“When do I start?” I rush out.
A smile cracks on her face as she drinks in my reaction. “Oh, I’m so happy to hear that you’re interested.” She claps her hands together. This is the happiest I’ve ever seen her. Which isn’t saying much because she still has that monotone vibe to her.
She starts walking back to sit at her desk. “How about you stay after class on Friday? I could use your help on an upcoming lesson for Monday.”
A cold sweat breaks out on my forehead. Okay, so I won’t be able to drive home on Friday. That should be alright. I guess I could leave Saturday morning—
“And I’ll need youSaturday around…two p.m?”
Oh shit…
I cough slightly, clearing my dry throat. “Um…sorry, the weekend?”
She stops looking at her screen and instead turns to me, lowering her glasses on the bridge of her nose. “I’m going to need you most importantly on the weekends. As the school year ramps up, I’m really going to need your help preparing and getting everything sorted… is this going to be a problem?” She squints.
I shift awkwardly, trying to rack my brain of what I should do.
I’m at school full-time and now I’m stripping away my weekends too? I’ll never be able to travel home to see Tobias until the holidays.
An ache spreads through my body as I think about not seeing his beautiful face.
Fuck. I’m not sure if I can do this.
But this is such a great opportunity. Probably one that’ll never come again.
“Elijah? Should I…ask someone else?” Her eyebrows pinch, eyes fixed on my face.
My body tenses. She’d offer this to another student? No, that can’t happen.
I earned it. I was chosen. It’smine.
I’ll figure the rest out later.
I plaster on a smile and nod my head. “Two p.m. I’ll be here.”
That same smile pulls at her lips and she nods her head. “Perfect.” She answers simply.
Turning back to her computer, she starts typing again, effectively dismissing me without another word.
Making my way out of the auditorium, I try to think about what I just signed up for…and what I just signed away.
16
Tobias
I wish I could say I slept well last night.
I wish I could say that without Elijah being close, my days go by normally and I don’t feel like I’m hanging on by a thread.
But I can’t say that. Because then, I’d be lying.
Not like I don’t already do that enough.
“Tobias! Thank God you’re here,” Yasmin comes running up to me as soon as I open the doors toJude’s Place.“There’s someone on line four that wants to book a party of thirty at seven.”
I walk over to the hostess stand and take a quick glance at the reservations for tonight. “Okay, yeah, that sounds good. Take it.”
Yasmin squints at me. “Are you sure?”
