Disclaimer: This series deals with themes of cheating and dubious consent. This first chapter mainly sets the stage for many spicier additions that will follow.
I hope you enjoy it, and feedback is always appreciated.
*****
Olivia adjusted the rigid straps of her backpack in an attempt to alleviate some of the added weight from her newly acquired text books. "I still can't believe how much these cost," she complained to her boyfriend. "It's absolutely criminal!" The twenty-one year old student was seething, having just watched her modest materials stipend vanish before her eyes.
"I know, totally unfair," Daniel agreed. "I would've bought them for you, you know..."
"We already talked about this. I appreciate the offer, but I want to make my
own
way," she reminded him, silently cursing her own need to feel independent. Olivia Moore was a bright young woman who had earned her way into the prestigious university through means of a scholarship. Unlike her boyfriend, she did not come from a wealthy family, and her financial awards barely covered the cost of the schooling, let alone the ever rising price tags on the required texts.
Though she was living that stereotypical "poor college kid" life, it certainly wasn't all bad. Olivia was beginning her third year at the school she'd had her sights set on since she was a young teenager, and was well on her way to achieving her dream of becoming an aerospace engineer. Having grown up in a small town all her life, she was still adjusting to the explosion of new cultures, ideas, and types of people she was now surrounded by in the lively college town. She intertwined her slender fingers with Daniel's, another dream that had practically fallen into her lap the previous year. He was tall, athletic, and handsome - the kind of catch she would never have expected to notice her a few years back, nevermind date her.
A late bloomer, Olivia still hadn't gotten used to the fact that she was now what most would refer to as objectively attractive. She'd considered herself below average in the looks department for her whole life, and never received much attention from the opposite sex growing up, despite finding herself drawn to many of the boys in her classes. It wasn't until after high school that she finally grew into her awkward, gangly body, her womanly curves filling out nicely and her face clearing up. The deep-seated feeling of being undesirable did not go away overnight, and even after her transformation, it took time to gain confidence in herself. The nerdy men she was often surrounded by in her engineering classes were not bold enough to make a move on her, further prolonging the negative sentiment.
Daniel Taylor had been one of the first men to approach her romantically, and he had been the main catalyst for her finally coming out of her shell over the past year or so. They locked eyes in a study group for a general education class one afternoon, and to Olivia's surprise he began flirting with her in a way she'd only observed as an outsider. She was completely tongue-tied, but Daniel found her innocence charming, and asked her out on the spot. They soon were dating exclusively, and she eventually lost her virginity with him. Though she outwardly remained relatively conservative in her sexuality, the neglected girl within her was elated to continue the exploration of that new frontier. The couple had sex fairly regularly, and she enjoyed the intimacy, even though she felt a bit shy and awkward most of the time. Sometimes Olivia would wonder if she was doing
it
right, but her boyfriend seemed satisfied, so she didn't dwell on the matter.
"You could always get a part-time job," Daniel suggested, admiring the way her dark-brown hair wisped across her bright blue eyes in the light breeze.
"Yeah... I looked into a few around campus, but the pay sucks. It's barely worth the effort." She recalled the job she had at the bookstore the previous year, where they demanded more and more of her time until she had to quit due to the workload of her many courses.
"I might know of an opportunity actually..." Daniel started, trailing off in a way that suggested his reluctance to share the idea.
"What?" Olivia inquired, her interest piqued by the mere fact that her boyfriend seemed to be harboring something interesting.
"Well... I happen to know that my parents are looking for someone to tutor my little brother, but..."
"But what?" She asked, perking up at the idea of an easy gig that she might be suited for.
"I dunno... He's... Kind of a weirdo? I guess? Sort of a lost cause if you ask me," Daniel explained.
"A lost cause? That's kind of messed up, don't you think? What is he struggling with?"
"He's just always been a strange loner. And he's always on the verge of failing. Barely made it through high school by the skin of his teeth. He took one year off after that, and basically did nothing. My mom's forcing this to make sure he gets off on the right foot at the community college this year. Anyway, we never really got along that well. I don't know how to explain it."
Olivia felt slightly triggered by her boyfriend's sweeping description of his own brother, remembering back to her own days feeling like an outcast. "Well if he's your brother it can't be that bad! I'm sure he just needs the right encouragement," she argued, finding herself suddenly impassioned about this boy she'd never met.
"Maybe..." Daniel looked uncomfortable.
"Interesting," she muttered as she studied his apprehension. "So does this have anything to do with why you never talk about your family? And why I've never met them despite how close they live?"
"I guess, a little. My family's just odd in general. We don't always see eye to eye. I didn't want you to meet them too soon and get scared off, ya know?" He answered honestly.
"Hey, I get it, we all have weird families. Mine is across the country and barely speaks to me. They don't define who we are." She wrapped her arms around his neck, flashing a bright smile as his demeanor relaxed. "So... how much are they paying?"
"Not sure, but knowing my Mom, I'll bet it's beyond decent," he couldn't help but return her infectious smile, her adorable dimples melting his heart as always. "You want me to set it up?" She nodded cutely, and planted a firm kiss on his lips.
******
The arrangements had been made, and Olivia found herself parking her beater of a car on the curb beside a very well manicured and expansive lawn on a clear Saturday afternoon. "Wow," she murmured under her breath as she beheld the impressive house tucked into the refined landscaping. It wasn't quite a mansion, but certainly the dwelling of an affluent upper-middle class family. It felt strange to be visiting her boyfriend's childhood home for the first time without him, but he was busy with other obligations. She stepped out onto the street and closed the door to her embarrassing hunk of metal, cringing at its signature squeal, which seemed more out of place than ever in the present neighborhood. After wrestling with the thought to move her vehicle someplace more remote, she straightened out her dress shirt, which was tighter around her chest than would be ideal, and made her way up the paved walkway to the front door.
Upon reaching the entrance, she rang the doorbell and waited nervously, again fidgeting with her shirt and attempting to rub out a wrinkle she'd just found. A minute passed, when finally the large door swung inward to reveal an elegant middle-aged woman, who met her gaze with a closed lip smile. "You must be Olivia, please come in."
"And you must be Daniel's mother, nice to finally meet you," Olivia greeted the tall matriarch warmly. They shook hands, and she allowed her eyes to wander around the large foyer. "What a magnificent house!" She added in admiration.
'Mother?' 'Magnificent?' I don't think I've ever used either of those words.
