AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When he pushes into me, I’m instantly ushered into that blissful place again that feels uniquely our own.
Chapter Six
Claire
Four Weeks Later
I’m lost in a sea of worksheets that need to be graded when a knock draws my attention upward. When I look up, I see Maya standing in my classroom door, holding a pink pastry box in her hands.
“Put that red pen down, missy,” Maya says, walking in, “and finish off these donuts with me.”
I grin and make room on my desk.
“Don’t tell me you stole these from the teachers’ lounge, Maya,” I say as she opens up the lid of the box.
Maya scoffs. “Hardly stealing. There are only three left, and they’ve been sitting in thereallday.”
“Okay. Fair enough.” I eye the donuts inside the box and help myself to the one with rainbow sprinkles. “Feel like helping me grade?”
Maya swallows a bite of donut and laughs. “Uh, no? You know, if you assigned less homework…”
“Oh,that’syour secret to always getting out of here early, huh?” I tease.
“Ha ha,” says Maya dryly. She reaches into the pastry box and breaks the third donut into two. “Here. Don’t forget your half.”
Maya and I chat for a while as we finish up the donuts; then, glancing at the clock, I tell her I really do need to finish grading and we say goodbye to each other. Refueled by the donut and the social break, I buckle down and get through all the grading I need to get through today, then bring the pile of graded worksheets over to my students’ mailboxes.
As I’m heading back to my desk, I notice something pink on the floor and bend to pick it up. It’s a little red paper heart with a piece of folded tape on the back—a heart cut out by hand from an art project I recently did with my students. Smiling, I walk back to my desk and press it to the edge of my computer screen.
All right. The classroom is clean. My grading is done. It’s time to get out of here.
I’ve just gathered up my things when my phone buzzes. When I glance at the screen, I see that it’s a text from a number I don’t recognize—not even the area code.
I unlock my phone and open up the message. My heart skips a beat when I start to read it.
Hi, Claire. It’s Jack. I hope this is the right number. I’m going to be in town next week, and I’d love to see you. Can I take you to dinner?
My mouth is dry by the time I finish reading the text. It’s been four weeks since the conference and I haven’t been in contact with Jack at all during that time. I thought we both understood that our night together was a one-time thing.
I mean…yes, I’ve thought of Jack since that night. OfcourseI have. How could I just forget a man like that? How could I forget anightlike that?
But it was just a bit of fun. It was just the two of us letting loose and indulging in our mutual attraction.
That’s all.
As I stare down at my phone, though, I can’t bring myself to tell him that over text. It feels too cold. Too heartless.
At the very least, I owe him the decency of having this conversation in person.
“You look beautiful, Claire,”Jack says, leaning in to kiss my cheek.
His compliment squeezes around my heart, but I stop myself before I let the feeling get to me. I quickly thank him, then sit back down at the restaurant table and arrange my napkin on my lap. I wish we weren’t in such a nice restaurant right now, but Jack insisted on coming here.
At least he didn’t pick me up from my place, which would havereallymade it feel like a date—instead, I told him that it would work better for my schedule if we met at the restaurant.
“So are you in town for work?” I ask.
“Nope. Pleasure,” Jack says, getting settled across from me.
