Page 29 of The Assist
“Yeah, just wondering when Tom’s going to start kicking ass.” It’s the first thing I can think of, but she buys it.
“Shh.” Nathan’s shushing is louder than our talking, but I don’t point that out. Guy is serious about movie night, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t grown to love our weekly ritual.
“Want some popcorn?” I lean over the arm of the chair to whisper the question.
She nods, and instead of handing her the popcorn, I lift the armrest and scoot closer so I can place the bowl between us. Nathan shoots a dirty look over his shoulder at the noise from our shuffling, and I kick his chair. “Calm your tits, man.”
The rest of the movie is spent in silence. When Cameron and Tom cross the border into Mexico and the end credits roll, Joel jumps up to turn the lights on and the television off. We have early practice on Monday mornings so we don’t usually waste any time hitting the sack after movie night.
“How many left on the list?” Blair asks Z.
He grins. “Everything he’s done since. I’m watching in order.”
Joel groans. “The early years were the worst.”
“I enjoyedA Few Good MenandRisky Business,” Nathan says.
“AndInterview with a Vampire,” Blair adds. “Jerry Maguire.”
“Girl knows her Tom Cruise.” Z looks positively impressed.
“You wanna cover probability theory one more time?” I’m gonna be tired as hell for six a.m. practice if she says yes but I’m thinking it might be worth it to spend a little more time getting to know her.
“Actually, I’m exhausted, and my brain is mush. I feel good about what we covered today, though. I think I have it.”
We head up the stairs with the guys, and Blair says good night to them all like they’re tight now. In my room, she grabs her things, and I lead her back down and outside. She unlocks her car and places her backpack in the passenger seat. “Thank you for helping me. You really don’t have to keep—”
I cut her off before she says something stupid like I don’t have to keep tutoring her. Of course, I do. It’s the only way I’m going to figure her out, and that’s become as important as my need to see her succeed. “I have weight training in the afternoon tomorrow, but I could meet you at the library say around seven?”
She looks relieved at my offer. “That’d be great. What’s your major anyway?”
I think about giving her my quip about the Final Four being my major. That’s all most people really want to hear about anyway. But the fact that Blair sees beyond my stats makes me want to be honest. “Officially, it’s business, but basketball is the only thing I’ve ever seen for my future.” I could leave it at that, but I don’t. I keep going. “I’ll deal with the real world when the season is over, find some bullshit job if I have to. What about you? What are you going to be when you’re all grown up?”
“Oh, man, I don’t know.” Her eyes light up, and I feel like I’m seeing my first real glimpse of Blair. “I have one more year and then hopefully my MBA. My end goal is to be an influencer, an entrepreneur, a badass female boss. I want to inspire people and work beside others with the same sort of passion.”
She stops rambling and ducks her head as if she’s just realized how much she’s said. “Anyway, something business related, which is why I need an A in statistics. O’Sean is the program coordinator for the accelerated MBA track, so I need him to like me.”
I nod. She’s given it a lot of thought, and I haven’t allowed myself to think about anything beyond March.
“Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it, and you’re a good teacher. Maybe you should consider that when you start your bullshit job search.”
She slides into the car seat, and I close her in. She rolls the window down and tilts her head to look up at me, a playful smile sitting on her lips. “And, for the record, you really do smell nice.”
11
Blair
“Sorry. Training ran late,”Wes apologizes as he takes a seat across from me in the library.
I wave him off. It’s only two minutes past, but I’d been so buried under the newest assignments David shoved off on me I hadn’t even noticed.
“No worries. I was just finishing some homework.”
He grabs the programming book in front of me and flips through it, holding my place with a finger. “You’re taking a computer science class? I thought you were business?”
Shit.
I take the book back and shove it into my backpack. “Most businesses run on computer science.”
