Page 4 of Sex Positive
Syeda is the only person Charlie allows to call her by her full name. In this case, it feels warranted.
“I panicked! He was insistent, and his name just popped in my head!”
Sy gives her a dubious look. “First of all, I know you don’t need me to tell you that it’s none of his fucking business who you have or have not slept with. And second of all, Wesley Quinn’s name just happened to pop in your head when you were hooking up with someone else?”
Charlie shushes her, glancing around the entrance to the building where students trickle through the doors to their morning classes. The last thing she needs is Wes finding out what she said.
“Was it his hands?” Sy asks.
“It’s always his hands,” she admits with resignation.
Sy shakes her head, tugging on one of Charlie’s curls with affection. She wore it loose that morning, but she knows it will be back in its usual bun by the afternoon.
“Those goddamn lacrosse players and their hands.”
“But it’s fine.” Charlie waves her off. “It’s over, and I can move on to the next one.”
“You have to volunteer with him later today, right?”
Charlie shoots her a glare. “Must you twist the knife further?”
Sy grins before she stands from the bench. “Just remember we hate him.”
Charlie rises, following her through the doors. Sy’s first class of the day—a neuroscience lab—is in the same building, a fact Charlie was thrilled to discover when they compared schedules at the beginning of the semester. They’ve spent dozens of mornings walking to class together, debriefing over Charlie’s failed experiments or gossiping over the latest Greek Life drama. “Obviously.”
They pause outside Charlie’s class on the first floor. “Wine andLove Islandtonight?”
“Yes, please. It will be desperately needed after today. I should be home from the clinic around seven.”
Sy grins. “Perfect. Good luck on your exam, babes.”
Charlie waves while Syeda heads to her lab on the second floor. She enters the classroom and settles into her desk, pulling out a pencil and her exam study guide, giving it one last review.
Someone raps their knuckles on her desk.
Startled, she looks up to find Nash grinning down at her.
“You ready for this? I know we didn’t get much studying done last night.”
When he throws her a knowing wink, Charlie pastes a polite smile on her face while her stomach clenches. “I think so.” She doesn’t need to mention that she never needed his help studying.
“Do you want to come over tonight?” he continues.
“Oh.” Charlie glances over his shoulder where their professor stands at the front of the room with their TA, a bundle of exams in each of their arms ready to be passed out. “I have—”
But she’s saved from having to answer by their professor requesting everyone to please find their seats. Relief shoots through her as she shoots him an apologetic smile before he walks away.
When she finishes the exam, she doesn’t wait for him, moving quickly through campus to her next class.
Three
Charlie’s gaze sweepsacross the quiet student union lobby. Sunshine streams through the large windows, dappling the worn laminate floors with light, drawing attention to the fact they haven’t been replaced since the eighties. The large clock hanging on the wall above the fireplace that’s never used ticks closer to two p.m.
Students trickle through the hall, making their way to the café or class or one of the overused, understuffed couches in desperate need of reupholstering, giving her table a noticeably wide berth.
“Free condoms?” She hurries to intercept a nervous-looking freshman, pressing a trio into their palm. “Keep one in your wallet, one in your nightstand, and one on hand for emergencies!”
The student, wide-eyed and baby-faced, promptly drops the package and scurries away. Charlie frowns at the multicolored condoms that always remind her of flat discs of hard candy.
