Not as Intended (Zan POV)

Showering off after the workout, Tess was in an ill mood.

Had I been too cavalier asking about Wyatt? I thought I was in the green, but something was wrong between us. I could feel it. The air between us was clear when I picked Tess up this morning, so it must’ve been something I said (or something Tess thought) during the course of the workout.

“Hey, Tess,” I said, calling out into the shower stall next to mine, “you okay?”

“Yeah. Why?” she asked.

I picked my words with care. “You know I was just joking about Wyatt, right?”

“Yeah.” But there was a pause.

I knew it.

“Tess, he’s your boyfriend,” I assured her. “Even if he wasn’t, I’ve known the guy since high school. If I was after him, don’t you think I’d have snapped him up then? Dude’s way too serious for me. I like a guy who knows when to switch off.”

Another pause. “Really?” Tess asked, hope in her voice.

“Really. I promise."

She let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. And… I’m sorry. Guess I’m one of those overprotective girlfriends, huh.”

I laughed. “I mean come on. You’re still in the honeymoon phase, like you give the poor guy any time to think of anyone else. I’m glad you guys are happy, but go easy on him, okay?”

Tess said she would, and like that, things were right as rain between us.

It wasn’t till after I’d dropped Tess back off at her place that I let out a sigh of relief.

Despite the blue hair and spandex shorts, Tess was still the same precious, trusting girl she’d always been. And I planned on keeping her that way.

But the reality was that no matter what happened, whether he dated Tess or not, Wyatt was always going to be my best friend.

Sure, I spent more time with Tess. I knew her better. We even had more fun together. But where it counted, Wyatt and I had more of the important things in common.

We were the same age, in the same year of college (even if we went to different ones). We’d gone through the same sort of mentoring friendship with Tess - keeping her out of trouble, helping her get through the crap that had been tough for us. And we were both savvy. In the crowd, but never a part of the crowd. We moved to our own rhythm.

Tess didn’t get that about us. It wasn’t in her nature.

Sure, I hadn’t seen Wyatt in years, but thinking about him now made me smile. I knew he was dating Tessa, and I knew what I was thinking was wrong, but I did my due diligence. I practically threw myself at men trying to move my fixation elsewhere.

But every time I worked out with Tess, she’d talk about Wyatt, and it reminded me how I wasn’t clicking with the men around town. I was more of a city girl. Boys - intellectual, nerdy boys - were more my speed, and they were far more common at my university, hours away by airplane.

It might as well have been on the dark side of the moon. They weren’t here, I was. So was Wyatt.

In an isolated environment like this, it was only natural my feelings would change. That our relationship would evolve. I’d always felt safe with Wyatt, hadn’t I? And there was nobody I would’ve rather had my first time with.

First time… with what, I wasn’t quite sure, but I’d had that thought a lot lately. Wyatt definitely wasn’t my first time in bed. The captain of the chess club had that distinction. But in some other, important way, I was glad my first time was with him.

Whatever it meant, I couldn’t shake the feeling, nor the others like it. But my hunch was that it’d make sense when I saw him again.

Though… with Tess’s suspicious of my motives, I had to be sure she never found out.

I needed an excuse to meet Wyatt, but I’d think of one. Who knows? Maybe he was studying up for a big exam next year? I had a hunch about that too, though I’d have to ask him about it. Either way, I’d love to participate in Wyatt’s tests. Maybe he was into roleplay? Like… sciencey roleplay? You know, assuming the chemistry between us wasn't just all in my head.

It would be weird, and kinky, but if the price was right… $40 was more than enough compensation to let Wyatt make me into his little test subject.

Man I needed to get laid. What was with me lately and the kinky test subject fantasy I'd been dreaming up? Working out was doing wonders for my confidence, but it was sending my libido into overdrive. One-night stands just weren't cutting it anymore.

Lucky for me, I had a hunch about that too. But I absolutely had to meet with Wyatt - and the sooner, the better.