Fallen for You

by Carlie Sexton

  “I would love to, but it’s the first day of school and I want to get to class early to get a good seat. Plus, I heard that parking at SDSU is a nightmare. Can I take a rain check?”

  “Sure. Some other time,” he said, sounding more than a little deflated.

  “How about after I’m done with my classes? My second class ends about ten. I should be home by ten-thirty.”

  “That would be great! I’ll be waiting. Do you like anything special in your coffee?”

  “Well, I’m a fan of hazelnut, but I don’t want you to go to any trouble. I am a coffee fiend so really anything will be great,” she said.

  “Well, it’s a date then,” he said, a glimmer in his eyes. “See you later.”

  “See you then, Roger.”

  A pit grew in her stomach. Had she just accepted an actual date with Roger or was he just using that word as a figure of speech? Sure, he was good looking and she did find him attractive. He seemed like a nice guy, always inviting her over. He definitely wanted to get to know her better. But what were his intentions? Dating him was probably a bad idea. If things didn’t work out, she would still have to see him on a regular basis. She was going to have to make sure he realized that nothing was going to happen between them. Then again, what if they hit it off and it worked out? Too bad life didn’t come with a crystal ball.

  ***

  Kate made it to campus with 40 minutes to spare. The parking garage was a nightmare. She hadn’t found a space until she rounded the fifth floor of the structure. Wow, how many people attend SDSU? The extra time to find parking and walk to class turned out to be critical to keep her from having an anxiety attack. The campus was larger than she remembered and she needed the additional time just to find her first class.

  The campus was buzzing with the excitement of returning students. One thing was for certain, electricity filled the air. Everything seemed bright and new. She could feel in her bones that something exciting was coming her way. She was ready for anything to happen.

  When she walked into her first class, she immediately noticed the beautiful guy sitting near the window. He was difficult to miss. Tall, muscular and drop-dead gorgeous. Maybe he could be a new opportunity. Her mind flashed to the sounds of Charlie and Mitch in the shower. This guy would definitely fit the bill for chasing away her loneliness. He would unquestionably scare Roger off.

  With his dazzling emerald green eyes, he caught her looking at him and he flashed his panty-bursting smile at her. She smiled back, but looked away quickly. The intensity of his eyes was more than she could handle. A warm sensation flooded her body as she blushed. How could one smile make her feel so flushed?

  Many other students entered the classroom. All of the girls were in a whirr. Several were talking softly about Mr. Gorgeous by the window. She chuckled as she heard some of the comments about him. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one he had squirming in her seat.

  As her professor took roll, she paid attention to the names so that she would know the name of the best looking guy in class. Perhaps the best looking guy at school. His name was Mark Baxter. His movie-star looks attracted the attention of every female within a hundred feet. During class, he was at ease discussing ethics with George, their professor. His confidence was so sexy.

  George had asked the class to call him by his first name since he was Greek and his last name had at least five syllables—something that most of the students fumbled with when they tried to pronounce it. It was a mouthful, to say the very least. George was very entertaining and easy to listen to. Time flew by. When class ended, Mark was immediately surrounded by co-eds. It seemed that he was a ladies man. He worked the room like a politician running for re-election. What a turn-off. She discarded the idea of dating him. The last thing she needed was to be involved with a womanizer. At least she had found someone attractive and felt desire well up deep within her. It had been a long time. Maybe she really was ready to be with someone again. She hadn’t had this kind of reaction to a guy since — she wouldn’t let herself go there. That was in the past. Time to leave it there, where it belonged.

  She did everything in her power to ignore Mark as she walked to her political science class. However, he was there as well. He had noticed her and seemed to want her attention. When he smiled at her, she gave a brief smile back and then turned her head. She wasn’t about to become part of his harem. Her brave thoughts earlier of being open had quickly dissipated. Fear of intimacy had taken over her body. Being hurt again was something that she couldn’t wrap her mind around. She had loved so deeply and completely her first time and then it was ripped away from her abruptly. Giving her attention to Mark would just be a complication that she wasn’t sure she could handle. The rapid beating of her heart seemed to create a warning sign that flashed in her head. She decided in that moment that she wasn’t ready to open herself up to this man. Especially not a man that seemed so sure that he could have anyone he wanted whenever he wanted. When class ended, she hurried out, preventing “Mr. Smiles” from approaching her. It wasn’t too hard since he was swarmed by several women who wanted to talk to him or just be in his presence.

  ***

  As Kate approached the stairs to her apartment, she could smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Roger’s door was open and he was waiting for her. He stood in the doorway when he heard her approaching.

  “How was your first day of school?” he asked cheerfully.

  Did he really care, or did he know that women wanted to be heard and loved to talk? That was going to be difficult to discern.

  “It was great to get started again. I love being in the academic environment. Both of my professors were very engaging. One was a downright comedian. I think it’s going to be an amazing year,” she replied as he ushered her into his apartment.

  “I have the coffee ready. I’ll pour you a cup. I set up the sugar and hazelnut creamer on the coffee table. Let me take your purse and you can make yourself at home.”

  “Thanks, Roger. Did you already have the hazelnut creamer?” she asked warmly.

  “Oh, yeah. I love hazelnut. It’s my favorite coffee flavor.”

  “Ahhh. Something we have in common,” she said with a smile. “I’m not going to be able to stay long. I need to start outlining chapters for my classes. I have a full schedule this semester.”

  Roger didn’t seem to care as he stared at her mouth. “No problem. I understand that you need to study. I’m just glad we could finally do this,” he said handing her the steaming cup. She sat down on the sectional, added sugar and creamer, and took a sip. A soft moan escaped from her throat.

  “It’s delicious.”

  “Glad you like it. I tend to make strong coffee.”

  His apartment was laid out just like hers. He had a black sectional that took up most of the living room. The motif leaned toward the Spanish influence. There was a picture of a matador on one wall. His coffee table was dark wood with a glass top. It was a total bachelor pad complete with a big screen and surround-sound speaker system. A lava lamp completed the look.

  He seemed interested in finding out everything he could about her. He asked her about her family, school, and work. As they chatted, she eyed an enormous picture of a rose on the dining room wall.

  “That sure is a beautiful painting,” she commented.

  “Thank you. My girlfriend Rose gave it to me last month. She found it at the flea market and thought it would go nicely in my dining room. She really loves this painting.”

  “How long have you and Rose been dating?” she asked.

  “Nearly nine months.”

  “That’s terrific. How did you two meet?”

  “Rose worked with my best friend, Rick. He thought that she and I would hit it off so he set us up on a blind date. He was right; we’ve been together ever since.”

  “You said ‘worked’.” Do they not work together anymore?” she questioned.

  “Unfortunately, a terrible thing happened. A couple of months ago Rick w
ent missing. We’ve known each other since we were in the Army together ten years ago. No one knows where he is. I think that he took off to get some perspective on life. He and his wife separated last year. They were having marital problems. Darcy was cheating on him and he found out about it. The police suspect foul play. His wife and family are frantic with worry about him,” Roger said, shaking his head.

  “Wow,” Kate said, placing her hand on her chest. “I’m so sorry that your friend has gone missing. I hope that he comes back or is found soon. Do the police have any leads?”

  “No. It’s like he vanished without a trace. I keep in touch with his wife so that I know what is going on. She is hanging on by a thread. Their two daughters cry themselves to sleep every night.”

  “Oh, that is such a tragic situation. It is so sad when people cheat and marriages are destroyed. Is Rick the kind of guy to abandon his family?” she asked.

  “No. That’s why it’s such a shock to everyone who knows him. He was a good family man.”

  She noticed that Roger had used the word “was” to describe Rick. That sounded odd. Why would he use the past tense instead of the present tense? She didn’t question him about it, but decided to change the subject. Looking around the room, she noticed a picture of a curly haired little boy on the entertainment center. She got up to take a closer look at the picture.

  Picking up the picture, she asked, “Who is this adorable little guy?”

  “That’s my son, Jacob. He’s my pride and joy. I couldn’t imagine life without him,” he said, tilting his head to one side.

  “How old is he?”

  “He’s six.”

  “Do you get to see him very often?”

  “Not really. His mother recently decided that she wanted to move back to Germany,” he explained. “I used to see him all the time, but now he’s thousands of miles away.”

  She set the picture back on the shelf. “That’s so difficult. I’m sure you are missing him like crazy,” she said, returning to where she had been sitting.

  “Yeah, it’s been really hard so far,” he said, nodding his head. “I miss seeing him every day, but it’s understandable that Paulina wants to be near her family. She’ll have more support living with her mother. It just wasn’t working out for her here in the States. I’m planning a trip to visit him soon.”

  As she looked at her watch, she realized that she had stayed a little too long. “Oh, my goodness, look at the time. I better get myself home. I have a ton of work to do for school. Thank you so much for the coffee. I’ll know where to come when I need hazelnut creamer,” she said, smiling. “I really enjoyed chatting with you.”

  “Please feel free to come over anytime. My door is always open.

  “Thanks, Roger. I’ll see you later.”

  “Yeah, see you later.”

  Hearing that Roger had a girlfriend had been a good turn of events. She wasn’t sure what was behind all of the invitations to come over. Was he being friendly or was he actually interested in her? Now she could relax around him. He was just a friendly guy who liked to flirt. If he was attracted to her, she would feel uncomfortable. His use of the word “date” earlier probably didn’t have any hidden meaning to it. It was just coffee.

  She spent the afternoon outlining chapters for the classes she had attended today. While taking a break for a snack, she couldn’t help mulling over some of the things that Roger had shared while they had coffee. It was so tragic that Rick was missing and his family was suffering. But Roger hadn’t seemed too choked up about it. He was very casual about the whole situation. And his use of the past tense to describe Rick made her uneasy. Goosebumps covered her arms as she replayed their conversation.

  Charlie had texted that she wasn’t coming home after work because she and Mitch had dinner plans with his parents, so Kate had some alone time. She did her workout and then set up a bath to soak her tired muscles. She poured in a cup of Epsom salt and slid in. She ran through her mind the activities that she had scheduled throughout the week. She had signed up for an alumni mentor to show her around San Diego State on Wednesday. It was a program that SDSU offered to connect alumni with current students. A mentor would be helpful and save her time trying to figure things out. On Thursday, there was an open house for all of the clubs and organizations that she could join. Her time was limited, but she hoped to get involved with something. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander as her skin began to soften in the water.

  ***

  After Kate left his apartment, all Roger could do was imagine her becoming his. She wasn’t only smoking hot, she was sweet and kind. She showed genuine concern for people she hadn’t even met. He really liked that about her. The only problem was that he already had a girlfriend. He had told her about Rose before he was ready. But she had asked about the painting and he somehow found himself having to explain why he had a giant rose painting in his dining room. It wasn’t exactly masculine. Now he had to figure out if he wanted to keep Rose around or pursue his enticing new interest. He had already fantasized about undressing Kate and exploring every inch of her tight body. Of course, if Rose was in the picture that wasn’t likely to happen. Kate didn’t seem like the kind of girl who would go after another woman’s man. She made that clear with her statement about cheating and marriages breaking up. She had integrity. He had a lot to consider.

  He had been dating Rose for almost a year. She was loyal to him no matter what happened. She had stuck by him through all of the messiness with his best friend.

  Rick and Darcy were separated and fighting over custody of their two children. Rick knew that Darcy was having an affair and planned on using that information in court to prove that he was a better parent. The last time Rick was seen alive was at Roger’s apartment. Rick had disappeared in May. Even though the police had questioned him about Rick vanishing, they didn’t have any evidence that he was involved in his friend’s disappearance. Rose had stood by him through the whole ugly mess and had defended him when Darcy accused him of making her husband disappear. Darcy had even told Rose that he had cheated on her, but she wouldn’t disclose who the woman was that Roger had been unfaithful with. Rose chose not to believe a single word that came out of Darcy’s mouth. She never even considered that he could have killed his best friend let alone been unfaithful to her. That was unfathomable. She had blind faith in him. This was one of his favorite qualities about her. She believed in him.

  The downside to Rose was that she had two daughters, ages eight and ten. Rose’s ex-husband had been physically abusive, making the girls painfully shy and timid around him. The older girl had scars on her back from her dad’s abuse. Roger didn’t feel comfortable being around the girls. He viewed them as damaged goods. He couldn’t see himself being their step-dad or being responsible for them in any way. Since they were a package deal with Rose, he had a tough time envisioning a future with her even though she was good in bed. The question was, could they have a clean break-up? Only time would tell. Meanwhile, the thought of getting to know his new next-door neighbor was increasingly enticing. Rose would serve his needs until he could get Kate between the sheets.

  Chapter 4

  It was Wednesday. Kate had managed to avoid eye contact with Mark the womanizer. It wasn’t too difficult since every other girl in class had set their sights on him. He had his choice of many beautiful girls. Oddly, it turned out that they had the exact same class schedule. She would see him every day of the week for the entire semester. She had become a pro at ignoring men over the past few years and told herself not to waste her time and attention on him.

  After class, she walked across the campus to the conference room that had been set up for new students to meet an alumni mentor. She signed in with the short guy holding the clipboard. He directed her to find her seat. She noticed her nametag at a table for two with the alumni’s nametag, Neil Statton. That’s a strong sounding name. For a brief moment, she thought it would be nice to meet a good guy. What if this Neil Statton was
a good guy? She quickly put the thought out of her head. Guilt sprang up, flooding her with emotion. Emotions she wanted to suppress into the deep recesses of her mind. She rubbed her forehead for a moment. Other students and mentors began sitting down, but she realized that Neil Statton was nowhere to be found. After waiting for ten minutes, she checked in with the guy holding the clipboard again. Her mentor had not called to cancel, so she sat back down figuring that he must be having trouble finding parking. The man at the table adjacent to hers introduced himself.

  “Hi, I’m Mac Jacobson. I see you are waiting for Neil. He’s a good buddy of mine. He isn’t here yet?”

  “I’m Kate Simmons. It’s nice to meet you,” she said, reaching out her hand to shake his. “No. He hasn’t shown up yet.”

  “Wow, he’s going to be sorry that he missed you,” Mac said with a devilish grin, letting go of her hand.

  “Well, I’m not going to be able to wait too much longer,” she said ignoring Mac’s flirtatious statement. “I need to leave in twenty minutes for work. I see that your mentee has already come and gone.”

  “Yeah, she didn’t have very many questions. She seemed a little flaky. I’m not sure why she signed up. So, you said you had to leave for work soon. Where do you work?”

  “I work at Nordstrom.”

  “Really, which one?”

  “Fashion Valley.”

  “Oh, what department do you work in?”

  “The children’s department,” she said, a little annoyed that he was asking so many questions.

  “Well, that sounds like a great place to work. I love to shop at Nordstrom. They have great stuff.”

  “Yeah, they do.”

  “Well, it doesn’t look like Neil is going to make it. He’s usually never late,” Mac said, his head cocked to one side. He had boyish good looks and was very charming.