Mr. Palmer (Chloe PoV)

Taking a breath, I smoothed out the front of my uniform before opening the door and walking inside. The front office was luxury in excess. After all, the school had an image to maintain. The secretary was busy pretending she had work as she moved her gaze from one of the three screens on her desk to the others. I knew it was all bullshit. She was lazy and a ditz. Probably why she was married to Mr. Palmer.

She looked up at me as if she hadn’t known I had been standing there next to her for the past dozen seconds. On her desk was Mrs. Palmer in a fancy nameplate. My face remained expressionless as I stared at her, betraying none of the contempt I felt for her. She was the gatekeeper and guardian for her husband. She knew full well what happened in his office with the young girls he ‘mentored.’ I had no idea what she got out of the arrangement, but she had no qualms about letting her husband stick his dick in other women.

Of course, they were always the ones like me. The lotto winners. Scholarship girls. Girls who would never rock the boat and could always be paid or threatened into silence.

“Again, Ms. Reed?” She said it with a knowing smile. Took everything I had not to roll my eyes. This whole song and dance routine was tiresome and played out. She seemed to get a kick out of it. Maybe that was her kink. ‘Troubled’ girls getting ‘helped’ by their principal.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“If that was the case, you wouldn’t be here, right?”

“Yeah, well… I’m not staying long.”

Her eyes ran over me. “Mm-hm. Go on in. He’s waiting for you.”

Head held high, I moved over to the door. It was open, so I stepped inside. “Ah, Ms. Reed,” Mr. Palmer said, getting to his feet. This pompous asshole was pretending he was in the middle of something important—as if he hadn’t arrived a few minutes before me. “Please, close the door behind you.”

I did my best to relax as I closed the door. The last thing I saw was Mrs. Palmer looking at me with a big smile on her face.

No big deal. Nothing you haven’t done before. Deep breath.

“Why don’t you take a seat?” he suggested, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. God, I hated how he played this stupid game. If he wanted to fuck, he should just do it and not pretend this was anything more than it was.

I slumped into the seat, crossing my arms.

“You’ve been busy.” He typed on his computer, eyes running over the screen. “Grades are up, yet it doesn’t look like you are getting much assistance from your teachers anymore.”

That’s right. I didn’t need to sleep with anyone to keep my grades up anymore. I had Jake to thank for that. The motivation as well as his help to catch me up allowed me to pass exams with little issue. Even if we played around after school, he was still rather strict about doing homework. I technically had no missing work either, despite not doing anything before starting to date Jake. A perk from my earlier arrangement.

“Been studying,” I said with a shrug.

“So I’ve heard,” he said, his eyes sliding off the screen to examine me. His eyes lingered on me in inappropriate ways. My arms tightened around my chest. It went beyond the simple, ‘I want to fuck you,’ looks I got in the halls. Those I could handle without much issue. At least I had leverage there. My dealings with Principal Palmer were the one case where my usual strengths didn’t apply.

It was made worse that this was an area the man thrived in, or perhaps it was better to say this is when he let his true self out. Outside of the office, he had that brown-nosing sycophant vibe. In here? He was a scummy predator that took advantage of the position he worked so hard to keep. He was the worst ‘client’ I had, hands down.

At least Adam paid.

“That is certainly good to hear. I am always happy to see a student improve.” His smile was insincere. “Though I know a few of your teachers wish you would come to them for help.”

I bet they would. Those days were over. No more freebies. If they wanted me, they could pay like everyone else, which was not an easy thing to do on a teacher salary. They got paid well here, but not, ‘casually drop hundreds of dollars good’—especially without their significant other wondering where that money was going to.

My smile was equally insincere as I remained silent. I just wanted him to get a move on. The sooner we got done here, the sooner I could go about forgetting all about it.

He cleared his throat, continuing. “As you know, this school prides itself on encouraging and supporting our more entrepreneurial students.”

I couldn’t stop the small huff that left me. “If that were the case, you would pay like everyone else.”

His smile was a condescending one. The type that an adult gave a child who didn’t know better. He was enjoying this, sick bastard.

It was moments behind closed doors that his true personality came out. He was used to bending over backwards, playing yes-man to titans far above his station in the hopes of getting some trickle of favor from them. Now that he held even the slightest modicum of power, he wielded it like a tyrant over the **** who were powerless to resist.

He was a predator, but an intelligent one. He played politics well and never overplayed his hand. His position was solid, and he had the backing of powerful people. He had carefully surrounded himself with people who would turn away and ignore questionable things. He was one of the core reasons why this school was shit. I felt sorry for the other girls he preyed on. At least I got something out of this.

“All businesses have costs of doing that business. You act like you get nothing from our arrangement. The key to the infirmary… Missing security footage… Staff turning a blind eye to certain behaviors… Complaints and investigations buried under red tape…”

“True, but perhaps it is time for my business to evolve.”

His smug smile vanished. I stretched, not caring how he ogled me as I acted as if I hadn’t the slightest care in the world. I had no idea why I felt so brave. As I told Jake, I needed him on my side, but that didn’t mean I was going to let him walk over me. Not anymore.

“A business can’t stay stagnant, now can it?” I tapped a finger on my chin, pretending to think out loud. “I can’t help but wonder if it is time for me to move to a third-party location. Or perhaps charge extra for home visits?” My eyes met his. “I hear the dorms are rather lax in enforcing their visitation policies.”

There was no way he was going to touch those. He’d have a riot on his hands if coed mingling was ever segregated.

“So I can’t help but wonder, does your support really offer any value?” Now that I thought of it, why did I need him? Guys were willing to spend half a grand for a bump of my Gift. Springing for a hotel room would be nothing to many of them. I was sure there was a hotel somewhere nearby that would appreciate repeat business. Independent sellers of Gifts weren’t common, but they did exist. I may not have had a license to sell my Gift, but they didn’t know that, and it wasn’t their responsibility to check. Administration was rather hands-off when it came to the dorms, too. Mr. Palmer didn’t brown-nose just the parents after all.

Actually, this was really pissing me off. Why the fuck was I doing all this at school anyway? A simple change of location and I’d be free of not only Principal Palmer but other admins who took advantage too. Sure, it was a bit risky since it opened me up to outside scrutiny, but that was a small risk.

God, I was an idiot. I was so complacent in the routine that I never bothered thinking of other solutions.

Mr. Palmer was furious. Oh, he didn’t like this one bit. This office was supposed to be his petty kingdom where his pittance of power could be inflicted on others.

“Nothing?” I asked after a moment of silence. “I believe we are done here then,” I said as I got out of my seat and headed for the door.

I reached for the handle when his voice stopped me. “Though there is the matter of...”

My hand was touching the door handle. I was so close. A twist and I was free.

Of course it wasn’t that easy.

Turning, I gave him a suspicious look. “What?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just the matter of your graduation.”

“Are you threatening me?” Of course he was. That was what the bastard was good at.

His eyes went wide in mock outrage. “Threatening you? Of course not. I’m only saying there are several pending investigations of academic misconduct regarding you that are currently on hold. Misconduct where, if investigated, could put your graduation—your very enrollment here—at risk.”

I was fuming. This pudgy bastard was blackmailing me. It was true that I’d slept with several teachers in exchange for above-average grades, and he was using that as an excuse to get rid of me if I didn’t play along. I had no doubt he could invent some perfectly normal academic infraction to ruin my scholarship. I did not suffer my years here to get kicked out in the final half. This place was the key to opening doors. It was no secret that being a graduate here got priority admission to colleges—if I went that direction.

There was a smug smile on his face. The smile of someone who already knew they won. And why not? It was a tried-and-true method for him. “Why don’t you take a seat, and we can discuss this misunderstanding.”

With clenched fists and my body quivering with rage, I moved towards the chair in front of his desk. It was bad enough when I was getting something out of it, but now I was no better than any of his other victims.

“Ah,” he said, eyes tracking me. “Not there.”

My chest rose and fell, nostrils flaring from the sheer fury I felt pumping through me. Moving around his desk, I took a seat on his lap. His hand was immediately on my leg, wasting no time finding its way up my skirt.

“A wise decision,” he said, eyes resting on my breasts as his hand continued to slide between my legs. My face twitched as I felt his fingers brush against my panties. His other arm wrapped around me to pull me in closer, his belly pressing against me. My eyes went up to the ceiling as I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

I hated this... vulnerability. At least with others, it was my choice. Maybe not a noble one, but a choice all the same. Mr. Palmer removed that. Thrived on it. That’s what this was really about: power. He was nothing but a small fish in the ocean outside this office, but here? He was the big fish in the small tank.

My Gift was just an added bonus.

Not even Adam and his depraved power plays were anywhere close to this. I could tolerate a lot when it came to money, but this? Without money involved, it became real.

I squeezed my eyes shut as his fingers slid my panties aside to touch me directly.

“Now, shall we discuss your continued enrollment here?”

That was the last thing I wanted to do. None of this was right, but the ugly truth stared at me. I could try and pretend I was the girlfriend Jake deserved, but I could never escape the reality that I was a whore. Compartmentalize all I wanted, all my disgust and anger at the situation, the moment he touched me, it all collapsed. Brushed away like the illusion it always was to show the ugliness inside me.

I hadn’t even tried to quit. Not even slowing down. All I did was raise prices and take away the perk where they could pay to go raw. Even that fell apart considering Adam all but threatened to make life miserable if he was denied.

I saw the victory in his eyes—the lust. He was going to fuck me, right here in his office.

And I was okay with that.

I gasped, my head going back as a finger entered me. My Gift surged to life, flooding me with a small dose of euphoria. A taste of what was to come. It made it hard to hold onto the feelings of disgust and anger doused by increasing waves of euphoria.

“So eager,” he whispered, his hand pawing at my breast. His finger teased me, hand rubbing against me as my breathing sped up. My heart raced as pleasure and euphoria teased me. I bit my lip, legs spreading wider.

Another finger entered me. He chuckled, nibbling at my ear. My hips rocked against him, wanting more. Needing more.

He was an asshole. A slimy predator.

… But that didn’t matter. Not anymore. After all, I felt great.

The pleasure.

Euphoria.

I couldn’t suppress a moan as his thumb found my clit. My hand gripped his chair, back arched as my Gift pumped more and more euphoria inside me. Making me feel amazing. Making me forget.

This wasn’t right. I shouldn’t be enjoying this. Thoughts faded and grew fuzzy as euphoria flooded my mind. I giggled as he withdrew his hand and manhandled me to the desk. My panties slid down, and I heard the sound of his zipper. Excitement surged through me with every heartbeat. His hands lifted my skirt and pulled me closer. Anticipation sat heavy in my gut, a smile on my face.

A whimper escaped as he entered me.

He was grunting behind me, rocking into me. Rough and disrespectful, but I didn’t care. He could do whatever the hell he wanted so long as he kept going.

I cried out, my hands gripping the far end of the desk as Mr. Palmer slammed into me. My body shook with the **** of his thrusts. Eyes shut tight, I smiled as euphoria continued to fill my head with fog and made the world feel great.

His fingers dug into my hips as he started grunting. I could hear his excitement building as he panted. I think he said my name a few times too, but I didn’t care enough to remember.

My fingers dug into the desk as he rocked hard into me a final time, knocking my knees against the desk. The bliss of pure euphoria flooded me. I let out a sharp breath as the intensity of the moment rolled over me in waves, making every nerve hum with joy. The world was fading away around me until all that existed was pleasure.

And then it ended. I went limp, taking shallow breaths as the fog started to lift. The desk was hard against my stomach as Mr. Palmer sagged forward, the bulk of his weight resting atop me. It took a few more seconds before I felt him slip out of me. He slapped my ass as he stumbled back, muttering something about a quick clean-up. I didn’t move, too busy catching my breath as the euphoria continued to leak out of me in trickles.

I was smiling, feeling great, but it was all an illusion—an empty feeling I knew would end sooner or later. But Mr. Palmer was done with me. For now. His eyes hovered on me, sitting back on his ass as he enjoyed the afterglow. Beyond the euphoric smile, there was a victory there. The joy of his victory over me. The flare of anger and disgust sparked, but was crushed against my euphoria.

Pushing myself up, I grabbed some tissues and cleaned him off me before pulling up my panties and adjusting my skirt. His smile widened, his eyes roving over my body one last time as he tucked himself away. I had a pep in my step as I headed for the door—enjoying the feeling that always came from a bump of my Gift. “Always a pleasure, Ms. Reed. I’m sure we’ll be speaking again soon.”

I paused at the door. With a look over my shoulder, I gave him a brilliant smile. Easy to do with my Gift boosting my mood. “Yep. Always have time for these short chats,” I said with some emphasis. He was still smiling, but I had no doubt that would sink in later. Stepping out of his office, Mrs. Palmer was suspiciously close to the door, but quickly pulled herself back to her desk and resumed whatever it was she was doing. Her face was flushed with excitement, and there was a big smile on her face.

“Get everything straightened out?” she asked innocently.

“Oh yeah,” I said with a big smile that matched hers as I kept moving towards the door. “Mr. Palmer sure knows how to keep things brief. He was a little short with me, but when is he not? Can’t satisfy everyone, eh?”

Her face was bright red when I closed the door behind me and left the office behind me. I let my smile vanish as I kept moving down the hall. Giggles were bubbling to the surface. I was overjoyed that he didn’t have me blow him. A win in my book.

The happiness was like a wind in my sails as I walked the halls. Wind that faded the moment I laid eyes on Jake. He was leaning against the wall, hands in his pocket. This was close to where the main office was. Too close. Something battled with my euphoria, my smile turning shaky as I found myself rooted in place. My head tilted back as he moved close.

“Why?” I asked. He wasn’t supposed to be here!

His voice was deadpan, devoid of the emotions flowing through me. “I was worried.”

“You don’t have to be. I can handle it.”

“I know you can.” His head tilted towards mine. “But you aren’t alone. Not anymore.” I said nothing, my emotions warring with my Gift and losing.

Reaching out, I placed a hand on his chest. Our eyes met as I smiled up at him. “How about we play hooky?”

He tilted his head. “What about your—”

“Fuck’em. They can reschedule if they want it so bad.” There was a brief pause. “I want to spend time with you. Away from here.”

It was impossible to read him as he studied me, his eyes moving from mine to that distant look where he read my noise. Eyes back on me, he nodded.

“Good. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”