The Bad Boy’s Tutor: Hidden Masks Book 1

by Arthurs, Nia

So maybe… what wasn’t great about him?

  Don’t get lost, Monique. Keep your wits. James is just a guy, no matter how handsome he is.

  James led me down the hallway leading to the exits.

  I skidded to a stop. “Wait, the cafeteria’s that way.”

  “Oh, I’m not eating breakfast here. The food is,” he made a face, “questionable. There’s a hotel a few miles away. We’re going there.”

  A hotel? I lifted my chin. “I am not going to a hotel with you.”

  He stopped. Turned to me. His gaze roamed my face. My body. Finally he found my eyes again. James stepped closer. We were in a crowded hallway, but everyone else disappeared. The air charged with electricity.

  He leaned over and whispered, “They have a restaurant.”

  His deep voice vibrated through me. I snatched my backpack straps tighter. It took me a few seconds to catch my breath.

  “Oh,” was all I could say.

  One corner of his lips curved up in a knowing smirk. “Unless you want to do something else when we get there…”

  Irritation blazed in my chest. He got to me, and he knew it. I launched away from him and marched through the doors. James’s dark chuckle followed me.

  We didn’t say much on our way to the restaurant (I refused to acknowledge the hotel part). The workers seemed to recognize him and immediately pointed us to a table. James set our bags down and then grabbed my hand and pulled me to the buffet.

  I was about to yank my arm away when my gaze fell on the magnificent spread. My family didn’t go to buffets unless the ticket was five bucks a person. Something told me this… didn’t cost five bucks.

  “Uh, I’m not hungry.” I backed away from the displays. My stomach grumbled, scolding me for the dishonesty.

  James grinned. “Come on. It’s my treat.”

  Are you really going to turn down free food in your situation?

  I allowed myself to relax and filled my plate. Together, we settled around a table and dug in.

  The food was marvelous and, although it probably cost a lot more than I would ever pay, I thought it was worth it.

  Halfway through our meal, James set his fork down and looked at me. I followed suit, realizing I’d been so caught up eating that I had forsaken the real purpose for being here. My fingers were sticky from pancake syrup so I awkwardly fumbled with my zipper to take out my notebook and pen.

  “Just a minute,” I explained as I bent over the table.

  James slid my bag away from me.

  I shot up. “What are you doing? Give it back.”

  “Are you busy after school?”

  “Yes,” I snapped. For a moment there, I’d forgotten his arrogance. I could handle most things but cockiness rubbed me the wrong way.

  “Doing what?”

  “None of your business.”

  He set his elbow on the table, his gaze unwavering. “Meet me in the library, behind the reference section.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Because,” he paused and leaned back, “I want you to tutor me.”

  I almost burst out laughing, but we were in a classy restaurant so I restrained myself. “You’re crazy.”

  He tilted his head.

  “You’re a sophomore. I’m a freshman. What could I teach you?”

  “A lot of things.”

  I grabbed my backpack and stood. “No.”

  “I’ll pay you whatever you want.”

  I scoffed and said sarcastically, “I’m a hundred dollars an hour.”

  “Done,” he said, spreading his arm along the back of the booth.

  “Are you serious?”

  He slipped his hands into his pockets and slid two hundred dollar bills out. Setting it on the table, he arched an eyebrow. “When do we start?”

  5

  Why Do You Hate Me?

  James

  I hadn’t planned on asking her to tutor me. I hadn’t planned on taking her out to eat either. It all kind of happened. Call it curiosity or mischief or intrigue, every time I was around Monique I wanted more.

  She stood in front of the table. Frozen as a statue. Staring at the money and then at me.

  I started second-guessing myself. Girls usually didn’t take this long to say ‘yes’ to me. In fact, I’d never had to fight so hard for someone’s attention.

  Finally, she scoffed. “You’re really despicable, you know that?”

  Despicable? Ouch. “Look, I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just—”

  “You think I’m gonna roll over and do everything you want because you bought me breakfast and waved your money at me?”

  “Why are you so upset?”

  “I’m not some hooker, okay? You can’t buy me.”

  “I’m just trying to find a tutor.”

  Her nose flared. Black eyes glistened with anger. I’m sure another guy would be terrified, but I wasn’t. I’d never seen someone more beautiful.

  Her dark brown skin was luminescent. She’d put her hair in a bun, but curls popped out of place and dangled over her ears. My fingers coiled. I ached to smooth those curls back, brush my knuckles against that inviting skin, taste those lips...

  My breath hitched.

  This girl is trouble, James.

  “What are you staring at?”

  “I’ll take back the money.” I slid it toward me, averting my eyes so she couldn’t read the attraction written there. “What do you want? Name it.”

  She whirled around. “I want you to leave me alone.”

  “Hey, hey.” I scrambled out of my seat and jumped in front of her so she couldn’t storm away. “Why do you hate me? What did I do?”

  Her gaze flew to the side. “Nothing. I just don’t like you.”

  “That’s not a good answer.”

  “Well, it’s the only one I’ve got. Now move.”

  I dipped my head so she had to look at me. “Did we meet before that night or something?”

  Her eyes flashed to mine.

  Finally, a reaction that didn’t involve her snarling at me.

  “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You were there,” I said, confused as to why she was playing clueless. “At the bar.” The Greasy Monkey was more than just a ‘bar’, but I refused to say that stupid name out loud. “In a green dress. You were—”

  “Stop.” Her palm landed an inch from my nose.

  I straightened. “You do remember.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” She tossed her head and surveyed me with suspicion. “Will you really do anything I want if I agree to tutor you?”

  “Anything within reason.”

  “Okay. Put Harley back in the band.”

  It took a second for her words to register. When they did, I balked. “That’s it? That’s all you want?”

  “And this.” She snatched the money and stuffed it into her bag. “I work after school so you’ve only got one hour. Two days a week.”

  “What if I need more time?”

  “That’s all I can offer you.” She moved as if she’d thrust the bills back at me. “If you’re not happy with my terms…”

  I offered my hand. “It’s fine. We have a deal.”

  Monique stared at my palm like it was diseased.

  I leaned closer. “Come on. I won’t bite.”

  She gently grasped my fingers. A rush of warmth zipped through me. She released my hand quickly, breaking the connection. I reeled with disappointment.

  Monique turned away. “Take me back to school. I don’t want to be late for class.”

  I drove her back. Without a word or a glance, she disappeared into the sea of students. My gaze followed her for as long as I could. When I turned away, I realized my heart was skittering out of beat.

  What’s wrong with me?

  “Hey, James.”

  I spun and found Baz approaching. His pace slowed when he caught my expression. “You okay? You look a little dazed.”

  “I’m fine. How did you
know I needed to see you?”

  “What’s up?”

  I steered him into a quiet staircase and gripped the banister. “You told me the band had another guitarist before I joined. Harley.”

  “Yeah. Nice guy.”

  “Why did Eric kick him out?”

  “I’m not sure. I never asked him. At the time, I’d only attended a couple practices and I wasn’t even sure my parents would let me join.”

  I nodded.

  “Is that all?”

  “Yeah.”

  Baz slapped my arm. “Let me know what Eric says when you talk to him. I’m curious too.”

  “I will.”

  Baz jogged away while I grabbed my phone to call Eric. Classes would be starting soon, but my homeroom teacher usually gave me a break. I had a feeling she’d messed with my father back in the day. Or maybe she’d accepted his money.

  Either way, I wasn’t in a rush.

  Eric picked up on the third ring. “Hey, man.”

  “Hey, you busy this afternoon? There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

  “What about?”

  “I’d rather talk in person.”

  Eric paused. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  “Cool.”

  A few hours later, I met Eric ‘downstairs’ in the school’s music room. It was really just an abandoned classroom in the basement with a piano, a blackboard and a few folding chairs. Despite our band’s popularity, the school honored athletics over the arts.

  At least they gave us a chance to play at the rally.

  Eric was strumming his guitar when I walked in. He glanced up, his dark eyes crinkling in welcome. “Hey.”

  I nodded to the guitar. “What are you working on?”

  “Nothing much. What’s the big emergency?”

  I pulled up a chair and sat. “You know a guy named Harley?”

  “Yeah, he was in the band before you. What about him?”

  “Why’d you kick him out?”

  Eric sighed and rested the guitar on his lap. He stretched his legs out and stared at the ceiling. “He wasn’t good enough.”

  “You were just starting out and you expected him to be perfect?”

  “Music is all I’ve ever wanted to do. I had high standards and he didn’t meet them.”

  “What if I told you he was better now?”

  I had no idea if Harley had improved, but nothing could get in the way of my time with Monique. Roping Harley into the band was her biggest stipulation and I’d meet it no matter what.

  Eric shook his head. “Nah, man. That won’t work.”

  “How do you know?”

  “It doesn’t matter if he plays better. Our band is set.”

  “But we don’t have a keyboardist. You were complaining about the sound being incomplete without a softer melody.” I tapped my chest. “I’ll shift to that instrument. We can bring Harley back.”

  “No.”

  “Why not? What’s the problem?”

  “He’s not good enough.”

  “I told you, if you give him a chance—”

  “It’s not just about his guitar skills.” Eric gestured to his face. “It’s everything. If we’re gonna make it big, we need people with all the qualities of a star.”

  I stared at Eric in disbelief. Did I just hear right? Eric had a problem, not with Harley’s attitude or skills, but his appearance?

  “You’re joking.”

  “I’m not. We’ll start out with self-made videos, but soon we’ll get signed and have our faces plastered on billboards. Can you see his pale, Kansas farm-boy self getting girls and selling records?” Eric cackled.

  My jaw tightened.

  “Plus, studio time for our demo is expensive. We needed someone who could handle it financially.”

  “You’re saying Harley got booted so you could use me to fund the group?”

  Eric grabbed my shoulder and squeezed. “You’re taking it the wrong way, James. It’s a compliment. You were better than him in every way.”

  “I didn’t know you were that kind of person.” I brushed his hand off.

  “Don’t get emotional on me. As the leader of the band, I had to think long-term. I did what was best for all of us.”

  I stood and hardened my gaze. “Save the bull. You were thinking about what was best for Eric, not the group.”

  “So what? You wanna punish me? You wanna drop out?”

  No, I didn’t. I wasn’t sure what to do. When Eric approached me to join the band, I thought he was genuinely impressed with my sound and my passion for music. Guess I was duped.

  While I searched for something to say, Eric laughed. “You’d never strike out on your own. With all you’ve got, you’re too scared your daddy might disapprove. I heard he’s a hard man to please.”

  I stiffened. “Are you putting Harley in the band or not?”

  “I already said no.”

  “Good.” I strode for the door.

  Eric shot up so fast his chair keeled over and clattered to the ground. “Good? What does that mean?”

  “It means I’m out.”

  “You can’t just leave.”

  “Watch me.”

  Eric reddened. “You’re making a big mistake, James! A big mis—”

  I slammed the door on his protests and headed upstairs.

  So… that didn’t work out. Not only did I fail to get Harley a spot on the band, I was also band-less.

  I fretted over what I’d say to Monique. Something told me she wouldn’t be happy.

  AFTER MY LAST class, I headed to Monique’s locker. She pulled out a book and glanced over her shoulder as I walked by.

  Our eyes met. My heart jolted.

  Her hand moved up to swipe a curl behind her ear. My mouth slackened.

  She frowned. My body throbbed.

  Get yourself together, James. She’s made it clear how she feels about you.

  I approached her. “Hey.”

  She slammed her locker shut. “What do you want? Our lessons don’t start until tomorrow.”

  “Is there anything else you need besides Harley in the band?”

  “No.” She eyed me knowingly. “You couldn’t do it?”

  “That’s not it.”

  “Oh?”

  I rubbed the back of my neck. “I…” A thought dropped into my head. “I’m starting my own band.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah.” Since the lie was already out of my mouth, I rolled with it. “Eric’s a jerk anyway. I couldn’t work with him.”

  Her lips quirked up in a sultry smile. “Is that so?”

  “I promised I’d get Harley a spot on the band, but you didn’t say which band. I’m still holding up my end of the agreement.”

  She tilted her head and surveyed me. “Yeah, I guess I can let that slide. Given Harley wants to work with you.”

  Victory!

  I glanced at the backpack she’d strung over her shoulder. “Where are you going? Need a ride?”

  “There’s something called the bus. We normal people use it to get around so… I’m fine.”

  “Hey, normal people use cars too. Don’t discriminate.”

  She laughed. It was a soft one and I got the sense it slipped through the cracks, but progress was progress. “Don’t you have better things to do than bother me?”

  Harsh. But somehow, her words didn’t hold the same sting. I stepped closer to her. “Nope. I’m free to bother you, give you a ride, anything else you want.”

  She pushed me back with one hand. “Alright, Fabio. I’ll accept your ride, but I’m not interested in anything else.”

  “Fabio? Who’s he?”

  “I’ll tell you on the way.”

  I smiled in satisfaction and whirled around to walk her to the doors when a streak of red and white appeared in front of me. “James!”

  I almost groaned aloud, but I held it back. “Marissa, hey.”

  “Hi.” She shot Monique a surveying look. “Who’s your little
friend?”

  I opened my mouth to introduce her when Monique cut me off. “I’m not his friend.” She stepped away. “I can get home on my own. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Hey! Wait!”

  Monique ignored me and kept walking.

  I wanted to chase her, but Marissa slid in front of me and put a hand to my chest. “We need to talk.”

  “Not right now.” I craned my neck to see over the crowd spilling through the exits. Monique was almost to the door.

  “James.”

  “Later, Marissa. I’m busy.”

  Wait up, Monique.

  “Look at me.”

  “What?” I snapped.

  She pulled a strange stick from her purse. “I’m pregnant.”

  6

  Apology Dinner

  Monique

  Of course James was dating the gorgeous blonde. Who also happened to be a senior. And the leader of the cheerleading team. What did I think? That he was flirting with me because he was interested?

  You’ve got to stop being so naïve, Monique.

  I headed for the bus stop, berating myself for the stupidity. My dad had gambled my life away. My mom was working herself to death. Did I really have time to worry about some guy who was out of my league?

  My phone rang, disrupting my thoughts.

  Harley’s name appeared.

  I answered. “Now’s not a good time.”

  “Too bad. Meet me in the parking lot.”

  “Harl—” I heard the dial tone and pulled the phone back, glaring at the screen. “Did he just hang up on me?”

  Annoyed, I considered dodging him the way I dodged James yesterday, but in the end I changed my mind. James had found me anyway. And Harley was my best friend. We didn’t run from each other.

  I headed to the parking lot and easily picked out his rusted pickup over the lot of bright and shiny cars. He was waiting inside. The windows were rolled down, but his face was red and boiling with sweat.

  I climbed into the passenger side and slammed the door shut. “How long were you out here?”

  “A while. I texted you.”

  “Oh. I didn’t see anything.” Because I was talking to James.

  Harley’s blue eyes were like two lasers and I squirmed as they bore into me. The downside to being friends since forever was that he could read me in two seconds flat.