“Sure, Will. And for what it’s worth, I think it suits you.”
Will smiled and said, “Thanks. By the way, I have a question.”
“Sure,” Clay said.
“Would it be okay if a friend of mine comes by some nights when I’m working so that we can study together? I’ll still do my job and everything, but since calculus is kicking his butt too, we thought that studying together might help.”
“Of course,” Clay said. “I trust you and know you won’t let things get out of hand.”
“Thanks. He lives in town, and we got to talking today. We’re trying to set up some study times that work around our schedules. He works at the Whale,” Will added, referring to the tavern located down the street.
“What’s his name?” Clay asked.
“Tom Dawson. Why?”
“Twenties, blond, good-looking?”
“Yeah, that’s him.” Will grinned. “Do you know him?”
“I don’t reallyknowhim, but I’ve seen him at the Whale before. He waits tables, and I know he helps out at the bar when they’re slammed.”
“Well, thanks, Clay. I’ll text him and finalize which nights we can study together.”
“Fine. I’m heading out to run a couple of errands, then I’m meeting Finn for dinner. I’ll see you later.” Clay had recently started dating Finn Reynolds, and it looked to Will like the romance was blossoming.
“Enjoy. And don’t forget to use protection.” Will could be such a smart-ass when he wanted to be.
Laughing, Clay shot him a one-fingered salute as he headed out the door.
CHAPTER TWO
Tom
“Hi, Mom,”Tom said as he strode into the kitchen. She was washing dishes, and Tom wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek.
“My, but someone’s in a good mood today,” his mom, Alice, replied in greeting. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”
Tom hadn’t worked at the Whale that day, so he’d stayed at school after his last class to study for a while in the library. “I talked to a guy in my Calculus class today, and we’re gonna set up some times to study together,” Tom told her. “Hopefully, it will help both of us pass that class.”
“I don’t know why you took that in the first place,” Alice said, wiping her hands on the hand towel near the sink. “It seems that all you do is complain about it.”
“You know I’m considering a degree in engineering, and my advisor suggested it.” He sighed. “But who knows, if I don’t do well, I may need to think about switching majors.”
“I know you’ll do fine, Tommy; now wash your hands, then set the table for me, please.”
She pulled a casserole dish out of the oven and set it on a trivet in the middle of the small table in the kitchen’s corner. The only time they ate in the dining room was for holidays, so it had become a catchall space for Tom to do homework and Alice to keep her sewing supplies.
The aroma of the chicken pot pie wafted through the kitchen, and Tom’s stomach grumbled. “Smells delicious, Mom.” He pulled the pitcher of ice tea out of the fridge and saw a bowl of salad there, so he grabbed that as well.
As they tucked into their meal, Alice asked, “So who’s this guy from your Calculus class? Someone you know from another class, or is this somebody new?”
“I’ve seen him around before. Kind of a friend of a friend, but today was the first time I talked to him. His name’s Will. He works over at Bradley House B and B.”
“You’ve got that look on your face, Thomas Dawson. Don’t you go falling for him,” she warned, using his full name so Tom knew how serious she was.
“He’s just a friend. Well, not even that yet. Just a study partner,” Tom protested.
“I bet he’s cute, though, right?”
