Page 67 of Tutor With Benefits

“I’m glad you’re the one who’s asking that and not him,” I say. “Because I was hoping that you were the plans. I just didn’t ask you about it yet so I couldn’t exactly tell him that’s what I was doing if you were doing something else.”

“Well, as it turns out, I’m free all weekend, and I happen to know my roommates are, too. What do you say to grabbing some shit at your place and coming over for the whole thing?” he asks.

“You mean you want me to come over for the entire weekend?” I repeat. “Not going back to my place at all?”

“What’s wrong, do you need someone to feed the goldfish?” he asks with another smirk.

“As if I have one,” I say. “But you know, I have considered it more than once in my life. So you’re going to feel really stupid when the day comes that you’re the one who has to stop by my place and make sure you feed the fish.”

“If you name it after me, I don’t care what I have to do to it,” he says. He pulls out his phone. “Sending a text to the guys to tell them you’re coming over for the weekend, and to pick us up at your place so you have time to grab some things. Sound good?”

“Since you just hit send I think it has to sound good.” I giggle. “Unless you’re going to make me walk.”

“Or you could get an Uber. I don’t know, I’m easygoing,” he replies with a shrug.

“Yeah, okay.” I roll my eyes. Zach isn’t easygoing by any means in my book, but I do enjoy the way he’s over here flirting with me right now. I’m also glad Johnny already left and isn’t witnessing the way we’re talking to each other, but I’m not going to say that to Zach.

There’s a level at which I feel like I need to keep some things to myself. I don’t want to spill my guts to the guys and have them not want to keep doing what we’re doing because of the fact that I might still be interested in Johnny, but at the same time, I don’t want to tell them I am with Johnny for real now because I’m not sure that he really is the guy I want to be with.

Dating is a lot more complicated than I expected it to be, and right now I’m trying to do my best to take Anna’s words to heart and just do things the way that makes me happy right now and figure the rest out later. I know she’s not ever worried about who she’s with when. She just dates and when she realizes she wants out, she breaks up. When she finds a guy she likes, she stays.

I’m not gutsy enough to do that myself yet, so right now I’m just going to play it cool and see how it pans out for me.

Zach and I continue to chat on our way over to my dorm, and when we get inside, I head straight for the closet and grab a few things to shove into my backpack.

“It feels like a million years ago the first time the three of us came in here to get you to show us how to do the chemistry thing the right way,” he says with a shake of his head.

“I know,” I agree. “I was so nervous. Then we all kissed and I felt like the biggest idiot ever.”

“You did wonderful,” he says. “And you know, you’ve come so far with that, I’m pretty sure you’re the best kisser I have ever kissed.”

“Okay, Romeo,” I tell him. “You know by telling me that you’re really just telling yourself that you did a good job teaching me, right?”

“Is there something wrong with that?” he asks.

“No, but still. I don’t know if I can take the compliment from you if you’re the one who taught me how to do it,” I argue.

“Except that there are those who never turn into good kissers,” he says. “There are those who try and try and you just never get to the point where they’re pleasant to kiss. There is a level of technique to it that you have to practice. And you have.”

“Well, thank you then,” I tell him, my cheeks flushing scarlet as I do.

He gives me his usual smirk, and we head outside.

Cory and Taylor are already waiting outside in the car, and both Zach and I slide into the backseat.

“Isn’t this a great surprise,” Cory says. “I didn’t know if we were going to get the chance to see you at all this weekend, and now you’re coming over for the whole damn thing.”

“Chose us over her boyfriend,” Zach announces, and I slap him on the shoulder once more.

“Do you have to be so mean about him?” I ask.

“You like it,” he tells me.

“I think I just like you so I put up with it,” I reply.

“Whatever works, it works,” he says with a shrug.

We head back to the apartment, and as we head inside, I ask, “What’s for dinner?”

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