Page 7 of Love, A Curvy Girl's Guide

He hesitated, then let out a reluctant sigh. “All right. Fine. Do you want to tutor me? Knock yourself out. But not here, okay? I have a reputation to uphold.”

Haley stiffened. What did he mean by that? Was he embarrassed to be seen with her? Jackass.

“Perfect.” She flashed him a fake, sweet smile. “Name the time and place.”

She turned on her heel and started to leave, but his hand reached out and snatched her wrist. “I need your number.”

Haley simpered, “Why Ian Johnson? I thought you’d never ask.”

Haley arrivedat Ian’s apartment the next evening, prepared with a few textbooks, snacks, and the determination to keep things professional. She didn’t have the patience for Ian’s cocky attitude, but she’d promised Professor Stubbs she’d give it her best shot.

The door swung open, and he looked… mildly uncomfortable and drop-dead gorgeous. It was those stupid Johnson genes—not denim, although he also wore those. He was the youngest of seven super-hot boys, there was no small amount of eye candy in that family. However, the Johnson boys usually emitted a cocky assurance that grated on her nerves. Tonight, Haley couldn’t help but smile. Big, tough Ian Johnson, looking unsure of himself. It was refreshing.

Haley plastered on a smile. “Ready to learn, Johnson? Or are you planning to wing it like usual?”

Ian’s lips twitched into a smirk. “Very funny. Come on in, Haley. Let’s get this over with.”

She followed him inside, noting the surprisingly neat space. The table was already cluttered with books and notes. He gestured to a chair, and she sat down, spreading her materials out in front of her.

“All right, let’s start with the basics,” Haley said, flipping open a notebook. “What exactly are you struggling with?”

Ian rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze. “Pretty much everything.”

She arched her brow. “Well, at least you’re honest.”

Grabbing his notebook, she began to look at his work.

“This is… yikes.” She held up a scribbled formula. “This is a train wreck. If you balanced your chemical equations the way you balanced your diet, maybe we wouldn’t be here.”

He blinked, looking affronted. “What’s wrong with my diet?”

Abso-fucking-lutely nothing. He looked like a god.

Haley cleared her throat. “You think chicken wings are a food group, Ian.”

He rolled his eyes, but a small smirk betrayed him. “All right, Miss Chemistry Genius, enlighten me.”

For the next hour, they worked through problems, and Haley was surprised by how focused Ian was. He asked questions, even if some were laced with frustration, and his occasional smirk made her stomach flutter in a way she absolutely did not appreciate.

“You’re actually not hopeless,” she said, leaning back in her chair after they’d finished a particularly tricky problem.

Ian’s smirk deepened. “High praise, coming from you.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she shot back, though her lips twitched despite herself. “But seriously, you’re picking this up faster than I expected.”

“I had a good teacher,” he said, his voice softening. The teasing edge in his tone disappeared for a moment, and Haley felt her breath catch.

She quickly looked away, busying herself with organizing the notes on the table. “Well, let’s see if you still feel that way after the next test.”

Ian chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “You know, Haley, you’re not nearly as scary as you used to be.”

She glanced up, startled. “Scary?”

“Yeah. Back in high school, you were all sharp edges and death glares. I think I might’ve been a little scared of you.”

Haley blinked, caught off guard by the admission. “I thought you hated me.”

Ian shook his head, his expression unreadable. “Nah. I just didn’t know how to deal with you.”

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