Page 7 of The Teacher

I just simply can’t take my eyes off him.

I shake my head, recovering from the initial shock of seeing him again, from the initial shock of seeing a real-life ghost appear at my brother’s wedding.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I ask him, stuttering over the words as I try, and fail, to remain composed.

Be strong, Sandy. Don’t show him weakness. He’ll pounce at the first sign of trouble.

He continues smiling his awful, gorgeous smile at me. “I was invited, of course.”

“What?”

“By your dad,” he replies. “He invited me here. It was a shock to see the invitation in the post, but I thought why not? Why not take the chance and visit my hometown? See some old friends like you.”

Old friends? Me? Not after what you did, buddy.

I try to be firm. Unwavering. I’m putting my metaphorical foot down now before this gets out of hand. “You should not be here,” I say, straightening my shoulders. I try not to be intoxicated by his mesmerizing appearance. All my old desires resurface just by looking at him, all those old teenage feelings I thought I’ve locked away forever are flooding back into my body, hardening things. Making me wet. Making this impossible.

“Your dad invited me here, though. And I think I deserve a bit more courtesy from you, Sandy.”

Courtesy?

I throw my arms up in pure anger. “Tell me one thing before I throw you out of here, Skipper.”

“Ouch. You’re vicious.”

“Tell me one thing. The last words I ever said to you, do you remember them?”

“Of course,” Skipper replies. He doesn’t appear fazed by me or my aggressiveness. He isn’t fazed by much, never has been. It’s so infuriating but so mesmerizing to watch.

“Well, what were they? The last words I said to you last time we saw each other?”

“You said you never wanted to see me again.”

“Bingo,” I reply, spinning around and marching over to the bar.

That’s enough, that should be enough to let him know I don’t want to speak to, or even see, him.

But with Skipper Deep it’s not that easy. I know him.

He’s a lion on the prowl, and he’s not going to stop until he has his prey.

Me.

I take one of the prepared filled glasses of champagne ready on the bar and drown it in one without looking back over the shoulder at him. At Skipper Deep. The bubbles tickle my throat as the champagne goes down. I need to do something to quiet my nervous shaking hands.

Just as I expect, Skipper follows me over to the bar. I don’t turn around to face him, not even when he approaches and stands right next to me. I can even smell his overwhelming expensive aftershave, that’s how close we were. The man is expensive. Tailored suit from Saville Row. Elite aftershave. Perfectly cut hair. He’s the very definition of a young successful international bachelor businessman.

Yuck, can he get even more irritating with his beauty?

He’s changed a lot in eight years, but he is still gorgeous. He still makes my hands shake with nerves when he looks at me.

“It’s been a long time,” he says as he leans on the bar, inches away from my body. I pride myself on not giving in to the temptation of looking at him.

“Eight years,” I correct.

That’s how long it’s been since he broke my heart.

“Yeah, a long time, and now I’m back. What do you think about that?”