The Dating Lesson - Penny Wylder Page 0,3

a show he’s watching which leads to us exchanging stories about family vacations from our childhoods. Through all of these exchanges, I feel like I’m getting to know him better and better. It’s nice that he still likes to talk even after we both come. For most guys that seems to be their only goal. Once they get off, they’re done. He may be a stranger still, but more and more he feels like a real friend. A sexy friend. And the more I get to know him, the more I like him. I find myself thinking about him all the time even when we’re not texting. Eventually it’s time to say goodnight. He has to work early in the morning, and I have early classes. I want to be well rested and prepared for my first day of classes tomorrow.

By the time I put my phone down and change into my pajamas, my eyes feel weighed down by weights. Luckily, after that amazing orgasm, I sleep like a baby.

2

The next morning, Brenna and I go out for coffee at the campus café. It’s six in the morning, an hour before our first classes. As we walk into the coffee shop, quite a few people look over at us. We do make an odd pair.

This morning, Brenna is wearing a short black mini dress, fishnet stockings, and boots. Her hair is dyed black and red and she has piercings in her nose, lips, and eyebrows. Her appearance is a stark contrast compared to my own. I’m the all American girl next door type with my straight blond hair, jeans, tank top, and Vans. We don’t seem to have much in common, but if we are going to be living together, we’re going to have to find some common ground.

“So, a lawyer, huh?” she says as she takes a bite of her poppy seed muffin. Even her coffee is as wild as she is with six shots of espresso and black as night compared to my vanilla latte with extra sweet cream.

“That’s the plan anyway. I’ve been working my whole life to get good grades in school. Valedictorian of junior high, high school, and community college.”

Brenna laughs. “They have a valedictorian for junior high and community college?”

“Yep. I even got the presidential award.” Now it just sounds like I’m bragging, but I’m proud of my accomplishments.

“What about your boyfriend or girlfriend—whatever your preference is—how did they feel about you being such a bookworm?”

“Never really had time for relationships.”

She raises a pierced eyebrow. “So you’re a prude?” she says jokingly.

I can see why it looks that way. Clearly she didn’t realize I had a vibrator inside of me and was about to come while she stood in front of me last night. I’m far from a prude, and if she saw the videos and texts I was sending Leo last night, she would know. But I shrug and let her think what she wants. I don’t need piercings and fishnets to be wild.

“What about you?” I ask. “Any significant other?”

She gives me a coy smile. “I get around. I’m not looking for anything serious. I’ve got enough going on with my course work, and besides, these are my prime years. I’m just trying to have fun. There will be plenty of time to get serious later on.”

We talk about school. I’m surprised to learn she’s a graduate student in biology, focusing on botany. But then she tells me her goal is to own a marijuana dispensary and natural apothecary one day, and it starts to make sense. She’s also taken a couple of classes in the law school, since her future the marijuana business is regulated so tightly, and she needs to have some understanding of the law. We talk a bit about professors and classes. We don’t have much else in common, and yet we get along. I don’t think we’ll ever hang out socially, but at least I don’t feel like we’ll have any conflicts or issues living together. She takes her schoolwork fairly seriously, I guess, and since she’s here on a scholarship, I know she at least had to have the grades and drive to earn that. And she’ll need to keep her grades up if she wants to maintain the scholarship. As long as she doesn’t get in my way, I won’t get in hers.

I look at my watch and realize there are only five minutes until my first class starts.

“Oh my God,” I say, not realizing