Chapter 41: Studying With a Catch

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Studying With a Catch

About an hour into studying, Jackson interrupted me for the sixth time. I’d started counting after the third, mostly because I wanted to know how much of my evening I was going to lose to questions that had absolutely nothing to do with Professor Thompson’s material.

"Have you been to her place?"

I put my pen down and looked at him. "Can you focus for more than five minutes?"

Jackson leaned back in his chair, looking completely unbothered. "Do you want me to answer that honestly, cause I can. I really can."

Before I could reply, Nicole walked in from the kitchen.

"Dinner’s ready," she said. "Do you guys want to eat now, or should I give you a little more time?"

Jackson immediately pushed his chair back and stood up. "I’ll help you serve it, Professor Collins."

Nicole smiled. "It’s fine. I can handle it."

"Are you sure, Professor Collins? I really don’t mind helping."

"It’s really fine, Jackson. I’ve got it."

"But really, I can help—"

"Jackson," I called out.

He looked over at me. "Huh?"

"Sit."

He gestured toward Nicole with both hands. "But she’s our professor. It kinda feels wrong to just sit here while she does everyth—"

"Sit. Down."

Jackson hesitated, looking like he still had something to say, before slowly sitting back down.

Nicole covered a smile with her hand and turned toward the kitchen.

I closed my textbook and slipped it into my bag. "You’re making this harder than it needs to be."

He looked at me for a moment, then closed his textbook and slipped it into his bag. "I’m just trying to be respectful."

"You’re trying to impress her."

"That too."

I shook my head, zipped my bag, and dropped it beside my chair. Jackson did the same.

A moment later, Nicole walked back in from the kitchen carrying a large tray with three plates of chicken Alfredo, along with two smaller plates of garlic bread and a side salad.

She set everything down on the table, making sure each of us had a plate before stepping back.

"Thank you very much, Professor Collins," Jackson said immediately, sitting up a little straighter.

Nicole smiled. "You’re welcome."

She pulled out the chair beside me and sat down.

It took me a second to notice how she’d arranged the plates.

Jackson had his own plate of chicken Alfredo, garlic bread, and side salad. Nicole and I each had a plate of Alfredo, but there was only one plate with two pieces of garlic bread and one plate of salad between us.

I looked at the arrangement, then at Nicole.

She tilted her head with a small smile, looking at me like she had no idea what she’d done. Her eyes, however, were practically shining with mischief.

She mouthed, ’What?’

I shook my head. "Nothing. Thanks."

Her smile widened as she picked up her fork and started eating.

Jackson immediately took a bite of his Alfredo, and the moment he tasted it, he looked genuinely surprised.

"This is amazing," he said without thinking.

He froze for a second, then looked at Nicole. "Sorry, Professor Collins, I... it slipped out."

Nicole smiled. "It’s not an issue." She looked back down at her plate and continued eating. "You can treat me like a friend, Jackson," she added. "You’re Nathan’s best friend, after all."

Jackson blinked at her, looking like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with that.

I smirked and kept eating.

Nicole looked at me. "Do you like it?"

I looked straight at Jackson, still chewing, then I nodded. "This is amazing."

Nicole let out a short laugh, apparently getting the message. Jackson gave me a brief glare before glancing at Nicole and smiling.

—

Dinner went on without much trouble after that, although Jackson seemed to have discovered a new hobby in complimenting Nicole’s cooking while trying not to sound too enthusiastic about it. Nicole took it in stride, occasionally teasing him when he got too formal, while I enjoyed my food and let him deal with the consequences of his own behavior.

When we were finished, I picked up my plate and started gathering the others. Jackson stood up to help, but Nicole was already getting out of her chair.

"I’ve got it," she said, reaching for the tray. "You two go back to your studying. I’ll take care of everything here."

"I can at least help with the plates," I said.

She gave me a look that suggested she’d already decided how this was going to go.

I looked at her for a moment, then let go of the tray. There wasn’t much point arguing when she had that look on her face, especially when I knew she’d probably find a way to do it herself regardless of what I said.

Jackson and I returned to our seats while Nicole carried the dishes into the kitchen. He waited until she was out of sight before glancing toward the doorway and letting out a long breath, his shoulders relaxing as though he’d just made it through something considerably more stressful than a study session.

"Okay, now I get your point," Jackson said.

I looked up at him, already reaching for my bag and unzipping it. "Huh?"

He glanced toward the kitchen again, making sure Nicole was still out of sight before looking back at me. "I thought you were exaggerating when you said the professor thing made it complicated." He lowered his voice a little. "I don’t even know how I’m supposed to act around her."

I pulled out my notebook and smirked. "You’ll get used to it."

Jackson stared at me, still looking visibly troubled, as though my answer had done absolutely nothing to reassure him.

I looked up from my bag. "Books."

"Right," he muttered, reaching for his own bag.

We pulled out our notebooks and got back to studying, although I suspected Jackson’s attention was going to be a little harder to keep on the material tonight.

We’d barely settled into the next problem when Nicole walked back into the living room.

"Do you guys need any help?"

Jackson immediately turned to look at me. He didn’t say a word, but the expression in his eyes was clear enough. He was practically begging me to say no.

I smirked. "Actually, we kinda do."

Nicole smiled and walked over to us, pulling out the chair beside mine. She sat down close enough that our shoulders nearly touched, then leaned toward my textbook to look at the problem we’d been working on. Her hand settled on my forearm as she reached across me to turn the page, and I shifted the book slightly so she could see it better.

"Becker’s material?" she asked, scanning the page.

"Yeah," I replied. "We’re trying to make sense of this part."

She studied the equations for a moment, her fingers resting lightly against my arm as she followed the working with her eyes.

I glanced at her. "You call him by his first name?"

Jackson turned toward me with an expression that suggested I’d asked the stupidest question imaginable. "Come on, Nathan. Even if he’s way older than her, they’re still both professors."

Nicole went quiet.

It wasn’t a long pause, but it was enough to make Jackson look at her, apparently wondering if he’d said something wrong. I looked at her too, catching the faintly puzzled expression on her face.

"He’s only four years older than me," she finally said.

Jackson blinked.

I blinked too, mostly because I’d never given much thought to Professor Thompson’s age. "Wait. He’s thirty-two?"

Nicole nodded. "Thirty-two."

Jackson stared at her for another second before shaking his head. "I thought he was, like... sixty."

Nicole let out a small laugh, leaning back in her chair. "I suppose his lectures do make it feel like he’s been around for several centuries."

I snorted before I could stop myself.

Jackson let out a laugh, shaking his head. "That’s exactly what I said."

I laughed along with him, and even Nicole joined in, smiling as she watched us. By the time we’d settled down, Jackson was looking at her with a different kind of expression, one that was a little less intimidated than before.

"You know, Professor Collins, you’re actually pretty cool." He paused, then quickly added, "Not that I thought you weren’t cool before now. I didn’t. You can ask Nathan."

I smirked. "It’s true. He said you’re really hot."

Nicole glanced at me, immediately catching on to what I was doing, before turning back to Jackson with a playful smile. She leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand. "Well, now I’m curious. Just how hot do you think I am?"

Jackson’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. For a moment, he looked like he was desperately searching for a response that wouldn’t get him into trouble.

"I, uh..." He cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "I meant that you’re a very good professor."

That did it. Nicole burst out laughing, and I couldn’t hold mine back either. Jackson looked between us, his expression slowly turning into one of betrayal as he realized we’d teamed up against him and he’d just been played.

He pointed at me. "You’re supposed to be my best friend."

"I am," I said, still laughing. "That’s why I’m helping you make a good impression."

Nicole laughed harder, covering her mouth with one hand while shaking her head. "I’m sorry, Jackson. I promise I won’t hold it against you."

Jackson groaned and pulled his textbook closer, opening it as though he’d suddenly remembered why we’d gathered here in the first place. Nicole laughed again, and I followed suit as Jackson buried himself in the material.