Page 5 of Bound By Water
When I glance up, his dark eyes are drilling into me as if he’s trying to peer inside my soul. Uneasy again, I still for a second, but he blinks, and the intensity eases.
“What day works for you?”
Trent thinks about it for a second. “Probably Tuesdays. I have practice and games the rest of the week.”
I secretly wince. Tuesdays are my worst days because I have three classes and work, plus I’m tutoring two others on that night. “Mondays would work better for me, but if you can’t meet on Mondays, I’ll work you in on Tuesdays. It will be late, though. I already have two other sessions that night. Can you meet at eight p.m.?”
He breathes out a sigh of relief. “Tuesdays at eight would be great. How much?”
“Thirty dollars a session, and I need a month upfront, which comes to one hundred and twenty dollars. Cash,” I tell him. The money I earn from tutoring isn’t much, but I use it to cover my daily expenses.
With a nod, he agrees. “Deal. Should we meet here?”
“Yes. Bring your weekly assignments. We’ll do those together, then walk through the lectures for the following week,” I reply. “Don’t be late, and don’t bring anyone with you.”
He flashes a broad smile. “I’ll be here at eight. Thanks, I appreciate it.”
I raise my hand to seal the deal, and his large, warm hand engulfs mine. “See you Tuesday.”
He walks off. Moments later, he’s leaning over a vivacious blond, laughing at something she’s saying. I wonder if that’s Kelcey? They look close. His friends look from him to me, but it’s obvious he doesn’t want them to know anything, so I turn away.
* * *
Trent isfive minutes early on Tuesday. I’m just finishing up with Maggie, another student, who I’m tutoring in biology. I signal for him to wait, and he slides into a nearby chair.
Eyes wide, Maggie looks from him to me and giggles. “What’s he doing here? You’re tutoring him, aren’t you? Wait until I tell my roommate. She’s been trying to run into him all semester.” Her red lips curve in anticipation.
I silently groan. Trying to make my tone as dismissive as possible, I answer her. “He’s just looking for a book for his biomechanics class. I told him I’d help him find it.” I tap on the paper in front of me. “Great job on your quiz. Next week, bring your notes for the mid-term, and I’ll help you study.”
She nods, but I can tell all her attention is on Trent. “Okay.” Tugging on her skirt, she stands and makes her way over to where he’s lounging, then leans down to whisper in his ear.
I see something, maybe anger, spark in his eyes, but he quickly slaps on his mask and flashes her the same broad smile he shows to everyone. She writes something on his notebook, then winks at him and walks away.
After she’s gone, he comes over and sits down next to me. “Hi.”
I grimace. “Sorry about Maggie. Come on.” Standing, I grab all my stuff and shove it into my worn backpack. “I told her you were here for a book. She’ll get suspicious if we keep sitting here.” When I dart a glance at him, he’s studying me closely. “What?”
“I’m trying to figure out your angle.”
I roll my eyes. “Look. I was under the impression that you didn’t want people to know I was tutoring you, but it doesn’t matter to me one way or another. So, what do you want to do? Stay or go?”
“Where?” he cautiously replies.
I think about the tables scattered throughout the library. Most of them are out in the open. Except one. “We have a small conference room on the second floor. It’s private.”
With a strange expression on his face, he nods and gathers his books. “Lead the way.”
I head up the back stairs to the room in the corner. Taking a ring of keys out of my pocket, I unlock it and open it wide. “See. Table. Chairs. Just a room, not a den of iniquity.”
He slowly sits and places his stuff down on the table in front of him.
Following, I pull all my supplies out of my backpack and sit. “Did you bring the cash and your assignments?”
When he says nothing, I raise an eyebrow. “Look, it’s been a very long day. I just want to finish and go home.”
He pulls the money out of his pocket and hands it to me. Then he sifts through the papers on the table and pulls out a single sheet.
Counting it quickly, I stash the hundred and twenty dollars in my backpack and grab the paper. “Ok. Let’s get started. We’ll start with the five main components—motion, force, momentum, levers, and balance—then we’ll move into the planes and axes of the body. Sound good?”
