Take Me for Granted

Chapter 6: Aribel

Gabi rubbed her eyes as she walked into the kitchen. Her blonde pixie cut was slightly askew, and as always, she looked a bit like she was up in the clouds. “What are you doing up so early?” she asked softly.

“Going over my calculus assignment.” I’d completed it two days ago, but I’d woken up in the middle of the night, realizing I’d done something wrong.

She nodded and then went about pouring herself some cereal before collapsing into a chair. A minute later, Cheyenne appeared with plenty of makeup and her curly red hair managed. She sank into the chair next to me and fixed me with a direct stare.

“Do you need something?” I asked, glancing up from my homework.

“Will you please tell me what happened last night? I have to know. I’m literally dying on the inside. I could hardly sleep,” she said dramatically. “Imagine failing a chemistry test.”

“I can’t imagine that.”

“Exactly. That’s how terrible I feel because you’re keeping this from me. I have to know.” Her green eyes were wide as she reached out and grabbed my hands in hers. She was acting like this really was life or death.

I just rolled my eyes.

“Leave her alone, Cheyenne,” Gabi peeped. “Her boyfriend just broke up with her, and she had to deal with whatever happened with Grant. Can’t you cut her some slack?”

“But it’s Grant McDermott!” Cheyenne cried.

Gabi shrugged her petite shoulders and returned her gaze to her cereal.

“So spill,” Cheyenne said.

I set my pencil down on my paper with a thwack. “If you want to find out what happened, ask Grant…if he even remembers this morning.”

“What does that mean?”

I cracked up laughing and then immediately covered my mouth with my hand. I shouldn’t have taken so much enjoyment from watching Grant drink that beer, but I had. Let the asshole get a dose of his own medicine for a change.

“Oh no, I know that look,” Cheyenne groaned. “What did you do?”

“Some guy slipped something in my drink last night. I saw him do it.”

“What?” Cheyenne asked in shock. “You saw him? What did he look like?”

“Yeah, I did. I don’t know who he was. He was beefy with a shaved head, and his shirt was too tight. I think you were talking to him at some point.”

“You mean Vin? The guitar player in ContraBand?” she asked in disbelief.

“Sure.”

“Bastard!”

“Anyway, Grant propositioned me, and then when I said no, he wouldn’t leave me alone. So, I gave him my glass instead of his. He probably doesn’t remember any of it.”

Her friends’ mouths dropped open. Maybe I should have felt remorse for what I’d done, but I didn’t.

“You drugged Grant McDermott?” Gabi asked in a soft tone.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you correctly,” Cheyenne said.

“Yeah. He deserved it.”

“Okay, that’s pretty ridiculous,” Cheyenne said. “Grant propositioned you, and you said no?”

Oh, of course. That’s why she’s freaking out. Typical Cheyenne. “What did you think I would say, Cheyenne?”

“Still processing here. You could have lost your virginity to Grant McDermott, and you didn’t? I kind of want my virginity back, so I can lose it to him.”

I couldn’t resist laughing at Cheyenne. I loved her to pieces, but she was totally outrageous.

“Why did you say no? I mean, we all saw you kiss him. I just figured he changed his mind after he found out how blunt you were or maybe he thought you sucked at kissing.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Cheyenne.”

“You don’t need to know why,” Gabi said, smacking Cheyenne’s arm.

“Yes, I do.” Her phone started buzzing in her purse. She held up a finger to me and then answered it. “Hey, Vin.”

That sounded like my cue to leave. I packed up the rest of my homework and started carefully placing it into my messenger bag.

“Sure, I don’t mind talking to Grant at all.”

I slung my bag over my shoulder to leave, and Cheyenne just shook her head. She pointed her finger at the chair.

Yeah, that is going to keep me in the room.

“Hey, Grant.”

Cheyenne listened into the phone for a few seconds. A smile grew on her face. I could only guess the sweet nothings he was whispering into her ear.

“Oh, Aribel?” Cheyenne said into the phone.

I had only made it halfway across the room when I stopped dead in my tracks.

“Yes, she’s right here.”

I turned around and fiercely shook my head. “I’m not here.” My hands were out in front of me, gesturing wildly, signaling for her to tell Grant that I was away or incapacitated or dead. Anything.

“Yeah, let me get her for you.” Cheyenne stormed across the room and grabbed my wrist as I tried to retreat. “Just talk to him.”

“No. I talked to him last night. I’m not doing it again.”

She thrust the phone into my hand. “He’s a nice guy, Aribel, and he’s gorgeous, plays guitar, fucks like a god. Talk to him on the fucking phone, or we’re no longer friends.”

“What a threat,” I said sarcastically. “Plus, nice guy? Really?”

Cheyenne fixed me with a death glare.

“Fine,” I groaned, taking the phone. I took a breath before speaking. “Hello?”

“Hey, darlin’,” Grant drawled.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “I really thought we covered this whole darlin’ thing last night. It’s not going to work.”

“Work on what?”

“I assume it works on the other women you attempt to seduce.”

“Attempt?” he asked with a chuckle. “Baby, give me some credit.”

Ugh, baby. Seriously get over yourself. “Were you calling for a reason?”

“Several.”

“Care to share? I have to get to calculus, and I’d really like to get this conversation moving.”

“I guess I’ll start with, why you drugged me?”

Grant just laid it out there. Who calls the girl who drugged you the night before? This isn’t Cinderella. I didn’t lose my glass slipper.

“Because you deserved it,” I answered.

“What did I do to deserve it?”

“Besides treating me like a whore?”

Grant laughed at my comment, but I wasn’t sure why it was funny. He had treated me like a whore, which was basically the opposite of the kind of person I was.

“What are you doing tonight?”

I narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t going to play this game. “Curing cancer. What about you?”

“Taking you out,” he answered, not missing a beat.

“That’s strange because I just said I was busy.”

“Busy out with me,” he said smoothly.

“I appreciate the offer, Grant, but no.” I hoped that I’d sounded firm, but this guy was so persistent. Good Lord!

Cheyenne smacked me on the arm. I’d completely forgotten that she was standing there.

“Are you out of your mind?” she hissed.

I shrugged my shoulders and turned away. I didn’t want to hear her nonsense right now. I just wanted off the phone.

“Come on, princess. What do you have to lose?” Grant asked.

“My self-respect?” I said dryly.

“From one date?”

“My answer is no. Good-bye, Grant,” I said and then ended the call.

As I handed the phone back to a shell-shocked Cheyenne, it started ringing again.

“Don’t answer that.”

“What just happened?” she asked.

“Grant asked me out, and I told him no.”

This probably killed her, but it didn’t kill me. I had no interest in someone like Grant. I’d grown up in a wealthy suburb of Boston. My father was the CEO of a prominent bank in the city. My entire family were Princeton alums. That was the kind of person I was supposed to bring home to my parents—not Grant McDermott. Not even one date.

He didn’t care about me or respect me. He just wanted to sleep with me.

It was Gabi’s turn to look astonished. “He asked you out?”

“Grant McDermott does not ask people out!” Cheyenne cried.

“Well, he just did.”