Truthfully, I felt really comfortable around him now. I wasn’t scared of any consequences. I could mess around with him, and I could talk about something serious too. He was a good listener, and he was actually pretty wise for his young age. When he spoke, he didn’t sound pretentious or like a know-it-all. He spoke from experience, and I was grateful for any advice that he gave me.
Just as I slipped my tank top on, I heard a knock on my door. My heart nearly leaped up in my throat as I looked toward the door. Even if I was comfortable around him, I still felt nervous energy whenever I saw him. I still wanted to make a good impression, even if I had nothing to prove. I figured that would go away with time, but who knew how long this would last? I hoped that it would last a while. Maybe what we had would deepen, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. He could get with anyone he wanted, which meant that he could drop me in an instant. I didn’t want that to happen, but I couldn’t control what he did.
I walked over to my door and opened it, revealing Tyler in black pants and a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. At that moment, I wanted to jump on him, but I merely smiled and motioned for him to come inside.
“Didn’t have anything better to do tonight?” I asked him, flashing him a teasing look. I was glad that he asked to hang out tonight. I certainly didn’t expect this.
I had planned to spend the whole night working on my section of the business plan. Hannah and Nick had their own sections to develop. I believed that we were getting close to what the business plan needed to look like. At least I hoped that we were. We didn’t have that much time left until the end of the semester, so the clock was ticking. If we could just pass, I would be happy at this point. I was so ready to graduate. Balancing school, work, a social life, and a good sleep schedule was incredibly difficult.
“You’re the one spending your night on homework,” Tyler smirked as he followed me inside. His eyes swept over my apartment, a distant smile crossing his lips.
“I know it’s tiny. Nothing compared to your penthouse,” I laughed as I turned to watch him look around. It was a cute apartment, but I could run through every room in less than thirty seconds. I couldn’t wait to make more money so that I could afford a bigger space.
“Reminds me of my college apartment. Just without the foggy windows and squeaky floorboards,” Tyler replied as he moved to sit down on my couch. He placed his arm over the back of the couch, motioning to the spot next to him.
I smiled and sat next to him, feeling his arm move around my shoulders. I automatically leaned into his side, feeling my heart thud heavily. He still made my heart skip. I had a feeling that wouldn’t go away for a while.
“Sounds like a charming place,” I said. It was nice to know that he came from humble places. He knew my world and his own world. That probably kept him from being stuck up like so many other rich people. A lot of them let the money go to their heads. If I ever reached their level of success, I hoped that wouldn’t change me.
“You have no idea,” Tyler replied, grinning slightly. “So, how’s your business plan coming along?”
“It’s good. It can still use some work, but it’s coming along,” I told him, glad that he asked. I wouldn’t mind having his eyes on it again in case I missed something. He had way more experience when it came to business plans than I did.
“Let me see if you’re on the right path,” Tyler said, nodding his head.
I flashed him a grateful look before jumping to my feet and running to grab my laptop. I sat back down and showed him my document.
“You can tear it apart. I’d rather you be honest,” I told him. This was his free pass to be a little harsh on me. If he lied to me and told me that it was fine, I wouldn’t learn anything, and that wouldn’t help me at all.
“If I’m anything, it’s honest,” Tyler said before reading over the work that I had done on the business plan.
I waited quietly, chewing on the inside of my cheek nervously. When I thought I did something well, sometimes it ended up not being good at all. It was a blow to my ego, which I was just managing to beef up.
“This is good. You’re on the right track,” Tyler finally said as he nodded. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”