Tutored by Allison Whittenberg Read Free Book Online

“Do you want to work or kid around, Hakiam?”
    “Work, I guess,” he mumbled.
    Wendy rolled her shoulders back. She opened up his book. “You haven’t cracked this, have you?”
    “How can you tell, cuz the pages look new?”
    “No, because the book made a cracking sound.”
    He reached in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He ironed the creases out of it and handed it to her.
    “Oh, this is your syllabus. It says you’re supposed to read pages 233 to 267. Have you read 233 to 267?”
    “Nope.”
    “Well then, why don’t you come back when you’ve read 233 to 267.”
    He shrugged. She watched him place the syllabus in the book then close it, knowing that that was the most exercise it had had since it had been in his possession.
    “Do you want to be a teacher? Is that why you volunteer here?” he asked her.
    “No, I’m going to be a doctor.”
    “Why would a good-looking girl like you want to be cooped up in some hospital all day?”
    Was that some kind of mixed-up compliment?
she wondered as she answered his question with a question. “Everyone who works in a hospital is good-looking; don’t you watch
Grey’s Anatomy
?”
    Instead of laughing, he smirked at that. “Bet you have to go to school for a long time to be a doctor.”
    “Yes, that’s correct.”
    “How long?”
    “Four years after you graduate college, then four years of residency, so all together I’ll be tied up for twelve.”
    “Damn. You want to spend all that time in school?”
    “Yes,” she said. “Unlike you, I like opening books.”
    He smirked again, only this time it was a looser expression, less self-conscious.
    He took his book and rose from his seat. He was almost to the stairs when she stopped him. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she said, and pulled out a bright pink gift bag.
    “What’s that?” he asked.
    “I thought this would be nice for that girl that hangs around you getting a contact high. Here.” She held out the bag.
    He walked up to her and looked in. He pulled out the onesie with the strawberries and the ruffles and put it up to his chest. “It doesn’t fit,” he said.
    She grinned. He averted his eyes.
    He took the present and the next thing she heard was his footsteps as he walked down the stairs.
    There was a PC in the corner. She went over to it and checked her e-mails. There was nothing all that important. Two were from Erin. Some e-coupons and newsletters. She heard footsteps again, so she shut down the computer and went back to her table.
    Two tutees in one session? That’s a record
, she thought.
    But as it turned out, she had rearranged herself for nothing. It was only Hakiam. “What do you want?” she asked him.
    He gestured to the bag and said, “You’re all right.”
    She chuckled a little. “You’re welcome.” She always thought it was funny when people had trouble saying simple words like “please” or “thank you.”
    She expected him to depart again, but instead he juststood there with his eyes drilling into her. Suddenly, her creep-alert flag went up.
Why isn’t he leaving? Why are he and his ill-fitting clothes still hanging around?
    “Is there something else you want to say?” she asked.
    He opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again and said, “You want to go out for a cup of coffee?”
    “You mean
coffee
coffee?”
    “Yeah.”
    “You and me?” she asked.
    “Yeah,” he said.
    “You are sure you mean
us
?”
    He nodded.
    “Well,” she began, “my time’s just about up here.”
    She wrapped a scarf about her neck, grabbed her canvas bag, and stood up.
    Then they descended the steep stairs and left the building.

13
    H e had a five on him. He scanned the menu list above the register. There was eggnog latte, peppermint patty hot chocolate, chocolate-covered-cherry cappuccino, and pecan pie coffee. He kept looking and looking for the plain stuff in the hopes that it would be cheaper. Plus, these specialties all came in foreign-language sizes. How