Spencer feared what she was going to say. Recently his mother had become somewhat of a health fanatic. He remembered how her daily emails to him would always have an attached article “The Dangers of Meat”, “Knowing your Foods”, “Eat well - Live well”, the list went on forever. Sometimes if he wasn’t lucky, she would send him more than one. He hated those days. There was always a note at the bottom of the email informing him of the ‘important’ documents attached. His mother would probably have a fit if she discovered that he hardly read anything she sent him.
Now retired, he suspected that she was spending the bulk of her time online, reading any and everything food or health related. He preferred she use her free time doing something else, something that she enjoyed, or was this her hobby?
“What did you do mom?” he almost didn’t want to ask but he knew she would tell him regardless.
“Well, the other day I was at the store just minding my own business, you know me.”
Spencer chuckled, clearly he didn’t know her. Although he hated to admit it, his mother was a bit nosy; she would always try to tell him some juicy gossip that she “accidentally” overhead somewhere while minding her own business.
“You remember Mr. Howard don’t you?” she waited for him to answer.
“Yes, he works at the post office right?”
“Uh huh... He passed away a few weeks ago.” She said as her face grew solemn, like that of a grieving widow. “Well I overheard his neighbor Barbara, telling someone that his daughter Cindy told her friend Janice, that his doctor said he died from eating too much meat. You know he weighed like 400 pounds when he died,” she whispered, as if it were some dirty little secret she’d just shared.
“MOM!” Spencer called out in disbelief.
“It’s true. The meat killed him. I went online and Googled it.”
“What? Let me get this straight, you went online on Google and learned that meat killed Mr. Howard?” He said with a raised a cynical brow.
“Not exactly. I was just reading up on meat. There’s some scary information on there about the effects of consuming too much of it. I sent you a few of the articles I found. You remember don’t you?” She continued, opening his bedroom door and holding it steady while he dragged his bags in.
Spencer paused for a minute, propping his bags to the corner neatly. “I think you need to get a part time job mom. Something to keep you busy.”
“Oh Spence, that would be nice. But...”
“But what?” as he shot her a curious look.
“But - I’ve started this new club with some of the ladies at my church. It’s a book club, well not really. It’s called WWACC, “Women With a Cause Club”. We do a little of everything, you know to better our homes, church and neighborhood.”
“Does Dad know about your club?” Spencer said as he didn’t like the sound of this; because he knew his mother all too well. He knew that this was a clever excuse to meet up with her friends, drink red wine and gossip about everything happening in Pelham Bay. However he wanted to be certain that he didn’t jump to conclusions. Therefore he asked her one question that would help him determine the authenticity and purpose of this so-called, Women With a Cause Club.
“So when do you ladies meet?”
“We meet here on afternoons. And yes, your father knows about it.” She assured him with a smile.
“Uh – huh, I see. On afternoons, as in every afternoon.” Spencer said.
“Oh wipe that smirk of your face boy,” his mother teased, realizing what he was insinuating. “Anyways, you won’t even know that I used tofu instead of the meat. Well now you do, but I’m sure your dad won’t realize it,” She said, immediately changing the subject.
“Ha, really you think?” he retorted sarcastically with a lopsided grin.
Before long his mother was out the door, rushing downstairs as the smell of burnt lasagna filled the air. Spencer’s eyes looked at his room with admiration. Everything looked tidy, organized and untouched. Even the white walls were crisp and fresh, as if they had just been painted. “Ah, home sweet home,” he muttered to himself, lying back and savoring the feel of the soft Egyptian cotton sheets against his skin. He then drifted off into a light slumber, exhausted from his trip home.
At exactly 6 pm his door swung open and a tall, sturdy, grey haired man walked in. Spencer sprung to his feet and greeted his father with a tight firm hug. The two were the same height and build. They both had a slight dimple in their chin and smooth looking ivory skin. Aside from these features these two men were very different. Spencer’s father David was business savvy. He enjoyed working at his family owned retail company, while Spencer was more academically focused.
After a few minutes of chatting with his father, his mother called them downstairs to the dinner table. Spencer’s heart leaped with joy at the sight of the splendid dinner she’d prepared especially with him in mind. All his favorite dishes were lined up neatly on the table before him. Thankfully his mother had managed to salvage some of the lasagna. As they eat dinner, they engaged in lively conversation catching up on old times.
Chapter Three
First Day
Lizzy examined herself in the mirror for the umpteenth time, before finally sighing with disappointment. She’d spent the last hour trying on several articles of clothing, confused as to which one she should choose for her first day of class. Why was she suddenly so mindful of her appearance? Any other day she would have had no problem just throwing on a long summer dress and heading out the door without a care in the world. However, today she wanted to look good and therefore she made a special effort to ensure that was the case. Even the light shade of pink lipstick that she had on, made her a little uncomfortable. Yet there she was applying a bit of mascara, and praying she didn’t accidentally poke her eyes out in the process.
After deliberating some more, she finally decided to go with option number 4; a strapless blue maxi dress, with a grey, unbuttoned summer cardigan hanging loosely over it. A small gold belt provided definition to her petite waist. The dress draped her body beautifully and she looked like a modern day Greek Goddess. Her outfit led down to a pair of black and gold wedged heels that covered her pedicured feet.
Walking past her mirror one last time, she glanced at her reflection. This time she was satisfied with what she saw. She looked just as good now, then when she was in college several years prior. Perhaps her decision to go back to school was not solely based on her wanting a better job to support her family. Maybe in some strange way she longed to reclaim a little of her youth, the life she had given up to raise her kids.
***
A slender brunette girl ran into the room with her younger brother trailing closely behind her. They’d been fighting over the TV remote and wanted their mother to mediate. This was nothing new to Lizzy; she’d grown weary of seeing her children fight all the time, over the most trivial matters. She immediately tried to settle the scuffle between her 12 year old daughter and 9 year old son, telling them that neither of them would get the device.
It was during times like these Lizzy felt lucky to have been an only child. Although she imagined that perhaps if she had a sibling growing up, life would have been much better. Her mother, Lucy Roberts, now deceased, had raised her as a single mother without any help. Growing up her father had been like a ghost, she remembered hearing stories about him, but to this day she has never met the man. She could have tried to find him over the years, with all the technological advancements and the emergence of social media. But the truth was, she didn’t care enough to go searching for him, especially after learning how he treated her mother. He’d moved to North Carolina after abandoning her pregnant mother. The rumor was that he left to wed his co-worker. Although Lizzy did not hate this man, she had no desire to know him.
The loud tapping on her apartment door distracted her from the kids for a few moments. “Oh thank you so much for coming. Are you sure you don’t want them to come over to your apartment instead?�
�� Lizzy invited Mrs. Lewis, her neighbor into the apartment.
Mrs. Lewis was a plump, friendly old lady who lived in the same building as Lizzy. She and her late husband Tom had raised three well-mannered boys as their own, her sister’s children, Lizzy had heard. Now widowed, she spent her days knitting and watching The Golden Girls reruns. “I don’t mind coming over Lizzy. I’m sure the children don’t mind it either. Right kids?”
Molly smiled, nodding her head in agreement, while Nathan who was too busy playing with his video game to utter a word.
Lizzy gathered a few of her things before kissing her children goodbye and heading out the front door. Her heart raced in anticipation as she made her way to the bus stop outside her building. The number 32 bus was on time as usual and as she boarded the bus, the driver, a man with whom she’d become well acquainted with over the years, greeted her with a pleasant smile.
The bus was partly empty with just over five passengers including Lizzy. Easing into a seat in the middle row, she flipped through the pages of her text book. The good thing about attending night classes was the reduced work load. This semester, she had to complete only 9 credit hours, which worked out to be 3 courses: Civil Procedure I (CP101), Criminal Law (CL210) and Psychology I (PSY101).
Her time on the bus went by quickly and before long she was at her stop. Clasping her text book shut, she stood to her feet and made her way to the door. As the bus slowed down, she wished the driver a good evening and prepared to disembark the vehicle. She was now officially back in college.
***
“I’ll get it,” the deep husky voice came suddenly, stopping Lizzy in her steps. A professionally dressed man rushed ahead, holding the door open so she could walk in. His cologne filled the air like a fine wine and she wished she could embrace him for a quick second to enjoy his sweet, but masculine scent.
As she looked up to thank the well-mannered man, her gaze locked into those of a handsome young man with the dreamiest baby blue eyes she’d ever seen. His black hair was styled handsomely and he towered above her at about 6 feet and a few inches. He was perhaps in his mid-20’s; one of her potential classmates she hoped. A smile swept across her face like a warm summer’s breeze over a flower. There was a succulent silence between them for a few seconds; it was almost as if time had stopped so they could both savor in their chance encounter.
“Thank you,” the words finally left her lips. Lizzy chewed on her bottom lip nervously, as tiny butterflies came alive in her stomach. She could feel her heart beating faster and faster, and she struggled to not fidget or say anything silly.
He must have realized how uncomfortable she’d suddenly become, because a bemused look broke out on his face and a lopsided grin touched his lips. His eyes lit up as bright as a diamond in the sun. “You’re most welcome,” he replied, before eventually walking away.
As he left her presence, her eyes followed him down the hallway until he disappeared behind one of the brown doors. Slowly reality drifted upon her and she laughed at herself softly for her childlike behavior. Lizzy couldn’t help but wonder whether she would see this handsome stranger again. Maybe she wouldn’t – with her seemingly bad luck.
“Stop it... You don’t need any distractions,” a small voice in the back of her mind chided.
She was there for one reason and one reason only, to finish what she’d started years ago. This time she intended to graduate and pursue her Law Degree, even if it took her the rest of her miserable life. She had to get that degree, if not for her then for her children – they deserved to have a better life.
Chapter Four
Psychology 101
Lizzy walked into the lecture room along with several other students. However there was something that set this group of students apart from the others from her previous classes. They all seemed much younger than her and they were mostly female. There was a little chatter between them and they seemed somewhat excited. “Wow, that’s a first,” she thought to herself silently as she made her way to the back of the room.
This was her final class for the week, Psychology 101. It was also her earliest, starting at 5:30 pm every Thursday. The past few days had been disappointing for Lizzy. Initially she’d fantasized about having dangerously handsome professors – just one at least, to keep her interested in class. However, her past two lecturers were a far cry from what she’d wished for. Dr. Greyson, her Civil Procedure professor was a nerdy old man; a retired lawyer who now worked with the college part-time. He made sure to gloat about the fact that after 45 years he was still happily married with 3 grandchildren that he adored.
The other professor was a mean looking, no-nonsense woman – Dr. Patricia Lesley. She shot down every question that was asked during class, telling the students that they weren’t in high school anymore. Lizzy could still hear her saying, “I am the professor, not your textbook.” Lizzy also remembered her outfit, a dark grey old fashioned skirt suit, one like what her mother used to wear to church on Sundays.
As she sat in the lecture room waiting for class to start, Lizzy allowed her eyes to survey her classmates. Most of them sat in small groups, their specific cliques she assumed. Right away she spotted the most popular girl there; her loud over the top attitude was a clear indication of her status on campus. She wore what looked like – club wear. If there was a dress code, she was clearly not adhering to it. Her tight spandex figure hugging dress stopped several inches above her knees and her cleavage was hanging out of her low v-cut top. She was a beautiful blonde girl nonetheless, with a nice slender figure and sparkling blue-green eyes.
There was another young woman seated next to her, a close friend perhaps. The chemistry between them was that of two sisters. She too was almost as beautiful as her friend and her red hair was the only outstanding difference between them. The two spent half their time giggling and texting on their cellphones.
“He’s coming,” a young woman rushed in and said with baited breath. She seemed to be friends with the two young women Lizzy had noticed earlier. Whoever was coming to the class must have been pretty important to them, Lizzy thought to herself. Perhaps the blonde girl’s boyfriend, she was visibly the most excited one amongst the three young women.
Lizzy eased back into her chair waiting to see who would walk through the door, several images rushed through her mind. Her breath caught in her throat as the young man strode in silently, like a God walking on water. It couldn’t be – him. What was he doing here? He must be her boyfriend? Her mind was suddenly clouded with a series of unanswered questions.
There he stood before her, the handsome young man, who’d opened the door for her a few days earlier. He looked just as good to her as he had when she first met him in the doorway. Tall, dreamy eyes, attractive and well-dressed in a finely tailored suit, that fit him perfectly.
Suddenly, he spotted her in the back. His unwavering stare made her terribly nervous. She could feel the attraction now stronger than ever, a wave of electricity surging through her veins. She was sure he must have felt it as well.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion now. The thought of seeing him every Thursday, for the rest of the course was a very pleasing one. Even the way he uttered his words was attractive to Lizzy. His lips came apart seductively as if he were speaking directly to her. He greeted the class and introduced himself as Dr. Spencer, their Psychology professor.
Dr. Spencer did something none of her previous professors had done. He conducted an icebreaker exercise. Each person had to stand up and introduce themselves to the class. He began with himself, stating his name as Dr. Spencer, before telling a joke.
A roar of laughter erupted amongst the students. They acted as if they’d just heard the funniest joke in the world. Lizzy sat there feeling slightly amused. The young women in the room were like a pack of hungry wolves, all vying for Dr. Spencer’s attention. Thankfully Lizzy was older and more mature than most of them. She didn’t need to giggle loudly, or act silly to get his attention – she already
had it.
One by one each student stood up and introduced themselves. The beautiful blonde girl was Steffy Jameson, a Business Management major. She made certain to inform the class that her parents were both prominent members of society; one a real estate mogul and the other director of a huge marketing company. She lived in Manhattan, in a luxurious condo with the most amazing views of Central Park. What she was doing here, Lizzy didn’t know. Out of the colleges in New York she’d chosen this small local college.
Steffy’s close friend, Amy Savage, introduced herself next. She was not as boastful or flashy as her friend. She informed the class that she’d been born and raised in the Bronx by her father, a local fireman. She also went on to talk about her love for Criminal Justice, as it turned out she too was a Pre Law major.
Soon it was Lizzy’s turn to introduce herself. Her heart thudded as she rose to her feet. She smiled and began telling the others a little about herself. For some reason she mentioned the fact that she was a single mom and was now back to complete her degree. She hoped that by sharing this information she would have a positive impact on the life of at least one of the young ladies in the room. She could see the expression on Spencer’s face changing as she spoke. His eyes were filled with compassion and admiration.
Chapter Five
Dream On
Spencer cursed himself for getting the door for her. It had been a few weeks since he first met Elizabeth Carter and he still couldn’t get himself to forget about her. The fact that she was in his Thursday class did not help either.
There was something attractive about her, something that went beyond her nearly flawless beauty. She had passion in her eyes and determination in her voice. When she spoke about her dream of becoming a lawyer, he wished he could help her achieve it. To him there was nothing more appealing than a woman who was actively pursuing her goals, amidst a sea of challenges.
Class Of Desire (Contemporary Romance) Page 2
