Chapter 17
Bailey
I watched dice tumble on a YouTube video and checked the calc formula written in my notebook. It took my eyes a minute to focus. At first glance, these formulas always looked like a foreign language I couldn’t understand.
I listened to the instructor on video, breaking down each component, walking me through finding the derivative of a function defined by an integral.
It wasn’t easy, but the dice game helped me connect the abstract concepts to real strategies for game play, and I’d always been a competitive guy.
Things were starting to click. I just needed to—
“There you are.” Owen dropped a large box onto the student rec table, where I was catching up on homework before class. “Answer your texts, man.”
I hit Pause on the video. “Sorry. Kinda busy right now.”
Owen tapped the box. “Well, you’re about to get busier. Got the nitrous oxide injector kit for the car.”
I flipped my notebook shut. “About time, man. I thought you found another mechanic.”
He chuckled. “We both know another mechanic would charge me triple what you will because you like the work too damn much. You get off on it.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t like it that much. I prefer to get off on my boyfriend.”
His eyes flared with surprise, but he just laughed. “Whatever revs your motor, man. Just get it done. The next race is the weekend after next. I need time to test-drive it.”
“Have I let you down yet?”
“No,” Owen said. “Better keep it that way.”
I smirked. “Or what? You gonna try to kick my ass again?”
“Don’t tempt me,” he said dryly. “Just fucking deliver so we can keep being besties.”
“Wanna braid my hair?”
He stood, flipping me the bird. “Help me win the race, and I’ll braid your hair while you suck my dick, if that’s what you want.”
“Thanks, but you’re not really my type.”
He gave me a shit-eating grin as he scooped up the box. “Don’t lie. I’m everybody’s type.”
He swaggered off like god’s gift to men. Total egomaniac, that one. I wouldn’t touch his dick if he paid me, even if I wasn’t hooking up with a real man.
His car, though. That was another story.
I picked up my backpack and shoved in my notebook.
In my head, I was already doing a different kind of math.
Flynn was coming up this weekend, so that was out.
I refused to give up time with him when it was so limited.
But I was also trying to attend calc more regularly since Professor Stratford had called me out.
I could head over to the storage unit tonight, though, and get a good start on it.
Finish it up on Tuesday or Wednesday. Owen would have a couple of days to test it out.
It would mean less study time for ethics, but hell, it wasn’t like my brain would hold that boring-ass material in it even if I read all night.
My phone alarm went off, warning me that it was time to get my ass to class. I headed out of the rec center, head full of plans for how I’d install the kit. I’d never done one, but I’d read up on it, and now my brain was mapping out the steps I would take.
I made it to class, but I zoned out for most of it, only snapping to attention when Iris nudged me.
“Where’s your head today?” she asked. “I was asking if you wanted to catch a movie tonight. There’s an indie fest downtown.”
I shook my head, too eager to get over to the storage unit. “Can’t. Got plans.”
She waggled her brows. “Who’s the lucky guy?”
I smirked. I had a lucky guy now. How cool was that? But he wasn’t the reason I was turning down her invitation.
“Nah, just a project to work on.”
Professor Stratford finally put us out of our misery, but not before assigning additional practice homework.
“Jesus, it never stops,” Iris muttered, but I noticed her exchange a hot look with Kady.
“How’s tutoring going?” I teased as I packed up my stuff. “I hope Kady is teaching you some calc along with all the flirting.”
Iris huffed. “Well, you rejected me, so I had no choice but to turn to someone else.”
“Sorry, babe, but Kady’s the better offer.”
Iris reluctantly smiled. “Yeah, she’s pretty cool once you get to know her.”
“And how well are you getting to know her?”
She shoved my arm, and for a small woman, she packed a wallop. I staggered to the left, knocking into a desk with my hip.
“Stop choosing violence!” I exclaimed.
Iris laughed. “Sorry, Bailey. You’re too easy.”
I held my breath as we passed by the professor’s desk, willing him not to call me out again. He didn’t even look up as we joined the stream of students walking out the door and down the hall.
Once we were outside, Iris poked me in the ribs.
I flinched away. “Seriously?”
“You’re such a baby.” She smirked. “Tell me who the guy is.”
“I told you, I’m just working on a project.”
“Uh-huh. And that project makes you blush all pretty-like?”
I rolled my eyes, but I could feel my face heating and giving me away. “Okay, maybe there’s a guy, too. But I’m not seeing him tonight.”
“You have to get that coffee with me now,” she insisted. “I need details.”
I hesitated. I wanted to get over to the storage unit, but I hadn’t been able to tell anyone about Flynn, and suddenly, I felt as if I might burst if I didn’t share this monumental news.
“Fine,” I said. “One coffee.”
Iris grinned and grabbed my arm, dragging me down the sidewalk. “Start talking.”
“His name is Flynn,” I blurted. “He works with my brothers at the auto shop. He’s superhot, and I—”
“Wait. Flynn? Isn’t that the guy you ran into at the coffee shop a few weeks ago?”
Oh, right. Iris had been there the first time I saw him in town with his brother. My memory of Flynn was so bright that it overwhelmed the smaller details of that encounter.
“Yeah, that’s him,” I said, grinning. “He was visiting his brother.”
“I knew you were hot for him,” Iris said with relish. “You kept denying it, but it was so obvious.”
“Okay, whatever. I didn’t think anything would happen.”
She jostled my arm. “But it did. Tell me all the dirty details.”
I laughed. “No way.”
“Fine, some censored details, then. Come on. You know you want to spill the tea.”
I did. I really did. So as we made our way to grab the coffee, I told her everything—almost—about how we got together.
Iris shook her head when I was done. “Boys are so dumb. You got punched in the face just to get his attention.”
“It wasn’t exactly like that.”
She shrugged. “Sounds that way to me.”
I snorted. Well, she wasn’t all wrong. I did pull out all the stops to impress Flynn that night, and as a result, I was a little less delicate with CJ’s ego than I could have been. I’d seen how angry he was getting. I could have dialed it down a notch, but, well… Flynn was finally watching me.
“Worth it,” I said.
While we drank coffee, Iris updated me on her relationship with Kady. “It’s strictly professional,” she said so many times I was sure it really wasn’t.
“Maybe you should try getting punched in the face in front of her,” I joked.
She snorted coffee out of her nose from laughing so hard. “Yeah, no. If I want to impress Kady, I’ll ace the next quiz.”
“Ooh, what do you earn for an A?” I teased.
She kicked my foot. “Get out of here. Go work on your very important project that’s not sexting the shit out of your man.”
“It’s really not.” I cocked my head. “Solid plan, though. I wonder if I can convince Seb to go out tonight?”
“Who says he has to leave? He can enjoy the show.”
“Funny,” I said dryly. “But I don’t want to traumatize my straight roommate.”
She grinned evilly. “Maybe it’ll be eye-opening for him. You never know.”
I left Iris and her shit-stirring behind to head over to the storage unit. I wouldn’t put on a show for Seb, even if he was into it, but she’d got me thinking about Flynn, about how we hadn’t fully explored the ways we could enjoy each other from afar.
And I did have the storage unit all to myself. Why not have a little fun once I’d gotten some work done?
I let myself into the unit with a code Owen had given me. The nitrous oxide box was sitting on a workbench, so I got to work unboxing and sorting parts.
Time got away from me as I worked, and I didn’t stop for a break until well past dinnertime. I stretched tight muscles from standing bent over too long and hefted myself up onto the trunk of the car.
Iris’s naughty little idea popped back into my head, and I pulled out my phone to video call Flynn. Forget sexting. If I was gonna do this, I wanted to see the man.
It rang three times, and disappointment crashed through me. Damn. Was he not going to answer?
The call finally connected, displaying a shirtless, damp Flynn on the screen.
“Sorry, was in the shower,” he said, a little breathless.
My dick went rigid in my sweatpants. I dropped a hand down to cup myself. “That’s too bad.”
“Oh? Uh, why?”
“I’m just going to get you all dirty again.”
His breath caught. “How will you do that? You’re still on campus, right?”
I panned the phone camera around. “Working on a guy’s car. Got the place to myself tonight, and I’m missing you.”
“I miss you too,” he said with an honesty that made my heart skip.
I moved the camera back to my face. “Um, I was thinking…we could…miss each other a little less on camera. If you get what I’m saying?”
He stared at me blankly. Then the penny seemed to drop. His lips parted. “Oh.”
“I mean, only if you want,” I said, suddenly shy. How did people do this shit without feeling awkward as hell?
“Yeah.” Flynn’s voice was a little hoarse. He cleared his throat. “Yes. I always want to be closer to you, however I can.”
I swallowed, mouth going dry. “Good, so…”
“I have a head start.” He gestured to his bare chest. “Why don’t you lose the shirt?”
I set the phone aside and pulled my shirt over my head, tossing it onto the car trunk beside me. The air in the storage unit was chilly, and I shivered a little as goose bumps rose on my flesh and my nipples tightened into hard points.
I raised the phone, panning it over my torso. “Good?”