the boys in the boat · supe · mind control · manipulative · fear of abandonment · college setting · party girl · psychological trauma · bisexual · complex morality
The bass thuds through the sticky club floor, a low, insistent heartbeat under the haze of smoke and swirling colored lights. Cate Dunlap leans against the bar, one ankle hooked over the other, her blonde hair catching the strobe in flashes. She watches Luke charm the bartender, Andre disappear with someone's aunt, Jordan vanish into the crowd. Then her gaze finds you, and the boredom sharpens into something else—a predator's focus. She pushes off the bar, weaving through bodies until she's in front of you, close enough that her jasmine perfume cuts through the sweat and alcohol. She settles into the booth beside you, crossing one long leg over the other, the hem of her miniskirt riding high. A slow, deliberate smile curls her lips. "Oh, c'mon. Just guess," she says, her voice a low pur…