Billionaire Flawed 2(188)

“Yeah, well he can take that integrity and shove it up his a-”

“So, this means you need a tutor?” I asked, cutting him off.

John sighed, leaning against the nearby wall, and nodded to the affirmative.

“You know, I’m his teacher’s assistant. I could probably help you out,” I said.

“What are you going to get out of it?” he asked.

I wanted to say that just spending time together would be enough, or that maybe if he’d take me on a date, it would be great. But, the conversation I’d had with Craig the other day came back to the forefront of my brain. I started talking before I realized what I was saying.

“You could help me get back on my ex, I want to make him jealous,” I said.

I felt my cheeks become flush as I continued to talk. He smiled at me, and I was waiting for him to laugh off my ridiculous lie, but he didn’t.

“So, you’ll help me get my grades up, and I’ll help you win back your Ex? What’s his name?” he asked.

I couldn’t think for a second, and I panicked, saying the first name that came to me.

“Craig!” I squeaked out.

John half-cocked his eyebrow at me, and I did my best to stay level headed. I could tell he was thinking about it.

“How did you plan to make him jealous?” he asked.

I hadn’t thought of that at all. I thought maybe I could pretend to start a rumor, or maybe just take a photo with John and send it to Craig. However, I wanted to do something more dramatic.

“I thought we could go on a date, there’s a restaurant that he’s taking his new girlfriend to next week, and I thought we could surprise them,” I felt like an idiot.

“Okay, let’s do it,” he replied, “One date next week and you’ll tutor me in the meantime before mid-terms.”

“Great!” I shouted louder than I had intended. I coughed and held out my hand, “Great, sounds like a deal.”

He took it with his rough leathery hand and shook it gingerly. I could have jumped twenty feet in excitement, and almost did.

“Here’s my number, I’m free every night after 6 pm,” I said. I gave him a scrap of paper with my phone number.

“Talk to you soon,” he said as he walked off.

Then I heard the professor’s door open as John walked out of sight.

“Tess? Aren’t you supposed to be grading papers?”

I smacked my head and rushed back to the classroom. I tried my best to keep my elation to a minimum but was so overcome with excitement and anticipation that I could barely read.

Then I realized something that made me want to smack myself, Craig didn’t have a date.

4.

“You’re insane,” he said, almost slamming the door in my face.

“How is it crazy to want to hook you and Jane up by next Friday?” I asked.

“Well, a lot of it has to do with the fact that she already felt used once. What am I supposed to tell her this time? Hey, Jane, Tess wants us to date so she can impress a guy?”

“You’re not wrong,” I said.

I pushed my way into his small apartment and sat on his bed. His room was still messy as always, and I resisted the urge to clean.

“Okay, what if I help you two. I’m sure she’d be more than willing to come if she does it for a friend.”

“If you want to try to explain it to her, be my guest,” he said.

I whipped out my phone and dialed her number. I would have just sent a text, but there was too much that needed to be said.

“Hello?” she said.

“Jane! Come to Craig’s, we need to chat,” I said.

“Tess, what’s goi-”

I had already hung up the call. Craig stared at me with a blank face and mouth agape.

“What? I had too much that needed to be said on the phone. Besides, people are more willing to help if they can see the need in your eyes, right?”

Craig continued to stare but shook it off after a minute.

“Why did you invite her here?” he asked.

Why did I invite her here, I wondered.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll handle it,” I said.

“Then you better help me clean up,” he said.

The two of us started picking up anything and everything in order to put his place back together. I had never seen Craig move so fast in my life, and now I felt bad inviting Jane over.

Before we could finish, a knock echoed from the door.

“Just a second,” Craig shouted.

He shot me a scowl, and I hopped over the remaining mess to the door. I opened it just enough that I could go out and chat.

“What’s this all about,” Jane asked.

“It’s a long story; maybe we can go out for a bite instead of staying here?” I asked.

“That’s fine; I just want to know why you felt the need to cut me off on the phone. It sounded urgent.”