A Taste of Temptation (Love Spectrum Romance)

by Alexis, Reneé

  “I’ll do it today, since I took the day off anyway.”

  “Why are you here? Don’t you have enough to keep you busy at Madison?”

  “They’ve been hounding me to come in and see what they can offer me.”

  “As in a job?”

  “I’m thinking about it—seriously. They’ve been after me for two years. I decided I should at least talk to them.”

  “You’re thinking about leaving Madison? Everyone will die.”

  “You’re too kind, Miss Jackson.”

  “No! I’m serious. You can’t leave us.”

  “I didn’t say I was leaving, though it’s possible. Don’t let on about it.”

  “I won’t, but aren’t you happy at Madison?”

  He couldn’t tell her the main reason he felt the move would be good for him. True, he would miss seeing Brandi in his class, but it would free them from teacher/student complications. Getting away from Madison would give him the break he needed. Being able to step back and analyze his situation would help him decide if he could be a good man for Brandi. Given his past life, he wasn’t sure that he could make any woman happy.

  “Dr. Polaris?”

  He turned to Tiffany. “Sorry, seems I zoned out for a minute. There’s a lot on my mind today. Yes, I’m happy at Madison. It’s a wonderful school, but one should check one’s options, don’t you think?”

  “I guess. I was really looking forward to having you next semester.”

  “It’s only midterms, and you’re already thinking about next semester?”

  “One should think ahead, right?”

  “Right, but don’t write me off so quickly. I haven’t accepted the job here yet. I told them I would get back to them soon. I told NYU the same thing.”

  “You’re really in demand, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I guess so, but I don’t know why.”

  “You’re a genius.”

  “I am not a genius, Miss Jackson. I just happen to be passionate about literature and writing.”

  “You teach a good class. I would hate to see you leave.” She glanced at her watch. “Gotta’ go; I have Killborn in forty-five minutes, and believe me, she lives up to her name. She does kill us with her boring lectures.”

  He smiled for the first time that day. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow, and I’ll have your letter.”

  Tiffany hailed a cab and quickly slid in. “I’ve got to tell Brandi.”

  * * *

  Tiffany pulled in front of Brandi’s house in her father’s Hummer. “Hurry up, girl. You want to be late for Wesley Snipes?”

  “Give me a break. The name of the movie is not Wesley Snipes, geek!”

  “Whatever, he’s in it. That’s all that matters to me.”

  “He is a hottie. I’m glad you’re early. Brian is getting on my last damn nerve. You should be glad you don’t have a little brother.”

  “I have it worse. Todd is older than me, so he thinks he’s my father or something. And you don’t have a sister who reports every move you make as Trina does. Give me Brian any day.”

  “Take him, please!”

  Tiffany smiled impishly. “Speaking of hotties, guess who I saw coming from Columbia’s administration building.”

  “Let me guess, another man you will soon be dating, right?”

  “Aah, if only I could.”

  “Who was it?”

  “Timothy Edward Polaris.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. Guess what he was doing there? You won’t like this. No woman at Madison will like it.”

  “He was probably just taking care of some business.”

  “Oh, he was taking care of business, alright. I’m not supposed to tell you this, so don’t let on that you know.”

  “Know what?”

  “He was interviewing for a job there. Please, don’t tell him anything.”

  “What? No, he wasn’t.”

  “Brandi, promise me.”

  “Okay, okay. But he was probably arranging a lecture for the school. He does do guest lecturing. Besides, he likes Madison too much to leave it.”

  “He likes something else more.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “There’s got to be a reason for him to want to leave Madison. Can you think of anything?”

  Sure the hell can. “No, he won’t leave. I know him too well. He loves that school.”

  “Hey, I was simply letting you know…for your own personal info. What do I know?”

  “Way too much to be a student.”

  “Tease me all you want, but I think he’s leaving because of you. I know he likes you.”

  “Yes, Tiffany, I do know.”

  * * *

  After the basketball game, Brandi quickly showered and dressed, knowing Tiffany was waiting for her. As she walked past the men’s dressing area, she thought she heard splashing from the Olympic sized pool. She wondered who was lagging behind. Since all of the players were gone, she figured it to be a member of the swim team. For some unknown reason she decided to investigate.

  The swimmer was at the deep end of the pool doing backstrokes. She walked along the pool to see who it was and immediately recognized Tim’s long, muscular arms reaching to the sky.

  As he swam the length of the pool, she walked along, wishing she was in the pool with him—making love. After what they had shared in his living room a few Saturdays ago, she knew she was the last person Tim wanted to see without having clothes on.

  She thought of the fact that he hardly had anything on and it enticed her even more to go to him. He looked good wet. Sneaking a look at him with everything at attention would be an added bonus for the day. But she wasn’t there for that. Her mission that night was to find out if Tiffany was right. Leaving Madison would make a way for them to be together, but at what price?

  Tim spotted Brandi midway down the lane and swam to the edge to greet her. “What are you doing here?”

  “I should ask you that. Why are you in the pool?”

  “I come here sometimes to work off tension. It helps me to think clearly, you know, some alone time.”

  “I know you would rather be alone now but I think we need to talk.”

  “Sounds serious.”

  “It is serious. Do you have a minute?”

  “Sure. What’s wrong?”

  Seeing his navy trunks clinging to his hips made her lose her train of thought.

  “Brandi, are you okay?”

  Remembering where she was, she handed him his towel. “Yeah,

  I’m fine.”

  “What’s the problem? I hope you’re not here about what happened the other night. I said I was sorry.”

  “It’s not that.” She didn’t know whether to confront him or not. Getting Tiffany in trouble with him could jeopardize their friendship, but she had to know something. Avoiding the subject until she could approach it calmly would have to do. “Did you enjoy the game tonight?”

  “Indeed I did; you ladies wowed everyone. Was your family able to make it?”

  “Not all of them. My Aunt Theresa said she’ll come to Holbrook for that game.”

  “Good. I hope they win that one just for her sake. How does your brother feel about the team now?”

  “He still wants to sign up, but the brat’s got some growing up to do.”

  “Brat? Sounds like what my brother, Greg, used to call me.”

  “Brother? Didn’t know you had one. There’s lots that I don’t know about you; for instance, the decision you might be making soon regarding NYU and Columbia.”

  He sat on the bench and dried a space for her. “What are you talking about.”

  “I saw Tiffany the other day. She told me about Columbia. Does this have anything to do with us almost kissing a few weeks ago?”

  “I asked her not to tell anyone.”

  “You wouldn’t have told me? You would have just left one day and not say a word?”

  “Of course I would have told
you, Brandi.”

  “Then tell me now. I deserve to know.”

  “I was going to tell you when I knew something more definite. Everything is up in the air, Brandi. I don’t know if I’m leaving yet. It was just an interview.”

  “Tim, am I the reason for the interview?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  He ran the towel over his damp hair. “It means just that. Yes, I am considering Columbia and NYU’s offer, and no, you’re not the only reason. I’ve been considering their offer for a long time. They’ve been offering me a position there for over two years now.” The towel dropped to his lap. “You’re half the reason, though.”

  “I don’t want to be. I didn’t mean to be.”

  “This is not your fault, Brandi. You weren’t the cause of my roaming Manhattan that night until I found you. Hell, I didn’t even know I was looking for you. Now that I know you, it’s become a little hard to control everything.”

  “You still want to be with me no matter what?”

  “I also didn’t say I want to be with you no matter what. I can’t let this get in the way of my job, Brandi. That’s why I’m seriously considering Columbia now. Besides, wouldn’t my being white make life a little hard for you outside of this school?”

  “If I had found you somewhere other than this school, I wouldn’t give a good damn who didn’t want us to be together. What matters is that we’re together at a school that doesn’t condone students and teachers hanging together.”

  “Hanging together, huh? That’s a good way to put it.”

  “That’s what it is, us being together, no matter how I phrase it.”

  “My color doesn’t matter to you?”

  She leaned against the coldness of the tiled wall. “I have been battling that, Tim. I think it’s because I didn’t want my friends and family harassing me. I just…”

  “I asked if you still care about that. Not what anyone else thinks.”

  “No. I don’t care about that. If I did, that would make me awfully shallow. Do you think I’m shallow?”

  “You’re the most together woman I know.”

  “There’s so much that you have to learn about me. I am black, and that makes me different from any white woman you’ve been with. You still have to learn some things.”

  “What do I have to learn, Brandi? You’re a woman, a woman that I like even though I don’t want to. Everyone learns what to do and what not to do when in a relationship. That’s basic.”

  “That brings us to the real point, doesn’t it? Do you want a relationship with me? I think it’s the only reason you would leave a school you’ve invested some time in. Talk to me.”

  He rubbed his eyes with the towel, beginning to tire of the conversation.

  “Are you leaving or not, Tim?”

  “I don’t know, Brandi. I don’t know anything these days but I do know the only way I can be with you is to leave.”

  “I feel awful about that.”

  “Don’t! If I leave it’ll be because I want to.”

  He wouldn’t leave what he loves to make a way for them. She teased: “I know the women will miss you. You’re so totally fine, Timothy Polaris.”

  “Wrong! I probably look like a white version of Fred Sanford.”

  “Maybe in your mind. Thank God you don’t to the rest of the world. The fact remains, I like you, Tim. You’re much more man than I realized when I met you in Manhattan. I like being with you because you’re also compassionate. I like that in a person, especially men. If you left here, you know I would be after you.”

  Silence. Then: “You’re hard to fight but well worth it. Brandi; there are other problems, though. I’m not good in relationships. They scare me.”

  “I don’t want to scare you, just love you. Is that too much to ask?”

  “No, but it might be hard with me. It will be hard.”

  “No relationship is easy, and I don’t expect ours to be all peaches and cream. That’s not realistic to even imagine these days.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Then I guess I wait, and hope your decision will be best for both of us.”

  “Whatever the case, I hope you’ll feel free to come to me for tutoring. I want you to do well above everything else.”

  “God knows I need the help.”

  “Your last two papers were great. You did a good job on Poe, and he’s very hard to interpret.” He stood and wrapped the towel around his hips. “We should leave before someone walks in here.”

  “Have we settled this?”

  “For now.”

  She knew he would leave Madison. She was actually glad to be a reason, if not the reason. She could have her man.

  “If I do leave, Eric will be happy.”

  “Who cares what Eric will be? He’s a prude who wants everything his way. Life doesn’t work like that.”

  “Indeed. I should know.”

  She didn’t known much of his life, but knew some of it hadn’t been good. All she wanted was to be the one to change that. As he walked to the showers, she called him. “Tim, is your house okay? I remember you said there had been another break in.”

  “No. I found another busted window in my basement.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “Wish I was. Did you tell anyone that you were getting help from me?”

  “Tiffany, but she’s the only one. I’m sorry.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “You don’t think that Tiffany…

  “Never. She’s too smart for that.”

  “Can I help with anything; help you fix the window?”

  “I got it together, Brandi. You should take off now.”

  She had forgotten to mention having told Eric about the tutoring. Eric was enough of a hothead, but to break into Tim’s house was not like him. He had caused her trouble in the past, like parking in front of her house and beeping his horn until she came out; following her and her friends. Also making a total ass of himself at the movies one evening. Confronting Eric would only make matters worse, especially for Tim. He would go to Columbia for sure if he had any inkling that Eric was behind this.

  * * *

  Instead of going home as he usually did after attending a home game, Tim sat in his truck and dialed Claire Hammond’s cell number urgently. He waited for the ringing then heard her voice. His words rushed out before she could finish her sentence. “Claire, it’s me. I need to come in.”

  “Tim, I have a client coming in soon. Are you okay?”

  “I don’t know. There’s a lot of crap going on lately.”

  “This can’t wait until your regular appointment next week?”

  “I really need to talk to someone.”

  “I’m checking my schedule. Hold on.…I can squeeze you in at six. You can be my last appointment. Just promise me you won’t kill yourself getting here.”

  “I don’t want to die, Claire. I just need someone to help me learn how to live.”

  “I’m here for you, buddy. Always will be.”

  An hour later, he was at Claire’s door. He had been seeing her off and on for over ten years. He walked in, Claire’s secretary, Diannah, smiled: “You can go in, darling. She’s waiting.”

  Claire knew something different was up the minute she saw his face. “Okay, Tim, what’s the deal? You don’t normally make extra appointments; usually I have to track you down to keep them.”

  “It’s about Brandi again.”

  “Still fighting yourself over her, I see.”

  “Claire, I’m still thinking about when I almost kissed her. I just can’t seem to stop thinking of her, wanting her the way I never thought I would want another woman.”

  “But you used control then. You can use it now. You have to, Tim.”

  “I don’t know what to do about Brandi.”

  “Tim, you and I have discussed what needs to be done with that situation.”

  “I know, and I’m working on it.
Time is not moving fast enough though. She’s in my face all the time, and when she isn’t, I’m thinking about her.”

  “What have you done to put something in motion about changing this relationship, because you know it won’t just work out somehow.”

  “I know it won’t, Claire. I actually had the Columbia interview.”

  “Good move. What else?”

  “The second interview at NYU is next week.”

  “Fine, those are steps in the right direction, as we discussed before. But…”

  “I really don’t want to leave Madison. I like it there.”

  “I know you do, but is Brandi willing to move to another professor’s class?”

  “She needs my classes for the honors program. Besides, I…I haven’t really.…”

  “You haven’t discussed it with her. Am I right?”

  “No. We have talked about what this is doing to us. She confronted me. Someone saw me at Columbia and told her.”

  “Tim, you’re going to have to be more up front with Brandi. She needs to know what you’re going through and when you’re going through it. You can’t leave her guessing. She’s half of the situation. Don’t be scared to talk to her.”

  “I am still scared. I really like her, Claire, more than I have anyone else. I’m afraid of giving her too much to handle. I should be handling this better than I am; I should be sparing her as much confusion as possible.”

  “You can’t do it alone, Tim. I don’t think she would want you to if she is as great as you say she is.”

  “She’s incredible, and I want her to stay that way. She doesn’t need any more problems in her life.”

  “And you do? Tim, you know the answer to your problem with Brandi. If you want her, you have to do what’s best for you both. We just mentioned the solutions, the interviews. Yes, I know you love Madison. It’s a good school, but so are the others. You went to one of them. Is it that you don’t think you can handle larger universities?”

  “That’s the least of my worries. Moving to one of them is not the real problem.”

  “I know it isn’t. What’s scaring you is the relationship after the move.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Since you and I both know what the real problem is, that’s what we need to concentrate on.”

  “How?”