by Parker, Ali
She poured out the rest of her coffee and then turned to look at me with a completely serious face. “I think you need to do a little soul-searching. This guy is very special to you. Are you really willing to let him get away so easily?”
I sighed. “I do care about him, but he doesn’t want to be involved. I have to respect that.”
“No, you don’t.”
I laughed. “I’m just going to demand he love me and spend time with me and who cares what his son thinks?” I said being sarcastic but almost wishing she would tell me yes.
“Yes.”
“What?” I blinked. “You can’t say yes. Olin is someone who has a vested interest in this thing between Christopher and I. I’m not going to come between them. They already have a lot to work out.”
“You deserve to be happy, Leila,” she said looking me straight in the eye. “You don’t have to go through life, following the rules and never speaking up for yourself. You are a lion, let me hear you roar. Let the whole world hear you roar.”
“I roared a little bit with the dean,” I argued.
A grin spread over her face. “Ah, yes, you did. And why did you roar?”
“Because I wanted to be with Christopher,” I admitted what she was asking me to say.
She nodded her head, a look of satisfaction on her face. “Because you want to be with Christopher you stepped out of your comfort zone. Don’t let that moment go to waste.”
Her words hit home. It was exactly what I had been feeling since I had walked away from the ice cream shop. I had been feeling like I had laid it all out on the line for nothing. I felt like I had done something risky for him and he was giving up on me—on us.
“You’re right, but I can’t force him to be with me if it isn’t what he wants. I won’t do that.”
“Okay but let him know how you feel at the very least.”
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
She held up a finger, waggling it side to side. “Uh-uh, don’t do that. Don’t roll over and play dead. You fight. You stand up for yourself and you let him know you are worth the effort. The kid will have to figure out how to get over it.”
I felt like I was in a locker room before a big game and the coach was trying to pump me up. “Okay. I will. If I see him, I’ll ask if we can grab a coffee or something.”
She grinned. “Getting closer. Tell him you want to talk and tell him to make some time for you. Don’t ask—demand.”
“Kami, that’s not polite.”
“I don’t care. Get rude. Get stinky. Let him know you want something. Maybe he needs to be chased.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not stinky and I will never be rude, but I get what you are saying.”
“Good, now get your ass to work. I have to get to the bakery before my mother has a conniption.”
“Thank you for stopping by,” I told her, feeling a hundred percent better after talking to her.
“You’re welcome.”
I headed for my room and opened my closet. I was tired of wearing the same old safe clothes. I wanted to get rude, as Kami put it. I pulled out the jacket I loved and then reached for the white shirt that had the flowing sleeves. It was meant to be worn open, revealing some cleavage. I’d bought it on a whim and never worn it. I put it on, tucking it into the black dress pants and turned left and right as I looked in the mirror. My natural inclination was to reach for one of my demure sweaters or high-necked shirts.
Not today. I was going to dress the part of a vixen, confident in her skin and her life. I paired it with a pair of heels that weren’t at all sensible, but they looked fantastic and added a sleekness to the outfit. Satisfied with my outfit, I moved into the bathroom and put on my makeup. I went a little bolder than usual with the eyeliner. I pulled my hair back in a sleek ponytail and added some earrings. It was a lot more than I usually did for a day of teaching. It was probably over-the-top, but that was my goal.
I needed the confidence. I knew I looked good. I felt good.
“I am lion, hear me roar,” I chanted in front of the mirror.
I grabbed my briefcase and headed out the door. When I walked through the hall on my way to my class, I felt stronger. I felt confident and worthy. I’d been a wallflower for too damn long. It was time to shine. I didn’t care if anyone looked at me. I had spent my whole life just trying to blend in. I didn’t like attracting attention.
I didn’t feel that way anymore. I wasn’t exactly ready to steal the spotlight from anyone, but I felt like I deserved my job. I was a damn good teacher. The dean had laid out his cards a little too soon. I knew I was valuable. He could try and bully me into giving up details about my personal life that were none of his business, but I wouldn’t do it.
I had a right to be happy. I had a right to feel good about myself and confident that I would have a job tomorrow and the next day and the next semester. He always made me feel like I was walking a fine line. Why? I had never done anything wrong and he had no reason to make me feel like that.
It was bullying and I would not tolerate it. I walked into the classroom a little later than usual, but still on time. I looked at the faces of the students that were relying on me to give them a good education in Greek mythology.
I could do that. Hell, I could do anything.
Chapter 50
Christopher
Unlike most mornings, I didn’t idly sit out on the patio sipping my coffee and assuming my son would be making his way downstairs. I was in the kitchen, checking the time and waiting to see if he would come down. I knew he was home. I had checked on him periodically throughout the night. I had been nervous as hell he would try to run away again.
When he came downstairs, I had his waffles buttered and waiting for him. He looked sheepish as he pulled up a seat at the bar. “How many times did you check to see if I was in bed?”
I grinned. “About five, maybe ten.”
He groaned. “Great. That’s going to be a thing now.”
I shrugged. “For a little while. You scared me.”
“I am sorry for that,” he said earnestly.
I nodded. “I know. I just wanted to see where your head is at.”
“I’m fine.”
“I’d be okay if you wanted to take today off. We could go fishing, shopping, whatever you want.”
He shook his head. “No. I need to go to school. I’m not going to make any friends if I don’t go. Besides, there’s a baseball meeting after school. I want to be there.”
“Great. Should I go?”
He scowled. “No. This is just for students.”
“All right, let me know what I need to do. We’ll have to get you new gear.”
He took a bite. “I will.”
I sipped my coffee, not sure if it was wise to press the subject, but I needed to know he was in a good headspace. “Is there anything you want to talk about?”
“No.”
I nodded. “Okay, but if you have something on your mind, don’t hesitate to tell me. The worse I can do is say no.”
“I got it,” he said. “Dad?”
“What’s up?” I asked, almost afraid he was going to say he wanted to go back to Minnesota after all.
“I’m sorry about yesterday. It was really stupid and immature. I feel like an idiot.”
I smiled. “We all do things we end up regretting later. It could have been much worse. I’m glad you didn’t get on the plane.”
“Me too. I’m sorry about being a dick about the girl.”
I almost choked on my coffee. “What?”
“You and that lady you had over. I’m sorry. I told you to date and then freaked out when you did. I want you to be happy. If you like her, you should keep seeing her.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What changed your mind?”
He shrugged. “I was being childish.”
“You are kind of a child.”
“I’m not a child. I’m sixteen.”
“Ah, but in the eyes of the law and your f
ather, you’re not an adult. I don’t mind you being a kid a while longer.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’d like to meet her, like actually meet her.”
I wasn’t going to pile too much on him. “We’ll see. I’m not sure that’s still an option.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means we’re not seeing each other anymore,” I said feeling the bite of pain that statement caused.
He looked down at his almost finished waffles. “Because of me?” he asked in a soft voice.
I couldn’t put it all on him. I knew I was plenty old enough to make my own decisions. I was the adult and if I wanted to see her I could. But, responsibility and concern for him had led me to end things. “Not because of you. It was a culmination of things. We’re on a break.”
He groaned. “You didn’t just say that.”
I chuckled. “We might see each other again, but for now, we’re going to take a step back.”
He let out a long sigh. “Because of me.”
“Honestly Olin, it’s partially because of you but only in the sense I want everything to be okay with us before I start dating anyone.”
He nodded. “Everything is okay. Call her.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks. I’ll think about it. Maybe I need more time.”
“Dad, you’re just saying that,” he said, tossing his plate in the sink before picking up his backpack. “I’ll be home late. Don’t call in any bomb threats to the airport.”
My mouth dropped open. “I didn’t do that!”
“Sure, you didn’t. It’s just a coincidence the very same airport I was at had a bomb threat? The only bomb threat it’s ever had?”
I shook my head. “I’m serious, it wasn’t me.”
“Sure, Dad. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Olin, I didn’t do it,” I shouted as he walked out the door.
I shook my head, dumping out my coffee and rinsing the dishes before grabbing my briefcase and heading out as well. I felt better about going to class, knowing he was okay with the idea. At least, I hoped he was okay with the idea. He seemed to be. Then again, I hadn’t thought he’d try to fly back to Minnesota.
I’d keep a close eye on things. I wasn’t going to risk what happened yesterday happening again. I’d been blindsided, but not again. By the time I got to school, I was feeling much better about everything. I had made a quick call to Olin’s school to verify the baseball meeting. When they said nothing about him being absent for the day, I had to assume he was there.
I spotted Alan talking with one of the professors. They looked to be in a heated discussion about something. When he saw me, he ended his conversation with the professor and headed my way. “Hey, did everything work out yesterday?”
I smiled. “It did. Fate intervened.”
“He wasn’t at the airport?”
“Oh, he was at the airport, but they evacuated. There was a bomb threat.”
His eyes widened. “I thought I heard something about that on the news. I didn’t pay much attention.”
“Olin thinks I did it,” I told him with a laugh. “I told him I didn’t, but he doesn’t believe me. I know I didn’t do it, did you?”
He burst into laughter. “Wouldn’t that be some shit? I didn’t do it. I was headed to class like a good boy. I did mention I had a friend that had a kid trying to bust out of Texas via the airport, maybe she called it in to help you out.”
“She who?” I asked.
“That professor we had, Bell. The one from Greek mythology.”
That got my attention. “She knew about Olin?”
“I was on the phone with you and she was right by me. We were on our way to the same building. She asked if everything was okay and I gave her a condensed version of events.”
“Hmm, interesting,” I said, my mind jumping to conclusions it shouldn’t have been.
“Did you and he have a meeting of the minds?” he asked in a stern voice.
I smiled, nodding as we walked. “Yes. Somewhat. I’ve made it pretty clear running away isn’t an option. We’ll take it day by day. I hope things are settled, but I’m not going to get too comfortable.”
“Good thinking,” he agreed. “Teens will keep you jumping. You never know what to expect from them. They run hot and cold and tend to be all over the map with how they feel about you.”
He had no idea just how right he was. “I’ve gathered that. I’m hoping yesterday was our breaking point and things will be better from here on out.”
“For your sake, I hope so too.”
“I have to get to class. It was good to catch up, and thanks for yesterday.”
“I didn’t do anything, but I’m glad things worked out.”
I winked. “Sure.”
He was laughing as I walked away. I knew Alan wasn’t the kind of guy to make bomb threats, but it was funny to think of him doing something crazy like that. I knew Leila wasn’t the type. She was not someone who broke rules. Hell, she didn’t even like to bend the rules a bit. I was willing to bet she’d never even gotten a traffic ticket.
Thinking about her made me want to see her. That wasn’t entirely true. I had been missing her since we said goodbye. I wasn’t sure where things stood with us, but I hoped she would be willing to talk. No matter what happened, I wanted her friendship. I wouldn’t push it if she was truly uncomfortable with the idea, but I was hoping she would let me take her to lunch on occasion.
I had a few minutes before my class started. I knew her schedule as well. Her first class for the day would have gotten over about ten minutes ago. If I hurried, I might be able to catch her. I took a deep breath before slowly opening the door of her classroom.
She was sitting at her desk, her head bowed as she wrote on a yellow pad. I was once again blown away by how beautiful she was. I liked when her hair was loose and hanging around her shoulders, but I also loved that sleek, no-nonsense style she wore on occasion.
I knocked on the door jamb. When she looked up and saw me, it was like being hit by an electric shock. She looked different. I liked it. It was edgy and sexy.
“What are you doing here?” she asked in an almost accusing tone.
“I wanted to stop by and say hi,” I said taking a tentative step inside.
She rose from her chair and I got a full view of what she was wearing. My first reaction was something along the lines of holy shit. It was an outfit one would expect on a powerful attorney or hell, maybe even one of those Kardashian women.
“Hi,” she breathed. “How are you?”
I nodded, momentarily speechless at the sight of her. “Good. I, um, I wanted to ask if I could take you to lunch today.”
She smiled, casually shrugging a shoulder. “Sure.”
“When are you available?” I asked, surprised she actually agreed to have lunch with me. I had been expecting a hard no and an order to never bother her again. “I have a class, but after that I’m free,” I quickly added.
“Can we shoot for one?”
“Yes,” I blurted out the word.
Her sweet smile made me feel like she was placating me, but I didn’t care. I wanted to talk with her. I knew it was dangerous to start back down the road with her. I knew it and I didn’t care. I wanted to be near her. It was like a plant needing the sunlight. I needed her.
“I’ll meet you here?”
“Sure. Maybe we can go off campus?”
Her bright smile told me she agreed. “That would be a very good idea. I’ll meet you here at one.”
“All right,” I said feeling as if my day was truly looking up. “I’ll be here.”
“Bye, Christopher.”
“Bye, Leila.”
I walked away, unable to hide the little extra bounce in my step. How could I go from one day when it felt like my world was crashing in around me to a day like today when everything was coming up roses? I didn’t know how I had managed to get so lucky, but I wasn’t going to take a minute of it for granted.
I headed to class. I almost considered ditching it in favor of picking her up early for lunch, but went anyway. I had signed up for the damn thing and I was going to take it seriously. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t all that set on a degree. I had started it and I was going to finish it. That was the example I wanted to set for Olin.
But damn if I would prefer to be spending the long hour with her.
Chapter 51
Leila
I was crediting my invitation to lunch on the outfit. I had seen his eyes when I stood up. I was rocking the hell out of the low-cut blouse that showed off enough cleavage to be sexy but not so much to be risqué. I was already planning a shopping trip, though not to the horrible store that refused to sell me anything because of my large size.
I smoothed down the pants and pulled on the jacket I had paired with the blouse. I did my best to look casual while I waited for Christopher. Inside, my stomach was a bundle of excited nerves. I was looking forward to seeing him—alone. Alone in a crowded restaurant, but essentially alone.
I was hoping he would tell me about what happened yesterday. I couldn’t exactly ask. I didn’t want him to think I was prying. He had to be the one to tell me. I promised myself over and over I would not get my hopes up. It was a casual lunch between friends. Nothing more.
“Are you ready?” I heard his deep baritone voice at the door.
I looked up from the paper I was reading and smiled. He looked very handsome. He always dressed like he was on his way to an important business meeting. I loved the way his pants hugged his hips and made his legs look ridiculously long. His shirts were always pressed and perfectly tucked in. Today, he had the sleeves of the dark blue shirt rolled up to his forearms. It was perfectly casual and sexy.
“I am,” I said in a cheery voice.
“You look very nice, by the way,” he said. “I like the new look.”
I couldn’t help but smile, my shoulders going back. “Thank you. It isn’t necessarily a new look, but it is a new outfit.”