Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 116759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“Thanks again, everyone, for volunteering for our experiment. We’ve been running it for two weeks. You’re group three, week three. We’re running a six-week experiment over six groups to provide plenty of data to extrapolate from. What is our experiment, you ask? We seek to discover whether our reliance on technology is affecting the way we connect socially with one another.”
That distracted me momentarily from the fact that Sebastian had signed up to the same psych experiment.
This experiment had some crossover with my dissertation. However, it was highly unoriginal. Disappointingly so. Perhaps it was part of some grander research Arthur was partaking in. Though, he did seem generally obsessed with our reliance on technology and his personal loathing for it.
Ultimately, however, I didn’t care about originality. I was more interested in the structure, organization, and process of the experiment so I had some practical experience going into my grad degree. I’d already compiled data from the psych experiments I’d signed up to in second and third year.
“We’re going to pair you up in twos and put you in different environments. Note, you will be under visual and audio surveillance while inside your rooms. We have a disclaimer for you to read and a waiver to sign.” Arthur stared down at his list and started calling attendance to make sure we were in fact all here.
In the meantime, uncaring he was being rude by talking over Arthur, a stocky guy with short black hair stepped into my personal space. He had striking, pale blue eyes and a cocky swagger. “I’m more than happy to pair up with you,” he said in a European accent I couldn’t quite place. “Maybe they’ll put us in a room with only a bed. A man can hope.” Stocky cocky guy dragged his gaze over me lasciviously, before gluing his eyes to my breasts as if imagining all manner of dirty things.
It took everything not to throw up in my mouth.
I hadn’t even been aware of Sebastian’s approach until he drawled with quiet menace, “Look at her like that again, and I’ll rip your fucking balls off.”
My eyebrows rose. I’d never seen Sebastian look or sound so dangerous.
The creep blanched, holding up his palms as he backed away. “Sorry, I did not know she was taken.”
“I’m not—” I stopped myself from continuing. The creep wasn’t worth it.
Sebastian glared at the dark-haired guy as he called over his shoulder in Arthur’s direction, “There is an odd number in the group.”
Arthur frowned, midway through his attendance call. He quickly counted the people in the room. “You’re right. Someone on the sign-up hasn’t shown.”
Sebastian gestured to the creep. “I wouldn’t put this cretin alone in a room with anyone if I were you.”
“What did I miss?”
“He was sexually suggestive to my friend.” He placed a protective hand on my shoulder, and I glowered at said appendage.
Arthur scowled. “Well, we’re having none of that. You may leave.”
“But—”
“Leave,” Sebastian commanded.
Stocky cocky shot Sebastian a foul look but left swiftly, his cheeks a ruddy red with embarrassment.
I was both relieved and irritated.
“Who are you?” Arthur asked the gorgeous liar before me.
“Sebastian Thorne.”
“Okay.” He eyed me. “Lily Sawyer, right? I remember you from a tutorial last year.”
“That’s me.”
“You and Thorne are a pair.” He turned away before I could naysay his plan.
Sebastian’s lips twitched, his eyes gleaming. “Well, this worked out way better than I could have planned.”
My urge to demand a new partner stuck in my throat because I didn’t want to give Sebastian the satisfaction. After much thought about our previous interactions, I realized I was allowing him to believe he had some kind of power over me by giving him a reaction. Now I wanted him to believe me indifferent.
Which was difficult when every part of me was tense with quiet anger at Sebastian’s side as Arthur paired people and his team started leading them out to their respective rooms.
Arthur sauntered over to me and Sebastian. “Last but not least. Each pairing will be placed in a different room under different circumstances. You two are the no-technology room. I’m going to need you to hand over any devices you have with you, including your beloved smartphones.”
Wonderful.
My lips thinned as I nodded and proceeded to remove my phone from the back pocket of my jeans. Checking it was locked, I passed it over to Arthur who gave us a gloating, smug grin as he took both of our phones and placed them in a locked box. “Now follow me.”
I could feel Sebastian’s eyes on me as Arthur led us out of the flat and across the cool, dreary hallway to the flat next door. The sound of a TV blared from behind the door of bedroom one.
“They have a smart TV. But don’t worry, you won’t hear it because you’re all the way down here in bedroom five.” Arthur guided us to the opposite side of the flat and pushed open the heavy door. “Welcome to the no-technology room.”