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Chapter twenty-two

An Unexpected Kink

Karma

“You’re getting married? “ Evie gapes at my reflection in the mirror as I get ready for the day. “ ?Ay carnal! I told you to commit, but I didn’t say ’til death do you part’ .”

I drag a brush through my tangled hair. “It was a misunderstanding. Stuff like that happens when families get together, especially when different cultures are involved. Things get misinterpreted.”

“That’s it?” She stares at me, stunned. “For someone who had to be talked into dating, you’re taking a prophetic wedding better than I would’ve guessed.”

I shrug. “One little vision isn’t enough to scare me off.”

The truth is, when I heard Mata Darshanaji’s prophecy, a thrill had gone through my entire body—not of fear but of excitement. The possibilities for my future had seemed to expand right in front of my eyes. An exciting partner full of endless surprises. An international family with a rich history and culture. Unlimited opportunities to learn and explore. Maybe I wasn’t open to having a relationship before I started dating Josh, but now I’m ready for anything.

Evie snorts a laugh as she leans against the bathroom vanity. “I guess you’d better hurry up and ask Josh to be your boyfriend. Y’know, before the two of you tie the knot.”

She’s got a point. I’m getting ahead of myself. “He seemed kinda spooked by all of the talk about weddings and commitment. Maybe I shouldn’t rush him into anything.” Sure, I might want to put a ‘boyfriend ring’ on it—so to speak—but what if Josh doesn’t? The last thing I want to do is push him before he’s ready.

“You could be right,” she says. “The only thing worse than looking like a player is looking desperate.”

I grin at her through the mirror. “Speaking of desperate players, it looked like you had your hands full with all of the Golden Gladiators at the party. Tell me, Sis, did you decide to have a little summer ‘magic’ with one or two of them?”

“Maybe.” A smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. “Even a Fairy Godmother needs some romance in her life. While I help you with your Happily Ever After, I might as well enjoy my own Happily For Now . ”

That’s my girl. “You deserve to have a little fun. So, who’s the lucky frog you plan on kissing?”

“I’ll let you know later,” Evie hedges. “Right now, we need to make a plan for what you should do next with Josh. You’ve already given him gifts, performed an act of service, and spent quality time with him. Were any of those his love language?”

I think about our private moments alone when Josh spoke to me in a commanding voice. He’d obviously enjoyed my submission as much as I had. Could that mean domination is his kink? “I dunno, Sis. I think Josh might have a different love language.”

“Then you should try words of affirmation next. Either that, or physical touch.” She points a finger at me.

“I know, I know— keep it in my pants ,“ I groan. Not that I was successful at that on my last date with Josh, but what my Fairy Godmother doesn’t know won’t hurt her.

Evie gives me a satisfied nod before doling out more advice. “You’ve gotta be careful with words of affirmations. You don’t want to lay them on too thick. It’s just as important to know what not to say.”

“Got any tips?” I ask as I put on a pair of stud earrings.

“How much time do you have?” She laughs.

I check the time on my phone. Oof . “None. Patterson’s expecting me—he’s got a summer project he wants me to work on.”

“Ugh. Good luck with that.” She makes a face. My bestie’s not a big fan of Professor P. “See you later, then?”

“Yep, later.” We kiss each other’s cheeks before I grab my messenger bag and head out the door.

As I walk across campus toward my mentor’s office, I’m consumed with thoughts of Josh. Could he really be into domination? And why should that come as a shock? He’s already tempted me with lace underwear… seduced me with a blind-folded massage… amazed me with a prophetic vision of our future. Why not add another unexpected kink into the mix?

At least there shouldn’t be too many surprises during my upcoming meeting with Patterson. Now that graduation is over, summer has officially started—and so has my internship as the professor’s writing assistant. That means I’ll finally get my hands on his novel.

I knock on the door to his office, then stick my head inside. “How’s it going, Professor P?”

“You’re late.” Patterson frowns as I enter the room. “We don’t have a moment to waste. Are you prepared to make this project your sole focus for the summer?”

Another thought of Josh pops into my mind. I’d better tuck that one away for later. “I’m all yours, Professor—other than my part-time job at Whole Lotta Love café. I’m ready to get right to work.”

His lips thin at the mention of WLL. “I’m counting on you, Karma. I’ll need your undivided attention on this matter. You’ve finished The Cerathyst Cipher, I assume?”

“Yeah, Professor P. I’ve read both The Ceranian Secret and The Cerathyst Cipher . Twice.“ I pull the second book in the series out of my bag and hand it to my mentor.

Patterson tosses it over his shoulder onto a random pile of books on a shelf. “And do you have a firm understanding of the characters’ motives?”

“I think so.” What’s up with the interrogation? Does he expect me to give him a book report? “I know that Domingo is one of your influences, but when am I gonna get to read your story, sir?”

The head of the English department narrows his eyes at me. After a moment, he stands up and locks the door. He darts a suspicious look around the room before stalking back to his desk. “As I’ve told you before, this project is private. You will discuss its details with no one. Is that clear?”

“You have my word, Professor.” Jeez, you’d think he was trusting me with the Crown Jewels.

Patterson sits stiffly in his chair, weighing me with a long look. After an eternity passes, he unlocks the top drawer of his desk and pulls out a thick, spiral-bound manuscript.

Yaas , finally.

A thrill of anticipation runs through me as I reach for the professor’s novel. What should I expect from his first attempt at writing sci-fi? Will it be a dry rendition of other classics in the genre or can I hope for something new and surprising? No matter how the story turns out, at least I know one thing for sure—nothing about it could shock me any more than a freakin’ wedding prophecy.

I brush a stray lock of hair out of my eyes as I read the title on the cover.

The Ceranic Continuum Rodrick Domingo.

I stare blankly at the page, trying to process its typewritten words. “Um, what’s this?”

“It’s the final installment of the trilogy,” Patterson states. “I expect you to read it quickly and get back to me with your preliminary thoughts. I’m not looking for an in-depth analysis—and for heaven’s sake, spare me your compliments.”

“But…” I glance up at the stodgy English professor, the man who’s mentored me for almost four years . “But…”

He lets out a long-suffering sigh. “Spit it out, Mr. Wilson.”

“There’s no way that you’re Rodrick Domingo!“ It’s impossible.

“I assure you—“ the professor begins.

“You cannot be the South American recluse…” Nope, no way.

Patterson frowns. “My pen name needed a backstory, obviously.”

“...responsible for one of the most popular sci-fi series of the decade.” The very idea is almost laughable.

He takes off his glasses and wipes them with a cloth. “It’s been well received. I’ve been pleasantly surprised.”

Uh uh. “There’s no fucking way that I’ve been TA-ing for four years…”

“Three and a half,” he corrects me.

“... for an acclaimed, best-selling novelist. How is that even possible?”

Patterson clears his throat, then awkwardly adjusts his bow tie. “Actually, I have you to thank for that, in part. You’ve taken on more workload than an average teaching assistant. It’s freed up quite a bit of my time and energy, which I’ve been able to use on this side project.”

“ Side project? “ I gape at him. “Just how many copies of your side project have sold worldwide?”

He waves his hand like he’s shooing a fly. “We both know that a writer is only as good as his latest work. This story has unresolved issues. With your help, I hope to reach a satisfying conclusion to the series before I move on to other projects.”

I just can’t wrap my head around it. Patterson is Domingo? I feel like my whole world has been turned upside down. “Are you telling me that I get to read The Ceranic Continuum before anyone else? That I might have some say in how the trilogy ends?“ There’s not a sci-fi writer on the planet who wouldn’t give their right arm to trade places with me.

“Don’t celebrate yet,” the professor warns me. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, young man.”

I tuck the priceless pages into my bag for safe-keeping. “And I can’t wait to get started, Professor P.”

Holy fuck . What other surprises does the Universe have in store for me?