My friends and I were just defending ourselves. Tatiana pushed me back and grabbed my hair. What did you want me to do?”

“And what provoked her to do that to you?” Reeve asked.

“I commented on something written on the board when we entered our lab earlier.”

“What was written on the board?”

Miranda’s eyes were boring into me just as Reeve’s eyes were on her. “Someone wrote that Agata should stop hoo—”

“It doesn’t matter, Dean,” I cut her off. “It’s just a form of feeble-minded insult. Miranda commented on it and Tats overreacted. We apologize. Just like Raven said, it won’t happen again.”

He arched his eyebrow and leaned back on his swivel chair.

“So you and your friends are accepting the blame?” he said after a while.

“No!” Apple squeaked.

“Yes,” I interjected. “We are the ones to blame. Sorry, Miranda, and to your friends.”

Tatiana glared at me and shook her head.

Miranda was looking at me, giving me an “I win” smirk; I rolled my eyes, muttering under my breath, “Bitch.”

We left the office with a week’s suspension.

The insults hung around all day, whispering in my head over and over. I was a red target for judgmental eyes that sized me up from head to toe.

“I know what you’re thinking, guys,” I said when we gathered in our room.

“It’s unfair, Gats. We shouldn’t be the ones getting punished,” Tats growled. “What were you thinking?”

I hated those disgusted eyes, the blaming fingers, and the judgmental looks of my friends.

“I was trying to…”

“To what?” Apple interrupted me. “To make a fool out of yourself? ’Cause that’s what it looks like! How did this happen to you? These…Dean Gates hookin’ up things.”

“I’m not, okay!” I snapped.

“Sure you’re not,” Raven commented sarcastically, giving me that stern look.

“The news about you and Dean Gates has been around each and every corner of our campus. You’re not noticing it because you’re too busy flirting with him.” Apple scowled, getting up from the couch, hands on her waist. My jaw dropped open. Apple held my gaze for a long time before her eyes dropped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that.”

“It’s okay,” I replied and looked away. Then suddenly my phone rang—a call from Reeve. After a moment of deep breathing, I answered the phone. “Hello.”

“I want to talk to you. Mind if I come over?”

“I don’t think so. It’s getting pretty late.”

“I’m here already,” he said, then he hung up abruptly.

“Who’s that?” Tats asked, her brows knitted together.

“R-Reeve.”

“So you’re now on a first name basis, huh? So you two are acquainted enough that he would call you?” Apple said with her high pitched voice.

“Why the hell do you care, Apple?” I growled, standing from where I’d been sitting, getting in her face, and forcing her to step back. I felt my heart rate shoot up, but watched her step back quickly, beginning to pace again.

“I don’t know, Gats. Maybe because I’m your friend and he’s potentially a vicious, murderous creature we’ve yet to uncover. Now what? You’re phone buddies? You guys text and Facebook too?” Apple ranted, lobbing her arms out spastically as her volume rose.

“Agata, are you even thinking about what people might say to you? He’s our dean,” Raven asked, staring up at me.

After she said that, the room fell silent. I avoided eye contact with them; I just kept my eyes on the floor for a minute until I spoke. “I just wanted to be happy. I guess I didn’t care what that entailed.”

“He’s bad news; stay away from him, Agata,” Apple mumbled. “But of course, everyone’s attracted to danger,” she rolled her eyes and plopped down to the couch.

“So…how long have you been going out with the dean?” Raven inquired.

“Why all the questions, Raven?”

“Gats, we need to know what kind of guy he is. You deserve the best”

Silence settled around us again until a knock on the door broke the silence.

“I got it.” I volunteered to open it. The door swung open and there stood Reeve.

“Hi,” he greeted.

It took a few moments for me to respond. I blinked a few times to make sure that I wasn’t seeing things. “You’re here.”

“I would basically do anything remotely necessary to be by your side right now.” His words were soft and soothing.

The sound of a throat clearing from behind me made me straighten up. I glanced over my shoulder and spotted Raven in the doorway. “Good evening, Dean, I didn’t realize you were coming here tonight,” she commented casually.

“I wasn’t,” he replied, “but I thought I have some making up to do. Would you girls mind if I borrow your friend for a while?”

“Nope,” Tats giggled at my side and Apple gave her a look.

“How long is ‘a while,’ Dean?” Apple asked.

“Apple! I’ll come back whenever I want to come back,” I sneered. “Let’s go, Reeve.”

We walked briskly out of the dorm and got into his car. I was almost dragging him out of the dorm to prevent anymore gossip about us.

I was stunned when I saw his car, even more so now that I was riding in it. I only got to see this kind of car whenever I went to car racing events to post pictures in my blog. It was a modified Acura Integra.

“What do we need to talk about?” I asked after minutes of silence.

“The suspension was pre-determined, Agata.”

“Pre-determined? What do you mean? I don’t get it.”

“Even if it was Miranda’s group that was at fault, I still would have suspended you.”

“What? I don’t understand.”

Reeve pressed a button and I felt the car suddenly get a big boost in speed. It quickly accelerated from 85 MPH to 120 MPH in a matter of seconds as we headed down the freeway.

“I’m going on a vacation. I want you to come with me.”

“Vacation,” I whispered to myself.

“I was thinking of ways to snatch you away from here and it was a nice coincidence that this trouble came up between you and Miranda’s friends.”

“I hated it. I am supposed to be a good role model, but I got into trouble and will surely forever be labelled as a promiscuous slut who—”

“Who hooked up with your dean,” Reeve finished the sentence for me, followed by a chuckle. “We haven’t even started yet.” All of a sudden he turned serious and said, “Whoever wrote on that board will surely be reprimanded…severely.”

I smiled at him and shook my head. “Reeve, I can’t go on a vacation with you. I have to be with my family during Thanksgiving.”

“That’s why I suspended you for a week,” he winked at me. “We’ll be home before Thanksgiving.”

He revved up the engine and turned a corner.

“It’s going to be a good night. I can feel it,” he uttered.

I saw a crowd forming as he parked with his hood facing the street.

“What are we doing here?” I inquired, looking around curiously. I saw two other vehicles rolling up onto what appeared to be a start line—a Nissan GT-R and Mazda RX-7. Both were modified.

“We’re going to street race, baby.”

My eyes widened.

He pulled up next to a Toyota Supra. The driver lowered his window, turned his head to Reeve and said, “I thought I’d give you a bit of challenge, not make it so easy for you, bro.” He smiled.

“That’s all right; I’ll win anyway,” Reeve stated and smiled at him. He turned to me and said, “He’s my friend Travis; beside him is his wife Maxine. In this race, each car has two passengers. One’s the driver and the other’s his partner.”

“Hey, bro!” The driver of the Mazda RX-7 shouted. “Guess you’re also racing? Finally found your girl.”

“She’s my lucky charm,” Reeve replied with the most confident smile ever. This caused my stomach to erupt in butterflies. “That’s Vince with his wife Jo,” he told me.

“Ready?” A girl with some skimpy top and the shortest shorts possibly known to mankind shouted over a megaphone.

Seatbelts all clicked into place.

“Ready?” Reeve gaze at me before he started the engine. I gulped in nervousness and he squeezed my hand.

“On your marks!”

I swallowed down the lump that was in my throat.

“Ready…Set…”

No. I was not ready.

“Race!” I bit back a yell as Reeve tramped the gas pedal so hard, I almost had whiplash when we zipped passed the starting line. In a split second, Reeve slammed his right foot on the accelerator and lifted his left foot off the brakes quickly, accelerating and pushing the car’s speed to 190 MPH. The tires screeched and a cloud of smoke was left at the starting line the moment the cars left the spot.

“Damn, you’re fast.”

Reeve took the lead when he entered the first right corner. Reeve changed gears as often as possible, trying to get a boost. We drifted and the tires screeched loudly. I looked at the rearview mirror and saw two cars trailing behind. He slammed the accelerator once again and muttered, “No you don’t.”

He turned the steering wheel to the left as he blocked the Mazda’s attempt to overtake us and quickly straightened the car out. I could feel the adrenaline rush. “Woohoo!”