by Ali Parker
I wanted a woman like her to fall deeply in love with me. To worship me in the ways that I planned to worship her, to be proud to be mine for the rest of her life.
It all seemed like too much to ask for, and yet the hope of such a promise followed me around for the rest of the evening until I finally crashed in bed and let my dreams take over where reality ended.
Dana would be mine behind locked doors for the time being, and honestly, it was more than I could ask for. I didn't deserve even that. Not after the way I'd lived my life. But I was just greedy enough to be willing to take it.
Chapter 7
Two Days Later
Dana
Olivia still hadn't returned my call about coming to stay with her in New York for the weekend, which was starting to get on my nerves. I knew she was under a lot of pressure and had been traveling a lot with her job, but still.
I put the broom up after running it across the kitchen floor in an effort to feel like I was doing something domestic. I hadn't seen Kendal in two days, which was good and bad. He was working to get himself back in the groove of being at the college, and we were playing lovers under cover. The only thing missing was the sex. Damn Jackie for losing her keys. There was no way we'd have ended the night with a few kisses and nothing else if she hadn't jacked everything up.
"It was for the better," I mumbled and picked up my phone to try Olivia again. My definition of “better” felt rather fucked up at the moment. The best thing would have been spending the night trapped beneath Kendal, letting him take out every torrid emotion he had on my willing body.
"Hey you! I'm so sorry about not getting back to you. It's been stupid busy up here." Olivia answered the phone and jolted me with the volume of her voice.
I pulled the phone back. "It's all good. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with me staying at your place this weekend. I thought I would be coming alone like last time, but I'm bringing a friend with me. Is that okay?"
"It's perfectly fine. I'm still dating Luke though. Are you going to be okay with going out with him for a drink on Friday or Saturday? He's not going to give me the whole weekend to myself."
"Ugh." I rolled my eyes and pressed my hand to the kitchen counter. "Why are you dating this guy? He's a total cock."
"Because he's rich, he's great in bed and he's hot as sin." She laughed.
"That is not the right list for a man that you're looking at marrying, Olivia."
"Sue me. Life is short and I gave up on real love a long time ago." She paused for a brief second. "Wait. Did you say that you're bringing a friend with you?"
"Yeah. Kendal. He's a great guy. You're going to love him."
"I like his name. It's... different."
I scrunched up my nose. "What are you talking about, crazy girl?"
She laughed again. "Never mind. Of course you can come stay with us. You know that."
"Us? Are you living with Luke now?" The thought caused my stomach to sour.
"Off and on. I still have my own place, but we're slowly transitioning over to his."
I groaned and walked toward the living room. "You know marriage is supposed to be about love and forever and all that great stuff."
"That's a fairy tale you keep telling yourself."
"Where's my sweet friend that believed in true love when we were kids?"
"She's long gone, Dana. You know that." Her voice softened, losing some of the natural cockiness that I always enjoyed hearing in it. She was a beast, a confident woman with intelligence, looks and a fierceness that was only matched by her sweet heart for those she truly loved.
Life had pulled out the stops to stomp her in the ground, and unfortunately the guy wearing the boot was the only boy she loved. Was she still suffering from that heartbreak?
"Nope. I refuse to believe it. I'm going to find Caden Taylor and get your heart back." I smirked, knowing I was setting myself up for an ass chewing. We promised not to talk about Caden a long time ago, and I usually kept up my end of the bargain. He was the high school quarterback that everyone loved, and my best friend was head cheerleader.
"Kick him in the nuts if you ever find him."
I snorted. "I'll be up there on Friday night. I don't want to mess up your weekend, so if you want me to just get a hotel…"
"No. Never. I want you to stay with me. Period."
"All right. I'll let you know when we get in. Text me your address."
"I'll do it now. Love you. Can't wait to see you."
"Me too." I set the phone down on the counter and walked toward the bedroom, letting my thoughts run wild. "How weird would it be if I actually ran into Caden somewhere around town? What would I say?"
I'd kick him in the nuts for hurting Olivia so bad. It was a hot mess that none of us wanted to revisit. Our glory days of high school definitely ended with a bang and would remain locked in the past forever if any of us could help it.
I finished cleaning up the house before taking a shower and packing up my bag to head to the library. I could get in a few hours of studying before a quick lunch and an afternoon shift at the hospital. A knock at my door left my heart skipping a beat.
Where I didn't expect it to be Kendal, I couldn't help but hope that maybe it was. He was the only person outside of Jackie that I'd have expected to stop by my apartment.
I pulled the door open to find Cameron standing on the other side with a handful of flowers.
"You have got to be kidding me." I tilted my head to the side and put my hand on my hip. "I already told you that we're over."
"And I heard you, but I don't think you really meant it." He extended the flowers toward me. "Come on, Dana. Let me just explain myself. Please, baby?"
"You were horrible to me the other night in the parking lot when I had dinner with Kendal. Why in the world would I give you even a second of my time?" I took the flowers and chucked them toward the kitchen table. "I'm not letting you in."
"Fine. Then come out for a quick sandwich with me."
"It's not lunch time." There wasn't even a seed of desire inside of me to hear this asshole out, and yet I knew that to deny him was to invite him to get violent. I wasn't sure what he was capable of, and I wasn't exactly scared, but after his off the wall behavior, it seemed like a better idea to get him away from the apartment, even if that meant sharing a quick meal with him.
"Then breakfast." His jaw locked. "Just give me half an hour and if you're not convinced that I'm truly sorry and deserve another chance, I'll walk away for good."
"You promise? No more of this showing up on my doorstep at random hours of the day bullshit?" I put my hand on my hip again and glared at him.
"I promise. I'll wait in the car. Just get dressed and come down."
I closed the door without answering, locked it and walked toward the bedroom. "I am dressed, you asshole."
Was I really going to do this? What if we ran into Kendal? The chances were less than likely, but with the way my luck had been lately, it wouldn’t surprise me. I changed into a blue blouse and a pair of jeans before slipping my feet into sandals and walking toward the door.
I texted Jackie just so someone would know where I was in case I never showed back up from the date. At least the cops would know to come after Cameron and not Kendal. I smirked at the thought.
"Thank you for this." Cameron's voice was soft and friendly as I got into the passenger's side of his car.
"I'm just ready for this to be over." I buckled up. "You left me, not the other way around. It should be me who's begging you to come back, but when you left, I realized how good it felt not to have someone shitting down my throat all the time."
"I know, baby, and I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." He reached over to take my hand, but I slapped his away.
"Don't. Touch. Me."
"Okay." He nodded and pulled out of the parking lot. "How's the hospital been? Work going okay?"
"It's an internship, but it's been going great. I'm starting my mini-mester now."
"You know if you need any help with your business classes that I'd be happy to help you, right?"
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." I clasped my hands in my lap and concentrated on breathing. I half expected him to talk my ear off as we drove toward one of his favorite breakfast cafes, but he didn't say another word. A comfortable silence fell between us, and I used the time to try and decide what I was going to wear to New York. I wanted to impress Kendal, but at the same time be comfortable and enjoy myself. It sort of felt like we were past the point of the flirting stage. He wanted me in his life and I sure as hell wanted him in mine.
"Why so quiet?" Cameron glanced over at me after he parked outside the cafe.
"Just lost in thought." I shrugged and reached for the door.
He gripped my wrist, stopping me. "And what are you thinking about? Us?"
"I was thinking about all of the patients I've lost at the hospital lately. It's been rough." I tugged my hand free from his and got out of the car. Going anywhere with him was a serious mistake. I could only hope that we'd eat, chat and be on our way within the hour. Anything more than that and I was going to have to ask Jackie to call with an emergency and come get me.
"Yeah, I can't imagine having to deal with losing someone you've been caring for." He opened the door and moved back. "Well, I can. I mean, it feels like that’s what happened between us."
A patient dying at the hospital feels like him losing me? The guy was a fucking nut case. How had I not seen it before?
"How is your family?" I tried to change the subject as we walked into the cafe.
"They're doing fine. Same old same." He put his hand on my lower back and moved me through the restaurant behind the hostess. Chills ran down my back and warning signals went off inside my head, but I was stuck. It was just an hour. Just one meal. I would simply tell him at the end of it that I wasn't interested in anything, not even a casual friendship and he'd walk away. He said it himself.
"Hi kiddos. What can I get for you?" An older woman in a blue and white apron stopped by the table and smiled down at us.
"I'll have two eggs, bacon and toast. My girlfriend here will have a grapefruit and small cup of oatmeal." Cameron glanced up from his menu at me. "You like fruit on your oatmeal, right?"
I glanced up at the woman and gave her a shit-eating grin. "I actually want a ham and cheese omelet with extra butter and cheese. Toast with smothered hash browns and a Coke, please."
"Wow. That sounds awesome." The woman chuckled and glanced back toward Cameron, who was staring at me wide-eyed. "Is that all?"
"Yep." I handed her the menu and leaned back in my seat, letting out a soft sigh. "And I’m not your girlfriend."
He seemed to ignore the last part as he leaned back and blinked a few times. "You know what you ordered is horrible for you, right?"
"Absolutely, but I only live once and it tastes so fucking good." I smiled warmly, trying to remind the cock that I was my own person. He started to yap about something related to my health or his job, of which I wasn't sure. I'd tuned him out.
The memory of being at the pizza place with Kendal was all I could see. He didn't mind my curves, and almost seemed to prefer them. A laugh bubbled up inside of me as the visual of us dancing in the little restaurant that night to a 1950's song moved through my mind.
"What's so funny?" Cameron tapped the table in front of him, bringing me back to reality.
"I'm falling in love with this guy at the hospital."
"That professor guy? You know that's against their code of conduct, Dana. He's a professor. He cannot date a student. Period."
"Not him, but thank you for the update. I'm sure he's aware of that. He's far too much man for me anyway." I shrugged and pulled my soda near me as his eyes narrowed.
"And I'm not?"
"Nope. You're not nearly enough. Now... what were we talking about?" I was probably headed for the bottom of a deep freezer with the way the weirdo was watching me, but I was getting tired of being someone I wasn't. The only person I could be was me, and somehow that seemed like more than enough sitting in that diner across from my ex-boyfriend. At least I wasn't with him anymore. I couldn't figure out why I ever was in the first place.
Chapter 8
Kendal
"Thanks for meeting up with me. I know you have a lot going on." Mark lifted his coffee cup as if to somehow salute me with it. We weren't necessarily friends seeing that he was dean of the accounting department, but he was a brother from my fraternity back in his day. Kappa Alphas always worked to respect and help one another in life, no matter the situation or circumstance. I was more than grateful for the connection if nothing else.
"Of course." I took a quick sip of my coffee and set the mug down before leaning back in my chair and giving him my attention. It was early Thursday morning and where I'd gotten back in the routine of being back on campus the last few days, I was still a little unsure of myself. Getting over my sister's death wasn't going to be easy, but keeping busy seemed to help.
"How are you holding up?" Mark lifted his thick black eyebrow at me.
"I'm doing all right. As good as can be expected." I clasped my hands in my lap and let the excitement of going out of town with Dana the next day keep me warm and awake.
"Good. Well, you know if you need time off, you just need to ask for it. Eliza has stopped by here twice this week already offering to take your classes if you need some time."
Eliza Turner was a good mentor to me, and an excellent friend. She was the only one aware of Heather's advances toward me at work, and she wanted me to spill all of it to Mark. I just couldn't. It wasn't in my nature to complain or cause trouble and in all actuality, Heather hadn't done anything but rub up against me a few times and offer herself naked on a hot platter.
She hadn't changed a bit since college.
"I appreciate that, but I'm good. I'm headed to New York for the weekend to see some old friends and just hang out away from home. I think it'll do me some good to have a few beers and a handful of laughs."
"I bet it will." He took another drink of his coffee. "How are things going with Heather?"
My throat tightened, making it hard to breathe or speak. "Heather?"
“Yeah. Dr. Turner. You're still mentoring her, right?"
"Somewhat. With everything that's been going on in my personal life, I hate to say it, but I think she's had to work through most of the newness of being here on her own." I gave him a sympathetic look. "She's a strong woman though. She'll do great."
"She told me that you guys went to college together."
I nodded, not sure where the conversation was going. "I wasn't sure that was her the day we first met in your office, and I didn't want to look like a fool, so I didn't mention it."
"No, it's good. It's been like six or seven years, right? People change."
"Something like that." I sat up and reached for my coffee. "Did she mention needing help on something?'
"No, not necessarily. She seems to think highly of you, so I'd like you to stay involved with her." He set his cup down. "I'm not sure if you're aware, but her father is a big oil tycoon. Her family is from there and the man is loaded. He's thinking about donating a new wing to the business department, and our dean has asked that we help facilitate that if at all possible."
"Oh wow." I faked surprise. Everyone knew that Heather was loaded back in college. It was half the reason we kept her around. The other half was her willingness to drop her panties at the mere sign of someone getting a hard-on. "How can I help?"
"Just help me keep her happy." He shrugged. "Not sure what a woman like her wants or needs, but figure it out and give it to her if you're able."
I snorted. "I'm happy helping Heather with anything work related. Outside of that... consider me off limits."
"Of course." He shook his head. "I didn't mean anything of a personal nature. I would never ask that of you or anyone else."
Right. Why didn't I believe that all of a sudden
?
"Who's running Beta Alpha Psi now that Daisy left? Did Heather take over for her?"
"The accounting honors fraternity thing?" He looked less than interested, which was humorous. The group of students that ran it were the top of our business program and would be key decision-makers in big businesses around us in the next three to five years.
"Yes." I pulled my phone from my pocket and turned the vibrator off to keep it from going off in my pocket. Damon had called a few times, which meant he was in desperate need of my attention, or simply impatient like he'd always been.
"Let's have you and Heather run it together. That would be good for both of you, and perhaps give you a better opportunity to interact with each other. That sound all right?"
It sounded like a question, but it wasn't. It was a request from my boss to spend more time with our rich new accounting professor that just happened to be a whore from my past.
"Absolutely. I'll check with one of your secretaries to find out if the club has an upcoming meeting and who their current president is." As if I didn't have enough on my mind.
"Excellent. Let me know if anything comes up, or if you have too much on your plate Kendal. Eliza seemed awfully worried about you."
I got up and picked up my mug. "I'm good, but I'll let you know."
Eliza was worried because she knew the truth of who Heather was and what she was after. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if Eliza told Mark all about my run-ins with Heather in an effort to save me from myself. Hell, she might have already done it.
It wasn't like Mark was going to do anything to make ripples in the pool. Heather's family was too wealthy for that, and it would seem that our new dean was just as greedy as the last.
*
"Hi Dr. Tarrington." Jake greeted me as I walked into the auditorium after my meeting with Mark. I half expected to see Bethany there, but she wasn't anywhere to be found.
"Hey Jake. Is Bethany scheduled to come in today?"
