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“Eden! Holy shit that’s incredible!” I’ve never seen him smile so wide. His green eyes glimmer through the screen. “I’m so proud of you!” My whole-body flushes with heat when he says that. “See! Told you we— “

“Proud of you, Eden!” A masculine voice interrupts Oliver’s, and suddenly Ben’s head pops into frame, nudging Oliver’s aside.

“Yeah, alright mate. Leave us alone and go back to your punching bag.”

And that’s when it clicks. The sweat, the not-wearing-a-shirt thing. The way he pants slightly, his tongue darting out to wet his lips.

“Are you working out?”

He throws his head back as he laughs, revealing the long columns of his neck. I want to lick it.

Jesus, girl. Chill out.

“Yeah. Ben’s hardcore into preseason training at the moment and I’m getting dragged along to his gym sessions. Because he’s too embarrassed to go alone!” His voice rises in volume with the last part, and Ben responds by throwing a boxing glove at Oliver’s head. Oliver throws it back, and it turns into an all-out war between the two boys. A giggle rises in my throat.

“Okay, then. I’ll leave you two to it!”

“I’m proud of you!” Oliver repeats, and his words send a tingling sensation across my skin. Ben takes advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration to attack, and Oliver receives a sweaty gym towel to the face.

I’m still laughing by the time I hang up, just slightly distracted by seeing Oliver all red-faced and sweaty. Dangerous combination. Gemma inches closer to my face, and I refuse to give her the satisfaction of looking at her.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” I glare.

“You know…” She wiggles an eyebrow.

“I don’t. Okay. So, leave it alone.”

“I’ve just never seen a student so torn up by the idea that her tutor might have a girlfriend.”

“I don’t— “ I pause, blowing air out of my nose. “I wouldn’t care if he had a girlfriend. I felt bad for interrupting, that’s all.”

Gemma gives me that knowing look that she knows I hate. “Okay. But I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk about it.”

* * *

“Did you see the post about the university event?” Gemma’s voice pulls me out of my study. Over the first few weeks of term, she’s gotten into a bad habit of coming into my room to do homework with me, which doesn’t bother me too much. Except for the way she interrupts me every five minutes to tell me something.

“The what?”

“The university event. They’re holding a 1920’s ball this weekend. Glitz, glamour, and champagne,” she reads from the online post. “Annoying that they couldn’t come up with some other drink beginning with ‘G’. Grey Goose, Galliano, Guinness…”

“And this is relevant because?” I ask the question even though I know exactly where this is going. Last time I went out with Gemma as a little first year it ended up with me puking into a street bin as a police officer held my hair back. Not my proudest moment. Probably not the police officer’s proudest moment either.

“Well,” Gemma starts. She slides up next to me as I sit at my desk and spins my chair around to face her, leaning on the arm rests. “This is the perfect chance to make a move.”

“A move on who?” I glare at her over my glasses, crossing my arms.

“Oliver, dumbass. Invite him out, get a few drinks in him. Have some fun!”

“I’m not going to seduce my tutor by getting him drunk. There’s more ethical ways than that.”

“Ah, but you do want to seduce him?” The size of Gemma’s grin worries me. “Please, dear Eden, do enlighten me on how exactly you plan to ethically seduce this man?”

I push her hands off my chair. “I’m not seducing him.”

“That’s not what you said before.”