Page 38 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 1

Friday

My new bikini was hanging in my closet. I already knew I was going to cancel, but pretending to be excited and shopping with Melissa would hopefully only help make my sudden upset stomach more believable. I didn't like deceiving her, but she could be so relentless. If she ever became suspicious of me she'd easily be able to get the truth out of me. And Melissa couldn't find out. I didn't want Professor Hunter to get in trouble. And I certainly didn't want to get in trouble.

I lay down in my bed and tucked the covers under my chin. During class earlier I had watched Professor Hunter's lips move but I couldn't seem to concentrate on the words that he spoke. Instead, I pictured him shoving everything on his desk to the ground and having sex with me right in the classroom. I pictured him pressing my naked back against the chalkboard.

I gulped. He said we could talk about it tomorrow night at dinner. But if he really was just going to end whatever it was that was going on between us, he could have done it already. He wanted to have dinner because he wanted to keep seeing me. Or start seeing me. I was already nervous just thinking about it. If he took me to a fancy restaurant he would order wine or something and wonder why I was just drinking water. I'd have to tell him I was only 19. This was going to be a disaster. I needed to see what he had to say though. Because I couldn't stop thinking about him. If Professor Hunter felt the same, maybe there was some way we could make this work.

Melissa walked in the room with a huge smile on her face. But as soon as she saw me in bed she put her hands on her hips. "Penny, what are you doing?"

"I don't feel well." I tried to make a pained expression.

"You just don't want to wear that bikini. You'll live. Get up."

"Melissa, my stomach is really upset."

"Are you throwing up?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Good. There's two hours until the party starts. Have some Tums." She tossed me a bottle from her bureau.

I unscrewed the cap and popped two in my mouth. Fortunately they were also a calcium supplement or I'd have to spit them out when she wasn't looking.

"You're probably just nervous to see Tyler. It's called butterflies. There's absolutely nothing wrong with you."

She wasn't going to let me get out of this easily. I quickly got out of bed, clutched my stomach, and ran for the door. Melissa looked up at me from her desk.

"Penny, are you..."

I didn't hear the rest of her sentence because the door had closed behind me. Keeping my hands on my stomach I walked to the bathroom. If there was one thing Melissa hated it was hearing about bodily fluids. This would make her stop bugging me. I sat in the bathroom stall for ten minutes before heading back to the room.

I groaned as I entered our room and plopped down on my bed.

"Penny?" Melissa sounded concerned.

"I really don't feel well. I just ruined a toilet," I lied.

"Oh my God, Penny. You're disgusting. Please spare me the details."

"I don't even understand how all of that was in me."

"Ew! Stop. Please, Penny. You're grossing me out."

"Sorry, I just really don't feel well."

"Okay, okay. Just stop talking." Melissa walked over to the fridge and pulled out a ginger ale. "Here, hopefully this will help." She opened up the top and placed it on the desk by my bed.

"I'm really sorry I can't come." I lifted the soda and took a small sip.

"Don't even mention it. Look, you should probably get some sleep. I'm just going to get ready there." She tossed some things in her backpack and lifted it over her shoulder. "Anything you need before I go?"

"Will you let Tyler know I'm sick? And that I'm sorry that I couldn't come?"

"Yeah of course."

"Thanks, Melissa."

She picked up the trashcan and put it next to my bed. "Just in case. Feel better, Penny!" she said with a smile and hurried out of the room.