First and Ten by Michel Prince Read Free Book Online

class.”
    “You’re in school?”
    “Why do you think I never have time?”
    “Alright, where at?”
    “Northwestern, business school. I mean, I’m
in business school…so I’ll be outside the business school entrance.
I’m done a little after five. If you want, I’ll hangout for a
little bit. No pressure if you change your mind or whatever…I’m
sure—”
    “Let me be sure this time,” he said with a
commanding tone that had her questioning if she’d finally found the
last piece of her perfect life puzzle.

Chapter
Four
     
    Dr. Kent’s lecture floated around the room as
Dani tried to focus on the words, but to no avail. Nope, not with
the clock on the wall ticking so loudly it echoed throughout the
room. Could the other students not hear its tick with a slight
wheeze to it as it bounced back before ticking another second off
the class?
    “How many ticks you got?” Esme whispered,
bringing Dani to the ground.
    “Um…” Dani looked in her notebook and saw
three. They had a game where they marked every time Dr. Kent
mentioned Keynesian Economics. For being an expert on the subject,
it was strange how she tried to apply it then flip flopped three
lectures later. For each mention of the theory the girls were
supposed to tick it off, at the end of class they note the
difference. Whoever missed the most had to do a shot for each one
missed at the next study group. Dani spied Esme’s notebook and
decided she’d need to stock up on ibuprofen before Thursday.
    “I swear I haven’t been cheating,” Esme said
as she held her hand to her chest.
    Ten ticks to Dani’s three. Could she be that
nervous about the possibility Jerome might not be outside when she
leaves? She hadn’t planned out an evening. That could be part of
her nerves.
    “I demand Patrón this time,” Dani said as she
nudged Esme who let out a giggle just loud enough to get Dr. Kent’s
attention. The death glare. Not good, the class looked at the two
of them, but Esme was on point today.
    “Did you have something to add, Ms.
Carmichael?”
    “I wasn’t sure the demand constituted the
adjustment in production in that case. It’s a limited use item to
begin with. A flash in the pan type idea, mix that with the quality
of the items made repair not replacement more likely.”
    “Guess that’s why they failed.”
    “In theory, or because they didn’t try to
make other appliances just as good. Adapting to the world around
them, they became outdated. Evolution is just as necessary in
business as it is in life.”
    “I see your project partner has started to
rub off on you.”
    “She is quite infectious, like a fungus I’ve
found.”
    Dr. Kent continued with the lecture and Dani
eyeballed her friend. “A fungus.”
    “That’s what you’re going to feel like on
Thursday.” Esme ticked off another hash mark and Dani sharply
turned to the front kicking herself for missing another mention of
the theory by Dr. Kent.
    “Shit.”
    “Did you mean shit-faced?” Esme wiggled her
eyebrows.
    If Dani couldn’t push Rome out of her mind
and focus, not only would the last ten minutes of class feel like
three hours, but she was likely to end up with alcohol poisoning.
Catching the last few mentions meant Dani would only have to do
eight shots. Today she was wishing she didn’t have to wait two days
for those. Right now the liquor would help her get through the next
fifteen minutes.
    “Spill,” Esme snapped as she loaded her
leather messenger bag with her notebook and laptop. “You’ve never
had more than three misses.” Tucking her hair behind her right ear,
Esme stood and slung her bag across her body.
    “I had an off day,” Dani lied.
    Esme gave her a look as if she were trying to
read Dani’s mind or maybe just her face. Dani wasn’t sure if she
could hide her uncertainty about the next few hours, then again,
why would Esme even care.
    “I’ll give you that, but only because I want
you plastered on Thursday.”
    “Are you planning