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After twelfth grade, it crossed my mind to come back to visit him, but I thought it might look weird. If I went to visit all my old teachers, then it would look like a normal interaction, but I only wanted to see him. He always called me Ally and I would always call him by his first name when other teachers weren't around of course. I thought that would raise a bit of concern with a studentcalling her teacher Dexinstead of Mr. Laclaire.
After graduation, I sent him a friend request on Facebook since it would be acceptable then and he accepted it. He didn't get on much but now and again we would cross paths and like the same post. I haven't seen him in years, and I haven’t been able to find him online either. Last I knew he was seeing a woman from when I was still his student. I wonder if he's married or divorced like me?
???
“Knock, Knock.” Dex and I look up at the door as it opens and a tall brunette walks in. She is stunning and seems to know Dexter. She meets my eyes before saying anything else.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were with a student.” Dex smiles at me and then stands to walk over to the gorgeous women. He kisses her on the cheek, and I cringe but try to hide it. I sense that Dexter saw it because hesmirks and bites his bottom lip to try to stop his smile from forming.
“Alison, this is Rachel. My girlfriend.” I swallow and try to act normal. I’m not good with meeting new people.
“So, this is the famous Alison?” she reaches her hand out to shake mine, but I’m still stuck on her words. I turn to Dexter and his cheeks look a faint red like he is blushing. I try to lighten the intense mood.
“I’m not sure what he has said, but I am far from famous.”
She chuckles and grabs Dex’s hand and if I was any other student, I would have excused myself. Except, I’m not any other student. I’m curious to find out what Dexter has been saying about me back at home.
“Yet.” I snap out of my thoughts when Dexter speaks up. My eyebrows furrow in confusion.
“If your writing is as good as he talks about, you will no doubt be a number one author. Or whatever they say for that kind of thing.” I can’t help but laugh at her statement. I spot Dexter looking at me from the corner of my eye and the look in his eyes is different.
I want to explore that look further, but I can’t becauseRachel is here.Unfortunately.I look at him and give him a look that tells him everything he needs to know.
“Well, I didn’t mean to interrupt this meeting. It’s just that we have the dinner plans with my boss tonight. Remember Dexter?” His look snaps back to Rachel when she says that. I feel empty again when that look is ripped away from me. I long for that look again.
“It’s okay. We were just finishing up. I’ll head out now.” I close To Kill a Mockingbird and put it in my backpack and zip it up. As I stand, Rachel is clung to Dexter’s side. I reach my hand out to her again.
“It was nice to meet you, Rachel.” She smiles.
“You too, Hun.” I turn to face Dexter and give him a smile while backing toward the door, but my heart is begging to be close to him again.
???
“That was delicious, we need to catch up again soon! I’m going to be very busy next month with picking up extra shifts and then Jeremy and I are going to Florida to visit his family.”
“Maci and I are free whenever I'm not working, but we can wait until you get back and plan another day together!”
“I'm going to be driving out to Baltimore to stake out everything and hopefully that gives me enough time to get everything settled before school starts.”
We all have our tips laid on top of our checks on the table and we grab our bags to head for the door. Once we get outside, we give each other hugs and head to our separate cars.
Chapter Three
Ineed to go get a new outfit for dinner tomorrow with my parents before heading back home. I push the start button on the car and head to target. I know I said I was clothes shopping but the first essential is always wine. If I have to spend a whole afternoon with my parents, I at least need to be buzzed for it. I grab some other essentials from Target before I'm going to cash out. That's when I see her, I try to duck into another aisle but it's too late.
Rebecca Collins was the prettiest girl in high school, and I know that was a long time ago and I should be over her, but I am most definitely not. She made my high school years miserable, and she was one of the reasons my self-esteem was so low. Usually after high school, you can ditch the popular mean girls but unfortunately for me, I get blessed by her grace everywhere I go. The downside of still living near your hometown.
“Hey Allison, how are you?” Before I can even answer her question, here comes another.
“How have you been with the… you know divorce?”
She cups her hand around her mouth like she is telling me a secret, but with her devilish grin after I know she would love for everyone in that store to hear her. She always has to one-up everyone with every chance she gets. She brings up their worst situation to gloat in their face.
I don't give her the satisfaction of making me feel like shit. My divorce was long coming, I tried to save my marriage for a year after everything went wrong and it was just exhausting.
I smile at her and tell her that I've been great, she doesn't need to know anything else. She doesn't care how I am. I look at my phone and tell her I best be finishing my shopping because I have dinner plans.
She looks at my cart as if she is judging the contents inside of it and nods, her long brown hair fluffs just above her shoulders and she smiles showing her perfectly straight white teeth at the same time.
