Prologue - What Happens in College...

Ryan Kent - Prologue

            Ryan Kent should have been inside. He should have been, but he couldn't bring himself to go in. He didn't want to listen to his father set him up with another money-grubbing country club groupie. He'd been surrounded by them his whole life.

He leaned against the wall outside of the Mehnk Student Center. He was finally back on campus at Ritter University. In a few days he'd start classes and his parents would be back home. Another reason he should get his butt inside. He only had to deal with them for two more days.

"Hey, Kent." Andrzej Kaminski slid up next to Ryan, followed by his girlfriend Samantha.

"Ski." Ryan bumped a fist with his roommate—slash—best friend. "What brings you two here?"

"Dinner." Samantha cringed and rightfully so.

"At the Mehnk?" The college cafeteria was known for a lot of things, the place to hang out and play video games, the center of campus, but good food was not one of those things. They managed to make a pretty decent sandwich, but even his frat brothers, after a long game of quarters could make a decent sandwich.

"She's never been here." Ski wrapped a possessive arm around her. Not that Ryan blamed him. Samantha was beautiful, long, dark black hair and bright blue eyes. She was stunning, not that Ryan had any interest in her. She was head-over-heals over Ski.

And Ski was whipped with a capital W. Not that Ryan would ever say that to the big man. Ski was a wrestler and football player that could send Ryan to the ER with flick of his wrist. Not that he would, Ski was a big teddy bear.

"I wanted to give her the full college experience."

"I've never painted my chest in the school colors and watched a football game in December." December in Northern Indiana was freezing. Yet there were still those that tore off their shirts—nipples pointed, lips blue—and painted themselves in red and black.

"But I'm not going to do that just to get the full college experience. Go to Barnacles." Ryan and Ski had spent many a night at Barnacles Pub and Eatery. Great wings. And they were known to look the other way when those under twenty-one tried to buy a beer.

"What are you doing out here?" Ski changed the subject. "Aren't your parents still here?"

"Yep, inside with my father's friends and their eligible daughters."

Samantha smiled. "Not giving away the rose today?"

Ryan hated he knew what that meant, but in his defense he had three sisters. "No rose ceremony for me."

"Too bad." Samantha started.

He looked over Samantha's shoulder and there she was. It was like some cornball movie. All that was missing was a soundtrack. The figurative lightning hung in the air and all he saw was her.

Dark blond hair slid down her shoulders to the most perfect breasts. Of course, a Ritter University t-shirt currently covered those breasts, but his imagination could just picture how perky and flawless they really were beneath that fabric.

"Gotta go." Ryan slipped around the happy couple before a hand rested on his arm, stopping his body from moving any further.

"Are you okay?" Ski's eyebrows arched. "You don't seem like yourself."

"I'm fine. I just think I saw someone." Ryan smiled to alleviate some of Ski's fear. "You two go have dinner. I'll see you later."

Ryan walked toward the entrance of the Mehnk where that dark blond hair entered a minute before. His family was holed up in the presidential lounge on the top floor of the building. If he played his cards right, he could find her and get her name before he was seen by any of his father's cronies.

The doors flew open and he walked into a burst of air conditioning. People milled around the large building entrance, talking and laughing. Since it was the weekend, parents flocked to the campus with their progeny, living the college lifestyle for the weekend.

Ryan sighed. He couldn't wait for them all to leave, so he could get on with his life. Well, he couldn't wait for his own parents to leave. He always felt his life was on hold when his father was around. And it was.

Ski wasn't too far off the mark. Ryan had been acting different.

He couldn't put a finger on the difference. He was still sick of his controlling father. That hadn't changed. He was still doing everything his father told him to do. Again, not a change. Maybe it was his attitude. He was done catering to the man. He was done trying to be the perfect son.

He wasn't the perfect son. He'd tried. He'd failed.

He walked through the atrium, past the fireplace, the white-brick surround scaled fifty-feet into the air, up to the vaulted ceiling. People sat in the couches that were scattered around the different seating areas. But not one of those people were her.

The dark blond hair was gone. A dark haired man with a deep rumbling laugh turned his way. He looked an awful lot like Ryan, but with gray hair.

Shit. Dad.

He slid behind the fireplace wall. Childish? Yes. Necessary? He was going with a yes on that one, too.

"Ryan." His father yelled.

Not quick enough. Dammit. He pulled around the wall and walked toward his father and the usual hoard of asskissers. "Dad."

"Son. I was starting to think you got lost."

Obviously he didn't get lost, no matter how hard he'd tried.

"Your mom is looking for you."

"I'll go find her." Ryan started walking away.

"Now son, if I let you go, I may never see you again." His father said his goodbyes and walked with Ryan toward the elevator to the Presidential lounge. Ryan's head spun as he looked for the dark blond hair he'd seen outside.

Nothing.

She'd disappeared into thin air.

"Where have you been? Is it your goal to ruin my night?" His father sighed as he took a drink of his cognac.

Not his goal. Maybe a bonus. His goal? He had a new goal—find that girl. Good thing he had a whole semester to do so.