Opposites Repel
1220 Words
Chapter 4
"Are you really going to pay me?" Katherine asked, her voice soft.
She stood in the school corridor, her fingers nervously picking at the frayed hem of her oversized hoodie.
Vladimir leaned back against the locker, looking at her like she was a stray kitten he’d accidentally stepped on.
He didn't even blink. "Money is the one thing I have too much of, Vance. Don't worry about my bank account. Worry about your grades, because if you’re as smart as everyone says, you’re the only thing keeping me from repeating this hellhole."
Katherine tried not to roll her eyes, the sheer arrogance of him making her teeth ache.
She didn't like him. She didn't like the way he looked at her, and she definitely didn't like how much she needed his cash. "Fine. When do I start?"
Vladimir reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, matte-black card with a gold embossed crest.
“You'll come to my place."
Katherine blinked, “your house?"
“Don't think of anything funny. It's just to study. I don't like libraries and it will be more comfortable."
He flicked the card toward her and she caught it against her chest, frowning. "What is this? An invitation to a cult? I don't need an invitation to come to your place."
"It’s a gate pass," Vladimir said, pushing off the locker. "You’ll find out why you need it when you show up. Four o'clock. Don't be late."
Later that afternoon after class, Katherine was cursing Vladimir Vane with every breath she had.
The bus ride to the address on the card took nearly an hour, and it had cost her the last of her lunch money for the week. She sat on the hard plastic seat, clutching her backpack, her stomach grumbling in protest.
"I’m going to make him pay for the bus fare," she muttered to herself. "I’m going to charge him for the travel time, the emotional distress, and the fact that I’m missing my afternoon nap."
When the bus finally dropped her off, she realized why he’d given her a card.
She wasn't in a neighborhood, she was at the edge of a massive, guarded estate.
The driveway was tucked away in a lush valley, hidden from the main road by thick trees and high stone walls.
It looked like a fortress for people who had too much money than needed.
“Who's this boy, really?" She muttered.
She walked up to the security booth at the iron gates, feeling incredibly out of place.
“Hello, sir," she said, trying to hold the man's eyes even though he looked like a bear.
“Your bag."
She blinked, “what?"
“We need to search for weapons."
Katherine had a half-eaten granola bar, a dirty hairbrush, and some crumpled-up receipts in her bag.
Reluctantly, she let him look through it.
"Name?" the guard asked, looking at her faded sneakers with clear disgust.
"Katherine Green. I’m here for... tutoring," she said, her face heating up.
"Do you have a pass?"
Katherine fumbled through her pockets, her heart sinking.
She almost thought she’d lost it until her fingers brushed the cold, hard plastic of the black card. She pulled it out and handed it over.
The guard swiped it and nodded.
"Go right through, Miss Green. The main house is at the end of the drive."
Katherine walked and walked until her feet ached.
The property was too large. There were fountains that looked like they belonged in a Roman plaza and gardens so perfectly manicured they didn't look real.
The house itself was huge!
The building was so tall that her neck ached just looking up. Three different storeys were situated side by side and a large fountain of what looked like Lycan gargoyles stood at the center.
“Is this some castle?" She wondered in awe.
As she reached the front, a man in a white suit, a butler who looked way too dignified for this town, stepped out.
“Are you here for the lesson, Miss?"
“Miss Katherine. And yeah, I'm here for Vladimir."
"Master Vladimir is behind the house, by the pool," the man said with a slight bow.
"Master?" Katherine muttered under her breath, suppressed a snort. "Right. The Master of Being a Jerk."
She followed the stone path around the side of the house.
As she rounded the corner, her jaw dropped. The pool area was made of marble.
And right in the middle of it, Vladimir was hauling himself out of the water.
He was gorgeous.
There was no other word for it.
He was dripping wet, the sunlight catching the droplets on his tanned skin.
His abs were so defined they looked carved out of granite, and the way the water trailed down his chest toward the low-slung waistband of his black briefs made Katherine’s throat go completely dry.
She saw the bold, prominent shape of his d**k through the wet fabric and immediately slammed her eyes shut, her face turning a shade of red.
"I... I didn't know you were... busy," she stammered, her heart hammering.
"You stared long enough," Vladimir said as he grabbed a towel from a nearby chair and wrapped it carelessly around his waist, obscuring the view.
Katherine finally opened her eyes, though she still wouldn't look below his chin.
"Are you here for the lesson or to stare at the scenery?"
"I’m here to work," she snapped, regaining some of her pride. "You said to come over after school."
"Follow me."
He led her into a glass-walled lounge area that overlooked the pool.
It was filled with white leather furniture and so much fancy tech that looked like it was from five years in the future.
"Textbooks are in that bag over there," he said, gesturing to a designer duffel. "I’ll be back in a second."
He disappeared and returned a minute later, wearing a silk robe that hung open, clutching a glass of dark red wine. He offered one to her.
"I don't drink alcohol," Katherine said, pulling her old notebook out and thumping it onto the table.
Vladimir looked at her oddly, one eyebrow raised. "What are you, twelve? Everybody drinks."
"I’m seventeen," she said firmly. "And I don't need a hangover while I’m trying to keep you from failing Senior Year."
"I am an adult, little girl. Unlike you, I have everything I want here," Vladimir said, his voice arrogant. "Wine, cigars, whatever I feel like." To prove his point, he pulled a long, dark cigar and moved to light it.
As the first puff of smoke reached her, Katherine began to cough violently. "Put that away! I can’t stand that stuff. It’s disgusting."
"It’s expensive," Vladimir countered.
"I don't care if it's made of gold! Put it out!"
Before he could react, Katherine reached over, snatched the cigar from his hand, and tossed it straight into the sparkling blue pool outside.
Vladimir hissed and grabbed the lounge chair roughly. Katherine stumbled, landing on his chest.
“How dare you, little girl?!" He hissed, grabbing her chin.
His eyes landed on her lips and Katherine froze, staring into his icy eyes. Then she made a terrible mistake and bit her trembling lips.
Vladimir growled and grabbed her face as his lips lowered towards her.
- Writer
