by Ellie Danes
I was driving myself crazy. It was so dirty, yet so hot. I had just lived every girl from that class’s fantasy, and I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to set foot inside that auditorium again. I thought about my decision to drop his class. It wouldn’t hold me back from graduating this semester. I’d be free and clear of him, but did I really want that?
Chapter Four
Chase
She’s all I could think about. The way she smelled, and remembering how she felt. It set my body on fire just thinking about her. I don’t know if I had ever looked forward to a class as much as I had this morning. I could have called her—or even emailed her—the day before, but somehow it just didn’t feel right. As a professor, I had access to all of her information, but I wanted to wait.
I sat at the desk in the center of the large empty auditorium and stared at the front row seat where I had first seen her. Her amazing body, hugged by that tight black skirt, short enough to show off her amazing legs. I closed my eyes and pictured her face, punctuated by her clear blue eyes.
I heard her voice talking to me in my head. Her moans, her dirty talk. It had driven—and still drove—me crazy.
Ever since the first semester of teaching, I had made it a priority to keep my distance from these types of situations. I always had plenty of women from these classes begging me for attention, but the risk wasn’t worth the reward for so many reasons, especially after Hannah. I shook my head, trying to remove the memory, and refocused on Summer, even though I shouldn’t have.
“Excuse me, Professor Kerns?” A sexy, light-hearted voice interrupted my thoughts.
I opened my eyes to a half-full room and a brunette standing in front of me, attempting to show off her best assets. I had been lost in my daydream and hadn’t heard the students begin to file in. I anxiously looked to the front row seat that she had sat in the other day. It was still empty. I scanned the room, but she wasn’t there.
“What can I do for you?”
The bubbly brunette smiled. “I was just added to your class. I was on a wait list and a new spot became available yesterday.” She slid a printed email from the registrars’ office across the top of the desk.
“Great, go ahead and take a seat,” I said, without giving her any more attention. I immediately felt a stab in my stomach as I imagined who might have dropped the class. I looked at my watch: 7:58 a.m. The classroom continued to fill, and I watched each person entering the room, waiting for her face. A disheveled guy, who looked as if he could have been homeless, had just filled the empty seat in the front row.
I kept watch on the door and scanned the seats, hoping I had missed her. Nothing.
Chapter Five
Summer
“Seriously, Summer? It’s the second day of classes and you can’t even be on time? That’s not like you at all.”
Alyssa hadn’t stopped bitching at me since we left the apartment. We had an agreement that we wouldn’t let the other skip any classes in our last semester. We would drag each other out, regardless of the reason. I had hoped she had forgotten and would just let me stay in bed, but that wasn’t the case.
Alyssa pulled open the heavy wooden door to the auditorium as she peeked through the window, briefly turning to shoot me an evil look and scold me once more. “Great, he’s already started.”
We attempted to sneak in and take a seat in the back row without being noticed, but it was too late. Chase had seen us coming in, and I attempted to hide behind Alyssa as we found seats in the back. I felt his eyes on me, and I wasn’t sure how I should feel. A part of me really liked it, but a part of me still regretted what I had done. I took my seat and slouched, still attempting to hide from his stare, but allowing me a perfect view of him.
“God, he looks delicious today.” Alyssa quietly giggled and received nods of agreement from a few of the girls sitting near us who had overheard her. “We would be sitting up front, if you hadn’t made us late.”
“Okay,” I snapped. “I get it, I made us late. I don’t see what the big deal is; he isn’t that good-looking.” I hoped my lie wasn’t apparent to her and everyone else around me who might have been listening.
“I can only imagine what he looks like under that tight-fitting suit,” Alyssa whispered in my ear.
I could feel my face getting red as I remembered exactly what it looked like and how it felt. His smooth, chiseled chest and rock hard abs were hard to forget. I smiled to myself as I replayed the moment I untucked his shirt and saw them.
I squirmed in my seat as my heart beat faster, and I focused my gaze on him between the heads of the students in front of me. I could barely focus on the first thirty minutes of the lecture. Every move he made reminded me of the other night. His smooth, husky voice echoed throughout the room but I only heard the words he had whispered to me the other night. He was driving me crazy and not even trying. I knew what I was going to have to do.
I leaned over to Alyssa and whispered, “I’m going to drop this class. I really don’t think it’s for me.”
Alyssa’s eyes met mine with immediate disapproval and an overdramatic headshake.
“All right, that wraps up the lecture portion today, but I wanted to take a few minutes to recognize this semester’s interns and also make a few announcements.” Chase perched himself on the edge of the desk as whispers filled the auditorium.
“Here we go, rub our noses in it,” Alyssa bitched. “Just what I wanted to hear today.”
“This semester was by far the most competitive, and I saw some really outstanding resumes and accomplishments.” Chase nodded in agreement with his own words as he looked around the room. “But I’ve found in the past that resumes and accomplishments aren’t always what it takes to succeed. Just keep that in mind for a few minutes.” He reached behind him and pulled a stack of envelopes from the desk.
“Personal invitations now, too,” Alyssa continued to mumble to herself.
“You know you’re just jealous. We both wanted a spot, but he had his reasons for not picking us.” I remembered his reasons for not picking me. Temptation. The temptation flowed both ways.
Chase read from the first small white envelope he held in his hands. “Dillon Steele, please come to the front.” A light applause broke out as a good-looking guy made his way from the second row to the front of the room.
“Well, he’s kinda hot.” Alyssa smiled. “Imagine working with those two all semester. I bet his resume isn’t better than yours, Summer. I mean, you worked for that consulting company last summer, too. Talk about experience.”
I didn’t say a word. I just kept my gaze on Chase through the alleyway of heads. I silently wondered if I would have had a chance if Alyssa hadn’t made me get all dressed up for the first class. If I had just thrown my hair up in a ponytail and worn the leggings I had planned on wearing… Nothing special. I would never know.
Chase shook Dillon’s hand and gestured for him to stand in the front of the room as he read from the next card. “Liz Mallon.” More applause as the newest intern made her way to the front of the room. She was cute, in a girl-next-door sort of way. Two girls sitting in front of us whispered between themselves as they watched the girl take her place in the front of the room. Everyone had opinions of the selections. Some just chose to voice them more loudly than others.
A few students attempted to slip out midway through the announcements but were immediately called out for leaving early. After that, everyone kept their seats.
“I bet—”
“Alyssa, you can’t comment on every single person he picked who isn’t us.” I knew what she was doing: trying to make herself feel better. On Monday night, she had blown off the fact she hadn’t been selected, but now her true feelings were coming out. She wanted this internship more than she had let on. I knew exactly how she felt.
Chase called out the final three interns, Brenna Chapman, Owen Katz, and Max O’Conner, and handed them their invitations. A loud round of applause broke out as they all stood awkwardly
at the front of the room.
“I mentioned earlier that this was a very competitive semester and that this time I was going to change things up.” Chase shot a sly smile at the five interns standing in the front of the room. “This semester, if you don’t perform well, you lose your internship. This is about results, and those who work hard and produce will move ahead.”
The five students standing at the front of the room looked nervously at each other as gasps and more whispering made its way through the class.
Alyssa’s eyes grew big as she leaned in and whispered to me. “Well, I guess it’s better we didn’t make it. Sounds cut-throat to me.”
I didn’t agree with her. I thrived on competition. It’s what had driven me to work so hard all of these years.
“That means that there is an opportunity for any student to still win their place on this team of interns.” Chase took in the reactions of the students and then allowed his eyes to meet mine, though I was barely visible behind the guy sitting in front of me. I felt my stomach fill with butterflies as I watched him. “This year, I’m also making one more change.”
Alyssa grabbed my wrist and squeezed it tightly as if she were about to descend the first giant slope of a roller coaster. I could feel the blood begin to drain from my hand.
Chase turned his back to the room as he dug through his briefcase. I locked my eyes on his perfectly fit ass, unable to turn my stare away.
“Summer Farris.”
My name echoed throughout the room as my stomach sank, just like it had the first day when he caught me staring at his crotch. Students began looking around until Chase finally turned and pointed me out to everyone.
“Sums, what did you do?” Alyssa’s grip tightened as I faked a smile, but I knew I looked more like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. I couldn’t say anything. I just sat there as students turned in my direction to see whom the professor was speaking to, or about.
“Summer, please come to the front of the room.” Chase leaned back on the old wooden desk as he stared in my direction. I sat, still frozen, unable to make my body move.
“Summer! Go!” Alyssa whispered as she released the grip on my wrist, leaving a bright red mark and allowing the blood to freely flow.
I willed my body to get up and immediately wished I had worn something other than my comfy workout gear. I pushed my way past the few people to my left at the end of the row and made my way to the stairs leading down to the front of the room. I could feel my hands shaking as I approached him. His glowing green eyes followed me with each step. I heard the whispers from the other girls as I passed by; none of their comments were complimentary.
“Chris Miller, Diane Jenkins, Landon Getty, and Hannah Locke, please join Miss Farris in the front.” Heads began searching the classroom for the four additional students he had called. “This semester, I’m adding five additional interns to the program.”
He raised the small white envelopes in the air, displaying them to the crowd. My name was clearly written in his perfect handwriting on the top envelope.
Nerves took over my body as I approached him. I could smell his cologne and it instantly reminded me of our time together in the park. I had wanted this internship so badly, and now, here it was. I wondered if, after the other night, I would be the one who couldn’t handle being that close to him.
He extended the envelope to me, allowing his fingers to gently brush the skin on my hand. The electricity was immediate and sent shivers down my body. I could feel my face warm as he looked into my eyes and smiled.
“I’m looking forward to working with you, closely.”
I swallowed hard as I fumbled for words and only managed two. “Me, too.”
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