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I finally roll out of bed and change to my workout clothes and go for a morning run around the park a few blocks away. There are a bunch of people in the park today and at the end of my run I spot that weeping willow I went to the first time I was here. I take a few minutes underneath the tree and close my eyes hearing the wind sway the branches of the tree around me. I could stay here all day and never get bored, but I have so many other places to see before School starts Monday.
I still haven’t heard back from my mystery professor on the paper I submitted last week. I am nervous that it isn’t good enough but I’m more excited to what he or she thinks. I get back to my place and shower and change before walking to the café down the street for a croissant and coffee. I set up my laptop and start typing up my book into word. I figured it would be easier to work with it in my computer than in a beat-up composition notebook. I have my air pods in listening to Fleetwood mac when a familiar scent is swirling round me.
I close my eyes and picture Dexter in front of the class writing on the smart board. The way his ass looked in those gods forsaken brown khaki pants. The way his scent always made me think of fall and how I wondered if he would taste like fall too. I open my eyes to try to pinpoint where the smell is coming from but the bell above the front door chimes and brings me back to the café. That smell could have just been from a damn drink. I need to stop obsessing over a man I haven’t seen in years.
Chapter Fifteen
Sunday, I got to get some work done so I won’t have much to do today since it’s the first day of classes. I set everything up so Jasmine would only have to submit it to the courts today. Thankfully I don’t have a set schedule with Christian, we just need to make sure that week’s work is done and that no deadlines are missed. Jasmine was a god sent for having double coverage on the work.
I shower and get dressed and head for the school. I stop at the front and just take in the beautiful building before stepping inside. It takes everything in me to not cry knowing that this is the first step of pursuing my dream of writing. I swallow and blink back my tears and make my way to my first class. I only have three classes, but my creative writing class is today and the anticipation to finally know my teacher is killing me. I have a little break in after my Intro to fiction and poetry class and my creative writing class so it will be perfect to grab lunch.
My first two classes went as expected with the introduction of everyone and little assignments for next class. Its lunch time now and I decide to grab some food from the Starbucks on campus. I pull my laptop out and start on my assignment for my first class and pop in my air pods. Before I know it, an hour has past, and I finish my first assignment. I only have fifteen minutes before my class and that isn’t enough time to finish my second assignment.
I head to class early to get my first pick of a seat. I choose toward the back but not completely at the back. I don’t like being the center of attention, so the middle is a pretty safe place. Students start to roll in and crowd the staggered seats. I’m silencing my phone and taking my air pods out when the teacher walks in and starts to introduce himself. That voice. I know that voice all too well.
I look up and see those same familiar brown khakis and that god damn ass. I fumble my phone and my music starts to play out loud and the chorus to “fat bottomed girls” by Queen starts to blare from my phone. My face instantly turns red, and I start to apologize while trying to turn it off before shoving my phone into my bag. My professor doesn’t turn around while he is still writing his name on the board.
“While I do approve of your music choice, Lets save that for a different lesson.” A few students chuckle at his response.
“Sorry, Mr. Laclaire…”
He whips around so fast after that comes out of my mouth and tries to place me, but the room is full of students, and I know he doesn’t see me at first. My heart is beating so fast, I’m surprised I haven’t gone into cardiac arrest yet. I can’t believe he is here right now.How is this even possible? I know everything happens for a reason, but it would have been nice to be prepared for this one. Thank God, he didn’t see me because I still don’t know how red my face is from embarrassment. I can feel my sweaty palms as I rub them on the top of my jeans.
He stops searching the room and grabs a paper on his desk before looking back up with those sky-blue eyes. I start to feel lightheaded by the sudden rush I get when he opens his mouth again to speak.
“Okay, so please raise your hand when I say your name. I know it may seem elementary, but I like to have a face to the name.”Shit!
He rattles down the list and I know I’m towards the top if it goes by last name. I knew I should have changed back to my maiden name sooner.
“Allison Dolan”
I slowly raise my hand and his eyes lock on mine. I see his mouth open slightly with shock and my eyes flutter. I take a big gulp, but my mouth is to dry, and I cough before grabbing my water. I see a smile across Dex’s face, I mean Professor Laclaire’s face. This is going to be a hard transition to get used to.
“Welcome to the class Mrs. Dolan.” I clear my throat when he says my name.
“Its Ms. Not Mrs., but Ally is fine.” I see his eyes soften when I say that.
“Okay, Welcome to my class…Ally.”
I really hope the other students can’t feel what is going on between us right now, because my whole body feels on fire. My mind is going a million miles an hour with how this is even possible. Well, I’ve got my first distraction for school now. I don’t even know how I passed English with him as my teacher. Getting distracted by him is so easy! I see that he hasn’t changed his professional attire at all which makes me let out a little laugh.
“So, I want to thank everyone for submitting their assignments before class. I know it was a weird request, but it lets me know a lot about someone based on their favorite book.”
He goes to the board and writes To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and underlines it. I see some students smiling indicating that they know the book. They may know it, but I doubt they know it the way I do. I know why he likes that book and we have picked that book apart so much that I’m surprised I still love to reread it so much.
“What does my favorite book tell you about me?”
That you are a considerate human being that cares for others. That you are my soulmate and I’ve been carrying a torch for you since graduation.
Everyone remains quiet and I want to speak up, but I don’t want to draw attention to myself any more than I already have. He looks straight at me, and I feel the heat rising in my cheeks again. All I can think about is him taking me right over his desk right now, regardless of the students in here right now. I blink a few times to try to get that thought out of my head and I see a shift in Dexter’s eyes.Professor Laclaire’s eyes! God Damnit!It’s something I’ve never seen before from him, it’s like he knows what I’m thinking because he smirks and then licks his lips before talking again.
This man has taken over my dreams for years and now he is going to take over my thoughts during the day. I’m literally doomed from ever forgetting this man, ever!
We spent most of the class discussing the importance of creative writing and why it’s essential for writers to let their imagination run wild. Creativity is the sun when it comes to writing, all the rest revolves around it. I tried to write down as much as I could, but I was still flabbergasted that he is my professor. I should count myself lucky since I’ve been wondering where he has been and he turns up right in front of me, but I have so many questions. I’m not sure if he remembers me as much as I remember him, but with the way he looked at me says otherwise.
The clock turns four and my first day of classes is officially over!
“I’ll see you all Wednesday, don’t forget to think about your assignments.”
