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He hugged her and kissed her "Nicole, I’m really sorry"

She sed, then nodded "I know you were just reacting Besides, this isn’t a real relationship We have a deal, remember?"

He stared into her blue eyes A deal? Sure, that’s how things had started, but now?

"I’m not in it for the deal," he said "I’m in it for you"

She sniffed "Yeah?"

"Yeah, and I have fifty kids waiting forlike that and take off Typical guy" But she didn’t sound mad anymore

"Come with me?"

She stepped back "I can’t I look terrible"

"You look fine Streaky, but wo with a little, I don’t knoder or so"

She smiled "Okay Give rabbed her arain "I’ot that"

She looked into his eyes and sive-you so silent Because in thathe wanted more

NICOLE BENT OVER the textbook "I don’t like anytoward each other Why does it have to be cars?"

"Sometimes it’s trains," Raoul said

She rolled her eyes "That doesn’ttoward each other Car A is going thirty in a mile apart Where on the one- it is now 2:00 pm?"

Nicole looked at him "Is this a joke?"

"No"

"I was afraid of that"

She picked up the book and flipped back a couple of chapters, hoping to get a hint of hoork the problees until she reached the front cover

"Do you wantat her "Or my books from middle school?"

"Do you want my help?"

"Maybe not"

She handed hi I’e We had a special calculus class Du to our instructor We were mocked by the real calculus students, but I learned to live with that" She stared at the proble to have to convert the uess convert the miles per hour to feet per minute Then write an equation with ives you tiht?"

He picked up his pencil "I’ll let you know"

"If it’s not, I’ve exhausted all e Seriously, after this, we’ll have to discuss the revolutionary war"

Raoul sighed "I’d rather work on uy What do you want to study in college?"

"You mean aside from football?"

"Uh-huh"

"I don’t know I’d like to work in business Advertising"

"Excuses to have expensive lunches with clients?"

He grinned "I’d be good at that"

"Especially if the clients oet into college"

"Is there any doubt?" She pointed at the textbook on the kitchen table "This isn’t durades"

"I guess I et my ride lined up"

"Ah, the football scholarship"

"That’s the only way I’ll ood school"

Because there wasn’t any rants and loans but she understood why Raoul would want a scholarship if one were available

She wanted to say she’d seen hiet a football scholarship, but what did she know?

"What does Coach say?"

"That I’ve got a shot That I should listen to everything they say and then he’ll help es co me"

"You meet with theaotten froton was an application and later a letter of acceptance

"So do they give you gifts?" she asked eagerly

"They’re not supposed to"

"If they offer chocolate, say yes"

He laughed "They don’t offer chocolate It’s football"

"So you’re ht"

"I don’t have the freezer space for that"

"They want to take reat their school is, talk about the progra"

"Sounds like fun"

He picked up his pencil, then put it down "I guess I’m kind of nervous"

"Don’t be You’re the talent, Raoul You’re what they’re looking for You are their reason for living"