“I better get going. It’s late,” Riley said, making a show of checking her watch. It was almost one o’clock. “But thank you for the ride and the drink,” she said as she stood up.
“You’re welcome.” Lauren finished her drink and walked her to the door.
“You can trust me,” Riley said, sensing Lauren’s uneasiness. “I won’t tell anyone about what you just told me.”
“I appreciate that. Thank you.”
“Okay. Good night.” Riley stepped into the hallway, hoping that tonight was the start of something rather than the end of it. Not that she thought she had a chance with Lauren, but after a conversation like that, Lauren could easily shut down and keep things extremely professional from now on.
Riley wanted more of this. More of tonight, of spending time together, chatting, playing cards, and hopefully, Lauren felt like she could trust her with her secret.
“Good night,” Lauren said, and Riley wandered down the hall, slightly buzzed, but happy.
9
Riley took a sip of coffee, glad to have something warm to hold on to as they walked along with dozens of other students coming and going from classes. The temperatures had dipped, and it was finally starting to feel like fall. She was also glad that Nicole was so caught up in her own problems that she hadn’t noticed what was going on with her, because Riley didn’t think she was hiding it well.
“Can you teach me how to play poker, Riley?”
“What?”
“I need to earn a few hundred extra this month. I want to go to New York City and get a head start on getting my resume out there. It’s going to be a stampede. Everyone will be applying for jobs and internships at the same time. I can’t afford to go though. I want to stay for a night or two.”
Riley tried to concentrate on their conversation. She’d drifted off as they crossed the campus, thinking about her conversation with Lauren on Friday night. Riley was on her way to her class now, and this would be the first time they’d seen each other since.
“Riley? Are you okay?”
Riley looked over at Nicole, who was frowning. “Yeah. Yes. Sorry. I can teach you, but it’s not easy money. It takes months and years to put all the pieces together, and even then... Those tournaments I do? There’s still some luck involved. It’s a long term game. I’m a little ahead right now, but I know I’ll lose more than I win. It’s just how it goes.”
Nicole sighed. “I know. Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that what you do is easy. I’m surprised you’re not happier with yourself. You said you finished in eighth place, right?”
“Yeah.” Riley hadn’t even thought about it. So much had happened since then. “I’m getting there. Playing in person is so much harder than sitting in front of a computer.”
“I can’t imagine. Okay, so if I’m not going to make money at the casino, then how am I going to do it?”
“Extra shifts?”
“I know, but I’m just about keeping my shit together as it is.”
“What about tutoring?” Riley asked, adjusting the strap of her messenger bag, the weight of her books starting to dig into her shoulder.
“Math?”
Riley nodded. “Yeah. High school, maybe? I don’t know. There’s that private school on the other side of town. It’s probably pretty normal for those students to get extra lessons.”
“Yeah because I know I wasn’t getting any lessons after school,” Nicole scoffed. “I mean, thankfully, I didn’t need them, but even if I did, there was no way my parents would have been able to afford it.”
“I have no idea what the rates are like, but you could schedule them on the weekends or the evenings that suited you.”
“Yeah, I’ll look into it,” Nicole said. “Thanks, Riley. Have fun with Ms. Harper,” she said with a wink when they went inside, and Riley was ready to head down the hallway to the right.
Riley smiled. She couldn’t help it. “I will,” she joked back. If only Nicole knew that she’d been sitting on Lauren’s sofa on Friday night. Riley wasn’t even sure that she’d tell Nicole that she found out Lauren was gay. Lauren had said she was out, but if she didn’t advertize it, Riley should probably keep her mouth shut.
Riley glanced down at her watch and blew out a breath. If she went into the classroom right now, she’d be at least five minutes early. Did she want those five minutes with Lauren? She could just wait, go to the bathroom, and come back when everyone else would get there. No. She should talk to her. She didn’t want too much time to pass. She wanted Lauren to know that she could trust her, and part of that meant that Riley was going to act normal around her, like nothing had happened.
Riley pulled open the door, but the classroom was empty. She exhaled, relieved and disappointed all at the same time. She took a few steps, debating sitting closer to the front today, when the door opened, and Riley turned to see Lauren standing there in a black pencil skirt and a gray scoop neck top. Riley swallowed and remembered to breathe. She was supposed to be acting normal, but all she could do was stare. Their eyes locked for what felt like minutes but in reality was probably only a second or two.
“Hi,” Lauren said, the door closing behind her as she went over to her desk which Riley was still standing in front of.
“Hey.” Riley knew she should move, take a seat. Everyone else would be coming in any minute.
“I just want to apologize again for the other night. I can’t-”
Riley held up her hand. “Please. You don’t have to apologize. You have nothing to apologize for, I should say. Really.”
“Then why do I feel so bad?” Lauren asked with a lopsided smile.
“I don’t know, but you shouldn’t. I had fun on Friday. Making the final table was great, but I’m glad we got to talk after. It was nice, you know... Seeing you away from here.” Riley knew they didn’t have much longer before they’d be interrupted, and she wanted to put Lauren at ease. “Thanks for inviting me over is what I’m trying to say,” she added with a smile. “Trust me. There’s no hard feelings. Nothing to worry about.”
Lauren nodded. “Okay. Thank you, and for the record, I had a good time, too... I talked to Taylor yesterday, and although I didn’t tell her what I told you, I still apologized for overreacting. It turns out it wasn’t about me at all. I really put my foot in it,” Lauren said with a wry smile.
“So, you two are okay?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
The door pushed open and three students walked in, effectively ending their conversation. Riley took a seat at the back of the room, wondering how exactly she was going to get through this year. Even if nothing happened, having Lauren as this kind of friend, someone she regularly talked to, might kill her. Every time Riley was around her, her heart raced or her palms were sweaty. Maybe she’d get over it the more time she spent with Lauren.
Riley looked down at the two things she’d written down for the entire class. It was hard to take notes when she couldn’t take her eyes off Lauren’s backside. She’d spent a lot of time writing on the whiteboard today, going over a few real-life scenarios and getting suggestions from her students about how to handle them. Thankfully, Lauren never called on her. Riley’s mind was a million miles away, wondering what Lauren would be like as a girlfriend. Would she be the type to take the lead or would she be more relaxed? Would she be quiet in bed or loud?
Riley closed her notebook. Everyone else was packing up their things, and she’d nearly been caught again. She slid her book and notebook into her messenger bag and threw it over her shoulder, but she was still the last one to leave.
“Hey, Riley...”
She turned, not expecting another interaction with Lauren today. “Yeah?”
“Do you want to come over before the tournament on Friday? Have dinner and a few drinks?”
Playing it cool just went out the window, and Riley knew she had a cheesy grin on her face. The other way to cover up her enthusiasm was with some playful banter. “I can see right through you, you know.�
��
Lauren arched an eyebrow. “How do you mean?”
“You’re finally seeing that I’m a threat, and you’re trying to get my off my game before we even get to the casino.”
Lauren laughed. “I swear, I wasn’t even thinking about that.”
“Good, because for all you know, drinking might make me even better.”
“Hmmm. We’ll have to test out that theory then.”
Riley smiled. “What time should I be there?”
“Five? Is that okay?”
“Sure. I have to get going,” Riley said, pointing behind her, towards the door. “I’m across campus for my next lecture.”
“Go ahead.”
“Alright. Bye.” Riley left the room with very little concern about being late for her next class. She had no idea what was going on right now, but after the shitty summer she’d just had, she wasn’t going to question anything good that appeared in her life. She was just going to go with it.
None of this meant that she had any kind of chance with Lauren Harper, and somehow, Riley was okay with that. Of course, she wanted more than friendship, but she loved being around Lauren, and for now, that had to be enough.
10
“Thank you,” Riley said, helping Lauren clear the table. “That was lovely.”
“You’re welcome. I normally would have made a bit more of an effort, but I got home a little later than I would have liked.”
Lauren carried their empty plates into the kitchen and loaded them into the dishwasher. She’d gone with a salad, something quick and easy that she could prepare in just a few minutes, so she still had enough time to get changed and freshen up before Riley had arrived.
“I could live on salad,” Riley said, leaning back against the countertop.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Especially in the summer. When the evenings get shorter and the weather’s a bit cooler, I’ll go back to craving things like soup or stews, but for half the year, I’d be happy eating salad just about every day.”
“More wine?” Lauren asked, a smile on her lips as she played along with Riley’s accusation a few days ago that she was trying to get Riley off her game. Lauren hoped she hid her shock that day, because when Riley said that she was on to her, Lauren thought her attraction to the younger woman was starting to show.
“Sure.”
If Lauren was honest with herself, that was what had really happened with Taylor. She wasn’t so much worried about the past. She was worried about what Taylor was thinking, because somewhere along the way, Lauren had become interested in Riley.
Lauren topped up both their glasses, finishing off the bottle of white wine that she’d started while she’d been preparing the salad. Maybe it was when Riley had been late to her class, and she’d been so flustered when she finally did come into the room. Or it could have been when Lauren had plowed her over outside her building. That hadn’t been ideal, but when Lauren was crouched down beside her, she could have sworn something passed between them.
Lauren didn’t know what had happened last Friday night. She’d been so caught off guard by Taylor’s questions, and then Riley had to overhear them. It had been such a mess, but thankfully, Riley hadn’t been offended. Inviting her here that night might have been stupid, but Lauren had to clear the air, and she thought she had. Things were going well between them now. Too well, maybe, because Lauren kept forgetting that Riley was her student, and that there were boundaries that they had to keep.
“Do you want to sit down for a while?” Lauren asked. “I’ll call a taxi when we’re ready to head to the casino.” She led them into the living room, and now that dinner was out of the way, and she’d had a few drinks, Lauren could appreciate how good Riley looked tonight. She was wearing black skinny jeans and a white dressy tank top with a black blazer over it, her blond hair falling across her shoulders.
“Well, at least you’re keeping up with me,” Riley said with a smile. “This isn’t about getting a competitive edge... Unless, you’re the one who plays better when they’ve had a few drinks?”
“No.” Lauren chuckled. “No. Definitely not. I really shouldn’t be drinking this, but it’s been a stressful week, and I just want to unwind.”
“Oh, well, you could have canceled,” Riley said. “I wouldn’t have been offended. But you didn’t have my number.”
“What? No. Sorry, that’s not what I meant. I was looking forward to this, actually.” Lauren leaned back into the cushions as she crossed her legs. “I didn’t want to cancel, but you’re right. We don’t have each other’s numbers.” This was crossing a line. She shouldn’t have said that. Why had she just that?
“Here,” Riley said, sliding her phone out of her pocket. “Add your number, and I’ll send you a text, so you have mine.”
Lauren typed in her details, knowing that this was a bad idea, but it was too late now. Riley had her number, and soon enough, she’d have Riley’s. That didn’t mean Lauren had to anything with it. She’d have it if they wanted to share a ride to the casino on Fridays, but that was it.
Lauren sipped on another glass of wine from her seat at the bar. Riley was sitting at the final table just a few feet away, and she was playing well. Lauren had been knocked out early on. She had done nothing wrong, really. As in, she wouldn’t have played her cards any differently. She’d been beaten by a weaker hand, and sometimes that just happened. That was more than two hours ago, and she’d been watching Riley ever since.
Lauren had tried to be discrete earlier, when Taylor was still there, but now that she’d left, Lauren was glued to the final table, watching every hand, and taking note of some of the players’ body language. She was trying to put a productive spin on it, but she knew what she was really doing. She was watching Riley, because lately she’d been having trouble keeping her eyes off of her, and Lauren wanted her to do well. Riley had said earlier tonight that she’d played a lot online, but that these tournaments were her first attempts at playing poker in person.
Lauren knew a good finish would do wonders for her confidence, although judging by the way she was playing tonight, Riley’s confidence was just fine. Riley was in control. Nothing phased her. She’d lost a decent chunk of chips earlier, but she didn’t let it affect her. She was patient, and she built her stack back up. Now, she was in second with only five players left.
Not many people had stayed to watch, which was normal. Most of the time, players left after they’d been eliminated, but Lauren took a seat at the bar and silently cheered Riley on. Thankfully, Riley’s back was to her, so Lauren could look as much as she wanted to. She wasn’t going to get caught staring, and she wasn’t going to put Riley off her game.
This was the most dressed up Lauren had seen her. Riley had been dressed casually that day she’d literally run into her, and at college, Riley wore jeans, her makeup light. Tonight though, her eyes were darker, the grays and blacks making her blue eyes even brighter. Those black pants showed off her figure, and the blazer made her look older.
Lauren might as well admit it, if only to herself. She thought Riley was attractive, and as long as she didn’t act on it, it was fine. And Lauren no intention of acting on it. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. As much fun as those few weeks with Deirdre had been, it had also been a serious mistake, one that could have ruined her career as a professor before it had even started.
Riley was much more mature than Deirdre was. She was a senior, so she was probably twenty-two or twenty-three. Deirdre had only been nineteen, and on those few occasions when Lauren allowed herself to go back and think about their time together, she realized that Deirdre had been playing games from the start. She’d more than likely been out to blackmail her from the beginning.
Whatever was or wasn’t going on between her and Riley was completely different. Lauren genuinely liked being around Riley, and it seemed like she felt the same way too. They were becoming friends, and that had never happened with Deirdre. It was a lust-filled affair tha
t was driven by adrenaline and the fear of getting caught. There was nothing else between them.
Lauren smiled when Riley knocked out another player, adding to her ever-growing pile of chips. She could actually win this thing.
11
Riley pushed her chair back and stood up, shaking the older gentleman’s hand. She let out a shaky breath. She’d actually won a tournament. She didn’t know what the prize money was, but most nights it was around two-thousand dollars. That would definitely easy the pressure. She was in a daze as she shook the dealer’s hand.
It didn’t seem real. She’d play well, and she knew she deserved it, but it was still surreal. Riley turned to see if Lauren was still here. She was standing beside the bar with a huge smile on her face, and Riley held her gaze as they walked towards each other.
“Congrats,” Lauren said, leaning in to hug her.
“Thanks.” Riley wrapped her arms around her, savoring the moment, and it was over too quickly, Lauren’s perfume lingering in the air as she took a step back. “I guess, I’d better go collect my winnings.”
“Let’s go.” Lauren walked with her over to the counter, and Riley pocketed the check, hardly believing she’d just won that much in one night. Just over twenty-one hundred dollars. “We should celebrate,” Lauren said as they went outside to get a taxi.
“Yeah?”
“Sure. If you’re up for it. It’s early yet.” Lauren glanced down at her watch. “Eleven o’clock on a Friday night. I have a bottle of champagne, and I’ve been waiting for the right moment to open it.”
Riley was so stunned she forgot to speak. A taxi pulled up, giving her a second to think. “Yeah,” she said as she slid into the backseat, and Lauren gave the driver their address. “Yeah, that’d be great. I should celebrate, shouldn’t I?” Riley asked with a smile.
Sweet Temptation Page 5
