a ranch style house with a rundown front yard. The driveway was empty except for Callum’s car and as I stepped onto the sidewalk I felt a thrill at the thought of going into this empty house with this boy I barely knew. Then my brain kicked in and I was mad at myself for thinking that way about a guy I was supposed to tutor, who was kind of an asshole anyway.
As if he could read my mind, Callum, standing on the sidewalk waiting, said, “I should have asked you if you felt comfortable coming over here.”
“Not an issue.” Nice and professional .
He shrugged and then turned towards the front door. When he’d unlocked it he stepped back and gestured me in. “After you.”
Walking past him in the doorway I could feel the heat emanating from him and smell him, a mix of laundry detergent and guy’s soap and just him , and man did he smell good. His body was a magnet pulling me toward him. I steeled myself to give nothing of my physical reaction away. I had to get it together around this guy! I focused on the room. It was a medium sized living room with painted cement floors and a comfortable rather worn mix of couches and a recliner. A large flat screen TV hung on one side of the room. It looked like a guy’s den.
“You live here with your dad?”
“Yeh, how did you know?” He looked at me, curious. We were standing in the middle of the living room.
“It doesn’t feel like a woman lives here.” I gestured toward the Wii consoles, the TV, the football on the couch.
He nodded. “Just me and my dad. And not even my dad that much these days as he’s practically shacked up with his girlfriend.” The bitterness was impossible to miss.
“Do you ever see your mom?”
“She died when I was eight.” Holy cow, way to put your foot in it Jenny.
I was mulling that over and feeling sorry for him when he walked over and docked his iPhone, and suddenly the room was filled with the sound of Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt .
He turned back to me. “How about we sit at the kitchen table?” He started to walk away. I stayed where I was.
“You’re not planning to leave that music on, are you?”
He turned around, nonchalant. “I sure am.”
“I certainly can’t concentrate with that playing, and we need to focus.”
“I concentrate better with music.”
“Almost every study has proven otherwise, but perhaps you’re an exception.”
“Oh I’m exceptional aright. And so is this song. You should listen to it.” His voice oozed condescension.
“I like the Johnny Cash cover better. You can go back to listening to Trent emote in an hour. Turn the music off, or I leave.”
I always thought that jaw dropping was just an expression but with great satisfaction I watched as Callum’s fell open at my words. Even if he canceled the lesson and kicked me out of his house it would be worth it to see that look of surprise. Because both my parents and Ben listened to rock, and they were all different ages, I had a pretty good musical playlist in my head, spanning many decades.
“Well this is unexpected.” Callum’s voice was laced with grudging admiration. He turned off the music. Victory!
But I played it cool, shrugging as I said, “Why? Covers are often better than the originals. Look at Alien Ant Farm’s cover of Smooth Criminal.”
He was grinning ear to ear. “You know about music.”
“Oh you wouldn’t believe how much we cheerleaders know about music.”
“Oh?” he cocked his head.
“Yep. Our knowledge is fucking encyclopedic. Now lead me to the kitchen.”
He was laughing hard. “This tutoring thing is going to be more fun than I thought.”
I followed him into the kitchen, which was painted bright yellow and looked as if it had all its original 1950s cabinets. There was a square formica table and four chairs in the center of the room. Callum scooped up that morning’s paper from the table and gestured to a chair while he tossed the paper in a recycling bin next to the sink. I sat down in one
As if he could read my mind, Callum, standing on the sidewalk waiting, said, “I should have asked you if you felt comfortable coming over here.”
“Not an issue.” Nice and professional .
He shrugged and then turned towards the front door. When he’d unlocked it he stepped back and gestured me in. “After you.”
Walking past him in the doorway I could feel the heat emanating from him and smell him, a mix of laundry detergent and guy’s soap and just him , and man did he smell good. His body was a magnet pulling me toward him. I steeled myself to give nothing of my physical reaction away. I had to get it together around this guy! I focused on the room. It was a medium sized living room with painted cement floors and a comfortable rather worn mix of couches and a recliner. A large flat screen TV hung on one side of the room. It looked like a guy’s den.
“You live here with your dad?”
“Yeh, how did you know?” He looked at me, curious. We were standing in the middle of the living room.
“It doesn’t feel like a woman lives here.” I gestured toward the Wii consoles, the TV, the football on the couch.
He nodded. “Just me and my dad. And not even my dad that much these days as he’s practically shacked up with his girlfriend.” The bitterness was impossible to miss.
“Do you ever see your mom?”
“She died when I was eight.” Holy cow, way to put your foot in it Jenny.
I was mulling that over and feeling sorry for him when he walked over and docked his iPhone, and suddenly the room was filled with the sound of Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt .
He turned back to me. “How about we sit at the kitchen table?” He started to walk away. I stayed where I was.
“You’re not planning to leave that music on, are you?”
He turned around, nonchalant. “I sure am.”
“I certainly can’t concentrate with that playing, and we need to focus.”
“I concentrate better with music.”
“Almost every study has proven otherwise, but perhaps you’re an exception.”
“Oh I’m exceptional aright. And so is this song. You should listen to it.” His voice oozed condescension.
“I like the Johnny Cash cover better. You can go back to listening to Trent emote in an hour. Turn the music off, or I leave.”
I always thought that jaw dropping was just an expression but with great satisfaction I watched as Callum’s fell open at my words. Even if he canceled the lesson and kicked me out of his house it would be worth it to see that look of surprise. Because both my parents and Ben listened to rock, and they were all different ages, I had a pretty good musical playlist in my head, spanning many decades.
“Well this is unexpected.” Callum’s voice was laced with grudging admiration. He turned off the music. Victory!
But I played it cool, shrugging as I said, “Why? Covers are often better than the originals. Look at Alien Ant Farm’s cover of Smooth Criminal.”
He was grinning ear to ear. “You know about music.”
“Oh you wouldn’t believe how much we cheerleaders know about music.”
“Oh?” he cocked his head.
“Yep. Our knowledge is fucking encyclopedic. Now lead me to the kitchen.”
He was laughing hard. “This tutoring thing is going to be more fun than I thought.”
I followed him into the kitchen, which was painted bright yellow and looked as if it had all its original 1950s cabinets. There was a square formica table and four chairs in the center of the room. Callum scooped up that morning’s paper from the table and gestured to a chair while he tossed the paper in a recycling bin next to the sink. I sat down in one
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