Infinite Cashback System

Chapter 176: 176 | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Jordan chuckled at his phone screen, watching the three dots appear and disappear as Alexis apparently typed and deleted multiple responses. The princess was flustered.

Good.

A shadow fell across his bench.

Jordan looked up from his phone. His brain temporarily forgot how to process visual information.

Brooke Hastings stood there holding two Starbucks cups. The defensive armor was gone.

She wore a cream blouse tucked into a high-waisted navy skirt that stopped just above her knees. The blouse’s buttons were doing their absolute best to maintain structural integrity against forces of nature they hadn’t been designed to handle. Her long black hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, exposing the curve of her neck in a way that her usual curtain of hair never allowed. Thin-framed glasses sat on her nose, completing the very dangerous aesthetic of "librarian who just walked out of every college guy’s imagination."

Her crimson eyes fixed on him with that particular intensity she had. The one that meant she was either about to recite the periodic table from memory or have a complete social meltdown. Jordan still hadn’t figured out how to predict which.

She stood there for three full seconds without saying anything. Her fingers pressed white against the coffee cups.

"I acquired caffeine." Brooke extended one of the cups toward him, her hand perfectly steady despite the way her fingers had been strangling the cardboard moments before. "Your preferred beverage is a mango dragonfruit refresher with coconut milk. I have observed you ordering this specific drink on fourteen separate occasions at the campus Starbucks location over the past three weeks. If my data collection contains errors, I can return to the establishment and exchange it for whatever alternative you actually prefer."

Jordan accepted the cup. The condensation soaked into his palm immediately, cold and real. He stared at it for a second longer than strictly necessary. "You memorized my Starbucks order?"

"I memorize most data I encounter." The pink in Brooke’s cheeks spread to the tips of her ears. "The process occurs automatically. I lack the neurological filters that allow most individuals to discard irrelevant information. I have also catalogued that you consistently select the large size, which Starbucks refers to as ’venti’ despite that word deriving from the Italian word for ’twenty’ while the actual container volume measures twenty-four fluid ounces. The nomenclature represents a mathematical imprecision that I find deeply irritating on a daily basis."

"Brooke."

"Yes?" Her crimson eyes blinked behind her glasses.

"Thanks for the drink."

The blush intensified to a shade that nearly matched her irises. "You are welcome. I hope the temperature is acceptable. Ice melts at a predictable rate, but the transit time from the café to this location introduced variables I could not fully control." She paused, then seemed to force herself back on track. "Are you prepared to proceed to the library? I have reserved Study Room 412B on the fourth floor. The reservation window extends from eleven thirty until two o’clock this afternoon. This should provide adequate time for our business discussion, assuming we maintain topical focus and minimize conversational deviations."

Jordan stood up from the bench, his height putting him almost a full head above Brooke despite her being tall for a woman. "Lead the way, boss."

Brooke made a small sound in her throat that was not quite a word. She turned and began walking toward the library with quick, purposeful strides, her ponytail swaying with each step. Jordan followed, taking a sip of his refresher and noting that Brooke had even remembered to ask for light ice.

The girl was terrifying in the best possible way.

They crossed the main quad together, passing clusters of students sprawled on the grass and the ever-present line at the coffee cart near the humanities building. Jordan noticed a few people glancing their direction with expressions ranging from curiosity to outright confusion. He could practically read the thought bubbles above their heads. Why is Jordan McKnight walking with Brooke Hastings? Is this a study group? A tutoring session? Did hell freeze over?

Brooke seemed oblivious to the attention. Her focus remained fixed on the path ahead, her strides long enough that Jordan had to adjust his pace to match. For someone who claimed to struggle with social situations, she moved through crowds with surprising efficiency. People just seemed to part around her without conscious thought, like water flowing around a stone.

"I revised the market analysis document this morning," Brooke said as they approached the library entrance. "The updated version includes a section on LLC formation requirements for California residents, which I have determined to be the optimal business structure for your proposed streaming collective. The filing fee is seventy dollars. The Statement of Information is due within ninety days of formation. Annual franchise tax is eight hundred dollars minimum, which is irritating but unavoidable."

Jordan held the library door open for her. "You learned all that since last night?"

"I was unable to sleep." Brooke ducked past him into the building’s cool interior. "Insomnia often produces productive research sessions. I also reviewed trademark registration procedures, drafted a preliminary operating agreement template, and compiled a list of potential brand names that are not currently registered in the entertainment category."

"You’re kind of incredible, you know that?"

Brooke stopped walking so abruptly that Jordan nearly collided with her back. She turned to face him, her crimson eyes wide behind her glasses, her lips parted slightly.

"I am aware that my cognitive abilities exceed statistical norms." Her voice came out softer than usual. "However, ’incredible’ typically implies positive affect rather than neutral observation. Are you suggesting that you find my capabilities impressive in a manner that produces favorable emotional response?"

Jordan stared at her. "I’m saying you’re smart and I appreciate you helping me."

"Oh." Brooke’s hands tightened around her coffee cup. The cardboard sleeve crinkled under her grip. "That is. I mean. Thank you. I find your statement. Gratifying."

A student trying to exit the library cleared his throat pointedly. Jordan realized they were blocking the doorway. He gently placed his hand on Brooke’s lower back and guided her further into the building.

The contact was brief. Maybe two seconds total. But Brooke made a sound like a startled bird and her entire posture went rigid before relaxing into something that Jordan could only describe as melted.

"Your hand is very warm," she whispered.

"Sorry, should I not touch you?"

"I did not say that." Her voice was barely audible. "I merely observed. A temperature differential. Between your palm. And my epidermis."