Release Blitz, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway:
Learning Curve by N.R. Walker
Franklin University Series, Book 6
Cobey Green
There I was, moving into the dorms at Franklin U and not into the shared party house I’d lived in my freshman year. Last year had been all about football and parties, not schoolwork. Which was why my grades tanked. Why I was one failed class away from being kicked off the team.
Why I needed to live on campus and find myself a tutor.
Funny that my new roommate just happens to be a tutor. Funny that he’s oblivious to how hot he is. For a smart guy, he’s pretty clueless. Maybe I could tutor him in how to be more outgoing in exchange for help with calculus. I could teach him how to talk to people, how to make new friends. Hell, maybe I could even help him punch his V-card.
Actually, now that I think about it . . . that’s a really good idea.
Vincent Brandt
And there I was, happy to be back at college, happy to be where I was most comfortable. Happy to be starting another school year, happy to start tutoring again so I could earn some money.
And yes, there I was, equal parts excited and dreading to see who my new roommate would be . . . until Cobey Green’s smiling face appeared at the door. A huge football player loved by everyone. Gorgeous, rich, and out of the closet.
Everything I’m not.
It doesn’t help that he’s genuinely a nice guy. It doesn’t help that I make him laugh and we can talk so easily. And it certainly doesn’t help that we start having private tutoring sessions, which end up way more private than I’d ever dare imagine.
I’d ranked top of my class in every subject since the first grade, yet there I was falling stupidly in love with him.
This was going to be a hell of a year. And one very steep learning curve for both of us.
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“So what do those degrees get you?”
“Data scientist. It’s just a fancy term for data analyst.” Kind of.
“Oh. I assumed you were going to say designing rockets at NASA or some shit.”
I found myself smiling at him. I don’t know why I found him so easy to talk to. “Well, I could. But honestly, there isn’t any money in academia or math science. I love math science, actually. But data science is where the money is. Those tech-giants pay big dollars for someone who can understand it. Especially predictive analytics.”
“So, why Franklin University? I thought all real geniuses went to somewhere like MIT or Harvard.”
“Because FU is the only one that offered a full scholarship.” And I had no way to get to the east coast . . .
This surprised him. “Oh, well that’s cool. Hell yeah, that makes sense to come here then.”
“What about you? What’s your major?”
His lip pulled down in one corner and he sighed. “Business. But I’m just here for football. Coach says there’s a good chance I could go pro. If I don’t fail, that is. School was never my strong suit. God, put me on the football field before a classroom any day.”
“Having a business degree would be helpful for you though. I’d imagine pro football players need to know how to manage their finances and endorsements. Or whatever it is football players have.”
He smiled. “Well, if I make the big time, I’m paying someone to do all that shit for me.” He studied me for a second. “You really don’t know football, do you?”
I shook my head. “Not at all.”
“You watched some of our games last year though, right?”
I grimaced. “Uh, no. Sorry.”
Just then, three people walked past. Two girls, one guy. “Hey, Cobey! Good luck on Saturday.”
He gave them his killer smile. “Thanks.”
“What’s on Saturday?” I asked.
“Football.”
“Oh.”
“You should come. It’s a home game. I can’t believe you’ve never watched the Kings play.”
I made a face. “I’ve never actually watched any football before. Of any team. Not even on TV.”
He stared at me as though I’d spoken in tongues, a language so bizarre and foreign, he was momentarily stunned. “Never?”
I shrugged. “Never.”
“Then that settles that. You have to come on Saturday. As my roommate, you’re obligated. It’s a rule.”
“A rule?”
“I’m sure it’s in the FU code of conduct.”
“I’m sure it’s not.”
“Did you have plans for Saturday?”
“Well,” I hesitated. “I was invited to a thing with Rafe, but I wasn’t actually going to go.”
“Rafe? The tutor guy? Is he your . . . are you . . . ?”
It took me a second. He thought Rafe and I were dating. “Oh no. God no, not like that. He’s just a friend.”
“Why weren’t you going to go? If he invited you?”
“It’s what we do. He invites me to stuff, and I don’t go.” I cringed at how that sounded. “I’m not very good with people. Or in crowds, or parties, or even just with one person.”
“You’re doing all right with me.”
“Because you’re easy to talk to. We’ve already established that. And I can honestly say I think I’ve said more words to you today than I have any other person all week.”
“So you just go to class, tutor people, and study. That’s it?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I also sleep, eat, and participate in personal hygiene rituals.”
He laughed. “Personal hygiene is important. As someone who trains and practices in tight Lycra, with a lot of other guys, I can tell you, yes, it is very important.”
I scrunched my nose up. “Gross. But parties aren’t my thing. I tend to avoid group social outings.”
“But you’ll come to the game on Saturday.”
“Uh . . .” That was the definition of a group social outing. I could only presume on a very large scale.
“Excellent.”
“That wasn’t a yes.”
“It’s in the roommate rule book.” Then he leaned in. “If you tell me you honestly struggle with large crowds, I’ll drop it. But if it’s just because you hate people in general, then the rule stands.”
I scowled at him. “I don’t hate all people.”
“Just the ones you have to deal with.”
“Some of them, yes.”
“Then that settles it. You’re coming on Saturday. I’ll get you a pass, so there’ll be no excuses.”
Goddammit.
His grin was a victorious one. The kind he probably wore when they won all their football games.
I’d never had anyone coerce me into a social outing before. Or basically force me to go, even getting me a ticket. I shouldn’t have liked it now. But Cobey was so cute, in a huge jock-football-player kind of way. And he was genuinely a really good guy as well. I liked that he was oblivious to his own popularity.
People in the dining hall still turned to see us. They mostly looked at him, fondly too, like he was some popularity god. Yet he didn’t even notice. He spoke to me, held eye contact with me, laughed with me, like we were the only two in the room.
No one had ever made me feel that special.
“Okay, I’ll go,” I relented, trying not to smile.
His grin widened. “Awesome.”
I should have added a caveat. “As long as I don’t have to talk to anyone.”
His smile faltered. “Not even me?”
“You’ll be busy doing your footballing. I’ll be in the back row of the audience trying to understand what’s going on.”
He laughed. “Footballing. Audience. You crack me up.”
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