They had just dropped off the Professor’s car. Roger suggested they stop at Tanya’s Grill, and Marcus agreed since they had a decent bar.
“Three guesses who’ll pay for drinks, and the first two don’t count.” Marcus grumbled under his breath as he unfolded his large frame from the sedan. Next time he’d better get a big SUV, like the professor’s Land Rover. Lots of room…prestigious, too.
Right up my alley.
Soon, an NFL team will offer him a spot on their team. Then he’d demand wheels more his style. Roger led the way into the restaurant, his head nodding back and forth in time to the tavern’s music. Overhead lights reflected off his ebony skin. Marcus—white as the driven snow—kept his blond hair in a crew cut because of football. Roger tended to follow Marcus around. That wasn’t so bad.
I don’t mind being idolized.
Marcus studied, but Roger preferred to smoke weed, chase girls, and snatch stuff from the college bookstore. When not hanging with him, or sleeping in class, he hung out at the firehouse—shooting pool with his friend, Pete Thayer, a local firefighter.
Two barstools offered a great view of the restaurant’s dining area.
“I presume I’m paying?” Marcus scanned the room before swinging his attention to Roger. Roger smiled back with a sheepish grin.
“Who are ya taking out this weekend?” Roger asked, ordering their beer.
“Think I’ll go after this bit of fluff in my art history class. She’s gorgeous, but she seems kinda’ stuck up. I never notice her at the games, so I guess she’s not a football fan.”
“Sounds dull.”
“It’s easier on a date if the bitch likes football. Moving from football into sex is easy, but this girl is different. More refined. She wears tight little skirts, never wears jeans, and smells like girly soap.”
“Glad to see you’ve changed directions. Never knew why you bothered sniffing after that blonde girl who washes dishes at the dining hall.”
“Hush up, fool.” The dreamy image of him, as he sat with Destiny on her porch, made his cock harden.
“I’ll give her a few more chances to see things my way.” He’d also work on the girl in his art class. He could juggle them both.
CHAPTER 11
The weeks dragged on for Jacob and he grew more comfortable with his students. They learned while he coped with heartache. Quiz scores improved and only a couple of students made use of his get-out-of-class-free pass.
He rarely ate at the dining hall anymore, since he didn’t want to bump into Destiny. It hurt enough to think of her. He’d already endured that torture once. His short marriage started out happy, but tumbled down into an abyss on the heels of tragedy.
After his accident, and after he’d left the police force, his brief marriage to Penelope had dissolved along with his hope for both a family and a home. She’d pushed him from the easy-going job at a small Boston art gallery to a post at the Boston Fine Arts Museum. He’d hosted seminars and taught classes to Boston’s elite upper class while brushing up a long-idled teaching degree.
Regret filled his thoughts the day he stopped at the dining hall to get a much-needed cup of coffee.
“Dear God.” I should forget everything about Boston.
“The memory keeps you strong,” a voice whispered in his ear.
Standing in front of the coffee urn, Jacob froze. Glancing behind him, he realized no one spoke to him. His head shook as he poured a cup and then raised it to his mouth. I must be tired. I could have sworn I heard…
The foam cup stopped short, as Destiny walked into the dining hall, heading toward the salad bar. Her braid swung behind her, almost touching her apron strings. When she bent over to get something from the cabinet under the salad bar, his cock sprung to attention. Then the voice from the trail spoke to him again.
“Don’t fear the future. Your destiny awaits.”
Swinging around, he nearly spilled his drink. Once again, no one stood close enough to have made the statement. Spooked, he walked away, keeping his head down, until he’d raced out the door and arrived at his classroom.
Hiding out means less chance of my crossing paths with Destiny.
He couldn’t chance a confrontation in the middle of campus. People might suspect their mutual involvement in an illicit relationship. His frequent recollections of Destiny must continue to be just that: lust-filled, heart stopping memories.
Whenever his recent injury drew people’s attention, he answered questions with the truth…just not the whole truth.
“I fell while hiking.” He would laugh while never mentioning what occurred on the trail and in a certain cabin the rest of that weekend. She was a young college student. If caught, the administration department might expel her from school. He couldn’t take a chance of getting her in trouble, when all the blame lay on his shoulders.
“Follow your heart.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. Damn that voice! Whoever haunted his waking hours had to know he’d been wrong to seduce a child. Brushing it off, he focused on his first day without the cane.
A slight limp lingered, but he could walk pain-free. Why did his heart ache for her. Why did that pain continue to linger?
Talk about limping. And, a lost cause.
“We were never meant to be together. Simple as that.” His words tumbled from his mouth before he saw he wasn’t alone.
“Are you all right Professor?” Cindy Nelson, one of his brighter students, glanced his way as she entered the classroom.
“Oh, hi Cindy. Yes, I’m fine. My knee aches. I suppose I should use my cane, but it looks silly.”
She smiled then skipped up the aisle to her seat. Her hips swayed with each step. Based on a paper she’d written, she loved the works of Andy Warhol.
“Perhaps I should invite her to my apartment to show her the painting in my bedroom,” he mumbled, overcome by bitterness, but then felt repulsed by his taboo thought.
“Pull your head out of the gutter,” he muttered.
“What did you say?”
His body chilled. Marcus walked by, giving him a cursory glance before Jacob dismissed his question with a shake of his head. He had to stop this.
“Take your seats, everyone.”
Marcus took the stairs two at a time. The athlete always seemed to run late, where this class was concerned. The hulking football player gave Cindy a quick glance before finding a seat. His body’s alertness and attention toward the young woman echoed his own concerns.
Forget her. She’s your student. That’s all. Off limits, just like Destiny.
Jacob felt the boy’s eyes on his back as he set up the screen. Had Marcus assumed Cindy and he had engaged in an intimate conversation? When he turned back to his class filled with students, Cindy smiled up at Jacob while Marcus growled and shook his head. Jacob could only think of Destiny, and cursed inwardly.
***
“Damn.” Other students glared at Marcus, but he could care less. “That must be why Cindy refuses to go out with me.” He ran fingers over his crew cut and slouched in his seat.
“He dresses like a bookworm and needs a haircut. He’s ancient. Probably can’t get it up, either.”
“Who you talking to?” asked a classmate. The younger student swung his pencil-thin frame into a nearby aisle seat.
“Not you!”
The guy turned away, and Marcus slipped even lower. This way, he’d stay below the professor’s radar while allowing him to watch girls. For weeks, now, he’d suffered from a case of blue balls, which was strange, since he rarely struck out.
“Guess I need a better strategy if I’m gonna get in Cindy’s pants. And what’s the professor doing—flirting? She’s young enough to be his daughter.” Shaking his head in disbelief, he racked his brain for an idea, and recalled someone saying Cindy liked museums.
“I’ll hit on her on the class trip to Boston. Brilliant.”
“Hush,” whispered several students.
He ignored them. While his ide
a formed, his cock took on an interesting shape. Anticipation could do that to a man. The museum would make a great place to get close to her. But, how?
The professor mentioned the college-provided transportation. What if he sat beside her? Could he strike up a conversation, then sway her to accept a date? Or, what if he bought her a souvenir from the gift shop?
“Girls like it when you spend money on them,” Marcus said, a grin pulling up the side of one lip. If he got close enough, he’d offer to take her out to dinner. They’d discuss the museum in preparation for the next class.
Yeah, I’ll show her my studious side.
Then he’d get her naked and show her what it meant to have a football hero inside her. He sat up straight at the thought, repositioned his hips, and smiled when Cindy glanced his way.
He knew she’d like it, too, as he thrust deep, while squeezing her tits.
Of course, he yearned to do the same thing to Destiny. When he saw her working at the dining hall, he visited her. The bitch acted uninterested.
He swore the day he first saw Destiny Blake that he’d give her a chance to say yes. She would become his.
And soon.
The first time he’d glimpsed Destiny, he’d played with his cock. Even with her hair in a stupid ponytail, she sizzled.
It happened on one of those Indian summer nights in early September, right when classes first started. The warm breeze and the full moon teased the countryside before autumn’s chill finally took hold. He played pool with Roger and his friend, Pete, at a barbeque at the local firehouse. Destiny walked around with a glass of wine, and then sauntered out the side door, and he followed.
She stood with a dreamy look on her face. She wore a bulky sweatshirt that reached the middle of her slim thighs. Her gold hair lay loose around her shoulders. He stood mesmerized by her beauty while she gazed at falling leaves. The small cluster of color swirled lazily, landing at her feet. Destiny bent over to pick up a leaf…
“Christ!” he said, at the memory. Several heads turned his way, and he beat them off with a glare. The room quieted as the professor handed out papers. Marcus’s thoughts swung back to getting Cindy alone. While her attention focused on their teacher, he stared at the back of her head. Her pale blonde hair curled under at the ends and skimmed the back of her long neck.
He grimaced.
The pressure in his groin intensified as his body responded, so he glanced away. He wanted Destiny, but he’d make do with Cindy.
He’d consider fucking his stuck-up classmate a practice run.
***
Jacob began his lecture with information concerning the class trip. He spotted Marcus, who perked up and looked to be listening intently. Cindy Nelson smiled when Jacob’s gaze passed over her, so he dropped his eyes to his notes.
“The trip to the Boston Fine Arts Museum is all set. We’ll meet here Wednesday morning at eight o’clock for the two-hour trip. I have reserved school vans with drivers who know their way around the Boston area. No sense getting lost in Beantown.” The class chuckled along with him at the city’s nickname.
“We will tour the museum then enjoy a late lunch before we head home. Due to the length of time spent away from campus, my Friday class is canceled.” He waited for the applause to dim then concluded his speech.
”You will each choose two pieces of art and then write a short review on each.”
Groans filled the room.
“I’ll hand out papers explaining the assignment on the way to the museum. All students may tour the museum and plot out your homework in groups but each assignment must be written individually.”
Cacophony ensued as his students picked teammates.
“Open your textbooks to chapter thirty-one. Keep your eyes on the screen as we discuss the paintings by some great European masters. Many of these paintings are on loan to the museum and will not be seen again on this continent for some time.” He gave Marcus a nod. “So, pay attention.”
Halfway through class, Jacob turned his head and locked eyes with Marcus. The huge football player twiddled with a pen in apparent boredom. His other hand had disappeared out of view, under his desk, and he stared at Jacob. Jacob had thanked him with a gift certificate to Tanya’s Grill for fetching his Land Rover, but the emotion on the young man’s face today was not gratitude. He looked downright angry. Then Jacob recalled seeing him and Destiny sharing a hushed conversation at the drugstore.
Did Destiny tell him about our weekend together?
A wave of nausea smacked him in the pit of his stomach. A vein in his right temple throbbed, and he closed his eyes under the strain. Could Destiny hate him so much for his brush-off she’d tell others about their shared weekend? Trouble loomed if anyone complained to the Dean. Worse, Marcus was a big man and perfectly capable of crushing a knee with one hand. Jacob’s mouth went dry, and he swallowed.
Should I confront him and hash this out?
No. He’d wait and see what Marcus does or says. “After all, it could be my imagination,” he whispered.
What if Marcus liked Destiny? He hadn’t thought about others with her, though she admitted she’d slept with other men.
His stomach roiled at the thought of her creamy limbs wrapped around another man’s waist. Damn, this wasn’t good. He couldn’t wait for class to be over. Then he’d find out what Marcus thought of him.
When class ended, the students filed out quickly. Many headed to the dining hall, which opened at four-thirty each afternoon for the dinner crowd. When Marcus leapt up, Jacob released a breath he hadn’t realized he held. What would he do if Marcus waited for him outside?
All I can do is hope for the best.
He swung the door closed behind him then locked the room. With a brisk step, he walked along the third floor’s glossy hardwood floors to the elevator, then headed down one flight. His boots made a clopping noise that echoed along the empty hallway. At the top of the second floor landing, and with no sign of Marcus, he slipped into his office.
“Oh no,” he groaned. A legal-looking envelope sat in his in-box—no doubt documents from Penelope’s lawyers. Irritation manifested in a pounding head.
Anything but that today.
Why ruin a perfect early autumn day reading pages of legalese from those sharks?
Then his eyes locked on the message indicator on his phone. The light glared at him in a rude shade of red, pulsating with a menacing glow. Not so easily dismissed. He pulled shut his office door then pressed the button.
“Jacob!” the shrill voice of his soon to be ex-wife blared, “My lawyers mailed legal documents to your employer, since you did not care to leave a home address. Read them! Even you can get through them in a couple of hours, and make your way to a post office, if that dinky town has one. I cannot believe you left the prestige of the Boston Fine Arts Museum to teach zit-faced teens about dead artists. To stop the rumors, I told our friends you have taken a sabbatical to Paris. My God, Jacob, why can’t you ever—”
Jacob clicked a button, ending the noise, and erasing her voice. The message reminded him again why they split up.
He wouldn’t share his problems with anyone. A few weeks into this new semester, and he still had few friends. He didn’t want to come off as being secretive or stuck-up, but his life had unraveled. He’d stitch it up his way—in private.
Locking the office door behind him, he limped down one flight of stairs then strode out the front door of Oak Hill Hall. Squinting under late afternoon sunshine, he spied Marcus talking with Cindy Nelson. Marcus was all smiles, while Cindy giggled. Neither one took notice as he walked by and headed for the parking lot.
“Great,” he sighed. “Both of them have forgotten me, same as Destiny.” A sense of abandonment washed over him. Why react childishly to their so-called relationship? She’d given him the best weekend of his life and he’d tossed her aside. Even with his injury, he wouldn’t trade a second of that weekend for a million dollars.
In cash.
He
glanced down at the leaf-covered sidewalk and shuffled through a blanket of gold, red, and copper. Winter teased the air, so he zipped up the front of his jacket. October lay right around the corner, and he had to prepare for a class trip. In deference to the growing ache in his leg, he slowed his pace, as he walked toward the teacher’s parking lot.
His Land Rover’s door creaked opened, and Jacob eased his body into the driver’s seat. With his mind on the painful turmoil clenched around his broken heart, he backed out of his parking spot without glancing behind.
CHAPTER 12
Destiny had jumped from the driver’s seat to confront the idiot who backed out without even looking, nearly causing a collision, but the shock of recognition left her leaning against the rusty door of her VW. A beige Land Rover peeled away in a shower of pebbles and leaves.
Destiny stared at Jacob’s retreating bumper. Crossing both arms over her chest, she exhaled a deep sigh of anger at his callousness. He never looked back.
A gray cloud meandered overhead, darkening her heart, shutting out the sun. Unexpected disappointment flowed through her body. Any tingling sensations faded away.
Turning her attention back to Jacob, she lamented she’d seen little of the man these past few weeks. She’d spotted him just the other day, and her body had responded by growing hot and wet. Considering the fact she was working the busy lunch crowd at the time, her reaction had been highly inconvenient.
Silverware clanged amid chatting students and the tangy aroma of wet sneakers, sweat, and grilled fish sandwiches, filled the air. She enjoyed working at the dining hall.
I’ve had worse jobs.
Through the tendrils of ivy that hung along the eaves and framed the arched picture windows, she gazed with an unobstructed view at the mist-topped mountain.
My mountain.
The towering evergreens, maples, and oaks were a joy to behold. The view only got better since the leaves started to change color. As a young girl living in a poor rural town, she’d dreamed of a future where money came easy, but she learned the truth soon enough. She had spent her life serving others, and she yearned to become a veterinarian, or maybe a forest ranger. Helping people sounded like a good calling, too.
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