Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
I toss my phone back onto my bed. I can’t bother John with this. First of all, he’s probably in class right now, and I don’t want to interrupt him.
Second of all, I don’t want John and Mark to think I’m some kid. I’m aware that they’re both much older than me and more mature. At nineteen, I like to think I’m mature for my age, but if I call John freaking out, he’s going to think I’m a child. It’ll ruin the relationship before it even has a chance to begin.
I need to calm down. Jessica doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She gets good grades because she has a tutor, not because she sleeps with her professors. I know that kind of stuff happens in movies and TV shows, but this is real life. No one is going to give me a better grade in exchange for sexual favors.
But that thinking doesn’t calm me down. Jessica wouldn’t have said it if she didn’t believe it was true. From now on, I’m going to be questioning every grade I get in the class, wondering if I deserved the A or if I got it because I’m sleeping with the professor and the TA.
“Jessica, do you really think I’m going to get A’s from now on?”
I wait for my best friend to answer, but she’s distracted. She’s jumping around our room, freaking out. I’m glad she’s excited. Unfortunately, Jessica has no idea the internal crisis she has just caused me.
Her blonde hair flies behind her as she dances to no music. When she finally looks at me, she laughs.
“Come on, Mari. Stop overthinking and celebrate!”
She grabs her phone and puts some music on. At least now her dancing doesn’t look quite as strange.
Jessica holds out a hand for me to join her.
“Jessica, seriously, about the grade thing…”
Once again, she ignores me. Her hand remains steady until I reluctantly accept it. She pulls me from the bed, sending our study materials flying. So much for getting work done. Hopefully, I can pass my math test tomorrow based on what I already remember.
Jessica and I act like fools, dancing around our room, for a full hour. We would have kept going, but Jessica has a meeting with one of the clubs she’s in. I think this one is for equality on campus, but it’s hard to keep track of all of her different clubs. Jessica has always been a joiner. All of the effort she doesn’t put into schoolwork is put into clubs and extracurricular activities. I think that’s what put her over the edge on her NYU application.
She pulls me in for a tight hug before leaving. “I’m so freaking happy for you, Mari.”
“Yeah, you’ve made that very clear.”
Jessica laughs. “This is going to be great! And don’t worry so much about the grade thing, okay?”
She kisses my cheek, grabs her coat, and leaves our dorm. As soon as she’s gone, I collapse onto my bed.
That went well. In fact, it went even better than expected. I thought Jessica might judge me a little harsher for getting into a relationship with John and Mark. Her excitement has helped me feel like I’m doing the right thing. Or at least something worth doing.
The idea of getting better grades because of my relationship status still weighs on me, though. I don’t want to be treated differently by my professors just because they’ve seen me naked.
But that’s something to be dealt with another time. Right now, I want to give this triad with John and Mark a shot. It might end in disaster, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. They’re both so attractive and fun to be around that I think it’ll be worth the risk.
I pick up my math book from the floor and start back studying. My mind is focused elsewhere, though, so after a minute or two, I toss the book aside and pull out my phone. Jessica seems to know a lot about John, like him being divorced. I may not know her sources, but I have my own.
For the next hour, I go down a rabbit hole of Google searches. There’s not a lot of information on the web about the guys, but what I do find makes me want them more.
I’m making the right choice here. Dating John and Mark is a new experience I need to have. It won’t be easy, and keeping it a secret is going to suck; however, I know this is what I want. Nothing can stop me from giving it a try.
Next week can’t come soon enough. I’m ready to dive in head first. I just hope the guys know how to swim.
7
John
I pace down the hallway of my large, two-bedroom apartment. I’m rarely this nervous. Something about bringing Mari to my home has me on edge.