Page 9 of Good Girl

“Is this part of your changed outlook that you prattled on about when it came to keeping your job?” Samuel asked.

“No.” I grinned. “That was just the right smattering of bullshit to persuade the dean I was a changed man and that alcohol would never pass my lips again. I’m just saying not all students are assholes.”

“Oh, no,” Samuel groaned.

“Derek, what have you done?” Matt’s brow dipped.

“Nothing.” I dropped my pizza and raised both hands, palms up. “There’s just this... beautiful woman in my class, that’s all.”

“Derek!” They both rolled their eyes, and Matt shook his head.

“Students are off limits,” Samuel scolded. “Especially to you and your kinky deviancy.”

“You wound me,” I gasped with faux hurt. “I know students are off limits, but that doesn’t stop me from daydreaming now, does it?”

“No, I suppose not,” Samuel agreed, “but you can’t go there. Admire from afar and keep your dick in your pants.”

“You gotta keep your nose clean, remember?” Matt lifted one brow and then flicked one of his removed mushrooms in my direction. “They’ll be sniffing so far up your ass that the second you make even ahintof a wrong move, you’ll be done for.”

“And we can’t give Paul that kind of satisfaction,” Samuel declared.

“I know, I know.” I offered them both the strongest smile I could manage. “I swear I will not do or say anything to any beautiful women who could get me into trouble, okay?”

“No beautifulstudents,” Matt prompted, and I groaned.

“No beautiful students,” I repeated.

They were right, I knew they were. Anything with a student was off limits, but even as I made that promise, Charlotte wouldn’t leave my thoughts.

And I could do whatever I wanted to her in the privacy of my own mind.

5

CHARLOTTE

“What about this?” Haley stood in front of me holding up a pink and white floral mini dress. It was definitely cute, but like every other piece of clothing Haley had suggested to me, there was just one thing wrong with it.

“Not my size,” I said for what felt like the tenth time that day. Even glancing at the rack, I could see the largest size they offered on such a small dress wasn’t anywhere near what would be a comfortable fit for me. Haley rolled her eyes and shoved the dress back onto the rack, then turned on her heel and strode up the aisle.

“Can’t we go somewhere else?” I called to her, but she ignored me. Instead, she started to play with the end of her ponytail and study her phone.

Fuck.

I had asked Haley to help me shop for some moreup-to-dateclothes since I had spent the past week looking online for a new wardrobe and come up empty. My sense of style didn’t seem to match what was in fashion these days, and since Haley always looked good, it had made sense that she could help me pick out some new clothes. What I hadn’t bargained on was Haley only bringing me to stores that dressed people who were paper thin.

I was definitely not one of those people.

Frustration rose, and I turned back to the rack filled with summer dresses, but nothing jumped out as something that wasme.I liked flowy skirts and loose blouses because they were light and didn’t restrict or further enhance anything I wanted to keep hidden. Everything in this store was designed for pancake flat stomachs and small breasts. I had neither of these.

“Haley,” I tried again, glancing over my shoulder. “Isn’t there anywhere else we could go?”

“You mean like the thrift store?” Haley started laughing, but when she saw I didn’t share her humor, she quickly sobered up. “Okay, I’m sorry. Look, we’ll find you something. We’re just in the wrong section.”

Haley braced one hand on my shoulder and leaned up onto her tiptoes to get a better look at the store over the rack. Spotting something, she dropped back down and patted my arm with a smile.

“Come on.”

Haley led me through the store to the section at the back, and what frustration I carried slowly began to melt away as I recognized the bigger sizes on the racks. Maybe there was hope.

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