Turning A Page: A Student Professor Romance

by Hazel Keys

  “Here you go,” Brad said, coming back with two large steaming cups of black coffee.

  “Thanks,” she said, using the cup to warm her hands. As he passed the mug to her their fingers brushed against another, making her jump.

  They sat in comfortable silence for a moment as they blew on the surface of their coffees before taking the first tentative sip.

  “So,” Brad said, breaking the silence. “What made you decide to do yoga?”

  Rachel laughed, and hugged the warm mug closer to her chest. “You, actually,” she admitted.

  Brad looked surprised. “You knew I did yoga?” He asked.

  Rachel shook her head no. “Didn’t have a clue. But I figured that now that I had a new chance at work that I should try to a little um…a little calmer. I thought yoga might help with that.”

  Brad nodded his head in agreement, and for the first time she noticed how well defined his jaw line was. Had he always had such a cute Adam’s apple?

  “It really does,” he told her. “Keeps the stress way down. You’ll like the studio too. Everyone there is really nice.”

  Rachel let out a bark of a laugh, and rolled her eyes. “To you maybe.”

  “What do you mean?” Brad asked, his eyebrow doing that sexy arch thing again.

  “I mean that soccer mom that nearly body checked me. She’s got a thing for you.”

  “Summer? No. She’s married,” Brad said simply, taking a sip of his coffee. “Talks about him all the time.”

  Rachel felt a softness for him start to grow in her heart. Was he really that unaware of such blatant flirting? Oh well. If he was, she wasn’t going to ruin it for him.

  “I bet she does,” was all she said before taking another sip of her coffee. She switched the subject to yoga poses, and the two fell easily into conversation. Eventually they refilled their cups of coffee, and then went on to split a scrumptious looking bear claw that could have easily fed four people. She was enjoying herself so much that she had completely forgot to keep track of the time. It wasn’t until she glanced out the window and saw that it was still raining. With the gloomy skies there was no sun to watch or tell of any kind of the passing hours. Pulling out her phone, she saw that she had been sitting there with Brad for nearly three hours!

  “Crap,” she murmured, checking the nine waiting text messages, all from the Bellas.

  “What’s wrong?” Brad asked. He too must have stopped keeping track of time.

  “The girls. Indoor veg fest and movie day. I was supposed to go to yoga, pick up the DVD’s and food, and be back like two hours ago.” She got up and grabbed her small gym bag. She looked out the window again for any signs of a cab, but couldn’t see any. For once, the streets of New York looked like a ghost town. “I have to go. Do you have a number of a cab company?”

  “No,” he said, picking up his bag. “But I can drive you.”

  Rachel laughed, thinking he was only trying to be nice. “That’s okay. I have like three stops to make before even getting home. I’ll see if the barista has a list.”

  Brad reached out, touching her shoulder again. It was a becoming a habit she liked, she realized. “I don’t mind at all,” he said. “Where’s the first stop?”

  ~

  Bella pulled the cork out of the bottle of two dollar red wine with a satisfactory pop. Yes it was only three o’ clock, but it was rainy, it was Saturday, and Rachel was late. She called out to Isabella to see if she wanted some and proceeded to pour two glasses. When she walked into living room she saw a puzzling image of Isabella, with her head out of the window and her bum up high in the air.

  “What are you doing?” She asked.

  Isabella jumped backwards and squeaked, narrowly missing hitting her head on the windowsill. She plopped back down onto the recliner, pulling her long, heavy sweater over her red and white Christmas themed leggings. An odd choice for April, but that was Isabella for you.

  “Rachel’s down there!” Isabella whispered.

  “Finally!” Bella sighed. “I’m starving. Why are you whispering?”

  “Because she’s down there with Brad!”

  “What?” Bella asked, moving towards the window and poked her head out into the rainy street. Sure enough, there was Rachel and Brad, standing together under an umbrella. They looked like they were arguing who was going to take all of the bags upstairs, and there were plenty.

  “Hey!” Bella shouted down, giving herself away. “I don’t care who carries the bags up, just get them here! I’m hungry!”

  The two looked up at her suddenly, and she gave them a sugary sweet smile. They shared a glance at one another before shrugging their shoulders, and they both moved towards the entrance of the building.

  “Hey Brad,” Bella said coolly as he and Rachel walked into their apartment a few minutes later.

  Brad sat the bags down on the coffee table, and looked back up to smile at the Bella’s. “Hello ladies. How’s it going?”

  “Not bad. Ran into Rachel here at yoga and we got held up. Sorry she’s late. It’s my fault.” Brad said, defending Rachel.

  “Thanks for helping me,” Rachel said suddenly, putting on a smile. Her eyes silently begged him to leave, and she winked at him when he picked up her hint.

  “Not a problem,” he replied. “I’ll see you all on Monday.”

  Bella tried to get him to stay, but to Rachel’s relief he made excuses to leave. She was thankful that he could read her signals and not got offended. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him to stay. In fact, hanging out with him had been a lot of fun. She just didn’t want to have to do it around the Bella’s, who were sure to make the situation as awkward as possible.

  Chapter 11

  Bradley

  6 Days Later

  “Don’t say that again,” Brad said, his temper getting the best of him. “That was not a sexist comment. It was just a suggestion!”

  “Just a suggestion?” Rachel repeated, her body shaking. “You want me to make her breasts bigger!”

  It was late Friday night. The rest of the staff was gone, and Bradley and Rachel had stayed behind to finish the first rough draft of Rachel’s catalogue idea. He’d had a long day, and even longer week. Being Vice President was hard enough to do, let alone still be a department head. Some nights he wasn’t getting home until ten or eleven o’ clock, then getting up at five-thirty to do it all over again.

  For the most part, he and Rachel had been getting along. She was open with his ideas and wasn’t being sensitive with him critiquing hers. As a matter of fact, if they wouldn’t have gotten into the argument they were now in four hours ago, they could both be home by now. Whether it was long week or the thirst to pick a fight, Rachel took his comment about her female figure and ran with it completely in the wrong direction.

  “Rachel, I said nothing about her breasts,” he pressed. “All I said was that maybe we should make her a little more feminine in the dress, that’s all.”

  “Oh, so a smaller woman can’t look good in a dress?” She fired back.

  “That’s not what I’m saying at all!” He exclaimed, his voice rising.

  “Then what are you saying?” Rachel shouted back.

  “I don’t remember!”

  Brad fell back into his chair, exhausted. He couldn’t remember his point at all. What had it been? Unable to help himself, he felt a joker like smile spread across his face and he began to laugh. Softly at first, and then with his entire body.

  Beside him, Rachel looked at him as if he’d gone insane. “What’s so funny?” She asked, balling up her fists and planting them on her hips.

  Brad laughed even harder, and leaned back into his chair. “Everything! Especially when you’re this tired.”

  Rachel’s tough facial expression slowly slid off her face. “Have you been sleeping?” She asked, genuinely concerned.

  Brad’s laughter subsided, and he nodded. “Whenever I can get it,” he answered honestly. He got up, walked over to his coffee machine, an
d started getting another pot of coffee ready. “Want some?” He asked, turning to face her.

  Rachel nodded her head, her anger nearly gone now. “Yeah, but here. Let me do it. You sit down.” She took the can of coffee grounds from him and the measuring spoon, and began to scoop them out.

  Behind her, Brad didn’t sit down. Instead, he looked down at the woman who could switch moods at the drop of a hat. When she was angry, boy look out! But when she was calm, she had a serene, almost motherly nature to her.

  She had worn her hair down today, as she usually did. But to move it off of her neck she had pulled it over her left shoulder, exposing the nape of her neck. Her shirt was interesting, he thought to himself, studying the cut. It dipped into a V in both the front and back, stopping just before anything like cleavage of a bra strap could be seen. It was elegant, and the color of cerulean blue. Up close, he could see the silkiness of her curls, and had the strongest urge to reach out and feel one with the tips of his fingertips.

  “Rachel, I…” he whispered, extending his hand. His hand came down gently on her shoulder, his thumb brushing over the smooth skin the nape of her neck. “I’m sorry if I offended you.”

  Rachel turned around, her brown eyes looking up into his blue ones. The movement made his hand slip away and he realized that he immediately missed the warmth of her skin. She looked up at him with an imploring gaze, waiting for him to continue. Brad’s tongue darted out between his lips before he spoke, and he watched in satisfaction as Rachel’s gaze followed the motion.

  “Your drawings are incredible. Truly, they are. If I didn’t think so I wouldn’t have asked you to stay on.”

  “Really?” She asked, her voice soft. Brad fought the urge to close his eyes as her gentle tone rubbed over his ears. Such a lovely voice, he thought. He wondered how amazing it would be to have her talk in that tone all the time.

  “Yes,” he rasped, stepping closer. Unable to help himself, he reached out, and placed his hands on her hips. He could feel her small curves there, the warmth of her skin, even through the fabric. Brad was absolutely sure that if he drew the shirt up and over her head, he would feel the silkiest skin he’d ever felt in his life.

  He should stop. He knew he should. He was her boss after all, and it was just unprofessional to start a romance in the workplace. But those eyes. Those beautiful, big brown eyes were looking up at him almost longingly, and her lips, a perfect cupid’s bow, were parted slightly as if in invitation.

  “Rachel, I…”

  She stepped into his arms before he could think of what else to say. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he drew her into his chest immediately. Their lips came together in a forbidden kiss, coming together and separating with great fervor as they tasted one another for the first time.

  A small moan poured from Rachel’s throat as Brad held her close, and he tightened his arms even further around her. She felt warm and soft in his arms, and he could feel his muscles bulging from the temptation to hold her even closer. Her lips were soft and warm, and tasted slightly of cinnamon. He wasn’t sure who pulled away or when, but suddenly they were standing a foot apart, panting for breath.

  “What was that?” Rachel asked. Her hand went up to push the curls out of her face and he could see that she was trembling. Through the fabric of her loose shirt, he could even see her taut nipples, and he immediately wondered if she was even wearing a bra.

  “I don’t know,” he confessed, leaning back onto his desk. “But I want to do it again.”

  Rachel opened her mouth, closed it, and opened again, as if she wasn’t sure what to say. She looked like she was in turmoil, and Brad suddenly wondered if he had made a horrible mistake. He stood completely still, waiting for her to react. It was the longest minute of his life. What she said next didn’t make him feel any better either.

  “I should go.” The words came out breathless, and in a rush. That beautiful blush of hers had colored her cheeks pink yet again, and she looked positively embarrassed.

  “Go?” Brad asked, confused. “After that? You just want to leave?”

  Rachel nodded her head, looking distraught. She abruptly turned and walked into her office for a brief second to grab her jacket and purse, then proceeded to walk by Brad as if he wasn’t even there.

  “Wait, where are you going?” Brad asked, following her.

  “Home,” she called over her shoulder, not stopping to try for the elevator. The stairs would do just fine.

  “Did I do something wrong?” Brad asked, taking the steps right behind her. “Is it not what you wanted? Please, Rachel, tell me. It’s okay if I was wrong, I don’t want to force you into anything.”

  “It’s not that,” Rachel said, still taking the stairs down until she found the outside exit door in the stairwell.

  Brad remembered that the key cards to get back in to the office were upstairs in his jacket pocket. If he stepped outside now, he wouldn’t be able to get into his car or take any of his stuff home. Reaching out, he grabbed Rachel’s wrist loosely and stopped her. To his relief, she stopped, and didn’t pull away from him.

  “Please,” he implored. “Talk to me.”

  Rachel looked positively conflicted, and Brad knew that there were a thousand thoughts racing around in her brain; she just had to pick the right one.

  “I like you,” she said at last, looking ashamed at her confession. “But you’re my boss.”

  She pulled her hand away from his and pushed the door open, disappearing into the dark street. Brad stayed there for a moment, watching her go. He wanted to go after her. To apologize. To do anything. For a second he contemplated going out after her anyway. So what if he had to take a taxi home? But then he remembered that the office wasn’t locked up yet, and all the lights were on. Sighing, he stepped away from the exit door and made his way up the stairs.

  Chapter 12

  Rachel

  Rachel spent the weekend in her room wondering what the hell she had gotten herself into. She had wanted him to kiss her. Of course she had. Maybe not all week long. But in those moments in the privacy of his office, she definitely had. His scent had filled the room, a mix of musk and cologne she didn’t recognized, but immediately loved. Even when her back was turned to him, she could feel the seductive heat from his body as he stepped closer. When his hand had touched her shoulder, she had desperately wished that his lips would come next; caressing the tender spot that she loved having kissed the most.

  When he had finally kissed her she had felt everything. The tickling coarseness of his beard, the hardness of his chest through the professional shirt he was wearing, and of course, the softness of his lips. They looked like they were made out of stone, those lips. But the reality was that they were very soft, and sweet. They had guided her into a warm embrace that she was sure she’d never quite felt before. When he had finally let her go-or had she let him go? She immediately wanted to kiss him again. His hands, so strong and guiding, had held her so close and steady. How she wanted to feel those hands again!

  Then panic set in. Panic at the realization that she had just kissed her boss, very passionately she might add, in their office! At the bottom of the stairwell she had wanted nothing more than to allow him to persuade her to come back upstairs, but she couldn’t. Once home in the quiet safety of her room she checked her phone, and saw that she had several missed calls from Brad. No text messages, though, she liked and hated that at the same time. Brad was not the guy to send text messages, that much she knew. He would call, or even show up to talk to her. But he wouldn’t cheapen the importance of this particular conversation with texting.

  “Are you okay?” Isabella asked Sunday morning. In one of the few times Rachel had left her room, Isabella had just happened to be in the kitchen. “Rachel? What’s going on? You’ve been locked in your room all weekend.”

  Rachel ran a hand through her curls and put on a fake smile. “Nothing,” she lied, grabbing box of crackers and the jar of peanut butter from the cupboard. “Just
feeling introverted. Don’t worry; I’m sure I’ll feel better by tomorrow. “And before Isabella could ask her any more questions she took her snack and went right back into her room. She hadn’t lied. There were times where Rachel needed her own space, away from everyone. This was definitely one of those times.

  The next day she got up and dressed for work. Usually it was an easy task; a dress shirt and nice pants or a skirt. But today she couldn’t quite figure out what it was she wanted to wear. She seemed to pull everything out of her closet before she sighed in resignation and picked a black three quarter sleeve wrap dress. It had a low V in the front, and the skirt fell just above her knees so that she could show off the muscles of her athletic calves. She put on her pair of red Mary Janes just for fun, then added a silver chain and diamond earrings for jewelry.

  “You look nice today,” Bella said, in the kitchen as usual fixing her morning egg.

  Rachel thanked her, but didn’t say much more. Her nerves were skittering up her spine like ants, and she just wanted them to go away. Bella offered to make her an egg, but Rachel politely refused. Her stomach was in knots and all she wanted to do was get to the office to get the day over with. It seemed to take the Bella’s forever to get ready, and by the time they were finally Rachel was ready to pull her hair out. In the taxi she snuck her phone out of her purse and looked at it. Twenty missed calls from Brad, including two that he had made that morning. How the hell am I going to handle this? She thought to herself.

  The cab pulled up to their office building way too soon, and before she knew it she was being ushered out of the car. Ready or not, the time for confrontation was here. She held her breath as she got onto the elevator, certain that Brad was going to greet her at the doors and demand an explanation. But the thing was, he didn’t. She stepped out of the elevator and made her way into the office, her eyes looking around the bull pen for him, but not seeing him at all. He wasn’t in his office either, but on her desk was a list of things that she was supposed to have done by the end of the day.