My own fleeting anger softened. "Of course not." I traced a wet spot on the table that had been left behind by the melting ice of my water. "How does Laurel feel about kids?"
"Laurel?" He snickered under his breath, just loudly enough that I caught the sound of it. "I can't imagine she's fond of them, why?"
I bristled at the idea that he would be so amused by his girlfriend not liking kids. Especially now that he knew he had one.
"Mr. Olson!"
The two of us turned to look away from the table at the same time. A man that appeared to be in his early thirties approached us. He was dressed in a smart suit and had light eyes that sparkled.
Travis stood to greet the man. "Professor Gilmore, how are you?"
The professor enthusiastically shook his hand. "I'm well, thank you. Are you taking summer classes?"
"Not this year, no. But I didn't have plans for the summer so I'm staying at the house."
"Well, if you happen to be in need of a job, I know the art center could use some models." The man chuckled. "After that stunt you pulled in my class with the underwear, I can't imagine you'd mind stripping down for the job."
"Gee, thanks for bringing that up," Travis retorted, nodding in my direction. "Anyway, Laurel already mentioned the job. I'm considering it."
"Yes, Laurel. Of course." The mention of the other woman's name seemed to make the professor falter, though I wasn't sure why.
Trying to keep up with their short exchange proved fruitless, but there was something that had caught my attention. "Underwear?" I asked, drawing both men's attention to me.
The professor grinned broadly. "Mr. Olson here had to create a mock business for my class back in the fall. He and his partner decided to create an underwear line. A co-ed underwear line. Let's just say I had a very interesting time explaining to the dean why a male student was requesting the chance to model a thong during one of my courses."
Travis scratched absently at his chin. He looked downright mortified by the fact that his professor had shared that with me. I was speechless.
"In my defense," Travis began with a deep breath, "I was trying to impress a girl."
"Oh." I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.
"Not like that," he was quick to explain. "This girl Wren was in the class with me. She's very cool, reminds me a little of you, actually. In the midst of me befriending her, I somehow decided it was a good idea to suggest the underwear thing. It was funny. We had a good laugh about it. It made things interesting. And now Wren—and her boyfriend—are two of my closest friends. When they get back at the end of the summer I'll introduce the three of you."
I nodded, doing my best impression of someone who was unbothered. It wasn't the mention of the girl that had bothered me, it was the fact that Travis was still trying too hard to make people like him. That had been the root of most of our problems, and I wasn't sure I was prepared to deal with a fresh round of the same issues we'd always had.
"It's getting late," I murmured, glancing at my watch to drive the point home.
"Well, I won't keep the two of you. Mr. Olson, feel free to stop by my office if you need anything this summer. I'll be around." And then with a friendly nod, the man strode away.
"Sorry."
I peeked at Travis as I was standing up. "For what?"
"I'm not sure, to be honest." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I just feel like I've upset you somehow."
"Don't be ridiculous, I'm just tired. Here, put your number in my phone. I work the next couple of days, but maybe this weekend we could plan something." Belatedly, I added, "With Stella."
"Hazel isn't making you work weekends?"
I shook my head. "Not until she's convinced I'm fully trained. Though, between you and me, I'm pretty sure it's just because she feels bad for interrupting my bedtime routine with Stella. I won't be surprised if I never actually get a regular, late-night shift."
Travis smiled ruefully as he took my phone from me and entered his number. Years ago, I'd changed numbers so he couldn't reach me, which made it all the stranger to be willingly putting us back in contact.
"This was nice," he said as he handed back my phone.
"Yeah, it was."
I stared at him and he stared back.
"I can walk you to your car," he offered.
"Please don't." I took a step back from him. "I need to… digest everything."
He didn't look pleased, but he did end up staying behind so that I could walk out by myself. I wasn't sure why I'd even made a big deal out of it, other than it was one less thing to muddle up my emotions with. My car was leaving the parking lot before I caught a glimpse of him in the rearview mirror. He turned towards the direction of campus and started walking, further convincing me that his place was nearby. I forced my eyes back on the road as he disappeared from view.
I made it halfway home before I pulled the car off on the side of the road and burst into tears.
Travis
I'd done some seriously bizarre things since getting to college, but I had to admit that walking into a college building preparing to take my clothes off for twenty strangers felt like it topped everything else. At first, I'd fully planned on rejecting Laurel's offer. It wasn't until Professor Gilmore had talked about it that I'd realized I did need the extra cash flow. I had a mixture of scholarships that in theory meant I could go all summer without working a regular job. Of course, the whole purpose of that had been so that I could focus on working out, which had somehow gone down the drain since my initial talk with Vinnie.
Now that I had a daughter, I couldn't stop thinking about all the things she probably needed. Toys. Books. Food. Diapers… did she still wear diapers? I beat myself up internally for not asking. That seemed like something I should know.
No doubt Vinnie had probably been doing plenty to help Ronnie out, but I wanted to feel like I was doing my part, too. So, I'd called Laurel and told her I'd do it. On a trial basis, at least.
"I'm so glad you decided to do this," Laurel gushed. "It really saved my ass that we were able to get someone like you."
"Like me?"
Her face flushed. "Usually the male models the summer classes get are just sticks with eyeballs. There's no real challenge to drawing a body when it's all straight lines. Your muscles, though, those are gonna be a great challenge for this class. And they're ready to be challenged, this is one of the advanced courses."
I was comforted by the way Laurel gushed about the art class. It truly wasn't me that she was excited about, it was the fact that she'd found a viable art model. That knowledge helped me let my guard down with her.
"As it turns out, this helps me out, too. I, uh, happen to suddenly find myself in need of the money."
"Oh gosh, what'd you do?"
"I got my girlfriend pregnant."
Her eyes widened comically.
"Like three years ago," I added, laughing lightly at her confusion.
"Oh, shit." Her head bobbled back as if she was surprised by her own cursing. "Does this have something to do with that woman at the bar?"
I nodded.
"Wait, but you didn't know?"
"I had no idea. The last time I'd seen Veronica we… weren't on good terms. And then her family moved out of town and she changed her phone number. How would I have known?"
"You wouldn't have," she agreed, her expression pitying. "What are you going to do now?"
"Now, I'm going to convince Ronnie that I can be trusted with our daughter. The last thing I want to do is spook her so she takes off again, but I'm also not gonna sit around like some deadbeat dad."
"Well, if you ever need a babysitter…" Laurel's voice trailed off wistfully.
That was a surprise. "You like kids?" When Ronnie had asked about Laurel liking kids I'd been so sure that the answer would be no.
"Yeah," she answered as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world. "Don't you?"
It wasn't something I'd ever really thought about. I mean, sure, I
'd always assumed I'd want kids someday, but it wasn't something that had been front-and-center on my mind. Hell, the last time I'd had a serious relationship had been as a teenager with Ronnie. I'd had a few casual college relationships, but not with anyone I would have wanted to raise a kid with.
"You know what, I do, yeah."
Laurel gave me a quick smile but then switched right over into business mode. That was the side of her I was more familiar with, which was actually a little comforting. She went over the guidelines for me, taking care to remind me I should do my best not to make eye contact with the students while I was posing.
"It's seriously awkward if you get stuck making eye contact for an hour," she warned.
"Do you know that from experience?"
My eyebrow raised when she coughed and ignored my question. Laurel was really turning out to be quite the surprise. She had a reputation on campus for being a high-strung bitch. I had no idea what had happened to allow her to let her guard down for the summer, but I found myself picturing us as friends. With the way my summer had been going so far, I was going to need a friend in my corner.
"Alright, Trav, you'll change in here." Laurel popped open a door and pointed inside. "You can put on that robe to come out in, and then if you go through that door there you'll be walking right into the classroom."
"Okay, see you in there, I guess."
"Oh no, I won't be there." She shook her head as if I needed the extra confirmation.
"I'm just walking into a room full of strangers with my junk out?"
Laurel shrugged breezily.
And to think, I'd spent all that time preparing myself for the idea of Laurel being in the room. Turns out I should have prepared myself for being solo. At least I didn't have to worry about things turning awkward with Laurel, though.
"Well, alright then," I muttered.
Laurel cheerfully ushered me into the small changing room and said goodbye as she slammed the door on me. I took stock of my surroundings for a second. It turned out the room was actually a supply closet, which was somehow comforting. I shed my clothes and stepped into the robe that had been left for me. I tried not to think about how many other people had worn it. Surely a school with the kind of money Kelley had would at least make sure it had been well-washed between uses.
It wasn't until my hand touched the doorknob to the other room that the nerves hit me. I wasn't necessarily all that concerned about being naked if I was being honest. I knew I had a great body, and nothing to be ashamed about. Not anywhere. The part that was freaking me out was how intimate the whole thing felt. These people weren't just gonna be staring at me, they were going to be evaluating me.
I knew how art classes could be. I'd had to take an Intro to Art course my freshman year because of an unexpected gap in my schedule. Art students didn't just look at the physical—they looked past it.
With a deep breath, I pushed open the door. About fifteen pairs of eyes whipped towards me. At least there were a few less people than I'd expected. A very round and jolly looking man—seriously, the guy looked like a mall Santa—stepped over to greet me.
"You'll be posing right here for us." He guided me to a platform in the middle of the room where a velvet green chair sat. The chair looked older than I was, but I unceremoniously dropped my robe and sat on it exactly as he instructed.
I could feel eyes on me but kept in mind what Laurel had said about eye contact. I let my gaze rest on a bizarre giraffe sculpture sitting at the back of the room. The professor instructed everyone to begin, and the sounds of brush strokes filled the room.
It wasn't as bad as I'd expected, actually. As long as I didn't look around at any of the students, I could pretend they weren't trying to analyze my every flaw and emotion to capture on paper. The relative silence offered me a chance to think.
Meeting with Ronnie hadn't been what I'd expected. Was it so wrong of me to hope that she wouldn't treat me as if we were virtual strangers? And what was up with her trying to order beer with dinner? Was that some sort of test she was giving me? She hadn't seen me in three years, and yet she'd made no effort to ask about my personal habits. Obviously, she wasn't giving me the benefit of the doubt.
My only choice seemed to be put all of that aside for the sake of my daughter. If I got too caught up in things with Ronnie, I wouldn't be paying attention to what mattered. I needed to put my focus on Stella. But damn was that hard when I caught myself wanting the whole package. When I'd been young, I'd pictured having kids with Ronnie, but I'd always pictured us still together. Putting them to bed together. Taking them on trips together. Dropping them off on the first day of school together. I couldn't wrap my head around the whole concept of separate parenting.
She'd never even given me the chance to try to do things right.
I wondered, if I hadn't stumbled upon the truth myself, would she ever have told me? Sure, she'd given Stella my last name, but had she ever really intended for me to be in the picture? I had so many questions, but I'd been too scared to ask them during dinner. Things with Ronnie had already seemed tumultuous enough. I knew our past wasn't pretty, but we'd been just kids back then. I liked to believe that I was different in all the right ways if only she would open her eyes and see that.
"Okay, everyone. Time is up for today."
I jolted where I was sitting. An hour had sped by faster than I'd expected. I picked my robe up from the ground and put it on. As I made my way back towards the storage room to redress, the professor stopped me.
"Hey, thanks a lot for today. You were great. Most people end up moving around a lot this first time, but you really nailed it. I really hope you're planning to come back."
I puffed up like a peacock over the compliment. I'd grown up around people who were always trying to tear each other down. It was always nice to get a little affirmation, even when it was coming from a stranger.
"Yeah," I found myself saying, "I think I will be back."
Veronica
"I'm sure Travis would reschedule if you asked him."
"Probably, but he was so excited. If I cancel it just makes me look like the bad guy." I was stretched longways across the couch with Stella happily perched on my back.
Gabby shot a disapproving look in my direction so fast that I almost missed it. "It's parenthood, not a game of cops and robbers, Veronica."
"I know that," I responded crossly.
The doorbell rang, interrupting whatever Gabby might have been thinking of saying next. "I'll get it." She jumped up immediately. Aside from the fact that her manners were annoyingly impeccable, I knew Gabby was foaming at the mouth to finally get a look at the infamous Travis.
"Saved by the bell," I mumbled in the couch cushion.
Two distinct sets of footsteps entered the room. I kept my face buried in the couch. Stella bounced a little on my back, forcing a groan out of me.
"Hey, Ronnie." The close proximity of the voice startled me. I turned my head to find Travis had kneeled beside me. His face was full of concern. "If you're not feeling well we don't have to go tonight."
"I'm fine. Just a little tired."
He reached out and stroked my upper back in a comforting gesture. My traitorous heart stuttered. It shouldn't have felt so good, but my entire body came alive under the palm of his hand. It had always been that way with us.
"Are you sure? We could even just stay and do something here if that would be better." The thought of Vinnie coming home to find Travis in the house was enough to make me push up on my forearms.
"Nope, I'm good. Could you grab Little Bits for me?"
His hand fell away from me as he stood. I silently lamented the loss of contact. He barely hesitated before reaching for Stella. And despite the fact that he was still a stranger to her, Stella clutched onto him immediately. She curled into his chest and rested her cheek against him. The sight of it eased some of the ache of my long-bruised heart.
Gabby had stayed back on the fringe of the room, taking the whole scene. As
I got on my feet I shot her a pointed look that sent her scrambling out of the room. "Nice to meet you, Travis," she called out as she went. "Come back any time."
Travis barely spared a glance in her direction. I grabbed the diaper bag I'd pre-packed and nodded towards the door. His grip tightened on our daughter as if I was going to ask for her back. I stepped past him, deciding not to steal the moment from him. It was the first real time he was getting to hold his daughter, considering the time at the playground had really only been an accident.
The real dilemma came when we made it outside. We hovered near the hood of my SUV, both hesitant. The driving thing hadn't been addressed before, and now we couldn't put it off.
"Veronica." I refused to look at him. He wrapped his hand around the crook of my elbow. "This is different. It's not like before."
I wanted so badly to believe that. Maybe a part of me even did. But I had a daughter to consider. It didn't matter how grown up the Travis in front of me seemed, I needed to make sure Stella was safe.
"I should drive," I stated firmly, finally turning to make eye contact.
He nodded, once.
"Stella's car seat is on that side." I pointed at the passenger side.
I stayed back while he attempted to do things on his own, but it wasn't long before he turned sheepishly towards me. "I've never worked one of these before. I think I'm doing something wrong with the buckle."
I took a few steps closer, fully prepared to explain the complicated mechanism to him. It turned out I didn't need to. I watched in awe as Stella rested her tiny hand on his giant one. Once she seemed sure she had his attention, she pointed out the places where he needed to connect buckles. She managed to walk him through the process all on her own. When they were done, the two of them shared a private smile. I turned to go to the driver's side, inconspicuously wiping a stray tear as I went.
He was great with her. And I'd kept her from him. You did that for a reason, my subconscious reminded me. I took a deep breath and did my best to shake it off. Travis had planned a fun night for us, I didn't need to ruin it by falling into my own personal pity party.
One Wrong Move (Kelley University Book 2) Page 5
