“You’re lucky,” I say, changing the subject to Dennis’s tutoring. “Your tutor will go over your papers and shit. Even the best writers need editors.”
“That’s true. It will be nice to have an extra set of eyes on my papers. Still, I’m not sure I need a tutor for that. I could just join a study group with the other kids in my class.”
“Exactly. Maybe after a week or two, we can convince Coach this isn’t necessary.”
“Here’s to hoping. I’m not sure I want to commit to an hour of my week sitting next to a stranger. Unless my tutor is hot. Then I might sign up for extra sessions.”
We approach the academic services building, which is where the tutoring center is located. I’ve never entered this building before. Thankfully, there are signs telling us where to go.
“Are you ready for this?” Dennis asks me.
I’m not, but I nod my head. It’s dead, so there’s no one for us to hide from. The last thing I need are rumors saying the football team is getting tutoring. We’d never live it down.
“Hi! Welcome to the Academic Tutoring Center. You must be Dennis and Carter. Your coach called about you. He actually called a little while ago to ask me to let him know you showed up. He seems to think you two might flake out on tutoring.”
I laugh nervously. “We wouldn’t do that.”
The guy chuckles. “I don’t believe you, but I’m glad you’re here. I’m Ben and I’m the supervisor for the tutoring center. I take care of scheduling and stuff.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Carter, and this is Dennis.”
Ben shakes hands with both of us. The tutoring center is a lot nicer than I expected if I’m being honest. There’s a big desk when you first walk in, which is where Ben is situated. There are a few chairs and tables around. It seems like a waiting area more than a space for tutoring. The rest of the room is broken into what appear to be offices.
“Thank you for coming in, Carter and Dennis. We’re happy to have you. Our tutoring center is state of the art and we like to think it’s the best in the country. We do things differently than most schools. For example, all of our sessions are completely private. Our tutors get their own offices where you’ll work. We also have a computer lab and other resources you can use, even when you’re not in for a session. I can show you where those are if you’d like.”
“I appreciate that, Ben, but I have to admit we’re only here because we have no choice. Coach will bench us if we don’t comply with his tutoring order. We won’t be needing any of your other services.”
“No worries. Plenty of our students are here because of coach or teacher recommendations. If you do decide to take us up on the computer lab or other resources, you can come in any time.”
“Sounds great,” Dennis says. “It seems like a great place for students who actually need it.”
Ben grins. “It is. Now, can I have you each fill out this form? It’s for bookkeeping purposes. We have to document you for safety, but also because our funding depends on the number of students using our services. We ask that you show your student ID when you arrive, and also sign in and out on this sheet.”
The guy hands us each a clip board with a single page. It asks basic information like our name, address, student ID number, and what we’re in for. I fill it out quickly and hand it back to Ben. Dennis does the same.
“Great, thank you both. Dennis, let me take you to your tutor first. I like to make personal introductions. Carter, you can wait here for just a minute. The couches are really comfortable, if you want to sit.”
I stay standing as Ben and Dennis head for an office on the far side of the room. Ben must be a year or two older than us. He looks like a grad student. He’s got the thick rimmed glasses and loafers that scream hipster, so I’d guess he’s an English major.
It’s not good of me to assume things like that. No one looking at me would guess I’m at the top of my class, at least among the Engineering majors. My look screams brainless football player. I guess I play it up a lot by wearing my jersey everywhere I go. It doesn’t hurt to be a football player. I’m not always recognizable without my jersey, but with it on, I tend to get a few perks. I’ve gotten plenty of free shit over the last few years.
Maybe having it on today will help get me out of this tutoring session. At the very least, it might help me sweet talk the tutor – male or female – into filling out my form without trying to help me with shit.
“Alright! Sorry for the wait. You’re going to be working with our best math tutor. She has taken the class you’re in, so she’s going to be a great resource for you. Ready to meet her?”
Why is Ben clapping his hands together like he’s nervous? I’m the one about to go into the tutoring session from Hell. I bet this girl is going to be condescending as shit. That’s my big issue. I don’t want someone talking down to me and making me feel stupid when I can’t figure out a problem. I’d rather teach myself how to get the answer than deal with that.
Despite my reservations, I follow Ben to the closest office. The door is closed, but I can see a young woman about my age sitting inside.
Ben knocks on the door. “Trina, your appointment is here.”
She opens up and grins at Ben. Trina is beautiful. She has curly brown hair pulled back into a pony tail. Her curves go on for days. I wouldn’t mind looking at her for an hour every week. Then, she looks over me, and her face falls. She scowls and turns her angry eyes on Ben.
“Can we talk in the waiting room?” she says to Ben. Trina doesn’t look at me again. She brushes by and Ben shoots me a glance before chasing after her.
Well, that’s not exactly the welcome I was expecting from my new tutor. I’m not sure what Trina’s issue is with me, but she did not seem happy to see me at her door. I don’t think I’ve ever met this woman. What could I have possibly done to her?
I try to make out what she and Ben are saying but they’re just far enough away and speaking in whispered tones. Oh well. They can work it out. Since I need this tutoring session to stay on the active roster for the football team, I settle into the seat across from Trina’s and take out my book.
It’s not like I wanted her help, anyway. I’d much rather be here alone.
Even though my tutor is pretty damn hot.
Chapter 3
Trina
I’m pissed.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this angry in my entire life. I had one request when I started tutoring as a sophomore. No football players. Grace had no problem sending all the football guys elsewhere. Ben told me he’d keep it up. Apparently, that was a lie.
“What the hell, Ben?” I whisper yell. “You promised me no football players. I happen to know he’s the quarterback.”
“I know, Trina, but…”
“Is this why you said he was a special tutoring student? If you’d told me his name, I would’ve told you to go to Hell before he arrived. What am I supposed to do now? I’m not tutoring him. You’ll have to give him to someone else.”
“Trina, don’t be…”
“It was my one request! I’ll tutor literally anyone else. Even the creepy, gropey guys. I’ll deal with them. But not football players.”
Ben sighs. He looks so hot when he does it, I almost forget he’s currently the bane of my existence. I shouldn’t have such a wicked crush on this guy. Especially when he wants me to tutor a football player of all people.
Yet, I do. Even with this blemish on his record, I still know Ben is the perfect guy for me. We’re going to end up together. We have to.
“You’re coming around to the idea?” Ben asks hopefully. He’s taking my silence and flushed cheeks as compliance.
“Absolutely not. Someone else can tutor that asshole.”
“I don’t get why you hate football players so much.”
“It doesn’t matter. Just find him another tutor and get him the hell out of my office.”
“I’m sorry, Trina, but I can’t.”
“What do yo
u mean you can’t? There are eight other math tutors. Someone else can help him. He’s probably in algebra or some shit. You could tutor him.”
Ben laughs. “You overestimate my math abilities.”
“No, I just know a guy like that can’t be in anything more difficult than seventh grade level math. I’m sure you’ll handle it until someone else is free. I’m going to get coffee. Text me when it’s safe to return to my office.”
“Trina, don’t be dramatic. You’re not going anywhere. And it’s rude of you to assume Carter is in a low-level math class.”
I roll my eyes. “Please. It’s not rude when it’s the truth.”
“Well, I know for a fact it isn’t the truth. He’s here for a 3000-level class.”
My jaw drops. “You can’t be serious. How did he get into a class like that? Are you sure he’s not lying?”
“His coach set up the appointment.”
“Still…”
“Come on, Trina. I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t need you to do it. You’re the only tutor we have on staff who is capable of helping with that level of math.”
“Sammy is really good!”
“She never took this course. You did last year. That’s why it has to be you.”
I sigh. Ben has backed me into a corner here. There’s no way I’m getting out of it. Hard as I try, Ben needs me to do this.
Then something occurs to me. Tutoring isn’t the only resource on campus.
“Why can’t Carter go see his professor? They have office hours for this reason. He doesn’t need my help.”
“His coach says he needs to get tutoring. There’s a form for you to fill out after every session and everything.”
“Seriously? That’s ridiculous.”
“I know, but it is what it is, Trina. I’m really sorry.”
“You could have at least warned me.”
“You would have quit.”
I laugh. “I wouldn’t have quit. I might have run off, though.”
“Exactly. I don’t know what you have against football players, but just treat him like every other student you tutor. That won’t be too hard, right?”
Ben’s positivity is almost contagious. Almost.
I’m still pissed at him. He knows how I feel about football players, even if he doesn’t know why. No one does. It’s none of their business. All Ben, and anyone else, needs to know is that I refuse to associate with anyone on the football team. It’s not that hard to comply. I’ve made it through so far.
Ben had to go and ruin that.
He clasps his hands in front of his chin, like he’s begging.
“Please, Trina, say you’ll do this and won’t be mad at me.”
“I’ll do it, but I’m still mad at you.”
He pouts. “What will it take to get you to forgive me?”
“How about a coffee for starters? I’m going to need caffeine to get through this.”
“Done. I could use one myself. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Why don’t you go get things started with Carter and I’ll deliver your coffee to your office?”
“You’re just saying that because I won’t leave if there’s a promise of coffee if I stay.”
Ben grins. “I know how you feel about coffee.”
If I wasn’t still mad, I might think Ben was flirting with me. It feels like we’re getting more flirtatious with every passing day. If only that translated into him caring about my feelings. If he did, he wouldn’t have made me an appointment with a football player.
The worst part is, the football player in my office right now is the very one who started my anti-football campaign.
It wasn’t only him. He may have been the first, but he wasn’t the last. It started when we were freshman and shared a class. Carter sat next to me and made a rude comment I never want to rehash.
I shiver remembering that moment. It was the first month of our freshman year. Some football players spend their freshman year as red shirts so they can play in college for five years. Not Carter, though. He was so good, when he got to UConn, they put him right on the team. He only gets four years, but it doesn’t matter. He’ll probably be drafted in the spring.
Since he didn’t go through the red shirt phase of football, Carter is extra cocky. I think that’s why he made the comment toward me when we were freshman. He figured no one would yell at him.
He figured right. I was a baby back then. Today, if someone said the same thing to me, I’d stand up to them and tell them to fuck off. As a freshman, I ran to the bathroom and cried until class was over. We didn’t have assigned seats, so the next time class met, I moved to a different part of the classroom. The students who usually sat there were annoyed because even when there aren’t assigned seats, there are still kind of assigned seats. I didn’t care. All I wanted was to be far away from Carter.
I was weary of football players after that. Then one got too handsy at a party and only stopped when a hockey guy pushed him off me. Another spilled beer all over me and didn’t apologize. The list goes on. It took me until the end of freshman year to write them off completely. I’ve never met a football player who wasn’t a total asshole.
Our team has never even been that good, so I don’t get why they’re all pretentious. It doesn’t matter. I am not going to let Carter ruin my day or my last semester as a tutor.
If I have to be his tutor, then I’ll be his tutor. He’s not getting any extra excitement out of me. I’m usually happy to help students because it’s what I want to do in life. Teaching is my favorite thing in the world.
I suppose when I’m a professor, I’ll have to teach football players occasionally. I won’t automatically get the upper level calculus and applied mathematics courses I want to teach. I’ll have to work my way up, and that means algebra and geometry and basic math. The kinds of classes that usually attract sports guys who don’t want to work too hard.
This weekly session with Carter will be good practice. I can’t have a bias towards football players as a professor. I’d get fired.
I grin and march towards my office with a new resolve. This is going to suck, but it had to happen eventually. I should apologize to Ben for getting so mad at him. His faux pas may end up helping me in the long run.
I just have to get through the next few months.
Carter is sitting at my desk with his textbook open, writing problems in his notebook. At least he had the intelligence to sit on the correct side. My anger would have returned immediately if he sat in my chair.
“Sorry about that, Carter. I’m Trina Garrett.”
I hold out my hand to shake his. “Carter Jenkins. It’s nice to meet you.”
My jaw nearly drops. Of course, Carter doesn’t remember that we shared a classroom freshman year. Why would he? The moment that devastated me meant nothing to him. I’m the idiot for thinking that when you hurt someone that badly, you remember it.
“Right. Yeah. Nice to meet you.”
Carter gives me an odd look. For a second, I think he’s going to remember me, but he shakes his head and gets back to work.
I don’t like feeling dismissed. Carter is not about to sit in my office doing homework when I’m supposed to be tutoring him.
“So, Carter, I hear you’re taking the 3000-level partial differential equations course. What is your major?”
“Civil Engineering,” he answers without looking up from his book.
I take my seat at my desk and furrow my brow.
“Sorry, then why are you taking this class? It’s not a requirement for your major. You only had to take elementary differential equations.”
Carter blows out a breath. “I like math. This is an elective.”
I hate that I’m impressed. I wasn’t expecting Carter to be in an actual math class. Watching him, he’s doing pretty well with the problems in front of him. He’s not faking this level of math.
He pauses on one problem. I took this class last year so I know how difficult it can be, especially because the professo
r is terrible at teaching. My class had a study group on Tuesday nights where I and one other student retaught the class in a way that made sense. That’s the only way everyone managed to pass.
“That’s great. Math is my favorite subject. I enjoyed the partial differential equations class when I took it. What areas are you struggling in?”
“I’m not struggling.”
Carter is still staring at the same problem.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but if you don’t need my help, why are you here?”
“Coach made me come.”
I stare at him as he starts solving the equation. I notice he has two of the steps reversed, so his solution will be incorrect.
“You should actually…”
Carter’s head shoots up. “Listen, Trina, this is how it’s going to go. I’m going to do my homework and you can do whatever the hell you want. At the end of each session, you’ll fill out my form so Coach sees I’m trying. If I need help, I’ll ask. Got it?”
I stare at him, my jaw nearly on the floor. This is the Carter that made me hate football players as a freshman.
I’m not going to let him speak to me this way again.
Chapter 4
Carter
I cringe at my own words. I’m never this harsh with people. A lot of people say I give off this ‘holier than thou’ vibe but I’m not an asshole. I’m actually pretty introverted most of the time. I pretend to be extroverted since it’s what everyone expects of me.
I have no idea where this version of me came from. Trina doesn’t deserve my wrath.
“I’m…” I begin.
Trina shuts me down.
“Listen, Carter, I didn’t ask you to come here. You showed up in my office. You don’t get to talk to me like that.”
“Trina, I…”
“I don’t want to see you in my office, but it appears neither of us have a choice. If you speak to me that way again, I will report your behavior to Ben and to your coach. Do you understand me?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been such a dick.”
Jock Blocked: An Enemies to Lovers Sports Romance Page 2
