by Ali Parker
“Because Bret came in here? Don’t do this.”
I shook my head and ran out the door with Alex calling after me.
I tried to keep my tears at bay as I ran down the stairs. I raced through the crowd and found Amber. “We need to go.”
She looked at me. “What’s wrong?”
I glanced at the stairs where Alex was searching for me.
I dragged Amber to the front door.
“Lily, wait!” Alex shouted over the music. “I’m sorry.”
His apologies fell flat against the rest of the sounds of the party as I made my quick exit.
I barely made it across the street toward campus before I broke down in Amber’s arms.
Chapter 13
Alex
For once that entire semester, I couldn’t wait to get to Cost Accounting on Monday. I arrived early, expecting to see Lily there on time as usual. I needed to talk to her. She avoided my texts all weekend, apologizing for Bret’s asshole behavior on Friday. I thought about going to her dorm and making her talk to me, but I wanted to give her some time to cool off. Bret embarrassed her, and there wasn’t much I could do at that point other than apologize. We had a great time up until my brother came into the room. We both did. That would happen again, only if she’d talk to me about it.
“Everyone take your seats,” Tarrington said to the class.
I glanced at the door. Lily was always on time for class. Was she going to skip today, so she didn’t have to see me? That seemed unlike her. And it worried me that she was more upset than she led on.
“That means you, Mr. Fuller,” Tarrington said.
I shoved off Lily’s desk and headed over to my own.
“Excuse me,” Lily’s voice said from the doorway.
I sat down in my chair, whirling around to see her rushing into the room.
Tarrington moved out of her way. Her head was down as she made her way to her seat. Tarrington gave her a questioning look but didn’t mention her tardiness. Since she was such a good student, I was sure he’d let it slide this time.
I tried to catch her eye, but she didn’t even glance in my direction.
Yup. She was still pissed.
I crossed my arms over my chest, watching her. She couldn’t ignore me forever. I knew she was curious about me just as much as I was about her. She’d slip up at some point and look at me.
“Your assignments from the other day have been graded,” Tarrington said, returning to the front of the classroom. “I’ll hand them back at the end of class. There are several of you who should look over the last unit before continuing. We have three more units to go over before the final and all of these concepts build on each other. Now, let’s start with this weeks lesson.”
I pulled out my notebook and pen. Lily and I already did a lot of work together so I didn’t want to disappoint her by not taking notes in class. I had a feeling she’d try to break our deal, and I needed to show her that I was taking all of this seriously, including her.
After class, I packed up my things and headed to the front of the classroom where Tarrington already had last week’s assignments in his hands. Of course Lily was first in line. I wouldn’t let her go that easily.
I shoved passed a few of my classmates while keeping an eye on Lily exiting the room. Tarrington flipped through the assignments, taking his sweet time. I pushed to the front and tried to keep a calm expression on my face. Knowing Lily, she probably sprinted out of there to avoid me. I’d have no problem catching up with her, but I didn’t want it to come to that. Chasing girls wasn’t my thing. Usually, it was the other way around.
“Very good, Mr. Fuller,” Tarrington said, handing over my assignment. “I see you followed my advice.”
I glanced at the paper with a big red A on it. My breath caught in my throat. I was expecting a passing grade, but not one this high. “I did.”
“Keep up the good work,” he said and then moved onto the next person.
I shouldered my bag and jogged out of the room. Lily was already heading out the front doors when I found her.
I ran down the hall and reached her, just as she took a step outside.
“Lily,” I said, panting.
She let out a small yelp and clamped a hand over her mouth. “Alex,” she said when she regained her composure.
“Look,” I said, showing her my assignment.
A smile crossed her lips and then immediately disappeared. “Looks like you don’t need my help anymore.”
She turned to leave, and I grabbed her arm. “Wait.”
“What do you want?” she asked, pulling out of my grip.
“This is just one assignment,” I said. “I still need you.”
She shook her head. “That’s not a good idea.”
My insides twisted. I couldn’t let her see how she affected me, not when being with her helped my grades improve. “We had a deal. We make a good team.”
She frowned. “I gave you all the skills you need to pass. I don’t—”
“Please,” I said. I hated the way my voice sounded. Begging wasn’t my thing. “I’ll do anything.”
“Fine,” she said, looking away from me. “But we have to keep things professional.”
I fisted my hands at my sides. “Okay.” If she was over it that quickly, I would show her that I could do the same. I had to pass Cost Accounting to graduate on time. Maybe she had a point. If I was going to continue with her, I couldn’t give into my impulses like that. I regretted losing control and moving too quickly at the party. I didn’t take advantage of her, but I was more involved than she was. It was best to keep our relationship in the friend's zone for the time being.
“Meet me at the library tomorrow afternoon,” she said and then walked away from me.
I stood there, looking after her until she turned the corner of the student center. It was only then that I could breathe again. What had I gotten myself into?
For the next two days, we studied together at the library. I attempted to turn on my charm again to loosen the tension between us. She didn’t fall for it. I reminded myself of our deal and became the perfect gentleman for the rest of our time together. It was hard. Every moment we were together, I thought about the night we spent in my room. No girl ever clung to my memory the way she did. It was all I could do not to kiss or touch her when she sat so close to me.
The day before an exam, Lily and I studied hard at the student union. The library was packed in the afternoon’s as we were so close to the finals. When I asked her if she wanted to study at my place, she flat-out refused me. Just when I thought we were doing okay together, the other night came back to haunt me. I hoped she was still willing to uphold my part of the deal and attend the last event of the season at AKA. I wanted her there more than she knew.
Friday was the first day that I left Cost Accounting after an exam feeling good instead of terrible. I knew all the answers on the exam, and I had a good feeling I passed.
After class, Lily lingered by the door, waiting for me. We walked together down the hallway toward our next classes.
“How do you think you did?” I asked.
She snorted. “The better question is how do you think you did.”
“I think I did well. Better than any other exam.”
“Well, you deserve it,” she said.
I held the front doors for her as she thanked me before walking out. “What a relief. For a minute there, I was worried about not passing this class.”
“You don’t have to worry anymore,” she said. “If you nail the concepts on this test then the final should be easy enough to pass.”
“That’s promising,” I said.
“I should be going,” she said and started to walk away from me.
“Wait,” I said. “Let’s have dinner together before the party tomorrow.”
“Like a date?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Like a thank you dinner,” I said, careful not to push her away too soon. Of course, it was
a date, but she was as skittish as a reindeer since the previous weekend. “On me.”
“That would be all right,” she said, chewing on her lip again.
“Great,” I said. “I’ll text you the details later.”
“Sounds good,” she said a little more upbeat now that the awkwardness had passed.
“See you later, Lily,” I said, squeezing her hand.
“Bye,” she said, staring at our hands.
I released her first, not wanting to make it weird again and she waved at me and headed off to her next class.
I grinned. I couldn’t wait to be with her alone when we weren’t studying. I missed that smile of hers, and I was determined to bring it out again.
Chapter 14
Lily
Since Amber and I were going to the party right after dinner with Alex, I doubled my costume and dinner attire. Thankfully the theme of ‘Santa’s Slay’ didn’t require another outlandish costume. I imagined showing up to dinner in an elf costume or something equally crazy. The uniform for the night only required that our outfits were red. That was easy enough. Amber let me borrow a red dress that she said was too small for her. When I put it on, I realized that it was snug on me as well, but in a good way. It hugged all of my curves, and I smiled, knowing how Alex would respond to it. It was a little unfair of me, but there was no reason I had to dress sloppily around him if we were just to be friends. Maybe it would show him what he was missing out on while he attempted to bed every girl on campus.
Thinking of that night still stung. My stomach swooped every time I thought about Bret’s remark when he saw us together. I should have known better, but I wouldn’t have traded our night for anything. I wasn’t a virgin anymore. I didn’t feel much different, but I was glad that my first time was with someone as gentle as Alex, even if he was a player.
I took an Uber over to the restaurant, which wasn’t too far off campus. Alex wanted to meet me there. I wondered if it was another attempt not to see me in public, but I shook away the thought. We were going to a restaurant where there would be plenty of people to witness us together. I had to stop caring whether or not Alex liked me. I was the one who wanted to remain professional with him. Thinking otherwise would prove to be an awful disappointment.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I was surprised at the formality of the place. Inside, the restaurant was lavishly decorated with thick velvet curtains and real tablecloths. Pictures on the walls depicted landscapes in Italy and on one wall was a mural of the Italian countryside as if you were looking at it on your open porch.
“Hey,” Alex said, coming over to me.
I smiled at him. Even though he wore a bright red button-down shirt that was a shade too bright, but it fit him well enough to show off his amazing body. “Hi.”
“We’re over here,” he said, taking my hand and looping it with his arm.
The table was in the back of the dining room, away from the door and other prying eyes. It was a bigger table with six chairs surrounding it. The two place settings were on opposite sides of the table, far enough for me not to confuse this dinner for a date.
I tried to keep the smile on my face as I sat down.
You wanted this, Lily, remember?
Alex helped me with my chair, pushing it in under me as I sat. I stared at the flickering flame that danced on the top of the large white candle in the middle of the table.
“This is a nice place,” I said.
“It’s my favorite,” Alex said. “A hidden gem. Almost makes me feel like an adult.”
“You are an adult,” I said, smiling.
He pressed his hand against his chest and winced. “Don’t make me feel old.”
I laughed. “What’s going to happen when you’re thirty?”
“I’ll be halfway to the grave by then.”
I giggled into my napkin before placing it on my lap. I’d never been to a fancier place before. Grandma loved to cook and thought going out to eat was an unnecessary expense. She left that to special occasions such as birthdays and graduations. Thinking of her made me miss her cooking.
A waiter came over, and we ordered drinks. A glass of wine for Alex and water for me. I needed to hydrate in case I drank a lot tonight. I didn’t plan on it, but my goal was to let loose as much as I could. That didn’t mean I had to compromise my safety, but I found drinking helped lessen the tension in my body. With us getting kicked out at Freaky Friday and me sleeping with Alex at the last party, I wanted to enjoy myself at a party with Amber and not muck it up.
“You never told me how you did on the test,” he said.
“I got an A,” I said.
“Of course you did,” he said with a smile.
“I’m the tutor remember? It was a lot of pressure to get a high grade. You might fire me otherwise.”
“I’d never fire you.”
His gaze locked with mine. There was an unmistakable hint of fire behind his eyes as they moved across my body, well as much as he could see from above the table. I licked my lips, feeling a weight pressing against my chest. With him looking at me like that, I was glad I wore this dress. There was no harm in a little flirting amongst friends.
Alex already ordered fried calamari and eggplant rollatini for appetizers, so those dishes came with our drinks.
“I feel like such a loser, but I’ve never had food like this before,” I said.
“You don’t know what you’re missing,” he said. “Are there good restaurants where you come from?”
“They are decent,” I said. “Grandma prefers to cook.”
“I can see why,” he said, dipping one of the leggy calamari pieces into the marinara sauce. I wasn’t comfortable eating that part of the squid yet. I stuck with the circular pieces. “She’s an amazing chef.”
I laughed. “You only had breakfast and lunch with us.”
He shrugged. “It made an impression.”
He held my eyes, and for a moment, the hidden meaning behind his words caught my attention. Hook. Line. And sinker.
Suddenly, I wished that he would have picked a smaller table. Was I wrong about his feelings for me? Over the weekend, his overwhelming amount of apology texts about Bret made me angry. But were they meant well? Why didn’t he come over and apologize himself? I wished he would have. Though his insistence on continuing our little arrangement made me second guess everything. I wondered if he’d drop our friendship completely once Cost Accounting was over. Other than his parties and studying, Alex and I never saw each other.
“May we join you?” Bret’s voice cut into my thoughts.
I blinked and stared up at Alex’s friend. Two girls were on his arms, both dressed in inappropriate red dresses, revealing enough skin that they should have been at a club and not a decent restaurant.
I glanced at Alex. A frown tugged at his lips. “I guess.” He looked at me and I took another sip of my water.
I sat back in my chair, my shoulders rising to my ears. So much for relaxing tonight.
I eyed Bret. His cocky grin and squinty eyes made me think he and these girls already started their own private party. He snapped his fingers at the waiter and demanded three more place settings for the table.
I sent an apologetic look at the waiter, but I was already roped into this group. I sunk into my chair, wanting to leave. I’d already filled up enough on appetizers I wondered if I could get my dinner to go.
“Eeww, what is that?” one of the girls asked, pointing at the remains of the calamari.
“Gross!” the other one shouted.
I glanced at the other diners, and a few of them looked our way. My cheeks burned.
“Are those legs?” the first one asked. Her pink lips curled with disgust.
“My brother, Alex, loves seafood,” Bret said, glancing at Alex.
Alex’s nostrils flared before his eyes met mine.
I immediately dropped my gaze to my plate, wishing this dinner to be over.
The girls picked up their menus and
started giggling about the Italian words. They were an embarrassment to the freshman class. It was as if this was the first time they’ve ever gone to a restaurant in their lives. Didn’t their parents teach them manners?
When Alex and my entrees came over to the table, the girls craned their necks to see what we ordered.
“What is that?” pink-lipped girl asked.
“Risotto,” I said quietly. If I ignored them, maybe they would forget I was at the table.
I shoveled the pasta into my mouth and savored the taste, distracting myself from my embarrassment.
When the girls finally, and loudly, announced they were going to the bathroom together, I was able to take a breath.
“Where did you find them?” Alex asked Bret.
Bret locked his fingers together and clasped them behind his head, leaning back as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “Oh, here and there.”
Alex opened his mouth to say something but stopped when his phone blasted from his pocket. I nearly dropped my fork. He looked at the screen and pushed his chair away from the table.
I sat up. He was leaving me alone with Bret?
“I’m sorry, I have to take this,” he said and left the table.
I focused on my meal, for once, hoping those girls would come back and distract Bret. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to him about the other night.
“How are you, Lily?” Bret asked me. He leaned back in his chair as if it were a throne.
“I’m fine,” I said.
“You know I know about this little arrangement you and Alex have.”
“It’s not a secret that I’m tutoring him,” I said.
“And that’s all,” he said.
“What are you talking about?”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think you have the wrong impression of my brother. He’s only interested in passing this class when it comes to you.”
Heat licked behind my eyes. “I know.”
“Do you?”
“Of course,” I said, trying to hold my voice steady. I wondered what Alex said to Bret about me behind my back. Letting Bret know that I cared for Alex more than I should wouldn’t do me any good.