by Chloe Maddox
Finally, he lifted his head up and straightened his back. He shrugged into his coat and walked forward, calmly.
“I hope you’ll feel calmer in the morning,” he called out over his back as he stood on the front porch. “You’ll see reason.”
“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. Either way, I hope you’ll be less of a jackass in the morning,” I responded, my voice dripping with icy venom.
Alex craned his neck to look at me, but before he could say something else, I slammed the door in his face with a loud thud. I smirked in satisfaction as I spun around and angrily began to pick up the papers that were strewn across the floor.
Once I gathered all of them, I placed them on the table with a book on top to keep them in place. With single minded determination, I began to tidy up the apartment to erase any evidence that he’d ever been here including dumping the mug of ice cold tea into the sink.
Half of it had been knocked over onto the carpet anyways, so I didn’t feel guilty about it going to waste. I got down on my hands and knees and began to vigorously scrub the carpet to get rid of the stain.
When I was satisfied, I ripped off the latex gloves and placed them next to the sink. I gave the apartment a cursory glance.
It looked the same way as it did before he got there which made me both satisfied and sad.
If only I could wash away the evidence he imprinted on my skin. It wasn’t that simple though. I huffed as I rummaged around for a scrunchie. I gathered my hair into a loose ponytail and went to the bathroom.
After stripping, I stepped under the hot showerhead and scrubbed my skin as hard as I could until it turned red beneath my hands. Once my muscles had relaxed, and the hot water started to run out, I sighed and stepped out.
I changed into a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt, and the second my head hit the pillow, I drifted off to dreams of a dark haired blue-eyed man.
***
“You’re awfully chipper this morning,” Courtney commented as we fell into step together on our way to class. Courtney Wayne was a tall brunette with a shy personality, but she was fiercely loyal. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that she a dry and sarcastic sense of humor that always had me cracking a grin. She was also my ally in a swarm of people who were too fixated on the goal to remember to be human.
Like me, she had to drop out of college for personal reasons, relating to her sick grandmother, and she just wanted a second chance at life.
Life owed both of us that.
“Early bird gets the worm, and all that.” I smiled as I hiked my bag higher up on my shoulder. It was then that Courtney noticed the cast around my arm, and her eyes widened into two twin saucers of surprise.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, we had an incident at the pub yesterday,” I said, dismissively. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to talk about it just yet especially because I’d have to bring up Alex, and I was doing my best not to think about him.
It wasn’t working out that well especially when I noticed that my couch now smelled like him. Now, I’d have to burn it to get rid of any remnants.
“I hope the other guy looks worse,” she joked as she squeezed my shoulder and made to take my bag for me. We both struggled for a bit till she eventually wrestled it triumphantly out of my hand.
“Your arm is out of commission for say a week or two, and I know you hate it, but you can at least enjoy the unexpected perks,” Courtney said, brightly.
“Like what?” I raised an eyebrow as we continued to walk together.
“People will take one look at you and be flooded with sympathy. So, they’ll offer you all kinds of help, and you should kick back and relax.”
“You mean take advantage of people’s kindness?” I asked, sarcastically.
“I wouldn’t call it taking advantage. They’re offering, and they know full well what it’s for.”
I tilted my head to the side and gave her a look. “What would you call it then?”
“Making the most out of an unexpected opportunity.”
I snorted. “You sound like an opportunist right now.”
“Hey, when life comes knocking, I don’t turn it away because it’s giving me an unfair advantage.” Courtney shrugged as she held the door open for me. I passed through, and she had to duck her head to do the same.
“Your brain must be an interesting place to live in,” I commented.
“Oh, it never gets old. Me, myself and I will be right.” Courtney gave me a quick wink as she ran her hands through her hair. “So, did you get a chance to finish yesterday’s assignment?”
“Yeah, I finished most of it, but it isn’t due today, right?”
“It’s due tomorrow, but I was just wondering because I heard we have a guest lecturer today,” Courtney informed me.
My eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really? That’s surprising. I thought we weren’t high up on the tour circuit.”
“Must be some low-profile case,” Courtney theorized. “I heard some of the girls and even guys talking about. It’s some hotshot lawyer. Up and coming apparently.”
“We already need to deal with them as social workers. Do we really have to listen to them in a lecture hall too?” I rolled my eyes as we stepped into the room and chose two chairs in the middle.
Courtney playfully shoved my good shoulder. “Don’t be mean. You haven’t even heard the guy speak.”
“So, he’s a guy, is he? Something tells me those girls will go into a tizzy at that. I swear, the way they talk sometimes, it’s like they’ve never seen a man before,” I complained, good naturedly.
Courtney knew I was only partially kidding.
I mean, they did act like that, but I didn’t know what circumstances led to this behavior, so who was I to judge? For all I knew, they’d lead a solitary life most of their existence, and were only just coming into contact with the opposite sex.
That would be enough to drive anyone crazy.
Who was I to speak?
I threw myself at a man I barely knew because my hormones were doing the cha-cha around him. That didn’t exactly speak to my impeccable moral character at the moment.
“Let’s hope he’s not good looking then, or we’ll never hear the end of it,” Courtney said, seriously as she placed both our bags on the floor and plopped into her chair.
I dropped next to her and shoved my hair out of my eyes as I glanced forward. Students were streaming in a lot faster than usual. Most of the time, they stood outside till the last possible second then scurried in as the professor was about to show up.
Today, the girls were giggling and throwing their hair behind their ears as they filed into the front row.
Courtney and I shared a look as we both gagged and laughed. Finally, a few minutes later, our professor walked in, he was a tall man who looked to be about forty with salt and pepper grey hair and kind brown eyes. He might be a nice person, but that all depended on the kind of work you put on.
Personally, I liked that he pushed us because it meant he wanted us to be better, and most of us could secretly acknowledge that. Publicly, we dutifully whined and complained about what torture college was.
It was all a cycle we were familiar with.
Today, he looked a little nervous as he flicked on all the assembly room lights flooding us in a glow of fluorescent lights that had most of the students cringing. I just blinked as I waited for my eyes to adjust, and I noticed how our professor was fidgeting.
He’d spent most of his life dedicated to teaching people, making them better individuals, and the most prominent point of his career would probably boil down to a guest speaker who was able to pull in funding.
That or evaluation scores which reflected nothing, and were merely part of an antiquated oppressive system that cared more about paper results than actual ones.
I sounded like an anarchist right now, but that was an argument for another day.
“Professor Clairmont?”
“Yes, Casey, what is it?”
he asked, distractedly as he sorted out his papers and placed them on the desk in front of him.
“Is it true we have a visiting guest lecturer today?” she asked, sweetly as she shared a look with her girlfriends, and they all batted their eyelashes.
“I would ask how you know that Ms. Walker, but I feel that would be pointless.” Professor Clairmont straightened his back and leaned against the desk, looking a lot more like the formidable professor now that someone had asked the wrong question. “The question Ms. Walker is not if we have a guest lecturer coming in since you already knew the answer. The question is what can you benefit from listening to him?”
Casey Walker gave him a blank look and sank back into her seat, clearly not happy with his answer. Obviously, she was looking for juicy gossip, and now that she didn’t have it, she was about to throw in the towel.
Professor Clairmont allowed his eyes to sweep over the room, not staying for more than a few seconds on each student before he moved on to the next. He crossed his arms over his chest, and said nothing, his eyes speaking volumes as the excited chatter eventually died out, and the room was deathly silent.
It was all a magical effect that only happened when he was around. People wanted to listen to him regardless of what he said. It was his quiet assurance, and his blunt attitude that drew people to him. He was like a sharp razor-edged knife that knew when to hit the bullseye.
“Now, before you all get excited and forget all about me, do remember that he is a guest lecturer who is here to give us the benefit of his experience. He is not much older than you, and that’s why the university and I elected to choose him. Let’s all try to utilize our brains today, shall we?”
At that moment, the side door opened and in walked Alex Coldwell, wearing a white button down top, and black dress pants. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to his forearms, and he had his hands shoved in his pockets.
I blanched as I sunk lower into my seat hoping he wouldn’t see me after the debacle that happened yesterday. Courtney noticed and gave me a curious look as she leaned in. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just didn’t have a big breakfast, and I’m feeling a little light headed.” I offered her a fake smile.
“I have a chocolate bar if you want it,” she offered.
“No, it’s okay. We’ll be out of here soon. We can eat then,” I assured her as I turned my attention back to the front.
A lock of hair fell into his eye, and he easily flicked it away as he stood in front of Professor Clairmont and shook his hand firmly. Professor Clairmont eyed him suspiciously, but said nothing as he gestured for Alex to speak.
Alex stood on the podium and glanced at all of us as if he could see right through us. He opened his mouth to speak and froze when his eyes landed on me. He did a double take before he cleared his throat and tugged on his tie.
He seemed to be waiting for something before he began. A minute later, his entire body relaxed as he stood up there with the ease and confidence of someone who’d been doing it for years.
Once he flashed a smirk, I could almost hear all the girls in the front seat sigh, and I knew we were going to be in for a long lecture.
***
An hour later, Alex was still going strong as he explained how the justice system worked, what to expect as a social worker, and how it affected us. He gave us a few tips about loopholes that could help us with certain cases, and he even called on a few people to ask questions.
Everybody was enamored with him, and it was hard not to see why.
He was a natural.
Professor Clairmont attracted attention by being sharp tongued and sarcastic. Alex turned heads by simply walking in. It was everything from the way he stood, the articulate way he expressed himself, and how vibrant he became when he spoke about a topic he loved.
It was almost mesmerizing to watch, and it reminded me all over again of why I threw myself at him. Even now, as he was gesturing with his hands, I remembered what they felt like running all over my body.
I flushed as that memory went through my head and sunk even lower into my seat. Courtney was watching in rapt attention as she furiously scribbled in her notebook, and I was glad that at least one of us was paying attention.
I hadn’t heard a single word he’d said since he opened his mouth. I mean, I understood that words came out, but beyond that, it might as well have been another language.
Maybe Mandarin or Finnish or some other language I’d always thought was too difficult to learn. I slouched forward in my seat and tried to peak at Courtney’s notes, so that I had some semblance of what he was saying, but half her arm was covering the sheet.
I frowned as I tried to push her arm away. She gave me a confused look. “What’s wrong? Still feeling dizzy?”
“A little, and I can’t take notes,” I said, weakly. I wasn’t technically lying, not really. I wasn’t feeling well. It just had nothing to do with lack of food, and everything to do with the gorgeous specimen droning on in the front of the class with no idea about the effect he had on me.
“I’m sorry Sandy,” Courtney said, sympathetically. “Are you sure you don’t want my chocolate bar?”
I shook my head. I was sure that if I tried to eat anything right now, it would come right back up. Whenever I was anxious, very little tended to stay in my stomach. And this was no exception, unfortunately.
“Maybe you should excuse yourself?” Courtney suggested, helpfully.
“I think Professor Clairmont would have my head if I tried to even ask,” I said, regretfully. It was a shame really. I did actually consider that option in the beginning, but I dismissed it almost as quickly as it entered my head.
Too many complications, and Alex was sure to see me leave, and then he would assume it would have something to do with him. I wasn’t trying to be petty or whatever, but I didn’t want him to have that idea of me.
It was better if we didn’t think of each other period.
“I’m sure it’s almost over. No one can talk for this long and not be tired. Or maybe there’s even a break or something,” Courtney offered as she patted my hand consolingly. “It’ll be okay.”
Courtney was right. Besides, most of my discomfort was psychological not physical, and once I got that into my head, I’m sure it would be a lot easier to handle. I wasn’t the type of woman who would faint over a guy.
That was so…archaic like those women in old black and white movies who needed smelling salts and were called ‘delicate creatures’.
What a silly idea!
With that thought in my mind, I straightened in my chair and grit my teeth. I pushed my hair back behind my ears as opposed to hiding behind it as if it were a curtain, and I adopted a neutral expression.
I gripped my pen in my hand, lifted up my notebook and began to take notes.
I wasn’t going to let him get the better of me.
So, what if he rejected me?
There’s plenty of other fish in the sea and all that.
***
We pushed the double doors open, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I breathed in a lungful of air. He was finally done. That was the longest 2-hour lecture I’d ever had to attend, and I’d been through longer ones.
This one was extra hard when I was trying to listen to Alex and simultaneously not actively think about the previous night. After a while, it became easier until he started asking volunteers to come up, and the women were practically falling over him.
Giggling and batting their eyelashes.
Shit.
These women actually existed in this modern day and age.
I thought it was a myth. I dismissed it because there was no way those women still existed. There was no room for them in the modern world, but today had proven me wrong. Not only did they exist and weren’t opposed to using every dirty trick in the book to land the guy, but the guys also loved it.
They probably saw through the fake act, but they pretended they didn’t.
Men pretended they didn
’t know, and women pretended they didn’t know that men knew.
The perfect duplicity.
“See, I told you that you just needed fresh air,” Courtney pointed out, triumphantly as I felt myself begin to regain color, and my cheeks turned a healthy rose once more.
“Yeah, I guess you were right,” I admitted. “So, what did you think of his lecture?”
“I think he made some very valid points, but I do wonder if he expects everyone to stick to that rule,” Courtney mused.
“Which one?”
“Never get involved with your client. I mean, sure from a clinical standpoint that makes sense because it would become a conflict of interest, and all that, but sometimes it’s going to happen. So, what then? Shouldn’t there be some kind of contingency plan for when it does?”
I pursed my lips as I thought about it. “I suppose the best thing to do is to excuse yourself from the case and find them another lawyer. Preferably one who’s just as good. That way you can continue to see the client without jeopardizing their case.”
“What about attorney client privilege?” Courtney challenged. “Wouldn’t it be hard to forget what you heard, reestablish boundaries?”
“No, not if you’re a halfway decent lawyer. Besides, I think lawyers are trained to do that, to forget I mean, and they pass on the information to the next lawyer who’s in charge.”
“What if their client revealed any damning evidence?” Courtney wondered. “Wouldn’t it be their responsibility to report it?”
“No, I think client attorney privilege extends beyond the courtroom, and anyway, it isn’t our job to know all these rules. We’re social workers, not lawyers. The courtroom is their game, their ballpark, not ours,” I pointed out.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Ms. Stevens,” Alex’s voice cut in, smoothly.
I started in surprise as my head went to my heart. “You scared me.”
“My apologies,” Alex offered, sincerely. “I don’t believe we’ve met Ms.” He held his hand out to Courtney who smiled and placed her hand in his.
“I’m Courtney Wayne.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
