Chapter Three
Tandy
The nerve of the guy. Calling me prejudice. Maybe…I’m more prone to not liking him because of my past but me saying no had nothing to do with that and everything to do with him barreling into my room uninvited and staring at me the way he did. Yeah, the money is good but is it really worth all the hassle?
And why is he following me, still?!
“You shouldn’t walk by yourself.”
“Across campus? In the morning?”
“I just meant…I’m just concerned about my new friend and tutor.”
I stop walking and turn to address him fully. “We are not friends, and I already told you I’m not taking the job. I know a tutor close by…”
“Look, I don’t want second best. I was told you were the best and that is what I want. I’m not going to be a douchebag and hit on you or try some shit. I’ll keep my hands to myself, do what you tell me, and keep my mouth shut. If it makes you feel better, let’s say we do a trial run. If you still aren’t feeling it in…two weeks, we part ways, and you still keep all the money.”
I try to look for an angle, something he’s trying to pull over on me, but all I find are blue/green eyes that look straight into mine.
“If I say yes,”
I hold my hand up so he doesn’t start celebrating before he hears me out, “I want to make some things clear. There will be no flirting, no leering, no going back to your place, no bringing girls to the sessions that will stare at me with flaming stink eyes, no bullshit, and you keep your hands to yourself.”
“Deal.”
He says it way too fast.
“No bringing your girlfriend over so she can tell me how much of your time I’m asking you to give to this.”
“Don’t have one.”
Oh, spit! He’s a player. A different girl every night. No need to learn their names because they won’t be staying long enough for it to matter.
“And I do not want to walk in and find you balls deep in some girl when I schedule something.”
“Balls deep? Did you really just say ‘balls deep’?”
“Yes. I’m not trying to make you a monk, I just don’t want to see it. Do it on your own time, not mine.”
“You think I’m a man whore, don’t you?”
“I think guys like you only have to crook a finger and you have girls falling all over your dick.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I have to do anything with them.”
I shake my head and turn to start walking again but am pulled up short. “Wait a minute. If you get to lay down rules, don’t I get to make a few of my own?”
“No.”
He gives me a cocked eyebrow and a look that I am sure gets him all kinds of things he wants.
“That’s hardly fair. I’ll respect your rules and time. I think it’s only right that you respect mine. At least hear them out so we can talk them over.”
Damn!
I can’t be a complete ass it turns out. What he says is fair and only right. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
“Okay, fine. Let’s hear them.”
“We eat during every session because you can’t learn on an empty stomach and I burn through a shit ton of energy.”
That seems…fair, I guess.
“I’ll feed you, no need for you to help me and pay for food.”
“No. That’s…”
Not something I want to be beholden to him for.
“Only fair, sweetheart.”
I stiffen at the nickname.
“None of that…Rip.”
“Fine. See how easy that was, talking through it and compromising. You don’t like me always getting the food and I don’t like not being able to call you sweetheart. Next,”
I wait and don’t let my mind linger on why he would want to call me sweetheart so badly. Probably because he calls all his females by that particular nickname, so he doesn’t have to learn their names and now he’s pissed he’s going to have to actually learn my name.
“You come to all the football games for the rest of the season.”
“No.”
“Then you’re going to have to give on one of your rules…Tandy.”
“I don’t…have time…”
“And just like I’m making time for you, you can figure out a way to make time for me.”
“That’s not how this works. I already told you I’m more than ready to walk away and not help you.”
“Come on, you won’t even have to put up with me because I’ll be on the field. You can bring a friend, a relative, a lover, anyone you want to bring with you. I want you to see what I do since I get to see what you do. A show and tell kind of thing. And it is only one night a week…most weeks.”
“Fine.”
Damn him. And me for bending to his whims. “Is that all?”
I can tell right away that the big one he’s been leading up to is about to be lobbed out and I still myself, more than ready to tell this overgrown giant no. A word he isn’t used to hearing, I’m sure.