Virgil blinked quickly as if in confusion. “Out of everything I said, you took that away?” he asked. The look on his face was almost offensive.

“Is there another way to understand it? I recognize that he is wary because of how aggressive I was. I just want to reassure him that I would never do something that would make him doubt his decision to help fund my education. He is rightfully protective of his assets and privacy. And I respect that.”

He chuckled again. "I am glad you got one part of it correct." He shook his head and then his eyes shifted to look around the house. “Are you packed to leave in the morning?”

"Can you estimate how long this trip will be? I planned on moving to Quentin with my friend in a few weeks' time."

"I know," Virgil said cryptically.

"Should I ask how you know?" I narrowed my eyes again.

“There is little I don’t know about you. As I said, I am the best in the industry.” He shot me a cocky grin and I huffed.

"Okay, Mr. Know-it-all, can you answer my question?" I crossed my arms over my chest and stared him down. I had the scary thought that I would be surrounded by arrogant males from that moment onwards.

He shrugged. "I can’t give you information I don’t have. The duration of your stay will depend entirely on you, in my opinion.”

‘Wasn’t that helpful!’ I frowned and looked down at my phone, wondering if I should call Mr. Rowe or not. I had no idea how much to pack or what to bring to this trip. Maybe I needed Lory to pull me out of my misery and re-assess everything.

“I might be able to pack by tonight,” I mumbled mostly to myself.

“That would be great.” I looked at him again. “Mr. Rowe might now allow you to escape once he has you in his clutches.” He looked awkward when he accentuated the statement with a wink. I hadn’t expected it from him.

“That is ridiculous.” I was in disbelief.

Virgil was teasing me, but the realization didn’t stop the flurry of excitement in my stomach to dissipate. I blushed as I wondered if I was in way over my head.

He finally broke the silence. "Can I be of assistance in packing?"

"No, no. I can do it myself. Besides, I won’t take much with me for this trip. The dorm room won’t allow students to move in this early and I don’t have another place to stay. It doesn’t make sense to travel with a lot of things."

He smiled like he knew something I didn’t. I couldn’t get any straight answers out of him.

"As you say." He extended his hand to shake mine. "It has been lovely speaking to you, Miss Taylor. I will be here at sharp eight in the morning. Please be ready by then.” He reached into his suit and pulled out a card to hand me. "If you require assistance before that, call me on this number."

He got up from his seat and walked to the door. I followed after him. Right before he left he turned to me with kind eyes. "Miss Taylor, you have no reason to feel intimidated by Mr. Rowe. You hold immense power and you just don’t know it yet.”

He turned and walked out immediately, leaving me speechless in the doorway. I offered him a small wave as he started the car. When the car was out of sight, I closed the door and plopped down on the couch to collect my thoughts.

‘What the hell is happening?’

"Oh. My. God. Willow!" Lory shook as she read the letter again. I had told her everything that happened after Virgil arrived and she had been screaming ever since.

"I know!" I had long shaken off the excitement and fear. I was simply taping boxes filled with books. Lory finished her pacing and put her hands on my old suitcase packed with clothes for my trip to Quentin. “What is your take on the situation?” I asked.

"I think Mr. Rowe has a crush on you."

I started to laugh. When she didn’t follow, I looked at her in surprise and found that she was serious! But the suggestion was ridiculous.

“Don’t be absurd, Lory. He is a highly successful man while I am a hopeless country bumpkin. As if that isn’t enough, he doesn’t know me. I have only spoken to him over the phone. Then you have to factor that he is older and… him.” Even the thought of him liking me was hilarious.

“What do you think Virgil meant when he said his boss was taken with you?” She waited for me to answer.

“I don’t know. But it is not anything romantic. This is not a fairytale.” I hated to burst her bubble but I knew better than to dwell on fantasies. “He thinks of me as a charity case. And if that is what it takes for him to fund my education, so be it. I will swallow my pride for a shot at a better life. I am a beggar, Lory.”

“Why are you so cynical, Willow? You act like an old cat lady. Just because your life hasn’t been a garden of roses until this point, it doesn’t mean nothing good can happen to you after.” She sighed. “You asked for honesty and that is what I am giving you. As an outsider, I am telling you that you are more than a charity case for Mr. Rowe.”

"You’re out of your mind. Did you know the rags crowned him the most eligible bachelor in Quentin? He could cherry-pick a harem of women if he wanted and no one would bat an eye. But you know what wouldn’t catch his eyes? A down-on-her-luck girl whom he has never seen before. It is an absurd idea even for you.”

“Maybe he has a fetish?” She dodged the book I threw at her, laughing as she tossed some clothes into a pile. "You can bet your fabulous ass that he has seen you, Willow."

I was baffled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" She pursed her lips and shook her head as she picked up a top. "This Virgil guy has been following you for a few days. Do you believe that he didn’t snap a few pictures and sent them to his boss?"

Her words had merit. I would be naive if I thought that way. I thought about how I felt that Mr. Rowe had seen pictures of me. It confused me more since I couldn’t imagine I would be of interest to someone like him. He had been seen with several high-profile and gorgeous women on several occasions.

"You make Mr. Rowe sound like a serial killer using his wealth to lure unsuspecting women into his lair to kill them. But that is more possible than the fantasy you have painted,” I told her grimly.

I knew I was pretty. I had received compliments about my looks and thought the same. But I was also a realist.

Lory was my biggest cheerleader, so she would never pay me attention when I thought myself short of Miss Universe.

"The real hindrance to your Cinderella story is the contents of your wardrobe." She looked defeated by what she saw in my luggage. Lory was smart and she enjoyed dressing up. I, on the other hand, had never had the inclination to dress up to impress anyone. But I was going to Quentin to meet Mr. Rowe and I had to look my best.

"What should I wear when I meet him?" I asked finally.

I could call him and find out what the schedule for the next few days was.

Lory's response was to throw a critical look at my clothes. "I brought whatever clothes you had at my place. The choices are limited." She even whined about my lack of a basic skirt.

"I apologize for my crimes."

"Don't joke right now. There is an extremely attractive man pining for you and you don't even have a set of clothes to wear in front of him." She followed up with a snicker and I threw another book at her.

"That sentence was so wrong that I don't want to start commenting on it." I pouted.

"I had a sizing issue with one of my clothes. I think they will fit you. That would be perfect."

She pulled open a bag that I had hidden in the bottom drawer and shook her head. “You never wore this set, did you?” she asked.

I cringed, feeling guilty that I hadn't worn the set of underwear she had gifted me on one of our trips to the mall.

"I am sorry, you know I don't like panties that go up my butt crack."

Lory rolled her eyes. She pulled out the set. “A good pair of underwear can make you feel powerful. Even if you are the only one who ever sees you in them.”

I shrugged. "I do not have a reason to feel sexy."

"Oh, yes, you do! You will have Mr. Rowe eating out of your palm. Didn’t you always want to live the high life, here is your one-way ticket to it? But you have to act like you belong there. You have to do that to make the best of it. What are your thoughts?"

“He is willing to help me with my tuition. Don’t immerse yourself in a flight of fantasy that will never happen. Moreover, I am not trying to seduce him, Lory.”

I kept to myself how the fantasy made the butterflies in my stomach flutter.

Could I be sexy and seductive?

I snorted. Mr. Rowe had socialites and celebrities hanging from his arm at every public event he had been photographed at. I could not compare to those women who had a team of people keeping them pretty and classy. I had to get my head out of the clouds before I plummeted to the ground without a parachute. My aim was to work my ass off at college and make something out of myself. I had to remember that I was not on a mission to seduce an older, rich man.

“I know exactly what you are thinking! Don’t you dare put yourself down.” She leveled me with a stern look. "Willow, you are beautiful. Mr. Rowe is obviously attracted to you, we just don’t know why yet. But please stop doubting yourself."

She walked over and pulled me into a hug. I had to control my eye roll in fear that I would be smacked. Ah, yes, friends were the ones who inflated our egos to the high heavens. Case in point: Lorelei Adams.

I squeezed her back. "I love you, Lory."

"I love you, too. You're my sister from another mister and you are going to charm his pants off." She giggled and I smiled at her naivety. "Come on. You're almost packed up. Let's go to my place and get some other clothes that might fit you."

She drove us to her house and talked me into taking some of her more revealing clothes. Clothes that hurt my conservative sentimentality and looked too small to fit me. I scoffed when she mentioned it would fit me tight and that was a good thing. Still, I allowed her to stuff a small bag full of those clothes. I had no intention of wearing them but I wasn’t going to dampen her enthusiasm.

On our way back, I brought up what Virgil had said to me one more time. "What do you think he meant that I had more power than I thought?” I asked. I couldn’t get his words out of my head.

Lory glanced over with a smirk. “It means Mr. Rowe wants you.”

I grumbled, making her laugh. I had a nagging feeling that I was missing a big piece of the puzzle and Lory didn’t help me figure it out.

“Why are you taking this turn?” I asked when she turned onto a side street that didn’t lead to my house.

“Loosen up, Willow. You need to loosen up now, more than ever. This will be your last drink to say goodbye to all these losers and show them you will have a better life than all of them. Then we will head back to your place.”

I grunted. “I don’t want to go to Grant’s party,” I told her.

“One drink,” she promised.

I gave in quickly. As long as she had one drink, I could leave.

Still, I had a terrible premonition. My gut clenched, screaming at me that something would go wrong. I wanted to stay out in the car, but the idea didn’t fly with Lory. Finally, she dragged me inside with her. The lights were too dim and I had to squint to evade the sweaty and unsteady bodies everywhere. The music pumped loudly, inducing a terrible headache I was sure would get worse when I started my travel.

I was surprised the cops hadn’t been called yet. The neighbors were finicky people who called the cops at the drop of a hat… This was a special gesture for the new graduates, maybe?

I followed closely behind Lory, using her as a shield to not touch people. I moved through the throngs of my former classmates and plenty of people whom I didn’t recognize in the least. When we reached the kitchen, Lory grabbed two cans of beer and held one out to me.

I sipped at mine cautiously as Lory talked to some of our classmates… the ones who were not horrible.

"Willow!" I was startled as one of the idiots from my senior class threw his arm around my shoulder and crushed me to his body.

"Get off me," I choked out, making him laugh and loosen his grip. I shoved his shoulder lightly, but my stink-eye was in full force. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry, babe. I didn’t think you would show up."

"I only stepped in for a minute. I’ll say my goodbyes and leave."

"Well, Chris will be happy," the other said.

‘Terrific. That is what I need.’ I thought sarcastically.

"Come on, Willow. Let's go do a lap around the place and then get out of here." Lory pulled me away from the guy’s grasp.

Lory stopped every other second to chat… more like shouting at people over the loud music. Somewhere in the middle of the ground floor, I lost sight of her. I decided to go outside ahead of her, knowing she would end up there eventually. I was better off outside, anyway.

After smelling the beer on several people and being stepped on, I was more than ready to shove people away to get outside. I finally reached the door and was relieved as the cool night air hit my face.

Sweet, sweet relief.

I knew one thing for sure after attending the party, I would have zero regrets about leaving these people behind. There wasn’t a single person inside apart from Lory who I cared to keep in my life. I set my almost full can of beer on the porch railing and leaned over to look out into the road.

I yelped when someone sneaked up behind me and put their hands on either side of me, trapping me.

“I just knew you would come,” he whispered in my ear. I smelled the liquor and felt my skin crawl at his hot breath on me.

‘Fucking Grant.’

I jabbed my elbow back, enjoying the grunt of pain it elicited from Grant. Yet his arms tightened around me so that I couldn’t wriggle out. Slowly, I felt anxiety grip me.

“You’re always playing hard to get, you minx.” I felt something moist on my neck and felt like puking. He had just licked me!

I was going to kill Lory for dragging me when I got out of here.

"Get the fuck off me, asshole!" I tried to stomp on his feet, but he easily lifted me off my feet and laughed.

"I know you want me, Willow. You wouldn't come to my house if that were the case. You stood outside here so that I could see you alone. So, let's make our farewell worth remembering."

He was drunk but his grip was still unbreakable. Worry was more pressing than the disgust I felt when she started to carry me off the porch and around the house towards the back. I screamed out again, kicking my legs at him and using all my strength to fight him off.

Suddenly, his arms were gone and I was dropped to the ground. I spun around, ready to fight him. Instead, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Virgil had Chris up against the side of the house, his forearm around Chris’ neck, cutting off his air. I stood frozen, watching Chris struggle for air as Virgil pushed him harder against the wall. His eyes blazed with anger.

“I promise you a painful death if you ever touch her again. Understood?” Virgil’s word held a promise. I could tell it wasn’t a threat and I backed away slowly.

A million thoughts ran through my head in that split second. I was thankful for Virgil being there. I shuddered at the possibility of what might have happened if he hadn’t arrived on time.

I was beyond pissed at Chris. I was mad at myself for not being cautious. I wondered why and how Virgil knew to be there. And I was a little scared Virgil would really kill Chris.

I tried to calm myself and moved toward Virgil. I put my hand on his arm, ready to stop him. “It’s okay, Virgil. Please don’t hurt him. I just want to leave,” I said urgently.

Virgil shoved Chris against the wall one last time before he let go. Chris dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, gasping for air. I stepped in front of him, shoved his foot apart, and kicked him hard in the groin. I felt a smile spread across my lips at the pitiful groan that left him.

Virgil touched my elbow and guided me to the driveway before I could do any more damage.

He walked so fast that I struggled to keep up with him. I had so many questions to ask, but in the end, I just remembered that Lory was still inside. I stopped immediately and pulled away from him. He stopped as well and turned to look at me with confusion.

“How… why did you appear right on time?”

“I am just doing the job assigned to me.”

I stared at him, recalling his words. He had come to Atkins to collect me. To protect me. I felt like an object that could be dragged anywhere anyone wanted and I was confused about it.

“Were you following me?” I asked cautiously.

"I have to ensure your safety." He never gave me a proper answer. "By the way… you have a stellar kick."

Before I could get another question in, I saw Lory rush out of the front door.

"There you are! I was looking for you everywhere." She ran up to us and hesitated when she saw Virgil standing next to him. She looked him up and down before asking, "Who are you?"

"Miss Adams." Virgil nod. Taylor" to her, and then looked me again. "I believe it is time for the two of you to head back home am sure Miss explain everything in detail later

He took my elbow again and led me to Lory's car. "I will follow the car from a safe distance to make sure you are inside the house without a problem."

With that, he walked to his car and slipped in. He waited until we had started to drive to follow us. Lory kept staring at the car in the rearview mirror as she drove.

"What in the world was that about?"

I had no way to answer her question. I was still muddled with what had just transpired.

"That was Virgil," I said dumbly.

“I gathered that. But what happened and why was he there?”

I tried to clear my mind. I told her what had happened with Chris and how Virgil showed up right on time.

“Holy hell. I am so sorry, Willow. I had no idea Christ would do something like that. I feel like shit for forcing you to go.”

I waved her off. I was not angry with her. “Don't apologize for that asshole. Why does his conduct have to do anything with you?”

Right now, there was a bigger situation plaguing me apart from Chris' drunken advance.

“Uh… I think this situation with Mr. Rowe is more than I can handle,” I told her honestly.

We remained silent until Lory pulled into my driveway. When we stepped into the house, I saw Virgil sitting in his car. He only drove off when I closed the door after getting inside.

We stood there at the window long after Virgil had left. After a while, Lory looked at me before she spoke. “You're right.”

Only a few seconds passed since that sentence was uttered than my phone started to ring.

"It's him," I whispered to Lory, looking down at the cellphone screen to find Mr. Rowe’s name flashing on it. My heart was about to pound out of my ribcage as my finger hovered over the accept button. I sucked in a deep breath before pressing it. “Hello?” I answered after a moment of complete silence.

"Willow." His breathing was heavy. He sounded anxious and relieved at the same time to hear my voice. “Are you well?”

"Um... yeah," I said tentatively. I had no idea why he was calling. Moreover, I still hadn’t wrapped my head around what had happened earlier.

"He didn't hurt you?" He bit out.

I hesitated to respond as my mind became completely blank. I had zero idea what he was referring to. It took me a moment to consider that Virgil had already called and told him about the incident. Why would Virgil do that, though?

“Are you speaking of what just happened with Chris?”

“Is that what his name is? Did he hurt you? Tell me his last name. Why were you all alone?”

I recoiled and stared at my cellphone, perplexed by his barrage of questions. Part of me was flattered and honestly excited about his obvious concern for my wellbeing. Another part was disturbed by his probing into my private business from across the country.

“He didn’t hurt me. I’m fine,” I assured. “Mr. Grant happens to be the winner of your illustrious scholarship. Mr. Grant received the grant because of his exemplary conduct and achievements, did he not?” I was rather proud of the pun I had come up with on the fly.

He grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "little son of a bitch." I had to bite my lip to keep from giggling out loud. Lory just stared at me with her brow raised. I shrugged at her in response.

"I won’t keep you, then. Your flight is early in the morning. I wanted to make sure you were okay." He sounded so sincere in his worry that it warmed my heart.

"Thank you for checking on me. I am sorry I disrupted your night, Mr. Rowe. I promise that I am perfectly fine and my best friend is here with me."

"Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything at all. Or call Virgil. Sweet dreams, Willow. I will see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Mr. Rowe," I said slowly, not wanting the call to end.

No sooner had the call ended than I gaped at Lory. We erupted into a fit of squeals. I was thankful Virgil was not close by. What would he have thought otherwise?

Lory and I awoke at the crack of dawn. It was better to say neither of us got much sleep to begin with. But I was happy to dress up for once. I was a ball of nerves and wanted to look and feel the best when I met the man who held my future in his hands. After showering, shaving, and exfoliating to military satisfaction, I sat there patiently as Lory guided me through the steps. My hair was down, soft and slightly curled at the ends to make my hair look thicker.

I dressed in a white flowing summer dress Lory told me I looked nice in. And I had to admit she was correct when I stood in front of the mirror. It definitely highlighted my long legs and nice butt. I only wished I could fill out the bodice a little more.

“Perfect. Perfect. Perfect,” she clapped as she circled around me and checked for anything else I needed to do. I could have missed a spot while shaving. It was better being safe than sorry.

The clock read 8 sharp and my heart pounded wildly knowing that I would soon be on my way.

“How I wish you could come with me,” I told her.

"I will see you soon. Whether it is directly at Quentin in two weeks or if you come back to Atkins again to leave together… it doesn’t matter."

I sighed. “I don’t have a place to stay in Quentin right now. I will be back in a few days at most.”

She only responded with a hum, telling me she knew something I was missing.

"You need to call me every day. Make sure you update me on every small detail."

I nodded. "Of course. I'm going to need your analysis," I teased.

We had stayed up for most of the night, going back and forth about what had happened and what could happen. Lory was fixed on the idea that Mr. Rowe was interested in more than paying my tuition after his call inquiring if I was alright. While I was nervous about his intense interest, I was mostly intrigued by how caring he was. I wondered what Virgil told him about Chris and his actions to act that way.

When the doorbell finally rang, I sucked in a breath and looked around my room. Everything I owned was packed and ready to go. There was nothing but emptiness left in the house apart from that. Lory grabbed my luggage while I did a final check on the things in my carry-on bag. I followed her down the stairs, snickering at her visible excitement. She flung the front door open. Virgil stood on the other side with a polite smile.

"Good morning, ladies." He gave us a curt nod.

Lory stretched her hand out to him. He took it in greeting. “I apologize for what happened last night. It was my fault for taking Willow there.”

He shook his head. “Miss Adams, please don’t blame yourself for the actions of a drunken moron.”

Lory kept her eyes on him. “Willow is my best friend. I consider her my sister. Please promise me that nothing improper will happen when she meets Mr. Rowe. I do not care how rich and powerful he is. If he so much as offends her, I will find a way to pay him back ten times over. He may be richer, but I sure as hell am smarter.”

My mouth dropped open at her words. The last thing I expected was for Lory to bare her fangs and leave nothing unsaid. However, this amused Virgil rather than offend him.

“I assure you that Mr. Rowe only has the best intentions towards Miss Taylor.”

"I sure hope he does. It is reasonable to think he has ill intentions toward my friend, though."

"Okay. That is enough." I tugged on her sleeve to pull her away from Virgil, my face on fire from blushing. "Lory, I am going to be alright. I will call you as soon as I can, okay?"

She pulled me into her arms and I hugged her back tightly. Going from seeing her every day to not seeing her for a few at the least… would be difficult.

"I love you," she said, a sob making her voice shake.

"I'm going to see you soon. Our dreams are coming true, silly girl." I kept my tears at bay.

Lory nodded and pulled away, wiping her tears away. Virgil took my bags and made his way towards his car.

"I love you more than anything." I gave her one last hug and followed Virgil.

"I'll lock up," she called out.

I waved at her before getting in the car. Virgil closed my door and he turned to say something to Lory. She nodded at him and stayed on the porch as we drove away. I took one last look at the house I had lived in for years, a small voice in my head sure that it would be the last time I would see it.

Virgil drove in silence, leaving me to my thoughts as we sped down the highway. I finally turned to him, curious about the ‘protection’ he thought I needed.

"You told Mr. Rowe what happened last night, didn’t you?"

He didn’t shy away from the answer. His eyes remained on the road as he responded, “Yes.”

"Why?" I asked.

"You should ask Mr. Rowe that."

I sighed, knowing he would not crack and give me the information I needed. I tried a different approach. “How long have you worked for him?”

"Four years."

"Have you ever followed any of his other charitable projects?"

He glanced at me. "Is that how you see yourself? A charitable project?"

I looked out of the window. "It doesn't really matter. I am grateful he is funding my education."

When he didn't reply, I turned to him again. I noticed the light shake of his head and the indistinguishable muttering. I was sure he called me naive.

It didn't take long to reach the airport. Virgil flashed a card at the security checkpoint before we pulled up beside a jet with the initials RHI on the side. I was led up the stairs and onboard the plane by Virgil without a hitch.

It was my first flight and I was nervous. After I was directed to a plush seat and secured in, Virgil started to walk to the back of the jet.

"Wait!" I tried to get his attention. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to sit back here." He seemed confused by my question.

My eyes were already watering and I was overwhelmed. "Do you have to sit back there?"

After a long pause, he shook his head. "No."

"Can you sit somewhere closer?" I didn't want to be all alone and vulnerable. "I've never flown before."

He must have understood because he moved to the seat across the aisle from me. He gave me a reassuring smile as he spoke, “Don't be scared. Statistically, it is safer to fly than drive.”

Right. Statistically, I shouldn't be scared. If only I could make the anxiety in my heart die down.