D.I.L.F

By the time I made it back to my dorm, my brain was still a jumbled mess. I tossed my bag onto my desk and flopped onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling as I replayed my encounter with him over and over again.

Lorenzo Valentini had asked for my number. Alessia's father.

It still didn't feel real.

What did he even want from me? Was he just being polite? Was this some kind of joke? Or did he—

No. I refused to let my mind spiral into conspiracy theories.

Maybe he was just... interested.

And if he was, was that a bad thing?

I sat up abruptly and grabbed my phone, already knowing exactly who I needed to call.

The second Zolani picked up, she didn't even say hello.

"What happened? You never call me this fast unless it's tea."

I smirked. "Girl. I have tea, and it is piping hot."

"Ooooh, hold on—" I heard some rustling, then the sound of what I knew was her reaching for her snacks. "Okay, spill."

I took a deep breath. "I ran into someone after class."

"Okay... and?"

I bit my lip, hesitating for only a second before I said, "Lorenzo Valentini."

Silence.

Then—

"Shut. The hell. Up!" she screeched. "You mean Alessia's dad? The fine-ass Italian zaddy you used to low-key hate-follow on Instagram because you couldn't believe someone that attractive created someone that evil?"

I groaned. "Okay, when you put it like that—"

"NO. Hold on. What happened? How did y'all even meet?"

I sighed and launched into the full story, telling her how I had literally crashed into him outside The Bean & Brew, how he had asked for my number out of nowhere, and most importantly, how I had actually given it to him.

By the time I finished, Zolani was screaming.

"BITCH."

I pulled the phone away from my ear. "Ow—"

"Do you even hear yourself? Do you realize what is happening right now? You have an Italian DILF—a rich one, at that—trying to get in your pants!"

I groaned, flopping back onto my pillows. "You're making it sound worse—"

"Worse? GIRL, this is a blessing. The universe is finally rewarding you for all the shit you went through in high school. I told you your glow-up would have these men acting out."

I let out a breathy laugh, shaking my head. "But it's Alessia's dad."

"And? What does that mean? Just because she was a demon in high school doesn't mean he is. In fact, you owe it to yourself to get with him out of pure spite."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the small smile forming on my lips. "You're evil."

"I'm right," she corrected. "And let's be real, Z. You deserve someone like him. He's grown, sexy, established—he's not some dumb little boy playing games. When was the last time you had a real man interested in you?"

I sighed, chewing on my bottom lip. She had a point.

Lorenzo wasn't just some college guy who didn't know what he wanted. He was mature and confident and knew how to go after what he wanted. And if he wanted me, why should I deny myself the experience?

Wasn't I done letting people like Alessia dictate my happiness?

I exhaled slowly. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Zolani said smugly. "Now, when he texts you, don't act like you're too eager, but don't play hard to get too much either. Grown men don't do the back-and-forth childish stuff."

I laughed. "Noted."

After a bit more hyping me up, we hung up, and I let my thoughts settle.

Maybe I should take this chance. Maybe I deserved to.

With that final thought, I curled up under my blankets, my heart a little lighter as I let sleep take over.

The next morning, my alarm jolted me awake. I groggily reached for my phone, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, when I noticed a notification waiting for me.

A text.

From an unknown number.

My heart did a little flip as I unlocked my phone.

Unknown: Good morning, bella. Did you sleep well?

I stared at the screen, my stomach tightening.

It was him.

I hesitated for only a second before typing back.

Me: Morning. Yeah, I did. What about you?

A response came almost instantly.

Lorenzo: I would have slept better if I had someone to keep me company.

I hated the way my entire body reacted to that.

Before I could even figure out how to respond, another text came through.

Lorenzo: I want to see you tonight.

I swallowed hard.

This man does not waste time.

I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Did I really want to do this?

But then I remembered my conversation with Zolani.

I deserved this.

So, I took a deep breath and replied.

Me: Okay. Where and when?

A few seconds later—

Lorenzo: I'll send you the details later. See you tonight, bella.

I exhaled, my heart pounding as I locked my phone and quickly got ready for class.

The day had barely started, and already, I had a feeling that my life was about to change.