Beautiful Mistake

“I’ll just send him a quick text to let him know I’m okay.”

I felt Caine’s eyes on me as I typed.

When I was done, he said, “You want to talk about it?”

I wanted to see if I could get a rise out of the composed professor. “We used to have sex. Then we stopped. Now he wants to start again. Oh, and he wants to take me to dinner, too.”

The clench in Caine’s jaw was clear. “And how do you feel about that?”

“I don’t know. I’m confused, I guess.”

“About what?”

“He’s a great guy. When we broke up, I was upset at first. But then I sort of got over it. At least I think I did. I didn’t sit around and pine for him anyway. I feel like I would have if he was the right guy. You know?”

Caine looked into my eyes. “I think the right person would be difficult to move past, yes.”

“But maybe I haven’t actually moved past him yet. I haven’t…you know…since we broke up.”

“Had sex?”

“Yes.”

Caine’s eyes sparkled. “Hence the re-virginized vagina?”

Even in my drunken-ish state, I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation. “You heard that?”

He nodded with a sly grin. “How long ago did you split up?”

“Close to nine months.”

“So you haven’t had sex in almost nine months?”

I sighed. “Maybe I should just pick someone up in a bar and do it. Then it’ll be easier to decide if it’s Davis I miss or just the sex.”

The pupils in Caine’s eyes dilated to the point where there was more black than brown iris. “That’s not a good idea.”

“Why? You’ve never picked someone up and brought them home just to satisfy your needs?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Well, then why is it okay for you to do it, but not me?”

“Because I don’t do it to try to solve a problem.” His voice turned stern. “Fucking someone won’t help you decide if you want to be with another man. Trust me on that one, Rachel.”

“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”

Caine looked away. “I’m going to grab a beer. You want a soda?”

“I’ll have another Tanqueray and tonic.”

“I think you’ve had enough.”

I huffed. “Fine. I’ll take a Diet Coke.”

We sat around and talked for another hour after Caine returned with our drinks. I had sobered up some, but still felt more daring than usual.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Will it stop you if I say no?”

I smiled. “Probably not.”

“If you weren’t my professor...and I wasn’t looking for my Umberto…” I trailed off, but the rest of the sentence didn’t even need to be said.

Caine brought the beer he’d been nursing to his lips and stared at me over the top while he finished it off. He set the empty bottle on the table and cleared his throat before leaning in. Then he curled one finger, motioning for me to come closer. I leaned in, and our noses were no more than a few inches apart.

“If I weren’t your professor and you weren’t a nice girl, your re-virginized pussy would be sore as hell right now.”

Rachel

I didn’t feel half bad when my alarm went off. My eyes opened, and I braced myself for a pounding headache and nausea, expecting a hangover. Instead, I was tired, but the typical aftereffects didn’t seem to hit me. After drinking a full glass of water without stopping to take a breath, I decided to climb back into bed for another fifteen minutes.

Caine had insisted on driving me home. Half way, he’d stopped and run into a twenty-four-hour convenience store, coming out with a brown paper bag that he’d handed me before leaving me at my apartment door.

“Take everything inside. It doesn’t work unless you finish it all,” he’d said.

The bag had two bottles of water, a banana, and a single packet of Motrin. Since he’d gone to the trouble of picking it all up, I followed his orders.

Unplugging my iPhone from the charger on the nightstand, I keyed in my password and decided to text him.

Rachel: No hangover. Thank you. You’re a miracle worker. Where were you when I was eighteen?

Caine responded right away.

Caine: You’re welcome. Glad you’re feeling better today.

I was feeling better. The brash brushoff Caine had left me with last week had really been bothering me. Seeing him had helped. Don’t get me wrong, I was more confused than ever—especially with what Davis sprung on me last night—but I no longer felt off balance, at least.

Rachel: I owe you one. For everything. For showing up to make sure I was okay, for talking to me about Davis, taking me home and giving me your secret recipe for a hangover-free morning. Actually…maybe I owe you two. LOL

Caine: We’ll call it one, and we’re even. But can I cash that one in today, if you’re feeling up to it?

I’d forgotten Caine had asked me to cover his class this afternoon. I was working the day shift, but Charlie wouldn’t mind if I left a little early. Late afternoon was always dead anyway.

Rachel: I can cover your class. Sorry, I forgot that was what started my drunken rampage last night.

Caine: Thank you.

Things between Caine and me had changed last night. Our attraction was out in the open now, so I figured cheeky was okay.

Rachel: I’m not covering for you to have a nooner, am I?

I visualized Caine’s lip twitching as he shook his head.

Caine: I do have a date with two pretty girls. But one is two and a half and the other is four, and they usually cry when they see me.

Rachel: ?

Caine: Sister’s kids. She’s having a biopsy this afternoon and needs me to watch her little monsters.

Rachel: Oh. I’m sorry. I was just joking. I hope everything is okay. I’ll cover the class no problem.

Caine: Thank you.

After class was over, I sat in Caine’s chair for a while, waiting for the students to empty out. Sitting in his spot at the front of his room somehow made me feel closer to him. Since I was thinking about the sexy professor, I figured I’d send him a text to see how he was making out babysitting. The thought of Caine wrangling two little girls made me smirk. I wondered if he changed diapers—I’d guess he’d have to in order to watch two girls under four.