HIS LEVERAGE

STRANGE OFFER

PRESENT DAY

SYLVIA'S POV

I wouldn't change my schedule because of a guy. Yes, I loved him, yes I felt betrayed and it really hurt but I would not let what I felt affect me.

I didn't cry nor did I sulk, I just laid face up on my bed staring at the ceiling. The thought that I was even living in the apartment he got for me pained me. I saw the signs and I ignored them.

I jolted up suddenly from bed and picked up a pen and wrote down a list of things I did everyday, only I removed Marvel and Elodie from my list. Wake up at five, run for thirty minutes and prepare for my 7 AM lecture. I arranged a clean system that left no gaps for thinking.

Marvel called me forty-two times and Elodie tried four times before I blocked their numbers. Monday was a serious day for me and I wanted my head clear.

I managed the morning without bumping into either Marvel nor Elodie. The research committee met on Monday afternoons in the Donald building on the East side of the campus the Economics and Political Science department shared.

I arrived at the meeting seven minutes early. Professor Aldine was already present at the head of the long conference table arranging papers. She looked up at me when I walked in.

“MacAllister, you're early.”

“Good afternoon Professor.” I greeted her.

“You can sit anywhere, we're doing pair assignments today.”

I sat close to the window and about five minutes after the scheduled time, other students started trooping in. They were all serious students whom Professor Aldine selected for the committee. I received my invitation six weeks ago. The door opened again. I didn't need to look up to know it was Zane Carrington, there was always a shift in the atmosphere anytime he was in a room.

“Well everyone's here.” Professor Aldine clicked through her opening slide. “You've all been briefed about the committee’s focus. Economic policy intersects with political infrastructure in post-transition democracies, which is a fascinating area genuinely under-researched at undergraduate level, and I expect all of you to take it seriously.”

She paused and looked around the table. We looked back at her giving our most serious expressions. She continued.

“I've assigned pairs based on complementary skills and scheduling compatibility, so don't bother arguing about it. You have eight weeks for the preliminary research phase.”

She picked up a piece of paper. “Okonkwo and Yew, Diallo and Mensah and MacAllister and Carrington.”

My fingers tightened against my pen and I pressed it harder on the paper. I didn't turn to the far end of the table to look at him.

“Any questions?” Professor Aldine asked. Although it was our first meeting, we had no questions to ask.

“God.”

She talked on for another forty minutes, I took notes and tried to keep my mind from wandering to Marvel and Elodie.

Marvel came to my door as I was about to leave for school.

“Sylvia…”

“Marvel.” I said keeping eye contact with him.

“Let me explain…”

“No.”

“Sylvia…” He blinked, obviously surprised.

“I have things to do today Marvel and I would not like you to follow me.”

He stared at me, he was expecting drama, yelling, screaming, he wasn't prepared for this.

“That's it?” His voice cracked slightly. “You're not even going to…”

“We're done.”

I walked past him without looking back, he didn't follow.

I snapped back to focus. The meeting ended at three fifteen, I started packing up and proceeded to zip my bag when I became aware of a presence. I looked up. It was Zane. He watched me with his jacket over one arm and his bag over his shoulder.

“When would we have our first session?” He asked.

“Monday and Wednesday afternoons are free for me. After four.”

“Fine by me.” He nodded.

“Library, second floor, back stacks. It's quieter there.”

“Four-thirty.” I confirmed.

He started towards the door then he stopped and turned, his back half to me.

“Henderson textbook, I have a copy.”

I paused. How did he know I needed the textbook?

“I'm not a charity case.” I spat out, contempt rang in my voice.

“It's a textbook.” He replied ignoring my comment. “I've already read it twice, it's at the library's front desk.” Then he walked out before I could answer.

I finished zipping my bag. I was fine, I thought. I was going to be fine.

Elodie approached me as soon as I stepped foot out of the committee room. She must have been waiting for me, but it no longer mattered.

“Sylvia please… I…it's not what you think it is…” She started speaking jumbled phrases cracking her fingers restlessly. She looked in a pretty messed up state as someone who had had no sleep. Her hair was in a rough bun and her eyes darted everywhere except on my face.

I didn't respond, I only stared at her blankly.

“We've known each other, Marvel and I… for a while now in high school… it was just a fling… I swear… he was just talking… we never…”

I didn't let her finish, I walked past her without saying a single word in return then headed straight for the library.

ZANE'S POV

I sat at a table on the library's second floor back stacks. The same place Sylvia had described to me. Sylvia. I thought of her and how she fought hard to hide her pain.

I didn't come to read, I actually came to think about her. I reflected on the moments I watched her by Marvel's side, her red hair lacing her shoulders when she laughed, the sound of it brightened my day. Marvel didn't deserve her, now she hated me more and of course she had every right to because I knew of Elodie and I said nothing.

Just as I raised my head from my annotated copy of the preliminary reading list open in front of me, I spotted her with the Henderson's textbook tucked under her arm as she approached my table.

My heart stopped for a second as I looked at her, fighting with all my will not to leave my mouth agape. She was curvy, with hips that swayed from side to side as she walked, she had what was called the pear shape, elegant and attractive. No wear was casual on her, that was one unique feature she had.

Finally when she came she sat down across from me staring at the coffee I had on the center of the table. I had just ordered it, not that I had any intuition that she'll be at the library, or maybe I had. Since we didn't have class till after two hours I figured she'd come around.

She looked at me and I looked back giving her a readable expression to which she replied.

“I didn't ask for this.”

“I know.” I replied then I looked back at my book. She was stubborn and I knew how to deal with it. “It's just coffee and you haven't eaten anything.”

That startled her, she stared at me. “How do you know?”

I turned a page still not looking up. “Have you?”

She finally took the cup and had a sip. I raised my head a little to catch her facial expression as her furrowed eyebrows relaxed at the taste of the coffee. Then I looked back at the open reading list.

I knew how she liked her coffee, oat milk, one sugar and the right temperature. It had been my order since I got to find out prepping for situations such as this.

“This coffee.” She started hesitatingly. “It's just how I like it.”

“That's how I take mine.” I replied casually.

Then the serious expression she wore when she first arrived returned. “You knew?” She asked.

I knew what she was talking about. “I didn't mean for you to find out this way.”

“You supported him.”

“No, but it wasn't my business to intrude into your relationship matters.”

She looked away, I was right. Besides we hadn't exactly been friends and I could tell from the way she looked at me that she had never liked me. She took another sip of coffee.

“I need to ask you something.” She said, dropped the cup and put her hands flat on the table with the expression of someone who had just thought of a bizarre idea.

“Okay.” I braced myself.

“I need you to fake date me.”

The words came as a bomb, only it caused a deep silence. My heart did backflips but I gave her a civil look.

“I'm listening.”