AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I down another sip of beer.
Emeliaisa kid. My student. Why can’t I seem to remind myself of that enough times to make it actually stick?
Or maybe that’s not the real issue. Maybe repeating that to myself over and over again isn’t going to convince me to stay away from her…maybe it’s the exact opposite.
She takes a seat across the room, and I’m relieved she’s far away.
The conversation around me goes ignored as I watch her and her friends order drinks, take pictures, smile and laugh. Emelia is a part of it all, but while the others all genuinely seem to be having fun, Emelia is only pretending. It’s so obvious to me. The moment the selfie is accomplished, her smile drops.
She looks up and catches me watching her. I love that I’ve caught her off guard the way she caught me off guard the first day of the semester when I looked up into the crowded lecture hall and saw her.
Her eyes widen in shock, and then her gaze immediately flits away, back to her group as a rosy blush overtakes her cheeks. I can almost imagine her thoughts.
If it isn’t the asshole himself.
I’m sure she wishes I would leave. Maybe she’s cursing me to hell in that pretty little head of hers after how angry I made her on Tuesday.
But then she picks up her cocktail and ever so carefully looks back in my direction, not with hatred, but with intrigue.
I do a decent job of carrying on with my conversation with Tricia and Jose, participating enough that they can’t call me out while mostly just drinking my beer and looking over at Emelia.
She knows I’m watching her—our eyes have locked twice—but she’s not putting on a show for me. If anything, it’s the exact opposite. For someone in a costume, she sure acts like she wants to blend in. She sits back in the booth she shares with her friends and takes little sips of her drink. Sonya and the guy they’re with are holding up a camera and recording a video of themselves. The fourth person in their group left a little bit ago to take a phone call. Emelia sits quietly, alone in the crowd as she swirls her straw in her glass.
People from my group eventually start to leave. I close my tab and offer to cover everyone else’s as well, a gift to Garrett. They all lift their glasses and cheers in my honor. I can’t be certain, but I swear I feel Emelia watching me again.
I get up to use the bathroom before I leave. It’s going to be a long train ride back to Boston. After I’m done, I wash my hands and open the door, only to find Emelia waiting on the other side.
She’s leaning against the opposite wall, and I indulge in staring for a second. In that getup, she’s all legs.
The noise from the door opening catches her attention, and she looks up from her phone.
My presence startles her.
“Professor,” she says with a reverent tone.
“What are you wearing?”
Slowly, she processes what I’ve said and the tone in which I’ve said it. Her chin juts up with pride. “Nothing that concerns you. Are you done? I need to touch up my lipstick.”
“By all means.”
I stretch my arm out, gesturing for her to enter, making it clear that I’m not quite ready to vacate the bathroom but she’s free to join if she wants.
Her eyes narrow with annoyance and she steps past me, making sure to dig her heel into my shoe as she passes by. There’s no apology.
How…interesting.
I should leave, but I don’t. Did my presence here actually startle her, or did she see me get up from my table and follow me here?
I lean against the doorframe and watch her tug her lipstick out of her purse, lean against the counter, and start to paint her lips red. The position has her hips tilting up, hiking her skirt that much higher.
Her eyes catch me staring in the mirror.
“How has your night been, Professor? Have you terrorized anyone?”
I chuckle softly under my breath, appreciating her candor.
“I think you’re the one who’s been doing the terrorizing. Is that what you normally wear when you go out?”
