A DATE FOR THE FAIR

by Dover, L. P.

  With those thoughts, I think about my next move. Or hers, instead. Does Laura really need philosophy this semester, or can she take it in the winter? Am I the only one who can teach this class, or is there another professor? Something has to give, though, because I’m not sure I can go into a relationship with her if she’s my student. Although, that sounds hot. I never thought I’d be on the other end of a student/teacher relationship.

  When my dreaded philosophy class arrives, I’m standing at the podium, looking at the list of students who didn’t turn their homework in. Such a shame, but the rules are in place for a reason. I glance over my shoulder, look at the clock, and watch the secondhand tick down until it has passed the twelve.

  “Good afternoon. I take it everyone has the textbook I assigned.”

  There are a few grumbles.

  “Who would like to dissect chapter one?” Multiple hands go up, but my eyes are all on Laura. She shakes her head. It’s subtle, but I notice. The temptation to call on her is strong, knowing full well she hates to be called on in class. I point to the woman next to her, who starts to ramble away.

  Each time I motion for another student to start talking, I groan. I hate philosophy and wish I never minored in it. And yet, I can’t help but love it because it has given Laura back to me. When the bell rings, my mouth drops as Laura exits the class.

  “What the fuck,” I mutter as she disappears from the room. Color me confused. I guess I thought she’d want to talk to me, or maybe she’s upset that I haven’t texted her today. Did I mess up? I reach for my phone and am surprised to see Laura’s name showing on the screen with a new text message.

  Laura Parrish: Meet me in the library. Third floor.

  Library. Third floor.

  I swallow hard as I look at her words. I remember what used to happen in the library when I was a student and let me just say, it’s not reading, and the only subject people tend to study is biology.

  Fuck it.

  I gather my things and head across campus after I stop and pick up two coffees, one for me and one for Laura. I can only hope she’s by herself, which is my assumption going in because why else would she text her professor and ask him to meet her in the library. She wouldn’t. Laura wouldn’t put me at risk more than I already am.

  “Mr. Daniels.”

  Someone yells my name, and I stop to look around. On the steps of the library, one of my students from my first-period class is coming toward me.

  “I’m sure you don’t remember me yet, but I was wondering if you had office hours today?” she asks. She sways back and forth, clutching the strap of her backpack. She tilts her head to the side, allowing for her long brown hair to cascade over her shoulder and blow slightly in the wind.

  “Um… I don’t recall your name, but I do remember you from class. As for my office hours,” which should be now, but I’m too occupied with thoughts of Laura, “I’ll be in my office tomorrow at this time if you’d like to schedule an appointment.”

  “Oh sure, that would be great. I’ll email you,” she says as she puts her hand on my forearm.

  “Okay, yes, you do that.” I don’t bother to ask her name as I head up the stairs. I should’ve told her I was late for a meeting or something, but the thought never crossed my mind. I can only hope she’s not going to follow me or think I meet all my students in the library.

  I pass by the reception desk and nod toward the librarian. She’s been here for years, and when she found out I was going to teach at the school, she reminded me of all the trouble I used to get into on the third floor, where I’m heading now.

  It doesn’t take me long to find Laura. I’m happy to say she does have a book open, and from what I can see, it looks like she’s studying. I set her coffee down and pull the chair out from under the table and sit next to her.

  Laura’s bright smile, when she sees me, makes every worry I’ve had about meeting her go away. I don’t know if that is a good thing or not.

  “I thought you were mad at me,” I tell her.

  “Why would you think that?”

  I shrug. “Part of me feels like this is too good to be true. That the past couple of days are only a figment of my imagination, then this morning, I held my phone in my hand and wondered if you wanted a good morning text from me or not, and then I spent the better half today wondering if I should’ve sent a text. I don’t know. I’m treading lightly.”

  “Funny because I felt the same way. The past two days were amazing, and I didn’t want to wake up this morning, fearful that it was all a dream, that I didn’t re-find my best friend teaching one of my classes, and that we didn’t go to the fair where he won me a bunch of stuffed animals, and then took me back to a place we’ve shared.” Laura leans closer, and I do the same.

  “Re-find isn’t a word,” I tell her quietly.

  Laura laughs. “Don’t tread lightly, Jude,” she says in a hushed voice. “You can text me at any time of the day or night.”

  “I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”

  She smiles and sits up straight. “Come with me. I want to show you something.” Laura stands and leaves the table without pushing her chair in. I do the same and follow her down one of the aisles and around a corner. We turn left, walk, turn right until we are in a secluded corner with shelves of books stacked all around us.

  I glance at the shelves and laugh. “The anatomy of an Ant?” I hold it up for her to see. “I didn’t know this was your thing?”

  Laura knocks the book out of my hand and fists the lapel of my coat as she pulls me closer. “Shut up, Professor,” she says as her lips crush into my mine. I barely have time to register what is going on before she’s backed herself against the shelf in an attempt to straddle me.

  Pulling away from her is pure torture, but it needs to be done. “Laura, if you wanted to climb me like a tree, all you had to do was ask.”

  Laura laughs as my hands come under her legs, and she settles them over my hips. “Are you going to get into trouble if we get caught?”

  I nod and move her hair out of her face. “You’re worth it, though.”

  “I am?”

  “Mhm… besides, I’ve always wanted to make out with you in the library.”

  Laura pulls me closer, but this time it’s me leading the way. As soon as our lips touch, my fingers dig into her hips, and my tongue pushes into her mouth. She tastes like cinnamon. Sweet and fiery. I can’t help but grind into her. I figure I have nothing to lose at this point. She either knows I want to be with her or she’s oblivious. I’m making sure she knows and can feel just how much.

  Somehow, we’re able to hear the elevator ding, and we pull apart. We’re both overheated, breathing heavy, and if someone were to come to where we’d are, they’d suspect we’ve been doing the deed. Honestly, I wish we had.

  “Do you want to have dinner with me tonight? At my place?” I ask her as I help her smooth her shirt and hair down. “I’d like to cook for you.”

  “I’d love that, Jude.”

  I think about the words that are about to come out of my mouth and feel like Laura and I are in the same place. “Maybe pack a bag and stay the night?”

  “Only if I can sleep on the right side,” she says with a smile.

  I lean down and kiss her before saying. “I was really hoping we’d share the middle.”

  7

  Laura

  Holy hell in a handbasket. I don’t know what’s come over me, but if I knew I wouldn’t get Jude in trouble with the college, I would’ve insisted we finish what we started in the library. It was exhilarating. My sister won’t believe it when I tell her.

  The phone rings and I tap my fingers on the steering wheel. “Come on, Anna.”

  “Hey, sis,” she finally answers. “What’s up?”

  Thoughts of Jude run through my mind and I giggle. There was definitely something up on him just a few minutes ago. “Oh, nothing much,” I say in a sing song voice. “Just made out with Jude in the library.”
r />   “You are bad,” she laughs.

  I turn into the parking lot of my apartment and shut off my car. “Which is why I want to talk to you. I’m staying the night at his place. Is it too kinky to wear lingerie?”

  Anna squeals. “This is awesome. You two are finally going to seal the deal. It’s about damn time.”

  Rolling my eyes, I hurry out of the car and into my apartment. “So it’s not too kinky to wear lingerie?”

  “Of course not. Do you have something see through?”

  It just so happens I have a bunch of lingerie I never wore for my ex-husband. It’s all piled up in my underwear drawer. Several pieces are very sexy and see through. “I do,” I say, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.

  “Good. I hope you have fun. Make sure to call me tomorrow morning to tell me all about it. No, wait… I don’t want to hear all the sordid details.”

  We both laugh and I shake my head. “I wasn’t going to tell you anyway.”

  We say our goodbyes and I get to packing my bag. When it gets time to pick my lingerie, I choose the perfect set. It’s a black see through lacy dress with a matching pair of black thongs. Very sexy. Once I have everything packed, I make my way over to Jude’s cabin. I haven’t seen it yet, but when I pull up, it’s exactly as I imagined it would be. It’s small, yet manly with his Jeep sitting out front. The view of the Blue Ridge Mountains is amazing. I don’t know how I ever left in the first place. Nothing compares to the serenity of it all.

  One of the things I always loved about Jude was how normal he was. He never cared about material things like Shawn. Even if Jude had a bunch of money, he would never flaunt it. With Shawn, I constantly had to live up to everyone’s standards. I had to wear the right clothes, the right jewelry. It was exhausting.

  I get out of my car and reach into the backseat for my bag. The wind blows a familiar smell my way and my stomach growls. The front door is open and when I walk in, Jude is in the kitchen, standing over the stove.

  “Is that your spaghetti I smell?”

  Jude glances over his shoulder at me, grinning devilishly. “Figured you’d want it. Come over and taste test it for me.”

  Setting my bag down on the couch, I hurry over to him. He holds out a spoon of spaghetti sauce and blows on it to cool it off. I open my mouth and he slowly slides the spoon onto my tongue. Closing my eyes, I feel like I’m in heaven. Spaghetti has always been my favorite dish, especially Jude’s. I tried cooking it for Shawn one day, but he hated the green peppers in it. So needless to say, I haven’t had good spaghetti in over six years.

  When I open my eyes, Jude stares at me with a smile on his face. “Good?”

  I moan. “The best. It’s been so long since I’ve had spaghetti this way. Shawn hated green peppers and he liked his sauce to be bitter, not sweet.”

  Jude scoffs. “Figures. The man had zero taste. I swear, I don’t know what you ever saw in him.”

  “Sometimes I wonder the same thing. We all make mistakes.”

  He stirs the pot of sauce and gives me a smile. “Yeah, but sometimes we get the chance to right them.”

  And thank God for that. While Jude finishes up with the noodles, I grab two plates out of the cabinet. He fills them both up with spaghetti and we sit down at the kitchen table where he already has a bottle of wine and two glasses ready for us. A Riesling, my favorite.

  “Do you remember that one winter where we strapped the inflatable sled to your Jeep and you drove me and my friends around it all over campus?”

  Jude tilts his head back and laughs. “How can I forget? We got into so much trouble over that. I’m surprised the school let me have a job here. Back then, they called me irresponsible.”

  I wave him off. “We were just having fun.”

  “We had a lot of that.” We both smile and I start on my spaghetti. Jude pours us both a glass of wine. “So what are your plans after you get your degree?”

  “Well,” I say, taking my glass of wine, “I was thinking of finding a house and staying. I kind of like it up here.”

  “Think you’ll ever marry again?”

  I bring the glass of wine to my lips. “Maybe. If the right person comes along.”

  Jude gives me that devilish smirk of his. “Maybe he will.”

  Something tells me the right guy has been in front of me all along. I just failed to see it when I should have. I’m a firm believer on when it’s the right time, it’s the right time. Back then, it wasn’t mine and Jude’s time. We both did a lot of growing up the past few years. I see things a lot differently now. All in all, I like who I am now.

  We both finish up our spaghetti and it’s so good I could eat another plate of it, but I don’t. I have big plans for tonight, and I don’t want to be stuffed. I just hope Jude likes what he’s about to see. Jude grabs our empty plates and takes them over to the sink. I walk over to help him, but he holds out his hand, stopping me.

  “I got this. You go relax.”

  “You sure?” I ask.

  He kisses me and nips my bottom lip. “I’m sure. It won’t take me long.”

  This works out perfect. “All right, I’ll leave you to it.” While he’s busy cleaning the dishes, I grab my bag out of the living room and sneak off down the hall. I peek into each room until I find what has to be his bedroom; it smells like his cologne. He has a king-size bed with a navy blue comforter and gray sheets. There aren’t any pictures on the walls, but on his dresser there’s one of our high school graduation. It’s of me and him, dressed in our cap and gown, sticking our tongues out at the camera. Those were good days. You would never find one of us without the other. That’s how close we were.

  Dishes bang around in the kitchen, drawing me back to the task at hand. I toss my bag on the bed and pull out my lingerie and black heels. Once I have everything on, I slowly saunter down the hall, trying my best not to make any noise. I peek around the corner and Jude is still at the sink, cleaning the dishes. Grinning wide, I close the distance and wrap my arms around his waist.

  “You look sexy cleaning those dishes. You’d look even sexier if you were naked.”

  Jude chuckles. “That can be arranged.”

  Lifting up on my tip toes, I nip his ear lobe. “How about now?” I unbutton his jeans and slide my hand down to massage him.

  He groans deep in his chest. “Fuck that feels good.”

  His length grows with my touch and it makes me tremble with anticipation. It’s been so long since I’ve felt the desire to be with someone. I’m dying to feel him inside of me. Jude turns around and his eyes widen as he takes me in. He slides his hands down over my arms, grazing his thumbs over my taut nipples.

  “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to see you like this.” He bites his lip and presses his hardness against me. “I want you so fucking bad right now.”

  I cup his cheek and smile. “Then take me. It’s what we both want.”

  Picking me up in his arms, he carries me down the hall to his bedroom. The muscles in his arms flex as he holds me and it’s so damn sexy. When we get to his room, he lays me on the bed, and I sink into the mattress, watching as he takes off his shirt. I want to run my fingers over his skin and trace every inch of him with my tongue. I’ve never wanted someone so much like I do now.

  As he covers me with his body, I moan; he rubs his arousal against me. His hand slides down the top of my dress, cupping my swollen breast. He groans and massages it, pinching my nipple between his fingers. I arch off the bed and cry out.

  “Does that feel good?” he asks, sucking my bottom lip between his teeth.

  I nod. “I want more, but we can’t do that with your clothes on.”

  Groaning, he thrusts himself against me and slides the top of my dress down. The second he closes his warm lips over my breast, I suck in a ragged breath. I wrap my fingers in his hair and pull as he ravishes my body with his tongue, sucking and biting both nipples, one after the other.

  “You taste so fucking good,” he growls.

>   Impatiently, he grabs my dress and rips it off my body, throwing it and my thong across the floor. There’s a fire in his eyes that makes me tremble. I love it. Sliding off the bed, he rakes his gaze up and down my body as he takes off the rest of his clothes. He watches me squirm, and in return, he strokes himself, torturing me in the process; I want to touch him. Climbing back on the bed, he crawls up my body, spreading my legs with his knee. My whole body shakes in anticipation.

  As soon as he gets closer, I wrap my fingers around his cock, massaging his length. He sucks in a breath and groans, his heated gaze on mine the entire time. “You’re killing me, Laura. I won’t last if you keep doing that.”

  “How long has it been?”

  He kisses me hard. “Way too fucking long.” Grabbing my wrist, he pulls my hand away and holds it above my head. “It’s my turn now.”

  With his free hand, he traces a finger over my breasts and down my stomach. My clit throbs, and I knew that the second he showed it some attention, I’d be pushed over the edge. He slides a finger inside me, and I gasp. When he pushes another finger in, I scream in ecstasy as everything explodes from the inside out.

  “You’re so wet. How long’s it been for you?”

  My eyes roll back into my head and I squeeze his hand. “You have no idea.”

  He pulls his fingers out and puts them in his mouth, moaning with his eyes closed. When he opens them, all I can see is raw, primal need. Reaching over, he opens one of his dresser drawers and pulls out a condom, keeping his eyes on mine as he puts it on. Clasping his face in my hands, I lean up and kiss him as he positions himself between my legs. He pushes in just a bit, and I stiffen with the pleasure and pain. It’s seriously been so long.

  “Are you okay?” he asks, concern etched across his face.

  I nod and hold him tighter. “It’s just been a while. I promise I’m fine.”