Twisted Lies by Nora Cobb
Chapter 19
Astrid
This time I don’t wait to be summoned into an office for a stressful meeting. Instead, I wait anxiously outside of Professor Harmon’s office in the faculty building, checking my phone for the time. Her office hours start in a few minutes, but Harmon arrives early. She pauses when she turns the corner and sees me sitting in a chair pulled next to her door.
Harmon doesn’t look at me as she unlocks her door, and I can’t tell if she’s angry, upset, or judging.
“Come in, Astrid.” She opens the door wide as I walk into her office. The room isn’t what I expected at all. It’s missing the bookcases of hardcover books, and the furniture isn’t old-fashioned. It looks brand new from Target in bright jewel colors of blues, greens, and acid yellows. I run my hand over a fuzzy chair.
“I keep my books at home,” she explains, closing the door. “People kept stealing them, and I don’t mean the students. Are you thinking of filing a complaint?”
I sit down on the plush velvet chair. I want to meet her eyes, but I can’t. Instead, I shake my head and stare at my ragged cuticles.
“Unfortunately, I don’t blame you,” she sighs, “I teach rhetoric, but arguing innocence in that situation is a hard argument, especially if you’re the opposite sex.”
“Meaning that no one would believe me,” I reply.
“Society has a script about that situation.” Harmon frowns. “Sex is all around us, but God help you if you’re a woman who enjoys it.” She shakes her head. “You’re not the one who needs a lecture. I’m glad you came in. You’ve been looking worn out, like you’re carrying around a lot in your mind, so what can I do for you?”
“I was approached by a girl who requested that I sleep with her boyfriend,” I reply quickly before I can stop my mouth. “She wants him to have a fling before they marry.”
Harmon leans back in her chair and rubs her eyes with her hand. “Do you even know the boy?”
I nod. “I don’t get this place or these people. At my old school, touching the wrong person would lead to a beat-down. Sure, guys shared girls, but girls never shared guys. Am I not getting something?”
“You’ve been trained like the rest of us to accept one dynamic but not the other,” replies Harmon, “In ancient times, there existed matriarchies where women made all the choices, including having multiple partners and refusing matrimony. May I make a wild guess that the boy is Bryce Shelton?”
I gawk at her as my cheeks heat. “Yes, but how do you know?”
“The faculty dining room.” She smirks. “They’re worse than the kids. Present company is an exception. I’d keep on doing what you’re doing and ignore them. I’d advocate another hard slap across the sucker’s face, but Rawlins is cracking down on brawling. Besides, you probably won’t see these kids after graduation.”
“But I will,” I reply. “My father has money, and if I take his name, he’ll expect more than a card on Father’s Day.”
“So, that’s your secret,” Harmon says thoughtfully, “There’s been a lot of speculation on who paid your tuition, but no one knows.” She waves her hand. “And I don’t need to pry.”
“It’s Dr. Elliot Howland.” The name rushes out as if a pin had popped a balloon, and the relief of not carrying it around drains me. “Please don’t tell.”
Harmon’s eyes can’t stop staring at me. “No wonder,” she speaks softly. “That explains some things.”
“Like what?” I ask, leaning in closer.
“Are you sure no one else knows?” she asks, arching her eyebrow.
“Dr. Rawlins knows,” I reply, “and of course, Charlotte.”
“And Charlotte Howland is dating Bryce Shelton.” Harmon shakes her head and smiles at the wall as if it’s also sharing my secret. “That explains even more. She’s either setting you up for a fall, or she has you pegged as the poor relation.”
I crease my brow. “I am the poor relation.”
Harmon picks a pencil off her desk, rolling it in between her fingers to help her think. “The expectation is that you will sleep with your sister’s boyfriend, and if you do, she’ll tell your father. That will cast you in a bad light and possibly end the engagement.”
Charlotte not wanting Bryce hadn’t occurred to me. “Why would Charlotte want to end the engagement? Why can’t she say no?”
“Not sure of her reasons, but that scenario is not uncommon,” replies Harmon, “Slut shame the girl, and get rid of the boy. Or the other scenario is that she doesn’t value your position in the family. So she expects you to do the dirty work like a Victorian chambermaid—bedded by the lord of the manor while the mistress takes her tea. I doubt she suggested her plan for altruistic reasons.”
I rub the chill off my arms. “I never thought of Charlotte in that way.”
Harmon shakes her head. “It’s not Charlotte. It’s Stonehaven. You can place any of these girls in the same circumstances, and they’d act the same.” She pauses. “No, that’s not right. Many of them will have plans for their lives that don’t revolve around men. You do have a problem, Astrid, but it’s not insurmountable.”
“I know I have a problem,” I reply pensively, “I have quite a few.”
“Is this a good time for you to come to my office?” Harmon taps her phone, and I nod. “Good. I’m going to teach you about the school. And I’m not referring to the crap in the handbook. I may not be rich, but I’ve been studying the rich for years. I plan to write a book. Are you taking your father’s name?”
I shrug. “I’m not supposed to have mentioned him and his demand. I’m still his nasty little secret.”
Harmon smiles and shakes her head. “I doubt he’ll be hiding you for long. This is a test, and maybe Charlotte wants to ensure that she’ll remain daughter number one.” Harmon leans toward me. “The first lesson: the wealthy don’t argue. They make demands, or they negotiate. Right now, they’re making demands on you. Have you made any back?”
I nod, thinking about Justin and the books. But so far, I’ve gotten little out of the deal. I think about Wyatt and what he said about picking the best. I still think he is the best.
“So, what do you do about Bryce Shelton?” she asks, but I sit there dumbly. “If it were me,” she continues, “I’d lead him on until he offered a ring, but I don’t think you want that. At least, not with him.”
“What do you think of Justin?” I ask.
“Justin wants his own fame and not his father’s,” she replies. “You may be attracted to him, but your birth will be a liability for him.”
“And Pierce?” I ask.
“Is immature,” she answers. “Atrocious jerk. He’s been a frat boy since birth. He needs to be taught a lesson, but I wouldn’t waste time on that one, Astrid.”
“But you would waste time on Wyatt?” I ask.
She folds her arms. “I’ve never taught him, but I can tell from his teachers that he’s decent. He hasn’t gotten over his father’s death. And I don’t think he ever will.”
We sit in silence for a moment, and I debate leaving. Suddenly, I think about those girls that only come to Stonehaven to chase a man. I better not fall into that trap. I have another question to ask before I leave.
“And how do you get money out of a tight fist to start a business?”
“You need people more than resources. What if you start a business, but the people aren’t in place? You have leverage over your dad, and you’re not using it.” She writes a few words on a piece of paper and hands it to me. On top, she has written ‘business expenses.’ “The best thing to do would be to figure out what you need and ask for a figure. Don’t wait around, hoping he’ll give it to you. Do you have a trust fund?”
I nod. “He told me I do.”
“Don’t be afraid to talk money when you have the figures.”
There’s a rap on the door, and I jump in my seat, nervous that someone might have been listening. I stand up, slowly folding the paper and slipping it into my blazer pocket. I don’t know how I will figure my new life out, but I have to. I don’t have a choice.
“Astrid, I’m here for you.” Harmon smiles. “Send the next one in.”
On my way out, I pass an open door and glance inside. Professor Getz is frowning at his laptop. I knock on the open door, and he immediately shuts the top.
“I thought your office was in the other building?” I ask.
He smiles. “It is, but I also have office hours here. Do you have any questions about the course?”
I hesitate, eyeing Prof Getz. The ever-increasing sum in the column under his name flashes in my mind. He owes the club 10K. He’s sweating. I can tell by the way his hand trembles on his computer.
I smile again. “No, just saying hi.”
I pass the gallery as Justin’s show is being dismantled. All the paintings are covered over in cloth except the one of Charlotte. Her image smiles coyly as I walk into the room. Stonehaven purchased the portrait to display on the second floor of the library, where many examples of student work are on display. Justin bends over a canvas bag filled with tools as he checks the ends of several screwdrivers for a Phillips-head. He glances over at me, but I don’t get the reaction I expect. He doesn’t look alarmed or shocked as I approach him.
“Did you see the video?” I ask.
He nods. “Bryce made sure I saw it. Astrid, I didn’t know about the cameras.”
“How can I trust that you didn’t?” I ask.
“Bryce isn’t sharing that video with anyone,” he replies, selecting a screwdriver. “Just as well. My father has enough sex tapes out there.”
I wince, choosing to believe that Justin was fooled as much as I was. “I should have known. They keep that place tightly guarded on the weekends, so why not during the week?”
Justin uses the screwdriver to remove hardware from the wall. His interest is focused on the task at hand while I stand there ignored. I grasp that he didn’t know we were being filmed, so maybe I should just leave it alone. I start to walk away, but his voice brings me back.
“He asked me why I turned you down,” Justin says, keeping his eyes on the wall while he works. “I didn’t know about the cameras, but that’s not the place where I wanted to do it. I didn’t want that to be our first time.”
“So the things you said, you meant them?” I ask, knowing I’m being silly but hoping that I’m not.
Justin met my gaze. “You’re worth having, Astrid. And I want to be the one you want.”
I believe him because his expression doesn’t allow for anything else. I stand perfectly still as he approaches me and puts his arms around my waist. Justin tugs me into a kiss, and my mind forgets where I am as it whirls around in my head. He licks my bottom lip and sucks it into his mouth, biting down tightly and sending a tingle up my spine.
“When are you posing for me again?” His breath warms my ear.
“Soon.” I push him back. “But not here.” I turn, knowing he’s watching every step I take out of the door.
