The Nice Guy (Book 1)

Chapter 9

Ae cursed himself as he twiddled his cell phone in his hands. He knew he shouldn't be playing with the damn phone during Calculus but he was mad as hell at himself. At no time had he asked for Pete's contact information!

Pond kicked Ae's calf and whispered, "Pay attention! You know I need your notes!"

"Shut the fuck up, asshole." Ae forgot to whisper and the Professor walked over and stopped by Ae's desk. 

"Mr. Intouch, do you have a problem with my lecture today? If so, would you care to take over?" The Professor was frowning and was tapping the top of his table with the pointer.

Ae withheld his sigh, he straightened his back and said, very calmly, "No sir, I did not mean to speak aloud. I was trying to organize my thoughts."

"Do it quietly or do not attend my class, Mr. Intouch." With a swift bang on the top of the desk, he turned and proceeded to return to instructing the class in the basics of entry level calculus. 

Ae shot Pond a glare and shook his head. He was never sharing his notes with that asshole again. Once a day, he was in trouble with all the Professors because that prick kept talking. They had all but one class together since they took different options. Every other one was the same because they needed the same entry levels.

Ae sighed again, and glanced at his phone and put it away. He had decided he was going to look for Pete's car once he was finished class later. Football practice had to wait. 

Pete nervously sat next to Tin. "What did you find out about Trump?"

"Do you really want to discuss it here?" Tin waved a hand around the common room in the International Building. Students, especially girls, were watching the two men and gossiping. 

Pete glanced and sighed. Always, where Tin was, there was his fangirls. Why didn't he just choose a girlfriend and get rid of the rest already. Unless, he really was gay? No, Pete didn't think so, he had never had any of those vibes from him and he'd seen Tin date girls and go further.

"Fine, where do you want to talk?" 

Tin laughed, "I think the only safe place is in the car. Yours or mine?"

"Mine," Pete said quickly. "I have to get home to mom. It's been a bit rough since that idiot sent that video clip."

Tin shrugged, it really didn't matter to him. Pete's mother had given him a Mercedes-Benz CLS and while it wasn't the same class as his Porsche Cayenne Hybrid, it still showed status. It was all about status when you played the game. 

For Tin, winning was all that mattered. He liked Pete because Pete was the only person he knew that didn't know or understand that he was simply a chess piece on the game board called life. Tin envied that innocence. He, himself, couldn't remember a time in his life when he was still that innocent and he really hated what he was about to do to Pete's.

They walked slowly to Pete's car, chatting about nothing. Pete inquired about small things, like school projects and family. Tin replied vaguely when he abruptly stopped a few feet from the car.

He turned to face Pete and suddenly said, "I gathered from this report, and the video, you're gay. Is this correct?"

Pete's face blanched. Would Tin now refuse to help him? But he'd had the report for weeks... it wasn't adding up. "Yes... Yes, I am. Does this make a difference?" He stumbled the words out.

Tin placed his hand on Pete's shoulders and leaned in a bit closer. "No, not at all. I have a proposition for you." Turning that hand placement into a partial hug, he guided Pete to his car and took the keys from Pete's lifeless hand. He opened the door and helped him into the driver's seat.

Tin settled into the passenger seat and withdrew an envelope from his briefcase. He then looked at Pete, whose hands were gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles. "Relax, Pete, just listen first." He reached over, and with surprising gentleness for cold-hearted Tin, took the nearest hand and started to rub some warmth into it.

The envelope lay forgotten as Tin began to speak. "I would like you to consider being my boyfriend. Would you please go out with me, Pete?"

Pete's mouth fell open with shock! "Tin! Why are you asking me? You're not gay!"

"You're right, I'm not. But I do like you, Pete. I think we'd be very compatible and if I can be blunt, one ass is as good as another. Just because I've never been with a man doesn't mean I can't be with one." Tin looked at Pete very closely. 

"You are very handsome. I think you're even more handsome than I am." Tin turned and looked out the windscreen. "I'm tired of girls coming at me for my money. You have no interest in me at all. You have your own money. If we dated at least we'd be on equal footing."

Tin looked down and saw the envelope laying in his lap. He held it up and waved it. "So that's my price. One date with me and I'll share the contents of this envelope. I told you, nothing in life is free, Pete."

He looked at Pete's pale face and patted his cheek. "I'll give you some time to think about it. Let me know the answer soon." He swung his impossibly long legs out of the Benz and walked away. 

Pete sat in his car and banged his head on his steering wheel. Why? Why? Why? It felt like he was being blackmailed all over again! He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, those damn tears that his dad and Trump called him pussy over and whoosh! He was sobbing for all he was worth. 

The driver's side door was pulled open and Pete was pulled into a pair of strong arms. As they held him and he tried to hide his tear stained face, Pete hear a dear voice say, "I want to know two things, Pete, but somehow, I know you won't tell me either." 

Yep, Ae had somehow found him yet again when he was unhappy. How did he do that?