Shit. I should have kept walking.
I wanted to turn and keep walking, but that would be rude; and, it would be bad if she kept yelling my name and called other people’s attention to us.
“Can I help you with something?” I asked, voice neutral, as she stopped in front of me.
She didn’t seem to register my flat tone. I really didn’t want to see her right then. Actually, she looked really happy to see me, and stepped closer than I was comfortable with.
“Hey, Noah,” she said, her voice breathy.
I frowned at her intimate tone. It sent alarm bells off in my mind.
“Hello,” I said. I tried to think of it but honestly couldn’t remember her name. “Do you want something?”
She pouted. “What kind of tone is that? Aren’t you happy to see me? I’ve been looking for you all over campus, but you’re a hard man to find.”
Because I don’t go around giving random people my information.
If she’d known more than my name, she might have found me earlier. Maybe, while I was with Sara. The thought was horrifying, and I had to hold back a shudder.
“If you don’t have anything to say, then please excuse me. I’m busy.”
The least I could do was be polite, but I was under too much stress to care about it at that moment. I went to leave, only to freeze when her hands suddenly grabbed me, and she wrapped her arms around one of mine. I stared down at her arms dumbly, wondering why she was touching me. I wanted to shove her off, but I forced myself not to act too hastily. We were in public and I really didn’t want to draw attention to myself.
I glanced around. We were in the middle of the school grounds with other students walking around us. It was still early morning, so there weren’t too many people moving around, but people would be going out to get breakfast. A few even passed close enough to us to overhear what we were talking about, and I noticed some glances being thrown our way.
Shit.
“I really do need to go,” I said, and lowered my voice. “I’m on my way to meet someone right now. Can we do this later, please?”
Or never, I left unsaid.
The girl pouted.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to meet another girl,” she whined, and clutched at me harder. “You can't do that anymore, okay? I won't allow it.”
I grimaced, but at least her whining made me remember her name. Blanc. She was my first ever client when I started the Sext Me line. We’d only be together for a short time, but it hadn't been that long ago, and her behavior was…unique.
It had been my first time selling sex for money, and having it with someone like Blanc made me unsure what to do after we were done. I didn’t know if I should just get up and leave, or help her clean up, or stay with her. The price was already so high, so would all that be included in the package? Especially since she’d been a virgin. In the end, I stayed with her, and she whined the entire time. I was so relieved when she fell asleep, and I could leave her room. I didn’t think I’d have to meet her again. She was one of the most demanding women I’d ever met, and I quickly put her out of my mind.
So why was she doing this to me now?
“Listen, Blanc,” I started, trying to tug my arm away from hers.
She beamed at me, her face pleased.
“I knew you wouldn’t forget me,” she said with a proud tilt of her chin. “I was wondering why you hadn’t called me back, though. You told me you had fun that night, right? So… how about we start dating for real?”
I stared at her for a moment, my jaw dropped. It had been weeks since we first saw each other, and I hadn't seen her since. Don’t tell me this whole time she’d been searching for me and daydreaming about the moment she found me?
“That’s um, nice that you feel that way Blanc,” I said, even though it really wasn’t. “But can we talk later? I really do have an appointment.”
She frowned. “Why can't we talk now, though? It’d not easy to find you, even though we’re in the same school. Are you hungry? Let’s go out and get breakfast, okay? My treat.”
Since she wasn’t hearing me, I decided to take the blunt route. I pulleded my arm out of her grip, ignoring the way it made her frown deepen.
“I’m sorry, Blanc, but I’m not interested. At all. Now, if you don’t mind, I really am busy, so please excuse me.”
I went to turn to leave, but then she spoke.
“How hard up are you for money?”