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I know I’m playing a dangerous game, toying with the boundaries of work and art, morality and expectations because the thing was, it wasn’t just any old art class in town. The sessions were held on campus—at the university. But that was part of the excitement. How far could I take it before I had to call it game over? I know myself well enough that I’d take it as far as I possibly could, to the cliff’s edge and then once there, I’d see how far I could dangle my toes off the precipice.
The key to it all is to keep the fantasy anonymous. The cloak of anonymity is what will protect me.
Chapter 6
Jack
Iknew they would bethere before I even looked.
Piled neatly into the cubbyhole lay a stack of photocopied slides. Leyna was the best thing going for this department and knowing I can count on her, makes a massive difference to working in this place.
The fact that she’s hot as hell is a bonus.
I’ve worked here for nearly ten years. I’ve seen people come and go, both academic and non-academic staff. Most people I couldn’t care less about. There are also some people I’d be over the moon if they left and there are people I’d known for over a decade who still blanked me in the corridors. But Leyna’s different.
That’s why Leyna is a breath of fresh air. Even if I only see her a few times a week, I look forward to those moments. I can actually ask her for help and not get a snarky answer in response. I can’t say the same about my colleagues or any of the other staff here.
And God, do I love to tease her.
I felt a little guilty when I saw her cheeks turn red the other day. I hope she didn’t think I was being a dick. It would be easy for her to think that given the state of affairs here. I doubt she gets much respect from my colleagues. Christ,Ithink half of them are arseholes. But it was a pleasure to see Leyna’s innocence on display. Something I’d like to see more of...
I stop myself from following that train of thought any further. That is one path I cannot consider going down. Even if we did have chemistry and it led somewhere, it would have to be a secret. We’d have to hide everything from this department and the people in it. Some of them would look for any chance to gossip, and in this place, if the sharks smell a drop of blood, you’re done. I couldn’t put Leyna through the hell of the nasty whispers and the sordid glances. That’s why harbouring the prospect of a relationship with Leyna, even for a nanosecond, is completely out of the question. Not to mention, I don’t do work relationships. They’re a bad idea and they only ever lead to pain and misery. For these reasons, I cannot ever entertain the idea of taking Leyna out, of kissing her, of tasting—
Enough.
That doesn’t mean I can’t continue to flirt with Leyna. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of harmless banter, is there? I love to watch her peachy rose skin tone ripen into a ruby red hue under the onslaught of my terrible sense of humour. And maybe even wonder what other less than innocent things we could get up to if we had the chance... But then that’s it. It would remain a figment of my imagination, a silly daydream that, while still fanciful, would remain sweet—and imaginary.
‘Good afternoon, Professor Stanhope.’
I whip around to see Leyna. I thought she wouldn’t be here. That’s why I’ve left it to the end of the day.
She’s standing there looking amazing, as usual. Her rich brown hair with the faintish hint of red is tied back into a bun at the base of her head. Wisps of hair have fallen out and it takes everything I have not to reach out and brush them gently away. Luckily I don’t need to because Leyna does it herself, tucking a loose strand behind one ear.
‘You alright?’ I say, trying my best to act casual. ‘You’re here late,’ I nod at the clock. I stayed late on a regular basis, that way it limits how much time I have to spend at home alone. But why would she bother? This place owed her no favours.
‘Yes, I’m trying to clock up a few extra hours across the week so I can take an afternoon off. I was just locking things up.’
