The previous afternoon, a whirlwind of frantic phone calls and last-minute emails had landed a new, unwelcome burden on Kris Windsor's meticulously organized plate. Dean Harrison, head of the Business Management Club, had caught Kris just as he was leaving for his drama audition, his voice a frantic buzz over the line. A family emergency had called him out of town, effective immediately. The annual Inter-University Business Case Competition, a hallmark event for the department, was suddenly without an overseer. And it was next week.
"Kris, you're the only one I trust," Dean Harrison had pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation. "You're organized, you're sharp, you can handle anything. ... take care of it for me. It's on Monday. All the final arrangements, the visiting university teams, the judging panel, the student presentations... It's all yours."
Kris had clenched his jaw, a muscle ticking in annoyance. He thrived on order, on planning every detail weeks, even months, in advance. This was chaos. An unmitigated, last-minute, logistical nightmare. And the timing couldn't be worse. Not only was the high-stakes Business Case Competition looming next Monday, but the Drama Showcase—his actual reason for being involved in this whole theatrical farce—was set for Friday. His meticulous schedule, a carefully balanced act of academics, sports, and strategic leisure, was about to be obliterated.
Initially, after Mia had made her foolish bet, his mind had reeled with petty, satisfying revenge ideas. Making her run humiliating errands, forcing her into embarrassing public situations, perhaps even making her clean his apartment – childish, but satisfying ways to make her pay for her arrogance. But now, staring down the barrel of a week that promised to be a blur of stress and sleepless nights, a far more effective, and infinitely more amusing, idea began to form. Why waste her on mere embarrassment when he could put her stubbornness to actual use?
He pictured Mia, exasperated, defiant, yet ultimately forced to comply with his every command. The thought brought a rare, genuine smile to his face. Yes. This week, she wouldn't just be his loser; she would be his personal, unpaid, highly unwilling assistant. It would inject a much-needed dose of "fun" into what was shaping up to be the most stressful week of his university career. It was perfect. A bet's a bet, and now, it served a far greater, more entertaining purpose.