by Claire Adams
While I am tempted to take on practices, I typed away furiously, I am afraid that I have committed myself fully to the English Department. I have several students who are in need of tutoring after classes are done for the day. I regret not being able to help the boys out, but I appreciate the opportunity again. Now, fuck off and leave me alone.
I deleted the last sentence with a sigh, even though it was tempting to keep it there. How much clearer was that response? I needed this job, and telling Miles to fuck off was not a good way to keep it.
I hit the send button, but I knew this email would do little to sway him off my case. I needed to focus on something as a commitment, and tutoring after classes was the perfect guise to keep him away. Tutoring Iris was a good deflection.
I grinned at the thought. I’d take on tutoring Iris any day over standing on the sidelines feeling miserable about my knee and reliving the glory days that would never happen again.
Chapter Twelve
Iris
“Iris? Hello? Earth to Iris.”
I blinked back from tuning out Bailey’s excited ramble about going to Hawaii for spring break. Time was flying by far too fast. It seemed like the start of the semester just happened, and here we were at Spring Break already. It would be summer before I knew it. Across the table, she scowled at me while sipping at her cup of coffee.
“You were tuning me out, weren’t you?”
“I wasn’t,” I lied, forcing a smile on my face. “I was daydreaming about sandy beaches and warm ocean water.”
And Noah on the beach with me, shirtless. A shiver went up my spine.
I didn’t know what had come over me the other night, but it seemed like a good idea to do a Google image search of Noah. It turned out to be a horrible idea. Now, I all could do was imagine that well-muscled chest with tattoos and flat stomach with sharp hip bones that pointed in a very sinful direction.
I was turned on by a picture. Lame.
“It’ll be wonderful,” Bailey said, smiling dreamily. “My parents are buying me a first-class ticket there.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Of course, they would. Bailey’s parents had plenty of money to throw around, and they often threw it right at her.
“Cool,” I said. “That’ll be nice.”
“You should come with us!” she exclaimed then, squirming in her chair from excitement. “Wouldn’t that be nice? It would be so much fun.
A headache pounded. The last thing I wanted to do, even if I could afford to do it, was drink with Bailey and her new boy toy that wanted to follow her to Hawaii. The thought of alcohol made my stomach churn in nausea.
“I can’t go,” I said. “I can’t afford it. You know that.”
The smile on her face didn’t dampen at the news. She expected the reply because I never had any money left over for extravagant getaways. I could only afford the half hour drive back to my mother’s house on school breaks.
“Oh, right,” she said. “Well, I’ll collect a jar of sand for you.”
She bounced away from the table a second later to go to her morning class. I refilled my coffee mug with a sigh before perking up a little at the thought of going to Noah’s class.
At least he had stopped being such a jerk over the past week, in and out of class. We rarely even talked about class whenever we had our tutoring sessions. We just talked about whatever came to mind, and it was nice to have an adult conversation with someone else besides Bailey that didn’t involve money, schoolwork, or what douchebag was interested in Bailey that week.
There were only a few students at their desks when I entered. To my surprise, I spotted Jen sitting in the desk next to mine. Her friendly smile drew me close, and I found myself relaxing in her presence.
“I thought you were in the afternoon class,” I said, taking a seat next to her.
“I am, but I’m going to be leaving later this week to catch a flight back home. Professor Webber said I could come to the morning classes so I don’t miss any class time.” Jen smiled widely at me. “Do you have any plans for spring break?”
“Nothing yet. It won’t be crazy, though. I’ll probably just sleep in and be lazy and do homework.”
“That sounds exactly like my spring break.”
We shared a laugh before Noah entered through the classroom door. His eyes scanned along the desks before landing on me. A smile tugged at his lips when I met his gaze with my own smile.
“Nice to see you here on time,” he said. “Good way to set an example for the other students here.”
“You mean by not being late and actually doing my work?” I inquired innocently.
He chuckled at that, deep and husky, which instantly had my blood pumping through my veins. He took a seat at his desk in front of the classroom while he waited for the rest of the class to arrive.
“Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” Noah said once everyone was in the classroom. “What did we all think of this book?”
He held up his copy of the book that had tons of post-it notes poking out of it. I looked down at my own copy with a nervous glance. I loved Lady Chatterley’s Lover. I just didn’t want to openly discuss the sexual nature of it with Noah in front of a classroom full of giggling freshman who had yet to understand the beauty of this type of fiction. I’d be in heaven if I ever had the experience to write like Lawrence – so full of passion and sexual tension.
“A bit descriptive,” Jen volunteered. A faint blush filled her cheeks when Noah looked at her. “I mean, it was good. I liked the theme of personal relationships in there and the struggle to maintain them.”
Noah nodded. “You didn’t find his writing shameful, did you?”
“No,” she said, hesitantly. “I’m sure for back then it was. I read that they didn’t even print certain words back then.”
“They didn’t,” he agreed. “Certain words were considered too inappropriate. What did you think of the novel, Iris? This would be your third or fourth time reading it as a senior.”
I groaned inwardly when he used my first name. That alone made my stomach flutter, and the fact that everyone turned to look at me in surprise. Noah never used my first name in front of the class.
I looked up to find Noah staring me expectantly. Was that a teasing grin tugging at his lips? Or just an amused one? I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.
“I found it beautiful,” I said. “This type of novel I think represents the tension in a relationship. Lawrence hit on that perfectly, in my opinion.”
“The sexual acts did not make you uncomfortable?”
I paled at the question. I didn’t know what sort of cruel game Noah was playing at, but he clearly enjoyed it from the way he leant up against his desk while waiting for me to talk.
“No,” I garbled out, “not really. The entire theme was discovering that sex was not so…shameful.”
Giggles erupted in the classroom. My cheeks flared hotly, and thankfully Noah didn’t push it any further. I attempted a few notes throughout the hour, but I always found my eyes lingering on Noah.
I didn’t know what to make of our relationship. It certainly crossed some lines at times, I believed, but Noah never once made any moves on me. He always remained distant, but close enough to tease.
My mind floated to the descriptions in the book. I couldn’t help but imagine having myself wrapped up in someone like Noah Webber’s arms. He knew his way around the bedroom, too, from what I gathered online. There were several accounts of women talking about the time they had spent in his bedroom. He never committed to anyone.
Instead, he seemed to enjoy the attention – except for attention from the press towards the end of his career. Gone were those cheerful grins that could melt anyone into a puddle. Shadows danced across his face after the second ACL tear. It made him dark and brooding in the public sphere of opinion. It warranted more attention from women, which didn’t surprise me. We were famous for trying to fix the broken bad boy.
I shook those thoughts away when Noah glanc
ed in my direction with that same grin tugging at his lips. I was treading back in that dangerous and choppy sea again. I needed to get out of it if I planned on surviving our tutoring sessions. Once class was over, I gathered my books and stuffed them into my backpack.
“I’ll see you around before spring break,” Jen said, smiling. “Maybe we could hang out if you’re going to be around the weekend after break?”
“I should be,” I said, returning the smile. “I’ll text you if I’m around that weekend.”
Jen bid me goodbye before slipping out for her next class. I waited until everyone was out of the classroom before walking up to Noah as he zipped up his messenger bag. He looked up. For a moment, I was paralyzed under those sparkling eyes that reminded me of a hot summer day in front of the ocean.
“Are we still on for tutoring?” I managed to ask in a calm voice. “Or am I doing better now?”
“That’s part of your way to earn a passing grade in this class,” Noah said. He looked me up and down in a way that made my skin feel hot. “Good job in the discussion today. I get the feeling that you are a fan of D.H. Lawrence.”
I shrugged self-consciously. “He’s one of the best, in my opinion,” I replied. “If I could write like him, I wouldn’t be in this classroom. I’d be out there writing. No offense.”
“None taken,” Noah said, laughing. “Well, you did good today. I can’t wait to read your response to some of the passages in here.”
I swallowed thickly. The entire novel was about sex, and I had written my paper in a way that would arouse his interest just for my own amusement and revenge. Surely, Noah knew that, but he stilled glanced down at my paper in curiosity. I couldn’t help the words that tumbled out next.
“It’s all about sex. What hot blooded male doesn’t like to read a woman’s response to sex?”
Horror filled me. I looked away with hot cheeks when Noah glanced up at me with a husky laugh.
“I guess I will be learning a few things then,” he said.
The timbre of his voice caused heat to sear through my lower belly. I blinked against the sensation before slipping my arms into the straps of my backpack.
“Consider it your education then,” I said.
Something similar to desire sparked in Noah’s eyes. I started in the direction of the classroom door before he could formulate a reply.
“Don’t miss our tutoring session this evening,” he called out to me. “I don’t want to give you a failing grade, despite how interesting this paper will be.”
I turned with my hand on the doorknob. There was no such thing as getting in the last word when it came to Noah. I’d realized that over the past month. He was confident in that way. Instead of offering a reply, I merely smiled at him before stepping out of the classroom to head in the direction of the doors.
I didn’t know what was coming over me, but it gave me a thrill, and I never wanted it to end.
The buzz of my phone interrupted my thoughts of what Noah’s face looked like when I shut the door on him. I answered it without even looking at the caller ID.
“Hello?”
“You’re gonna have to come to Hawaii with me,” Bailey said. “Especially with the letter I found tucked in our doorframe when I got back to our apartment.”
Dread coiled itself in my stomach, and it completely chased away the exchange I’d just had with Noah.
“What letter?”
“A letter from management. The entire apartment building is going to be fumigated while we are on spring break. Everyone has to be out.”
“You’re shitting me.” I groaned, rubbing at my face. “It seriously says we have to be out of the building?”
“Yep,” she said. “The entire spring break they will be fumigating the apartments. You better figure out what you’re going to do because they won’t let you stay here. I already asked about it. They were firm that you couldn’t stay.”
She hung up without waiting for a response. The only place I had left to go to was my mother’s house. My good mood soured instantly at the thought of going back there. I wanted to relax – not pick up after someone and clean the entire time. I had nowhere to go.
“Great,” I snapped out, stomping down the sidewalk in the direction of my next class. “What am I going to do now? Where am I going to go?”
Chapter Thirteen
Noah
The dining hall was busy as usual when I sat down at the far table with Kale for lunch. I let out a relieved breath when I took a large bite of burger.
“I’m surprised to see you eat things like that,” he commented, taking a bit of his own burger. “I thought you’d for sure be a health nut given what you did for a living before.”
“I’ll never get to play again,” I said, shrugging indifferently. “I might as well enjoy food and get fat like everybody else does in old age.”
Kale laughed. “That’s a good attitude to have about it. I’m guessing you not playing again had to do with your torn ACL?”
“Yeah. Torn twice. Back-to-back seasons. You know this. ” My right knee ached just thinking of it. “The team dropped me after it happened for the second time. Too much of a risk, and the doctors said I could do worse damage if it happened again. I fell, like I told you before.”
“I’ve slept between now and then.” He smirked. “That’s rough though, man. Has the dean tried to corner you into helping out?”
I scowled in response. “I’ve managed to avoid him, but he has sent me a couple of emails about helping out the team.”
“Some of the students in my class have talked about you helping out. I reminded them that you were busy with tutoring students.”
I sighed loudly. “He doesn’t take no for an answer easily, does he?”
“He’s persistent about things. You’ll get used to it over time,” Kale said, taking a sip of soda. “Any plans for spring break? I find it hard to think that you’ll be home grading papers the entire time.”
I laughed. A week long break away from grading homework and tests did sound good. I wouldn’t mind parking on the couch in front of the television for a week. I never got to do it before when I had been training in New Zealand. It felt exhilarating to have a somewhat open schedule to enjoy.
“Not sure yet,” I said. “What are your plans?”
“Going to California,” he said, grinning. “My brother lives basically on the beach. I plan to take a plane ride out there, catch some rays of sunshine, and maybe find a few ladies to enjoy. You never know what will happen.”
I caught sight of Iris entering the dining hall in a hurry. She paused to speak with another girl briefly before grabbing an apple from the fruit tray, and then promptly disappearing just as fast as she came in. It made sense how Iris kept her frame so petite. She obviously didn’t eat large meals, and I rarely saw her in the dining hall when I visited for lunch.
“You’re right. You never do know,” I said.
“You should join me,” Kale said, nudging me on the forearm. “You’d like the coast. Plus, there is an incoming snowstorm. It’ll be cold and snowy all over again.”
“Cold doesn’t bother me, but I’ll think about it. Thanks for the offer. I appreciate it.”
“No problem.”
We finished eating ten minutes later and dropped our trays off at the washing station before stepping out into the lukewarm afternoon.
“Think about it,” Kale said, clasping me on the shoulder. “Let me know by the end of the week if you want to go. I’m cancelling my class on Friday anyway with that storm coming through.”
“I’ll get back to you about it,” I said. “I might just take you up on the offer. I’ll see how the next few days go.”
The rest of the afternoon ticked by slowly until I released my last class of the day. I spent the next thirty minutes preparing for tutoring with Iris before finding her downstairs already seated at the table waiting for me.
“On time again,” I teased, taking a seat next to her. “I’m startin
g to think you must like my class and me now.”
She tried to fight off a smile, but I caught a glimpse of it as she fumbled around in her bag for her books and notepad.
“I figured being nice is one of the ways I’ll get a passing grade,” she said. “And, doing the work, too. That also counts for something.”
“Just a little bit. I’ve read the opening statement in your essay,” I said and grinned when a blush filled her cheeks. “I haven’t had time to read the entire piece yet, but you’re doing much better.”
Iris turned to look at me in a way that almost made turn away under the intensity of it.
“Which is what you wanted, right? For me to do better?”
There were a lot of things that I wanted, but I settled on the most professional answer I could think of. “Of course. You’re smart. You’re talented. You have to be open to learning about the writing craft if you want to succeed.”
“I don’t know if I even want to be a writer anymore,” she said softly. “I mean, I love reading. That’s what got me into this major, and for a while, I honestly believed that I could be a writer.”
“You can be,” I cut in, firmly. “You have the talent to do it if you’re willing to work for it. That’s all I’ve been trying to tell you.”
“How did you end up as an English professor?” she asked abruptly. “I mean, the real reason why you came here.”
I sighed inwardly, but I knew this question would come up eventually. It was only a matter of time before she asked me for the entire truth. Everyone came back from torn ACL injuries, and she knew that judging from the way she looked at me.
I just couldn’t stomach telling her the dirty, honest truth of why I had quit rugby. The only person who knew the reason was Hunter, and he knew to be quiet about it. He wisely never brought it up in conversation like others did.
“Long story short,” I said, rubbing at my aching knee, “I tore my ACL twice in back-to-back seasons. I was dropped after the second time because I was too much of a risk.”