My eyes grow so big I’m worried they’ll fall right out. I can’t tell if she’s messing with me or not, so I just walk away. “Gotta go!” I call out. “Bye!”
I hear her laughing behind me. My cheeks heat at the thought of other students getting suspicious of the two of us. What happened is never happening again, I’ve decided, so I don’t know why I’m worried, but the last thing I need is the reputation of a student who sleeps with her professors to get good grades.
My work merits all of my good grades and that’s not something I’m willing to jeopardize. Graduate schools have been contacting me since my sophomore year and considering it’s a competitive program, I need all the references I can get in order to be accepted into one of them.
I walk into the gallery Wednesday morning with all the memories of Saturday night still lingering in my mind. That kiss. His lips. Those stupid sexy dimples and charming eyes. I hate that he affects me the way he does. Hell, even in my dreams, my body craves him.
But that doesn’t justify him kissing me and leaving me behind like a meaningless and forgotten one-night stand. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, I’ve done the same thing dozens of times and never felt an ounce of guilt. Being on this side of the situation is foreign and I don’t like it. Not one bit.
After stowing my things in my locker, I head to Christine’s desk to see what’s on the schedule for today. I’m completely shocked when I walk up and she is smiling and humming lightly.
“Well, this is a nice change of pace to your usual grouchy morning attitude.” Her cheeks flush and her eyes focus intently on the papers in front of her. “So, what’s the cause of this early morning Cinderella moment? Should I watch out for singing birds and dancing mice?”
“Oh, shut up, Aspen!” She shuffles her papers, again avoiding eye contact.
“Oh. My. God. You got laid, didn’t you?” I tease, inching closer.
Her face turns about ten shades of red and she flips me off. “As a matter of fact, I did, and you were right. A little D did wonders.” Christine’s voice has that new relationship dreaminess I’ve become used to hearing from Kendall whenever she gets a new boyfriend.
I laugh, clapping my hands in praise. “Of course, I was right. I’m always right when it comes to the D. There is nothing like a big D to fix a bad attitude.”
“Lord, Aspen, you are terrible.” She shakes her head, obviously fighting back laughter. “Time to get to work, crazy lady. You’ve got back-to-back tours today. Two buses full of middle-schoolers.”
“Guess I better get some more coffee if I’m chasing kids all day.”
I couldn’t have asked for a better distraction from all thoughts of Morgan.
MORGAN
After Aspen blew me off Tuesday, I decide I need to talk to her in person and explain everything to her. Telling a girl that the same night I kissed her, my ex-fiancée just happened to show up that same night isn’t really something I want to explain in a text or phone call.
I head to my office early before Thursday’s class in hopes she comes in like I asked her to, but from her prompt response, I have a feeling she won’t.
“Morgan?” I look up and see Claire in the doorway of my office with a bright, eager smile.
I groan. Can this day get any fucking worse?
“Yeah, hi,” I mutter, not in the mood to amuse her. “What can I help you with?”
She steps in and takes a seat across from my desk. “I was just wondering if you are attending the life drawing workshop this weekend.”
“Yeah, I’ll be there. I’m hoping some of my students show up.”
“Oh, yeah. Me, too. Although I’m not really sure what to expect with first and second-year students. Most of them are only concerned about where to get a fake ID made and how to get out of their homework.” She snickers.
That makes me grin a little. “Well, at least that prepares me for what to expect from them in the next year or two.”
She laughs, way more over the top than necessary. “I promise to do my best in taming them before then.” She winks and it makes my skin crawl.
“Are you attending?” I ask only to be polite.
“Yes. I love these types of events. So, since we’re both going, I was wondering if you wanted to do dinner or drinks after.”
I shift in my chair, uneasy and reluctant on how to answer her. “Um, I’m not really sure—”
“Oh, sorry!” I hear Aspen’s sweet voice behind Claire. She’s standing in the doorway, her cheeks bright red. “Didn’t realize you were in a meeting. I’ll just see you in class,” she quickly rambles off before I can stop her.
Fuck. She actually came.
Silence lingers in the air, as I don’t attempt to finish answering her question. “Well, I’ll let you go.” I stand up, encouraging her to do the same. “Class will be starting soon, and I should get ready.”
I escort her out the door, and she surprises me by wrapping me in a tight hug. It’s more intimate than a colleague-to-colleague hug, and now I’m cursing myself for not setting her in her place earlier.
“Bye, Morgan. See you later.” She winks before walking down the hall, and I cringe.
I turn around and see Aspen glaring at me from down the hall.
Seriously? This would be my fucking luck.
She takes a step back as I step toward her. “Are you kidding me?” she hisses. “You sure get around, professor.”
Her condescending tone fuels the rage inside of what she’s accusing me of doing. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Aspen.”
“Oh, right. I’m the idiot who actually bought everything you said to me, all those lines you fed me, all those times I thought you were sincere and understanding—it was all bullshit.” She seethes and my jaw ticks once again.
This couldn’t be going any fucking worse. But then she continues.
“Then I find out you have some girl waiting for you at home the night of the gala.” She takes a couple steps closer, hurt evident in her features as she narrows her eyes at me. “Also the exact same night you kissed me. So forgive me, Professor, but I know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re a playboy who gets his kicks by flirting with your students—I can only imagine how many of them fell victim to your smooth ways back in Ohio—but let it be known, I’m no longer going to be that student.” She takes another step. “I have standards, and I’m just glad I found out before it was too late.”
“Are you done?” I ask with a smirk on my lips, crossing my arms over my chest. She’s so wrong about me that I find it highly amusing.
“Yeah, in fact, I’m done with your class as well. I’ll take the summer class with another professor who can keep his hands and lips off me,” she snaps before turning on her heels and walking in the other direction.
I’m tempted to chase after her, grab her arm, and pin her up against the wall just to show her how wrong she is, but I can’t risk a student or another professor walking by. Touching a student is strictly off-limits and getting fired for that kind of thing would prevent me from getting hired at other colleges.
I roughly brush a hand through my hair, frustrated that I have to just let her walk away. There are fifteen minutes before class starts, so I grab my stuff and head to the classroom, hoping to God she shows up anyway.
But when she doesn’t, I know I’ve completely blown it.
Now I’m not sure I’ll ever get the chance to explain why I bailed Saturday night. It was a spur of the moment decision, and I wish I would’ve stayed, but Jen had me in such a rage, I needed to get out of there.
Now she thinks I’m the asshole who kissed her and left without a word. Not only that, she thinks Natalia is a woman I’m dating that lives with me.
Fuck, this is such a mess.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
ASPEN
I feel like I haven’t slept in days and am now going crazy.
I’ve been pacing my apartment since before the sun rose, and I need some fucking coffee, but I broke all my damn coffee cups.