Seduction's Kiss

Chapter One

"Please, Daisy. It's going to be fun." That one line out of Reyna's mouth was the beginning of the end for me.

"I don't know. I was hoping to just have a quiet Halloween this year. Driving all the way to New Orleans seems a bit extreme." I set aside my sociology textbook. There was no way I was getting reading done until Reyna said her piece.

"There's nothing like New Orleans on Halloween. This is going to be epic." She took a seat next to me on my bed and grasped both of my hands in hers. She was getting ready to plead.

"But why the sudden decision to go? Is it about a guy?" Reyna was usually motivated by a member of the opposite sex.

"No, not exactly. I just want to do something fun for a change."

Not exactly? That meant yes. "Ok, who is he?"

"Just this guy I knew back in high school. We've started talking again, and he invited me and any friends to come crash at his place for Halloween." She suddenly turned serious. "I'm so sick of the scene here. I need a break, but I don't want to go alone. Please, pretty please."

I sighed, realizing that saying no would just lead to a pouty roommate for the next few days. "You promise you're not just going to ditch me?"

"Of course not! It will be awesome. He's got so many hot friends. It's crazy."

I tuned Reyna out as she went on and on about Tulane boys. Admittedly, my dating life at East Madison wasn't great, but I knew a random hook up with a guy I didn't know wasn't going to help matters either. "There's just one problem. Isn't New Orleans a full day's drive from here?" I wasn't an expert on driving distances, but Atlanta and New Orleans aren't exactly next door.

"It's doable. About seven hours. I'll do all the driving. All you need to do is keep me company."

"You really want to do this?" Despite her obsession with guys, Reyna was actually a really good roommate. We'd both joined the same sorority, Delta Mu, the year before and hit it off immediately.

"Yes." She turned her doe eyes on me.

I wasn't exactly jumping at the idea of the trip, but Reyna's one of those people who always manages to find a good time, and sometimes I just liked to go along for the ride. "Okay."

"Yes!!!" She jumped up and ran around the room. "I can't wait to tell Chad!"

"Great." I leaned back against my pillows. "I guess I really need to find a costume then."

"Just sex up that black cat costume you wore last night." Reyna rifled through her closet.

"Sex it up?" I'd donned cat ears for our Halloween kid's philanthropy event, but I had no plans to wear them again, and sex them up? Did she forget who she was talking to?

"Yeah. Tight shirt and short black skirt. It's easy enough." She tossed one of her skirts at me. "Try this."

"You're way shorter than me. This skirt is going to be up to my ass."

Reyna grinned. "That's called sexing it up. Wait until you see my firefighter costume. It's hot."

"Hotter than me wearing this?" I held up the black fabric.

"It's a short skirt, but also just a jacket over a red bra. It's a little over the top, but Chad said that's what Halloween is like there. I'm embracing my inner skank."

"Ugh." I put a pillow over my head. "Please don't make me go."

"You don't have to wear that skirt. Wear one of your own, but please try to look decently sexy. We don't want to stand out like sore thumbs."

"Then ask someone else to go."

"Nope. It's only going to be fun if you go."

"In other words, I'm the only one you can dupe into going."

"Come on. Who else would be willing to miss the Iota party? I know you don't care about that."

I didn't care because none of those guys gave me the time of day. The fact that every woman in my family had been Delta Mu was probably the only reason I'd gotten a bid from my sorority in the first place. I didn't regret my decision to join, but living with a bunch of tens when you're a seven, on a good day with the right makeup and hair products, can get old. "Fine, I'll come up with a sexy enough costume."

"Perfect. We'll need to get on the road early Friday."

"But I have three classes."

"And perfect attendance. I'm sure you can miss one of each. This is going to be epic!" She hugged me around the neck.

I decided not to point out that she'd called the trip epic twice. "I'm sure it will be."

"I'm going to text Chad and let him know."

"Great." I picked up my textbook and tried to get back into my reading. Not that social phenomena particularly interested me.

"He says awesome. We're going out on Bourbon Street for Halloween and everything."

"Cool." I plugged a set of headphones into my phone and turned on some music. Reyna would never stop talking if I didn't, and this method usually worked better than telling her to shut up.

I made it through all of three paragraphs before she pulled one of my ear buds out. "You're the best. Just wanted to tell you that."

"Yeah, Yeah." I smiled.

"I need caffeine. Want to go over to the Java Circle to read? I heard they've got that white hot chocolate stuff you love."

"Sure." Reyna knew the way to my heart. Hot chocolate. I had a mild addiction.

"Great. We can strategize costumes on the way over."

I laughed. "I'll go with the cat idea if I don't find anything else."

"There's no reason not to. It's classic."

"All right, I'll stick with it. It's not like I have a lot of time."

"Nope. We leave in two days."

"Exciting."

She pushed my arm playfully. "Please try to get hyped up, for my sake."

"Of course. If nothing else I'll get hyped about the food. I've heard it's amazing."

"See." She linked her arm in mine as we headed toward the stairs. "There's always a bright side."