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“Shit,” I muttered.
There was a pop-up reminder on my phone about a test that I had tomorrow morning, in my Neurobiology course. I’d completely spaced it.
“What’s wrong?”
Tension built in my chest. I felt hot with shame, like I was already in trouble even though nothing had happened yet.
“I—I have a test tomorrow.”
Charlie was casual. “A test you’re going to rock? Like you rock all of them, Mr. Straight-A Student?”
My blood felt hot. I couldn’t even smile at Charlie’s compliment. “I’ve never forgotten a test before,” I said. “Not even back in high school.”
He looked back at me and his expression rapidly changed. He realized that this was something very serious to me. “Is it a major exam?”
I shook my head, looking back at the reminder for another moment before locking my phone and setting it down on the desk. “Not a midterm or anything, but it’ll be ten percent of my grade, at least.”
“I see.”
“Fuck. Okay. I can cram after the event tonight. I’ll just pull another all-nighter—”
“Hey. No,” Charlie said, reaching out to touch my arm lightly. “Forget the meet and greet, Jax. It’s just a dumb photo op event. If you need to study, then you study, right now. You should head back to campus.”
I exhaled, meeting his eyes. He looked genuinely concerned, but I was still deeply embarrassed.
“I’m never like this,” I whispered. “I’ve been so distracted—”
“And that’s completely my fault,” Charlie interjected. My heart broke looking at the guilt in his soulful eyes.
“It isn’t your fault at all,” I corrected him. “I just need to study. My books are here with me, actually, in my car. I told you, I can just cram for it after the event.”
Charlie rubbed his chin, clearly formulating some plan. Suddenly he turned, moving a couple of stacks of paperwork on his desk, clearing a spot in the middle of it.
“Take my office,” he said, resolute. “I’ll toss on my lighter grey shirt. Fuck it. I’ll fix my hair, and be out of here. You can close the door, pop on some headphones, and study at my desk.”
“I won’t be in your way?”
“I need to meet with Kim soon, anyway. This office was going to be empty. It’s all yours.”
“Okay,” I said, nodding.
“When the event starts, I’ll schmooze and charm the executives. If they ask where my boyfriend is, I’ll make up some romantic excuse. He’s at my house tending to my rose garden, or some shit.”
I puffed out a laugh, a wave of relief finally hitting me. “God. Thank you so much, Charlie.”
A glimmer of hope started to form in my mind.
Maybe I could do it. If I started now, I had plenty of time to review the material tonight. But some part of me still felt selfish, coming all this way specifically for Charlie’s event, and then not being able to be out there in the lobby with him.
“I feel awful,” I admitted. “I was supposed to be here for you tonight. Maybe if the studying goes well, I can join for the second half of the event?”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t even think about that. If you finish, feel free to put on your fancy clothes and join me, but your test is priority number one. Now go grab your books and start studying, or I’ll be the one who gets you in trouble.”
A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. “If I hadn’t just come, that would turn me the fuck on, you know.”
“I know.”
I took his hand, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his lips. I kissed him softly, and it was maybe the sweetest kiss I’d ever had, with anyone.
I’d just needed a proper way to thank him. And since I was pretty sure he’d puke if I told him I had any real feelings for him, there was no better way to show my appreciation than a kiss.
“Get to work,” he murmured as he pulled back.
“Thanks, boyfriend,” I told him, trying to hide how much I was enjoying calling him that.
9
CHARLIE
The clinking of champagne glasses filled the air, ringing out over the soft jazz music that had been playing all night.
“To the Fixer Brothers!” Kim said at the front of the lobby, raising her glass. She’d just given a short speech to the crowd about how fun it had been creating the show with us, and she’d even tossed in a few compliments about us. We were a couple of hours into the event now, and so far it had been going pretty much as I’d expected—strange and superficial, but very interesting, kind of like a circus full of rich, elegantly dressed people from Hollywood.
“Who knew she liked us so much?” Nathan muttered close to my ear. “She said we have magnetic star power. I always kind of thought Kim saw us as nobodies.”
