by Jacob Chance
Sophie: Yeah, I can watch Joey. What time?
Me: As soon as you can be here.
Sophie: I’ll see you in about thirty.
Yes. I pump my fist in the air. I get to go to the faculty dinner and see Sophie. One I’m doing out of obligation and the other I’m looking forward to.
Thirty minutes later I open the door to Sophie. We stare awkwardly at each other for too many seconds. I take in her hair, clipped on top of her head, the King hoodie, cut off shorts, and flip flops. Natural and comfortable, she looks perfect.
Her gaze wanders over me appreciatively, taking in my dress pants, white button down shirt, and wine colored tie. She usually sees me a little more casual than this. I hope she likes what she sees.
“Come on in. Joey’s watching Paw Patrol.”
She smiles at the mention of him. “Of course he is.” She pushes past me and I watch her ass as she walks in front of me. Damn. I’ve been trying to convince myself that our attraction wasn’t that strong and that I blew up the depth of my feelings for her. At school, I’m able to shut down my inappropriate thoughts. But seeing her in my house brings it all back.
“Sophie here,” Joey shouts when he sees her.
“Joey,” she exclaims, running toward him. She scoops him up into her arms. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“Miss you.” Joey pats her arm.
Jesus. This is tough. Seeing the absolute adoration on both of their faces makes me feel guilty. If I hadn’t pursued Sophie or given in to her mutual pursuit of me, she’d be able to see him whenever she wanted.
Clearing my throat to remove the golf ball sized lump, I walk toward them. “I have to go, Joey. Sophie is going to stay with you, okay?”
“Yay,” he shouts and we all laugh.
Leaning forward, I kiss him on his forehead and take the opportunity to breathe in Sophie’s familiar scent. “I shouldn’t be too late. I hope I didn’t ruin any of your plans for the night. I just didn’t know who else to ask. I trust you with Joey.”
“Get out of here and do what you have to.”
“It’s just a work dinner that I’d rather not go to.”
“Then why would you go?”
“Because I’d like to keep my job. Dean Billings keeps track of who’s there and who isn’t. I’d rather stay on his good side.”
“I’ve only been at the school for a few weeks now and I already know that Dean Billings is a d.i.c.k.”
I frown and study her expression. “Did he do anything inappropriate to you?”
“God, no. I can just tell. Why? Is he a creeper as well as a dick?”
“Rumor has it amongst the teachers anyway. Just watch out for him.”
She rolls her eyes. “There go my plans to eat lunch with him tomorrow.”
“I know, you’re an adult, but you could get called to his office sometime.”
“I have two older brothers. If he tries something, I’ll make sure he regrets it.”
I smile as I picture her putting Dean Billings in his place. If anyone could, it would be Sophie.
“Be good, Joey. Thanks again, Soph.”
She presses her lips together and nods before sitting on the couch with Joey in her lap.
It’s time to get out of here, but at least I know Joey is in great hands.
“Thank God you’re here,” Harper says, laying a hand on my arm.
“Hey there. How are you?” I lean over and give her a quick hug.
She glances around and shakes her head. “This week has been crazy. I swear half of the language teachers are out of their minds. Are there toxic fumes leaking into the air or something?”
“I think it’s because the first two weeks are over and once you get to week three they’ve resigned themselves to how much work it’s going to be.”
“Who? The students or the teachers?”
“Both.”
“You might be right.”
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my two favorite professors at King.” Cole joins us.
“We’re probably still the only ones you know,” I droll.
He laughs. “Come on. I’m not that bad.”
“Speaking of bad, let’s go grab some drinks to make this night pass faster.”
“What’s the matter? Don’t you like me sober?”
“You’re great sober. It’s me I’m worried about. I’m in danger of losing my sanity if I don’t liquor up.”
We grab some drinks and settle at a table without any other people.
Cole arches a brow at me. “You look a lot better than the last time we saw you.”
I rub my chin and think about what I want to say. Oh sorry, I was upset. My nineteen-year-old lover left for college and I was numbing the pain. I settle on, “Yeah, that was a touchy period of time.”
“Women problems?” Harper asks.
“Woman. Single as in one of a kind. Possibly the love of my life.” I reveal more than I intended to, but Sophie is all those things to me.
“And your relationship ended?” Harper inquires.
“Yes.”
“Any chance you can patch things up?”
“I don’t see how. We have real obstacles in the way of our relationship.”
“I think obstacles get blown out of proportion. The only way you couldn’t be with her is if she’s a student here,” Harper throws out the statement and then her eyes open as wide as possible. “Is she a student here?”
I’m not sure why, but I find myself nodding my head and my gaze flicks to Cole. His eyes meet mine before nervously retreating. Has he ever been in the same position I am?
Harper places her hand on my arm. “Oh damn. I’m sorry for you. That sucks.”
“It is what it is. There’s nothing to be done except keep our distance.”
Harper waves a hand. “Well at least she’s not in one of your classes. That would be unbearable.”
“Yep, tell me about it.”
“No fucking way?” Harper gasps.
Cole chokes on his drink and holds up a finger to let us know he’s okay.
“Yep. She really is in my class, and the worst part is I didn’t know she was a student here and she didn’t know I was a professor here.”
“Wow. I don’t envy you,” Harper replies.
Cole is noticeably quiet through the exchange.
“Have either of you ever been attracted to a student? And if you were, what did you do about it?”
Harper shakes her head. “No, never. I’m always careful to keep distance between myself and the students.”
Cole downs the rest of his drink and slams the glass on the table. “Yes. I know what it’s like.”
Time for me to prod for more details. “Is this a current situation or something that happened in the past? Come on, man, spill.”
“You can flaunt those sexy blue eyes at me all you want. I’m immune to your charms.”
I lean forward on the table. “So you really think my eyes are sexy?”
Cole barks out a laugh.
“You two are a sorry pair. I’m thanking my lucky stars that I’m not in the same situation.”
Cole flags down the waitress and aims a cautionary glance at Harper. “There’s a first time for everything.”
My heart pounds in my chest as I unlock the front door and step inside. Knowing I’m about to see Sophie has me amped up. Joey will be asleep and she and I will be able to talk.
I kick my shoes off and pad down to the living room. Sophie is lying on her back sound asleep on the couch. She looks so beautiful.
I move closer, looking down at her. Her elegant hands are folded on her stomach and her plump lips are pursed in a familiar way. I wish she really was waiting for my kiss.
Her eyes open and she holds her arms up to me. Sitting on the edge of the couch, I lean forward and she grips my tie, tugging me closer. Our lips crash and our tongues spar as I slip my full weight between her legs. Her fingers nimbly undo my tie and unbutton most of the buttons on my shirt witho
ut our mouths separating.
My lips slide down to suck the skin along her jaw and down the column of her neck. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Sophie’s hands go to my chest, forcefully shoving me back until I’m kneeling between her legs. Was she half asleep when she initiated our kiss? Did my voice act like a bungee cord, unexpectedly snapping her back into reality?
She sits up and covers her face with both hands. “Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.”
“Hey.” I pull her hands back exposing her expression. She’s distraught. “It’s okay. Calm down.”
“Calm down? How can I when we were kissing? I didn’t come here with the intent to kiss you.”
“It’s fine. You were tired and not fully awake. Don’t worry about it. Besides, it was a great kiss.”
“You’re missing the point, Miles. I don’t want to kiss you and I don’t want you kissing me. We’re not in the position for that. I’m as serious about school as you are about your job.”
Would this be a bad time to tell her I’d throw it all away in a heartbeat if she’d say she’s mine?
“You don’t have anything to say?” she sounds annoyed.
“I’m not upset about the kiss. I’ve kept my distance from you for almost four weeks now and it’s not getting any easier. I force myself to be professional at school, but when I come home, I can’t get you off my mind. I miss you, and staying away from you seems pointless when being with you makes me so happy.”
She looks like she wants to cry, but she drags in a deep breath, composing herself. “You were right about us. I’ve come to realize you did the right thing. I’m not saying I don’t miss you, but my scholarship means everything to me. Without it, I can’t afford college. And without a degree, my future won’t be what I want.”
“We can keep our relationship secret.”
“For how long? I have four years at King. Do you really want to hide away for four years?”
“There has to be another way.” I’m grasping at straws and I know it. She’s right. It just hurts so fucking bad to admit it.
“There isn’t, Miles. We need to accept it. You need to accept it and move on.”
28
Sophie
“When did I become the voice of reason out of the two of us?” I say to Tenley.
“Sounds like he’s having a harder time dealing with life without you than he thought.”
“Yeah, maybe. It doesn’t really matter what the motivating factor is, because it doesn’t change the fact that he’s a professor here and I’m a student.”
“I think you’re doing the right thing. You’ve always been great at seeing the big picture and this is no different.” Tenley pushes her chair back and slings her backpack over her shoulder. “I hate to rush off on you, but I have a test in an hour and I need to go review some stuff for it.”
“No worries. I’ll see you tonight.” I wave as she walks away.
“Does that mean this seat is now open?” Reid asks.
I smile. “It’s all yours.”
“Thanks. I’ve got a few minutes to kill before class and what better way to do it than with a gorgeous girl.”
“You can probably tone down the compliments. They’re wasted on me.”
“Just because you’re not ready to start a relationship doesn’t mean you don’t need to hear how beautiful you are. In fact, you probably need it more now.”
He might be right. Whose self esteem doesn’t take a pounding when a relationship ends?
“You know, you make a good point.” I grin.
“Of course I do,” he laughs.
A shadow crosses my periphery and I turn to see Miles standing beside the table. “Sophie, do you think you could come to class a few minutes early, so I can go over your essay with you?”
Glancing up at him, I quirk a brow. “Sure, Professor Decker.”
“Reid, how’s the arm doing?”
“It’s great. Never felt stronger, sir.”
“That’s what I like to hear. How do you two know each other?” Miles asks trying to sound curious, but I hear the underlying jealousy coating his voice.
“We met at a party on Friday night. I was stricken by her beauty and intelligence,” Reid offers with a wink aimed my way.
“Be careful. You don’t want to get distracted by a pretty face.”
“Don’t worry about me, Professor Decker. This season is sure to be my best yet. Sophie agreed to come watch my games.”
“Games?” I tease. “I said I’d come to a game.”
“After one you’ll be hooked, right, Professor Decker?”
“I don’t know. Miss Gardner doesn’t strike me as the football type.” He glances at his watch. “I’ll leave you kids to your fun. I need to get back to my classroom. Sophie, don’t forget to come to class early.”
“As if I could, sir.”
Miles walks away and my fingers play with the paper napkin under my cup of coffee. I force myself to resist looking after him.
“He’s a cool dude. I had him last year.”
“Yeah, he seems okay. I’ve got him for Juvenile Delinquency.”
“No way. That’s what I took too. Are you going into law enforcement or social work?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’m also debating psychology. I’m taking this year to think about it.”
“That’s smart. You have plenty of time.” He rises, standing so tall across from me. “I have to go. Enjoy the rest of your coffee, and I hope I’ll see you again soon.”
“We will.” I nod and he gives me a questioning smile. “I’m coming to a football game, remember?” Reid’s a great guy and I’m glad we’re going to be friends.
I show up to Miles’ class twenty minutes early, not sure if he was just saying that or if he meant it.
“I wasn’t sure you’d come.”
“I wasn’t sure you wanted me to.”
“I want a lot of things, Sophie. And unfortunately, I can’t have the one thing I want most.” He reaches out to caress my face and lets his hand fall to his side. I shift uneasily from one foot to the other, at a loss of what to say.
“What’s up with you and Reid?” He stares pensively at me.
I scowl. “None of your business.”
“Point taken,” he replies.
Why’s he being so agreeable?
He bends down and removes a small red package from his briefcase and places the box on his palm.
“What’s this?” I stare down at the present like it’s a bomb ready to go off.
“Just something I saw this weekend and it reminded me of you.”
Oh God, why is he giving me gifts? I love gifts, especially the ones he gave me. The small black bear carving sits on my desk in my dorm room and the quilt covers my twin bed.
I pluck the box from the palm of his hand. I’m not going to open it now. I can’t.
“Thank you. You don’t need to buy me things, Miles.”
“I love hearing you say my name. Professor Decker just doesn’t have the same ring.”
“But Professor Decker is who you are to me,” I retort.
“As if I could forget.”
“Thanks for this.” I hold up the red box. My Chucks echo on the tile floor as I walk the distance to my desk. Slipping down onto the seat, I place the package in my backpack and promise myself I’ll open it as soon as I’m home.
I race into my dorm room, kicking the door closed behind me. My backpack slips from my shoulder and falls to the floor with a thunk as I jump onto my bed. I kick my sneakers off and sit cross legged, staring down at the red box on the mattress in front of me. What could it be? I never received a lot of presents growing up. Miles’ penchant for buying me gifts is all foreign to me. But I have to admit, I like how it feels. Wondering what’s inside this box is reminiscent of Christmas morning as a young child.
Okay, here goes nothing. My fingertips pull on the bow until it unravels and falls away from the box. Gripping the edges of the box cover, I pull upward revealin
g what’s inside.
I smile when my fingers touch the cold surface of the onyx bracelet. I love how smooth all the onyx beads are. Picking it up, I look it over, admiring the craftsmanship. There’s a silver black bear charm in the middle of the strand and two silver paw print beads evenly spaced on the sides. The fact that it’s crafted of onyx is a nice touch. He must’ve remembered my name for the bear.
Tugging my phone free of my pocket, I pull up Miles’ number.
Me: Thank you for the bracelet. I love it.
Miles: I’m glad. When I saw it, I thought of you and our time on the road trip.
Me: That was a great day.
Miles: The best.
Wait a minute. I can’t allow one gift to sway me. And he mentioned the day we saw the bear. Did he forget how that day ended? With me in tears and him walking away.
Me: Thanks, again.
Miles: You’re welcome.
Dropping my phone onto the bed, I reach down and grab my backpack. I have a big test tomorrow and it’s time to study. That is, if I can get Miles off my mind. What was the purpose of him getting that for me? I want to believe there was no motivation other than he thought I’d like it. But after the kiss we shared the other night, maybe he thinks he can weasel his way back in.
Stepping outside the next morning, I breathe in the fresh fall air. Now that we’re almost into October, the mornings are much cooler. I love the invigorating nature of the soft breeze as I walk to class. It perks me up as it caresses my face. It’s almost as good as the coffee at the cafe, but not quite.
Glancing at my watch, I check to make sure I have time to stop and feed my one addiction: caffeine. And of course I do, because I’m always annoyingly punctual.
There’s only one person in front of me in line which is unusual for this time of day.
“Can I help you?” Sally, the owner, questions with a smile.
“I’d like a large, hot, with extra cream and sugar.”
She nods and heads off to make it. While I wait, I read through the text message conversation I had with Miles last night. What’s he getting at?
