The Dating Tutor: Alec's Story (3 page)

Alec flinched at the question. He’d applied to Boston College, one of the top hockey colleges in the nation but had yet to hear back on whether he’d been accepted or not. It was an agonizing wait, one he was trying his hardest not to linger on. “Not yet.” He snatched up his own water bottle and took a long swig. “Only been four weeks, though. Doesn’t mean anything.” Knowing his friend was also gunning for a hockey college, Alec arched a brow. “How about you? You make any decisions yet?”

Matt shrugged. “I still haven’t made an official verdict. I was thinking of going to Michigan, but Boston ain’t bad either.” He grinned wickedly. “Though I know why Boston holds such appeal to you, and it ain’t because of hockey.”

“You do?” Alec arched a brow at that, his expression perplexed.

“Didn’t that cute neighbor of yours get her acceptance letter for the law program at Boston College?”

Alec frowned at that. “Well…yeah…she did.” He hadn’t ever really thought about it. He’d been drawn to Boston because it was a renowned hockey college, but he wouldn’t lie that it would be nice to stay in personal touch with Ellie. “Boston’s a good school,” he said in his defense.

“And the girl next door looks good in her undies,” Matt teased.

Alec reared back at the accusation. “It’s not like that.
We’re
not like that. We’re just friends.”

Laughing, Matt skated back out to the middle of the ice. “Whatever. I’m just saying that the two of you spend an awful lot of time together.”

Alec flipped the goalie mask up into the crook of his arm. “You’re looking too much into nothing. I assure you. Let’s just play some hockey.” He plopped the mask down over his face. It would muffle any further conversation. He hoped Matt would take the hint and drop the entire subject. He disliked the way his friend felt the need to overanalyze his friendship with Ellie. He wasn’t the first guy in history to have a female friend. Nor would he be the last.

Luckily, his diversion seemed to work, because Matt began impatiently tapping at the puck with his stick. “Well come on, superstar goalie. Let’s see what you got.”

Alec made his way over to the goal and placed himself in front of the net. He was happy to lose himself in the simple pleasure of sport. Worries about college and unlikely girlfriends and uncertain futures could wait.

*
* * *

“English has to be the worst subject on the planet,” Alec said with a frustrated sigh as he dropped his schoolbook to Ellie’s desk. He spun around to sit backwards in the chair, signaling that he was finished with the inconvenience of studying.

Ellie grinned over at him from her spot on the bed where she sat flipping through her history book. “You said that about algebra yesterday.”

This was true, but he refused to acknowledge the accusation. “I just don’t understand why we would ever need to conjugate verbs in the real world.”

Giggling, she pounded her chest much like a gorilla. “Me Alec. Super jock. Me no need English.”

Lifting a rubber band from the desktop, he sent it flying in her direction. “Sometimes I wonder why I hang out with you.”

She squealed as the rubber band bounced off the side of her head. “Because you need me to help you pass English,” she provoked as she whipped a pillow at him.

Alec easily caught it. “You throw like a girl.”

Ellie opened her mouth to retort when her cell phone chimed, signaling a text message. She snatched it up and glanced down at the display. As soon as she did, her face paled. “It’s Jake.”

“What does it say?”

“Saturday,” she said as if in a trance. “He wants to go out Saturday.”

“Cool,” he said with a bob of his head.

“So Saturday it is.”

Her head was bent over her phone, and she was tapping out a reply before her words sank in. The instant he realized what she was doing, he hollered his disapproval to get her to cease texting. “Like hell you’re going out with him Saturday! Put the phone down!”

She dropped the phone to the bed with a startled expression, her green eyes going wide. “I’m not going out with him Saturday?”

“Of course not. That’s only a few days away. Saying yes to his first suggestion makes you look desperate.” He personally was more inclined to blow off plans with an over-accommodating girl, as he knew they’d be willing to reschedule. He didn’t want to see Ellie treated this way. “Tell him you have plans Saturday.”

“But I don’t have plans.”

“You do now.” Making a rash decision, he said, “You have a date with me.”

“A date with you?” she asked, voice full of incredulity.

He barely managed to hold back his frown at her sputtering laugh. “Yes. A date with me.” Not wanting her to get the wrong idea, he added, “We’re doing a practice run-through of your date with Jake. I’m going to pick apart every mistake you make.”

“Lucky me.”

He glared at the sarcasm in her voice, but she was too busy with her phone to notice.

Once she was done typing out a reply to Jake, she turned the phone in his direction. “Is this good?”

He read the text aloud to himself, judging it as if it was something he’d received from a prospective date. “Sorry. Can’t do Saturday. I have plans with Alec. Is next weekend good for you?” He bobbed his head in approval. “Good. Now add a smiley face at the end.”

She arched a brow. “Why? I’m not smiling.”

He rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Because it’s girly. Guys love that crap.”

Rolling her eyes in return, Ellie tapped the emoticon for a smiley face. “There? Happy?”

He waved this off. It was already out of his mind and he was on to new things. “Okay. I’ve got a real date tomorrow night, so I’d better help prepare you for our fake one tonight. Heaven only knows what you’ll do without a little bit of prep work. I’d like to avoid things starting off as a train wreck.” He motioned toward the closet. “What are you going to wear for me?”

She burst into laughter at this. “Wear for you?”

He nodded, not at all thrilled with her amusement. Dating was no joke. “Yes. Show me what you’ll wear.”

She huffed as if he was requesting something ridiculous, but she slid off the bed and started for her dresser. Halfway there, her phone chirped. Eagerly tugging it out of her pocket, she read the message aloud. “How about next Saturday night?”

She raised her brows at him, and he gave a nod of consent. Ellie quickly typed out her reply, then let out a nervous breath. “I never realized so much…scheming was involved in a simple date.”

They hadn’t even touched the tip of the iceberg on scheming. This was nothing. This was child’s play. “You have no idea.”

She arched a brow at him but didn’t comment. Her attention quickly returned to her phone when it chirped again. She glanced down at the display. “He wants to take me to DeNuzio’s.” Her face screwed up into an expression of disgust. “Isn’t that a seafood place?”

He nodded in confirmation. He was unable to hide his surprise at the establishment choice, but she was too busy with her phone to notice. DeNuzio’s was a classy, expensive restaurant. People their age usually couldn’t afford to eat there.

He was drawn out of his thoughts when she began firmly stating her reply.

“No thank you. Hate seafood.”

He jumped out of his seat and slapped the phone out of her hand before she could hit send.

“Are you insane?” she cried, looking up at him with shocked green eyes.

“Are you?” He picked up her phone and shot her a look of disbelief. “When a guy offers to take you to a classy, not to mention very expensive, restaurant, you say yes.”

“But I don’t like seafood.”

“You do now.”

She opened her mouth as if to protest, but he cut her off, speaking as he typed a reply out for her. “DeNuzio’s sounds lovely. I can’t wait. L-O-L.”

“L-O-L?” Ellie asked, sounding horrified. “Why am I laughing?”

“Because you’re beside yourself with giddiness.” Alec tossed her phone to the bed, his mind already working on the next angle of the date. “This unexpected location means you need to step up your wardrobe. Cute little booty shorts are not going to work in those surroundings.”

“Cute bootie shorts? When have you ever seen me in booty shorts?”

He shrugged, uncomfortable with the mental image of her in short shorts. “I don’t know what all your dating wardrobe includes.”

“My every day wardrobe is pretty much it,” she said in a guilty tone. “I don’t have a dating wardrobe.”

“Really?” he asked in shock. “Nothing?” He couldn’t believe she didn’t own anything sexier than her school attire. He’d thought every girl had a few outfits tucked away that only the luckiest of boys got to see. “So the fanciest thing you own is your church dress?”

“What’s wrong with my church dress?” she asked petulantly.

“Nothing,” he shot back. “My grandmother loves it.”

“Then what’s the probl— Oh.” Her cheeks tinged a soft pink color. “I see.”

He nodded, shooting her a pointed look. “Exactly.” Every girl deserved to own something that made her feel attractive. It was high time his friend spiced up her wardrobe a bit, and he was just the person to help her with that task. Clapping his hands together, he said, “Come on, El. We’re going shopping. It’s time to buy you something sexy.”

Chapter Three

Alec picked critically over women’s lingerie while Ellie pawed through sundresses less than a dozen feet away. He left her to this task and concentrated on his own. He’d seen enough bras in his days to know what he was looking for. He’d come to appreciate each and every type and style, but there was a special bra he was searching for this afternoon.

He finally found it. Flicking over the tags, he discovered one in what he guessed to be the appropriate size, then selected a color of his choosing. He snatched the bra up and crossed to the dress section of the department store.

“Here you go,” he greeted Ellie, holding the hot pink bra out to her. “This is a part of your new dating attire.”

“What is that?” she squeaked, her green eyes going wide.

“This,” he said with what he knew was a cocky smirk, “is called a push-up bra. It’s your friend.”

“I know it’s a bra,” she snapped. “Why are you holding it?”

“Because you’re trying it on.” He held the lacy item up in front of her in an attempt to judge how close his guess had been. “What are you? A 26C?”

“What are
you
, the boob expert?”

Shelly Nicholson would sure claim as much
, he thought with a pleased smirk. Then realizing this was not a piece of information she would probably wish to hear, he simply said, “I am. Now go try it on.” Shoving the bra into her hands, he nudged her toward the dressing room.

“Why do I need a new bra?” she complained. “It’s not as if I intend to let
Jake see it.” Despite her arguing, she stepped into a changing room.

“You need to harness your inner sexy,” Alec informed her from the other side of the door as he waited. “Besides, a push-up bra will make your cleavage look more pronounced.”

“
Cleavage
? I don’t own anything that shows cleavage.”

Well that wouldn’t do. She couldn’t be dating in her school sweaters. Turning to the racks of dresses behind him, it took Alec all of thirty seconds to pick one out that he felt would be flattering on her. It was a simple black sundress with tiny pink flowers that stood out in layers. It was sleeveless with a scooped neckline in the front. The waist was cinched and tiny, the bottom flaring out for a classy, yet alluring look.

Lifting one in her size from the rack, he tossed it over the door of the dressing room and attached the hanger to the top of the door. “You do now.”

Silence answered him. Minutes stretched by without even the slightest ruffle of fabric. He sighed as he realized she was probably frozen in place, staring at the sensual dress as if it was an alien life form.

Well, if she wanted to date a boy like Jake Phillips, she needed to step up her game. She’d never survive the dating world if she didn’t. “Quit stalling and put on the dress.” Silence answered him again, but he heard her moving around in the stall.

He didn’t hear any protests from within the room, so he figured the dress must have been a good choice.  It was a few minutes later before she finally spoke.

“Seventy-five dollars!”

“Beauty isn’t free,” he quickly retorted before she could talk herself out of the purchase.

“I’m not spending—”

“You have the money, El. You hoard it, for what? If anything is worth breaking open your wallet for, it’s this. Live a little.”

She hesitated, and he could just envision her reluctant expression. He knew she wanted to be talked into buying the dress; she just couldn’t admit it to herself yet.

“Get out here and let me see how it looks.” He wanted to see for himself if this dress was worth the price tag. He had a feeling the answer was going to be yes. She was in need of a wardrobe change, and this dress was the perfect place to start.

The door inched open and Ellie took a few tentative steps out toward him. “Well?” she asked, her brow furrowed fretfully.