Eric stood by the wall in The Pit Stain drinking a beer and listening to his friends jabber on about the factionless getting rowdy earlier, which wasn't an uncommon event so his attention drifted off and that was when he saw her.
Sam and her friends were standing in a corner near the stage with a group of the Dauntless-born initiates he'd seen talking to her on previous occasions. Her dress was close fitting and above her knees. He hadn't seen her legs before and they looked long and toned. He had the sudden urge to caress his way up her thighs to cup her bottom under the skirt. At the image all the blood in his brain travelled to his lower organ and he gulped his beer.
His friends followed his gaze and whistled. "Who's the hottie in the dress?!"
Eric cleared his throat and gave his best emotionless look. "She's one of my transfer initiates."
"Eric has the hots for a student!" His buddy laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.
"I don't have the hots for her and I doubt she does for me either." He denied.
"Then you wouldn't mind if we tried our luck then?" His other friend asked with a smirk.
"ALL initiates are off limits during training." Eric snapped at them.
"Ok, ok." His friend said in surrender.
They continued to watch her in silence as she laughed at something Kyle said to her. Then Kyle pointed toward the stage, she turned around to see what he was showing her and Eric could see the deep v that exposed a good amount of cleavage.
"The view just got better." Eric's friend muttered into his beer as he stared. Eric glared at them and walked towards Sam and her friends.
"Isn't it bed time for you initiates?" He asked the group when he neared.
Surprised, the transfers looked at him like they never thought a leader would be in a place like that.
"It's 9 o'clock and I remember someone saying we we're allowed to do as we pleased after 6 pm." Samantha piped up.
He looked her from head to toe; the view was better up close but he tried not to look for too long. "Didn't anyone tell you that the boys here aren't as nice as Amity ones? An outfit like that will get you into trouble."
"Actually yes, on my first day, never caught her name though… Oh wait she's right over there." She replied pointing to a girl dancing by the stage.
"That would be Tamara. She say anything about me?" He asked her.
"Said you were the worst of them… mean boys that is. Funny how she grouped you with the boys and not the men." Sam smiled sweetly.
"Of course she would." He said looking back at the girl they were talking about.
"What did you do? Sleep with her and not call?" Sam asked not expecting an answer.
"Something like that."
"Oh... Did it ever occur to you that maybe she actually liked you, as mind-boggling as that might be?" Samantha asked.
"No." He said simply as he glanced down at her.
Uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, Eric decided to take his leave. "Make sure you guys get enough sleep, tomorrow is another big day."
Because the music was loud enough that they had to shout to be heard, as he left he could still hear their conversation and he slowed to catch most of it.
"You were right, that dress does draw unwanted attention." Astrid said as she watched Eric walk back to his friends.
"Do you think he likes you?" Stacey asked Sam who shook her head no.
"Who purposely pisses off someone they like on a daily bases?"
"I think he's just horny and he liked the way you looked." Rolly eyed her up.
"Yeah well, I'm not sleeping with anyone during training so keep your eyes up here." She told him as she circled her face.
His friends booed him when he got back to their standing area across the room. "Shut down by the school girl weren't you? What a shame."
"What? I said she's off limits and I meant it. I only told them to not stay out too late."
"Party pooper. We used to stay out every night when we were initiates! Let them have some fun." His friend said.
Eric agreed silently and watched Samantha until she left around 11:30 pm. He told his friends he was tired and followed her out to make sure she got back to the dormitory safely. He also meant it when he said a dress like that could get her into trouble and he wanted to make sure that didn't happen. When she went through the dormitory doors he turned down another hallway and went to his own apartment.