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“I’m sorry, Mr. Bain. What’s up?” she asks, without any emotion.
“Can I see you after class today?”
“Can we discuss whatever it is you want to talk about tomorrow during your office hours? I have to leave right after you dismiss.”
“That’s fine,” I respond, not wanting to let her leave with him. I’m going to go insane thinking about what they’re doing out of my sight. Fuck. The date they shared two nights before was bad, but this is torture. She’s not even heeding my warning. How can she seem so intelligent one day and then act like a typical college student the next?
I end today’s lecture and dismiss everyone early. I’m going to rid myself of these false feelings I have for Zara one way or another. I think I might have a way to do it. It’s not going to be the greatest decision I’ve ever made, but I hope it will be better for all parties involved. Especially Shannon.
While my students are finishing their assignments before the end of class, I step into the hall and make an appointment with the jeweler in town, so I don’t procrastinate when I leave work.
—
Stepping into the high-end store, I search the display cases for something that screams Shannon, but nothing is popping out at me. An elderly man comes from the back and motions for me to meet him at the case he’s standing in front of.
“I think I have just the thing,” he says with his raspy, smoked-for-forty-years voice, reminding me of my late grandfather. A sense of calm settles over me as I look down to where he’s pointing, and he’s right—it’s perfect.
I don’t know much about rings, but this is beautiful. Not too big, not too small, just right. “It’s amazing. Can I see it?”
The man nods, uses the keys on his belt loop to open the glass, and pulls out the diamond ring set in a platinum band. My father told me once that if the woman is meant for you, put the ring on your pinkie finger and that’s the size of her ring finger, so I do just that. The band effortlessly slides down my pinkie and catches the light from the bulbs above.
“I’ll take it,” I say, not taking my eyes off the ring. I’m not sure if I’ll ever know if Shannon is the only woman out there for me, but I’ve been with her so long, this seems like the next logical step.
Paying more money than I had anticipated for my purchase, I take the small velvet box and place it in the front pocket of my slacks. I make it back to my apartment quicker than I ever have before. Taking the steps two at a time, I shove my key into the lock and push open the door. I hope I’ll have a little time before Shannon gets back from her meeting with a student she’s going to mentor and I can whip up a nice meal.
Pulling two steaks from the fridge, I place them in a sizzling-hot skillet, searing them on all sides, then pop them in the oven to finish cooking. While they’re going, I change into a nicer, fresher pair of pants and a button-down shirt, pull out the beautiful lace tablecloth her grandmother gave her before she passed away, and set up our dining room table—complete with candles and place settings. I only wish I had stopped to pick up some fresh flowers.
Just as I’m pulling the steaks from the oven and plating them alongside some steamed broccoli, the doorknob turns and creaks open. I quickly set the plates on the table and stand off to the side.
“In here, honey,” I call, letting her know to come right into the dining room.
When she rounds the corner, I hear her voice and that of another person. All the hairs stand up on my neck and sweat appears on my brow. I know that voice. I’d recognize it anywhere.
/> “Noah, I’d like you to meet the student I’ll be mentoring this semester. She’s only a junior and hasn’t taken any classes in fashion, but her counselor said she’d be an excellent fit for the program, provided she changes her major.” Just then, the combat boots sneak around the corner and Zara’s standing in my dining room with my soon-to-be fiancée.
“Zara, this is my boyfriend, Noah. Noah, this is Zara.”
Chapter 15
Zara
“Hey, Noah.” I smile. “Lovely to meet you.”
It’s becoming rather difficult to break through to him the way I was planning to. Yeah, sure, he wants me, but he’s not doing anything about it. It’s making me question everything I’ve started. The only way I’m going to know for sure what happened with him and Karly is to get to know him on a more personal level. Yes, I want him to suffer for what he did to her, but more than that, I want the truth. All this second-guessing myself has to stop one way or another.
“I’ll get us a drink,” announces Shannon, pointing at the sofa. “Sit down. Are you cooking something?” she asks Noah. From the tone of her voice, I’m guessing he doesn’t cook much.
“Dinner,” he mumbles. His face reddens. I walk over to the sofa and sit down, crossing one leg over the other. He paces the room as Shannon disappears. As soon as she’s out of earshot, he turns to me.
“What the hell are you doing?” he growls.
I blink innocently. “I had no idea she was your girlfriend,” I lie. “It’s a great opportunity. Of course I was going to say yes.” I wet my lips and smirk at him.
The fact that he’s nervous, like he doesn’t want Shannon to know about me, lets me know that Shannon isn’t going to know anything about Karly, either. I’m going to have to find another way to the truth.
Shannon bounces back into the room juggling three cans of soda before he can respond. I smile and accept a can, popping the top open.
“I invited Zara for dinner, is that okay? I wanted to show her some of my old assignment pieces.”
