She paused at the door. “Did you need me to bring you anything back? Sandwich? Soda? Maybe a bottle of water?”
“No,” I blurted out, not wanting her to come back.
“Okay, then,” she mumbled under her breath, holding her hands up in surrender.
She spun around and walked out the door. I watched as she left, mesmerized by the view of her ass. I was reclusive—not dead. I still knew a beautiful woman when I saw one.
Once she left, I walked to the door, closed and locked it, relishing the silence. Alone, again. It was what I was used to. My classroom doubled as my office. If I stuck around another semester or maybe a year, I would probably get an office, but for now, this was it. It was where I could find a little peace and quiet on a campus that was always buzzing. Students were everywhere. I was constantly bumping shoulders or exposed to some serious public displays of affection. It was too much.
A thought occurred to me, and I pulled out my schedule, checking to see if the girl was in all of my classes. What was her name? Tess? Yes, Tess. Would she be in all nine of my classes or was it a select few? The calendar showed she would be in one class a day, except two on Tuesdays. So she would be back in an hour. I was a little bummed she wouldn’t be in every class but should have known better. She was a student. She had a full class load herself and couldn’t possibly be that available.
I took a deep breath before calling Jake.
“Did you quit already?” my brother answered.
“No, but I need help,” I blurted out.
Jake suddenly got serious. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“No, no, nothing like that. I’m completely lacking in social skills. You have to teach me how you talk to anybody and everybody you meet,” I begged Jake.
Jake laughed. “It’s about time you asked. You’ve always been a bit socially awkward. I’ll help you man. We’ll get you all fixed up,” he joked.
“Good. I have to go. My next class starts soon. Later,” I said, feeling better already. Jake was a smooth-talking lawyer who could charm anyone. He would have some excellent tips.
If I was going to be back in the land of the living, I needed to act like it. I would accept her invitation if she asked again, like after the next class. I would ask her about the weather or what her major was. Things that normal people chatted about when they were standing in line to get their favorite coffee. I could be normal. It had once been very easy for me. I was just a little rusty, but I was sure that natural charm and the ability to talk to others was a genetic trait. I used to have it. It couldn’t be completely lost.
Chapter Four
Tessa
Walking across the lawn of the small campus, my thoughts were consumed by Professor Dunlap’s response to my invitation for coffee. It was coffee, not a weekend in the Bahamas. You would have thought I’d hit him with a two-by-four before demanding he marry me. The dude needed to lighten up. In fact, every time I spoke to him, he gave me this look. It was a look of horror mixed with disgust.
I wasn’t conceited where my appearance was concerned, but I knew I wasn’t an ogre, either. He struggled to meet my eyes and if he got within ten feet of me, he got this look similar to that of a deer caught in the headlights. I grin, remembering that I’d caught him looking down my shirt. He was human after all. My invitation to coffee had been an olive branch. I wasn’t sure if he was still irritated over my being late the first day, and had hoped to visit a little and smooth things out. That apparently wasn’t going to happen.
There was no way I was going to spend the entire year working for him if he wouldn’t talk to me. We would be seeing each other every damn day. He could learn some manners and treat me with some sort of respect. I wasn’t asking for accolades or for him to lavish gifts on me, but come on. How hard would it be to smile or say hello without me dragging it out of him?
I was dreading going back in there now. Tuesdays were a long day for me, I had to do two of his classes and three of my own. It left little time for homework, which was why I was trying to sneak in that last bit of calculus. It wasn’t like I needed to hear his lecture. I had a
lready taken the beginning class. I was there to help—not learn.
Frustrated, I made a growling sound, earning a few strange looks from students walking by. I needed to get out more. After seeing the professor and what he had become, I wanted to make damn sure that didn’t happen to me. Life was short—we both knew that. We had a choice to make, and I was going to enjoy life as much as I could.
After Talia’s death, I too had withdrawn. I stopped going out. I hadn’t been on a date or even out to dinner with friends. It was as if I couldn’t stand the idea of living in a world where my sister wasn’t. Interacting with the professor had been an eye-opener. I would end up being him if I didn’t get my shit together, and I didn’t want to be a lonely, bitter woman at his age. Not that he was old, but he was missing out on what should have been the prime of his life. No way was I going to do the same.
Reaching into my back pocket to pull out my phone, I quickly unlocked it with a practiced thumb and pulled up Maria’s number. Yes, I was going to actually call instead of text. I smiled as I imagined what Maria’s expression would be when she recognized my number.
“Hey,” I said when Maria answered.
“Tessa?” she asked, sounding confused.
I laughed. “Duh. Did you forget me already? It’s only been an hour since I saw you last.”
“Uh, well, you never call. What’s up?” Maria said with concern.
“Nothing. Want to go out tonight?”
“What?”