In the last few minutes, I take the time to make another announcement. “Okay, our time is nearly up for today. I know many people, including my own brothers, think math is boring, but I try to keep this class from being too tedious. And I always try to make myself available to anyone who needs extra help, so don’t be afraid to let me know you’re struggling. Okay, see you next time.”
The students rush out to find their next class, leaving me with nearly forty minutes before my next class is set to begin.
My free time is spent cleaning up the room, putting the papers away from the first class, and making sure everything’s in order to be passed out for the next class. With fifteen minutes left before anyone is due, I sit in my chair and get on the computer.
“I’m sorry, am I in the right place?” a feminine voice ask.
I angle my head to find the person who belongs to the sultry voice—a voice that sounds a little familiar. I freeze, taking in the oval-shaped face, striking hazel eyes, and pouty lips. Her thick, dark hair cascades past her shoulders, and I’m taken back to Saturday night.
My heart rate spikes as my eyebrows shoot up toward my hairline, and her jaw drops.
“Elijah?”
She watches me with interest, her eyes tracking my steps as I make my way toward her. “Please tell me you’re not a student,” I plead, though I’m sure I already know the truth.
Nova continues to study me, her face blanketed in shock. “Uhh.”
“Shit.” I run a hand over my face and look at the paper in her hand. “Professor Kingston?” I ask, because I’m not the only one who teaches this course. Maybe she’ll be in another class. Not that that makes things a whole lot better, but at least it would help a little.
She glances at her paper. “That’s what it says.”
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter. “How old are you? You look young, but I never thought you’d be a student.”
Nova purses her lips at me. “Old enough to be in a bar. Does that help?”
“Not really.”
She walks past me. “Just me and you?” she asks, working her way to a front row desk, right in the center.
“For now. You’re early.”
I stand behind my desk, trying to figure out what to say. This isn’t good. This is terrible, in fact. The university has a strict policy about student/teacher relationships, and I’d never risk my career.
As if she’s reading my mind, she says, “You don’t have to worry. I won’t say anything. And Saturday night was just two strangers coming together. I wasn’t your student, so you have nothing to worry about.”
Oh, but I do. Because as I look at her now, all I can think about is getting her back in my bed. She grins like she knows that, too. I’m clearly the only one concerned about this.
A handful of students trickle in, stealing my attention, and when I chance a glance back at Nova, I find her watching me with amusement.
This is going to be a long semester.
4
Moving to a new state was never in my plans. I loved my life in Florida. Warm weather, palm trees, and the bustling cities and never-ending list of things to do. And, of course, my big sister, Gia. She’s my best friend and it’s going to be hard to be away from her.
But you know what they say, life never goes according to plan, so here I am, creating a new life in a small town that nobody but the residents have ever heard of. That was the goal. So here’s to hoping for nothing but positive things happening out here. I’ve had enough of the negative to last a lifetime.
I showed up here with my big sister in tow about a month ago. She helped me find an apartment that was ten minutes from campus, and assisted in finding some cheap furniture so I could have a bed to sleep in, a couch to lounge on, and a TV to watch. It’ll take time to get the place looking nice, but that’s okay. She let me have a box of her own dishes and linens, so at least I’ll be set for a little while.
Before she left, she made sure I had a few job interviews lined up. In a town this size, it’s hard to find a lot of opportunities, but I have an interview for Antoni’s, which means I could become a waitress. Honestly, I’m pretty worried I’ll drop a tray of drinks on someone’s lap if that happens, but we’ll see. Another job opportunity is at a bakery called Flaky Vicki’s. The owner, Vicki, said she doesn’t hire a lot of people, and she has two already, but she threw me a bone and offered to chat with me later this week. As far as that goes, I’m guessing I’ll just help check people out, because I have no clue how to bake anything. The job I’m hoping to get is in the library on campus.
So far, I’ve met one person who has the potential to become a friend. Her name’s Ayanna, and I met her at the campus coffee spot, Hug-a-Mug, before my first class. She was chatty, friendly, and gave me the quickest rundown on her life while we waited in line. I liked her instantly. After she found out I was new, she insisted we exchange numbers and told me she’d show me the ropes.
My first day of school started pretty good. I mean, it’s school, so enough said. However, my second class of the day stars the sexiest math nerd known to man…and the man I had a one-night stand with this past weekend.
Talk about small-town life. Jesus Christ, this is just the luck I’d have. Not that it’s altogether bad, at least not for me. Elijah, or Professor Kingston, seems less than
