On His Face - Tabatha Kiss Page 0,24
tab.”
“I appreciate exemplary service when I see it,” he says. I open my mouth, but he talks over me. “Hey, I’ve always said that if you can’t afford to tip well, then you can’t afford to eat out. It’s just a fact.”
“Except this feels less like a tip and more like a handout.”
“It’s payment for services rendered.”
“Thirteen-dollar tab.”
“It’s a gift, then. Put it toward your car.”
I sigh. “Is that why you did this? That dumb vision board?”
“I really don’t think it’s dumb,” he says. “And I enjoy helping my friends. What can I say? It’s my weakness.”
I pause at the word. “Friends?” I ask.
Drew hesitates, his gaze briefly dropping to my mouth. “It’s what we have to be,” he says.
I press my lips together as my stomach twists all over again. “Not acquaintances?”
He looks up again, his face showing as much confusion as I feel. “Hell, I don’t know.” He breathes a laugh. “Honestly, Heidi, last night’s got me all fucked up. With that kiss and what Seth said this morning—”
“You told Seth about it?”
“No,” he says. “He doesn’t know, but he said some things that made me feel… guilty about it. He’s my friend. He’s always been loyal to me, and I should have done the same.”
“So…” I shift on my toes, “you regret it, then?”
“No.” His lips twitch into a smile that disappears just as quickly. “But it can’t happen again, so if I have to make gestures of friendship to you until that sinks in, then that’s what I will do.”
I swallow hard as I look at the money in my hand. “Friendship,” I repeat.
“I enjoy helping my friends,” he says again.
“You certainly do.” I chuckle. “But… come on, you’re a college kid. There’s no way you can afford to be this generous.”
He waves a hand. “Don’t worry about it.”
“You come from a rich family or something like that?”
“Something like that.”
“Must be nice.”
“It can come in handy.” He smiles. “Look, just… keep the money. Just this once. I’ll never do it again, I swear.”
I pinch the bill between my fingers, finally giving into the temptation of possible financial freedom. “Fine,” I say. “I accept it and I thank you for your friendly generosity.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Anyway, I’ll…” I gesture at his abs as I shift back toward the door, “let you get back to this.”
He looks down at himself, proud of his work. “Gotta look good for Thursday.”
“Thursday?” I ask.
“I’m modeling for your class again.”
Oh, dear lord.
“Cool,” I squeak.
“Yeah. Professor Wilson sent me an email asking if I was okay with showing a little skin this time.”
“And… you’re okay with that?”
He shrugs. “Sure.”
“Of course,” I say, jolting as the back of my foot connects with the doorframe. “Why wouldn’t you be? You’re…” I chuckle. “Just look at you.”
His lips curl slightly. “Are you okay with it?”
“Pfft! Duh. Yeah. I’m okay with it. It’s just a little skin, right?”
“Right.”
“Not that it would matter if I wasn’t okay with it,” I say, my tongue feeling heavy in my mouth. “It’s not like I’m… anybody special.”
“Don’t be too sure of that.”
Oh, but I am.
Otherwise…
I pause in the doorway, biting my cheek as unstoppable words crawl up my throat. “Drew, can I ask you something?” I ask.
“Anything,” he says.
“Just out of curiosity. Hypothetically. Last night, if Seth weren’t my brother and I invited you in…”
“I would have gone in,” Drew answers right away. “I’d be all in.”
“Wow,” I whisper. I take a breath and hold it there as blood fills my cheeks. “Okay, then.” I turn into the hallway. “I guess I’ll see you around.”
Drew steps forward. “Heidi…”
“Don’t,” I say, holding up a hand. “This is okay.”
“It is?”
I smile, letting the warm pleasantness of the thought overtake the dreadful parts of it. “Well, we’ve been friends for less than a day and I’m already up a hundred bucks, so…” I shrug. “Yeah, I think it’s a good start.”
Drew laughs. “All right.”
I let my gaze slide down his glistening bare chest again. “See you Thursday,” I say.
“See you Thursday,” he repeats.
I step out into the hallway, then spin back around again. “Now, when you say a little skin, is that, like… above the waist skin or… below?”
Drew raises a brow. “Above,” he says.
“Great!” I say, stepping back again. “I was just checking. Bye.”
I escape down the hall before I get the chance to say anything stupid.
“Your syllabus says you don’t start full figure drawings until October.”
I freeze by the stairs and turn around. Drew stands in his doorway with one arm on the frame