Chapter 505: Arrangement

Mina followed Connor into a side walkway and stood with her back to the wall as the man spoke to her. He pulled out a small box that held the key to a luxury vehicle, and Mina declined the gift as too expensive to accept. He smiled at her, and her heart began to thump in her chest from their proximity. He soothed her concerns, telling her that gifts were not meant to be returned with favors, but it was his request for a kiss that took her breath away.

Mina looked up at Connor whose beautiful blue eyes were staring at her as if she were a rare sight to see. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and parted her lips, waiting for the man's thin pink ones to fall on her own. She wanted to experience a kiss that was not stolen or dreamed. Even if she and Connor only went on to become friends, she wanted to be able to say that her first real kiss was a special and memorable one.

Unfortunately, Connor's kiss never came. They were both startled by another man's voice and Connor, whose face was mere millimeters away from Mina's, cursed under his breath. They both turned to face the source of the sound, and in an embarrassed fluster, Mina said Brayden's name as a question. He did not answer her, but instead looked Connor straight in the eye.

"You are a real disgusting person. Did you tell her where your lips were before you pulled her back here?" Mina flinched and looked at Connor who made no attempt to dispute the claim.

"Connor?" She asked innocently, and the man turned to face her with pleading eyes.

"I don't want to lie to you but believe me when I say that it was not my intention to kiss you tonight. It was spontaneous." Mina nodded, understanding what the man was saying, but she still felt gross. Connor turned back to Brayden, who wore a smug smile. "Mina and I have an understanding, I know I was wrong tonight, but this should be the last time you get between us." Brayden smirked and stood up straight.

"Why? She is a grown woman free to make her own choices; is she not?" The two men started to bicker back and forth, as to who was more promiscuous, and who deserved more of her attention.

Mina decided it was time to end the pointless argument. She stood in between the men and placed a hand on Connor's chest to calm him. He relaxed with her touch, but Brayden chose to get the last word by snarling a slur aimed at those who were of a different ethnicity but born in Pan. Mina spun on her heels and smacked Brayden on the lips the way her mother had done to her whenever she said something she was not supposed to.

"Did you just hit me?" Brayden asked incredulously. It was not a hard hit, but it was still shocking.

"I don't ever want to hear that word come from your lips again," Mina scolded. Brayden knew she was serious, but he laughed, and Mina's chest flared in anger. Connor pulled her away from Brayden because he could see the lust in the man's eyes. It was the same way he looked at Mina before he got to know her.

Connor was about to escort Mina away from Brayden when Cylus pulled Mina away from him. He sent Mina to Olivia, who was waiting for the woman to give the speech that would precede the serving of dinner. He then cast the men a warning look, but neither seemed to care. They were both watching Mina walk away and Cylus knew he was going to have to put an end to their pursuit before something happened.

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Mina stood in the middle of the room holding a microphone in her hands. The lights were intentionally made bright, so she could not see how many people were in the crowd, and she secretly thanked Olivia, who knew she disliked being stared at. She began her speech simply, wanting to thank everyone for coming, and open the meal so that she could go home, but when she thought of all the work that her friends had put into the event, she straightened up and decided to get a few things off her chest.

"I remember when I first stepped foot onto this campus. I believed that I would be around mature and cultured individuals, who would be too busy focusing on their education to bother with me, but, that thought was one of the few times I was wrong." A few chuckles went around the room, and Mina was certain they came from invited guests or people that she had little interaction with. "The most important lesson I learned from my time at Wayvair is that; one person can shape the entire course of your future. One day you may be living comfortably, focused on your studies, and the next you may find your scholarship amount spontaneously decreased forcing you into homelessness. You may end up struggling and scraping your way through your education, only to have your degree 'accidentally' omitted from your school's database." Mina could not see, but people in the room began to look at one another, most of them realizing that she was not speaking in hypotheticals.

Mina wrapped up her speech, and was met with a high five from Ash, who was munching on something else while staring at Cylus. She took her seat on the throne and looked for Willow, who she spotted speaking with Jeremy nearby. Mina hoped her friend would not forgive the man, but the look on Willow's face told her that the woman was struggling to say no.

With dinner opened, Mina took her seat in the largest chair, and Connor scrambled to the seat to the right of her. Cylus took the seat to the left of Mina, and Vanya took the seat next to him. Mina was surprised to see Ash sit at the furthest seat on the table, but after a few minutes, she realized it was because the woman wanted to stare her down. She kept looking at Mina and then at President Lee, who was also seated at the far end of the table. Mina felt herself grow nervous, because she would not be able to hear what Ash was saying, and with Willow gone to 'clear her mind,' the possibilities were endless.

"Are you okay?" Connor asked while placing his hand on top of hers. He then yelped looking under the table before looking up at Cylus in shock.

"Sorry bro, I was just stretching my legs." Mina chuckled, realizing that Cylus was playing the big brother role, but Vanya, who was in the dark, was not at all enthused.

"No problem," Connor said while rubbing his leg. "So, Mina, have you thought about the gift?"

"I have, but I cannot drive, so it would be a waste."

"Nothing with you is a waste beautiful; I planned to teach you anyway, the car is manual."

"Why?" she questioned.

"Men like women who know how to use their hands-" Connor was kicked again and Cylus immediately apologized, saying that he felt something crawling on him. Connor massaged his shin then turned back to Mina, casting a final glance at Cylus before he spoke again. "What do you say beautiful? Will you let me teach you to use your hands?" Cylus went to kick Connor again but the man moved his leg in time. "Look Cy, I know that Mina is your artist, and I know how labels can be with dating, but she and I have an arrangement." Connor was speaking loudly, and other people at the table could hear him. Mina looked back toward Ash and was shocked to see Drax and Mills now seated beside Zane. She was certain Miss Maggie and Paul were seated in those spots, and she hoped they had not left early.

"And what arrangement is that?" Cylus asked mockingly.