When they pulled up at the gate, Sarah realized that he wasn’t planning on waiting with them. He unloaded their bags, and set them on the curb for her. He climbed back in to the driver’s seat. “I’ll see you at school,” she said. He nodded. “Thanks for the ride.” He gave her an indecipherable look then drove off.
Sarah wanted to cry then and there. She wanted to cry for the hurt he was feeling and the hurt he was inflicting on her. She wanted everything back to normal. For the second time since she and Josh split up, Sarah felt as though her life were out of her control.
“Come on kiddo,” she called to Chloe as she picked up her luggage, putting on a brave front. Then they marched into the airport to fly back to Vermont.
As soon as she had arrived at home, Sarah had checked the answering machine. She kept hoping that Brian would come to his senses; that he would call and tell her he missed her, that he needed her to be his friend and that everything was back to normal between them. But the only message on the machine was from Tessa to Josh.
“Last night was great, baby,” Tessa’s childlike voice said. “Thanks for letting me stay over. It’ll be our little secret.” There was a ‘kissy’ noise followed by a dial tone.
“Big mistake,” she said angrily. Once again Josh would be the target for her rage. He had a gift for making it so.
Sarah waited up for Josh that night. She had snapped her book shut the minute she heard the screen door creak. Sitting expectantly, she stared at the doorway until he entered the house.
He sighed when he saw her reading in the living room. “Now what?” He asked wearily.
“You keep it up, you’re not going to make it six months,” she warned.
“Why?” He asked angrily.
“Follow me,” she urged, stomping off to the kitchen where the answering machine laid on the counter. She pushed play and watched Josh’s shoulders sag as he listened to the message Tessa had left.
“She didn’t stay,” he lied. “She’s not allowed here, right? How could she have stayed?” He kept blustering for several more seconds, but gave up after seeing Sarah’s face.
“She’s just trying to get to you.”
“I don’t care about the sex. I don’t care if you love her. I do care, however, if it takes place in my house.” She glared at him. “And I care that you don’t keep your word. Oh, and the lying part kind of ticks me off, too.” Josh shifted nervously. “Do one more thing to irritate me, break our agreement in any way, shape, or form, and you’re out of here.” He gave no indication he’d listened to a word she said. “Got it?” Her tone snapped him from his thoughts.
“Yeah. Uh, yes. I understand.” He turned and walked up the stairs.
“Oh, and my trip was great,” she called sarcastically after him.
The next morning she sat sadly in her office, gazing out the window at Brian’s dark empty space. He wouldn’t be returning until some time Tuesday. Sarah didn’t know if he would call to check on his classes. She’d just place all of his materials in his box in the office, she decided.
Her class would be first, before lunch. Brian’s class would follow the lunch break. He had asked for that schedule. He was not a morning person, she had discovered on their trip. She was just about to pack up and walk to her classroom when there was knock on her door.
“Professor Waite,” the young man said tentatively.
“Nope, Professor White,” Sarah replied without looking up, used to correcting students
who took a wrong turn looking for Brian. Since their names were only off by one letter, it happened frequently.
“Oh, sorry,” he mumbled. He stood there anxiously. “Can you tell me where to find Professor Waite?” He asked.
“Yup,” she said. “He’s away on family business.” She shoved her pen into her bag, pushed the strap on her shoulder and turned to go. The young man was blocking her exit. She was about to ask him to leave when she looked at him for the first time.
Sarah stopped in her tracks. The student before her was handsome in a way unlike anyone she had ever met. He was...Calvin Klein underwear model handsome. And judging by the way his clothes fit him; he had the physique to match. He smiled at her in a manner that suggested he was used to being appreciated by women and stretched out a hand.
“I’m Evan Winters,” he said.
Sarah leaned back on one leg. “What can I do for you Mr. Winters?” She asked. She felt guilty for being short with him moments earlier, and for all but blushing when she first studied him.
“You see, I need to take this class that Professor Waite is teaching this summer. I must have all my core classes done before I go on my study abroad.” He watched her with interest. She was young, attractive, tan. She couldn’t be much older than he was. And for the moment he had her attention.
“I see. Well, Professor Waite won’t be back until Wednesday. Is there another class you can take?” The way he looked at Sarah made her uncomfortable. He was too familiar, too at ease with her.
Evan shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Do you know if his class is full?”
Sarah sighed, set her bag on the chair and walked over to her desk. She picked up the enrollment for Brian’s class. There were twenty-four students registered before they went on vacation. Who knew how many had registered since they left? “Well, it’s difficult to say,” she said honestly. “It wasn’t full at the end of last semester, but now who knows?”
He walked over to her and looked her in the eye. “What if I attend until he gets back? I could just go and show him how dedicated and determined I am. Do you think his replacement would mind?” Evan’s blue eyes twinkled with mischief.
Sarah smirked a little. “I am his replacement,” she said.
“All the better,” Evan said boldly. “In that case, I’ll see you this afternoon.” He strode confidently from her office and walked to his first class.
Unsure of how she felt about walking into the classroom, Sarah waited until the last possible moment before she entered. Just as she had expected, Evan had taken a seat at the very front of the room. She walked in, mustering all the confidence she could, and set the materials Brian had left on the desk.
She wrote her name on the board, which had several students scrambling to check their course schedules. “I am Professor White,” she began. “Yes, you are in the right class. Professor Waite will return on Wednesday. Until then, you are saddled with me.” She glanced around the room and found Evan was virtually beaming. Somehow she found this terribly unsettling. “Let’s begin.”
The class ran smoothly, a tribute to the effort Brian put into his plans. Anyone could have walked in off the streets and been moderately successful. She packed up her materials and said goodbye to the students. They had all left eagerly, probably hoping to get some sun while it was still out, all of them except for Evan. He stood next to the desk, waiting for her to acknowledge him.
Sarah looked him in the eye. “Yes, Evan?” She was exhausted. Summer classes were so much longer than semester classes. That’s what happened when you condensed sixteen weeks into six. All she wanted was to get home, change her clothes, and chase Chloe through the sprinkler for a bit before dinner.
“I wanted to give you mine personally,” he said, handing her the response he had created for the warm up exercise.
The question on the board was “Why is it important to study foreign cultures?” She had glanced through some of the answers students had written while they were working in groups. Most had commented on the need for an understanding of cultural differences and its relationship to their area of study, such as business, marketing, or finance. Sarah glanced at the paper Evan handed her. Apparently he felt cultural studies were important so that he could take a beautiful, sophisticated, professional woman on a vacation to some foreign land without making a fool of himself. It was a thinly veiled attempt at flirting.
“You know I have to turn all of this in to Professor Waite, correct?” The look on her face was grim.
&n
bsp; “Oh, yeah. That’s right.” This was obviously not the reaction he had hoped for. And he certainly hadn’t considered that this paper would reach his true instructor.
Sarah studied him for a moment. “What did you think I would say? How soon can you be packed?” He smirked at her. “I’m a professor and you are a student. Technically, you’re not my student, but that is irrelevant. I’m also working on a divorce right now and I have a five year daughter to consider.” She paused. Why was she telling him all this? Was she hoping to scare him away? Or was she simply reasoning out loud? No, she didn’t find him attractive in the least. He was far too aggressive. She had enough issues. She stood there looking resolute.
Evan stepped closer. He was still smiling, maybe even a little more broadly now. This was not the effect she had expected. “First of all,” he began, “I am only going to be a student for one more semester. Then I will graduate with a degree in business and a starting salary from my father’s company of approximately $300,000.” Sarah’s eyes bulged slightly at the figure he quoted. His eyes twinkled wildly. He took another step closer. “Second, that you are in the process of getting a divorce means that you are essentially single. And finally, kids love me.”
Evan was very close now, but Sarah refused to give him the satisfaction of backing up. She decided to hit him with a barb instead. “Kids love you because you are one,” she said, hoping to hide her nervousness. She crossed her arms over her chest.
He laughed at her. “I may be younger than you are, but I would doubt it is by many years.” He passed behind her to walk out the door. He brushed against her, paused, and whispered in her ear, “You can’t be a day over twenty-five. And if you are, your looks are a tribute to how well you take care of yourself.” She shivered. “See you tomorrow, Professor,” he said coyly.
Sarah was excited to see the answering machine blinking upon her return to her house. She was certain it was Brian calling to talk to her about the funeral and ask about his class. She had convinced herself that he was over his hurt by now. Unfortunately, the voice on the answering machine didn’t belong to Brian. On the bright side, it didn’t belong to Tessa either. Jamie had returned from her semester at sea as a cell biology instructor.
Jamison Stratford had been a friend of Sarah’s all through high school. They had gone to separate universities after graduation. While Sarah had stayed close to home, Jamison had gone as far away as her parents would pay for. Florida was apparently as far as they felt she could safely venture from home. Somehow, Sarah and Jamie had managed to keep in touch through the years. Sarah had even considered it one of the perks that they had ended up getting hired as professors at the same university. Jamison, the adventurer, took every opportunity that came her way to try new things in both her career and personal life.
So when word leaked out that there would be an opening for a professor to teach on board a ship for a semester while traveling the world, Jamie applied immediately. She wowed the powers that be during her interview, and was quickly offered the position. Jamie never settled for less than she felt she deserved, and she held herself in very high regard. Also, Jamie had never settled down period. She had yet to find a man who could keep up with her without holding her back.
Sarah suspected that the beauty of their friendship was that Sarah kept her grounded to an extent. Jamie could come and visit, or offer to baby-sit, or help out in the garden for a bit. She would get her fill of children and the domestic life and be on her way.
Now after seven months of nothing but the briefest of post cards, Jamie had returned. Actually, Sarah had nothing to complain about. Jamie’s parents had called Sarah out of concern, since Jamie hadn’t even dropped them a note.
Holding the phone in her hand, Sarah planted herself at the kitchen table. They had some serious catching up to do. The phone rang three times before Jamie answered. “What?” She asked huffily.
“Is that any way to talk to your oldest and dearest friend?” Sarah chided.
Jamie squealed. “Oh, I’m so glad it’s you! My mother has called five times since I walked in the door to beg me to come to dinner. You know I’d rather inject myself with Ebola than dine with the Stratfords.” She used her snobby voice when she said her family name.
Sarah laughed. “Then come over here. I won’t be serving a seven course meal, but then again you’ll be away from your phone.” She could tell Jamie was considering it. “It’ll be a date with our favorite men. You know...Ben and Jerry. Then after Chloe goes to bed I’ll whip up a pitcher of margaritas with Jose.”
“Augh! You’re playing dirty.” She sighed. “And where will Josh be?” Jamie and Josh shared a mutual dislike.
“At work, or working on Tessa, or maybe both.”
“Excuse me?” She squealed. “I’m intrigued. Tell me more!”
“Nope. You have to come and get the gossip.” And with that Sarah hung up. She glanced at her watch. If she knew Jamie, and she was sure she did, then she would be here in thirty minutes. That would give her just enough time to order a pizza, run to the store for two pints of ice cream, and stop by the liquor store to get the tequila. She giggled.
By the time she returned, Jamie was rocking on the porch. “Gee, I thought you’d never get back!” She exclaimed exasperatedly.
“I could be faster with a little help,” Sarah hinted.
“Coming, mother,” Jamie joked as she hopped off the porch.
“Now there’s no need to take that tone with me, young lady.” Sarah quipped, easily settling into their normal banter.
Sarah and Jamie hugged as soon as Jamie reached the car. Chloe looked on in wonder. “Will I ever act like that with my friends?” She asked as they walked into the house.
“I hope so,” Sarah commented.
“Only if you can find the right friends,” Jamie said seriously.
The wholesome part of their evening involved eating pizza on a red-checkered tablecloth laid on the floor of the living room. Chloe loved a good picnic and Jamie hated bugs, so this was the healthy compromise. “How can a scientist hate insects?” Sarah had joked often.
“I like to work in a sterile environment,” Jamie would laugh.
The entertainment portion of the evening involved watching Chloe’s choice of Disney movies. Jamie managed to push a little for her favorite, so Mulan was wrapping up around Chloe’s bedtime. “I’ll tuck her in, you work your magic with the blender,” Jamie commanded. “Go kiss your mother,” she told Chloe, giving her a nudge in the right direction.
Chloe shot an irritated look behind her. She was unaccustomed to being treated so roughly. She saw her mother was watching the exchange with a smirk and wasn’t impressed. “Make her stop,” she whined.
“You’ll live,” Sarah whispered as she kissed her daughter and sent her up to bed.
By the time Jamie returned, Sarah had dragged out the pitcher of margaritas, the pints of ice cream, and the appropriate glassware and silverware. They marched out onto the porch, curled up on the porch swing, simultaneously opened their pints, clinked their spoons together and dove in.
“Mmmm,” Jamie mumbled enthusiastically. “Oh, I missed this.”
“What? Good ice cream?” Sarah giggled.
“No,” Jamie said seriously, “good friends.”
They ate for a few minutes in silence then repeated their ritual with the margaritas. Sarah had the sense that Jamie was just biding her time, waiting until what she believed to be the proper moment to ask the questions she was eager to have answered. Halfway through her pint of Phish Phood, and after downing her second margarita, she paused, gave Sarah a sideways glance and tried to ask nonchalantly, “So what’s with Josh and Tara?” She wasn’t sure if it was a sore subject and tried to phrase her question as delicately as she could.
Sarah smiled in spite of herself. Jamie was trying so hard. “Her name is Tessa.” She watched Jamie’s eyes roll and laughed. “She’s nineteen.”
“Good Lord,” Jamie muttered.
“
They work together at the restaurant.” She took a breath and then told Jamie how she had discovered the Victoria’s Secret bag, the confrontation at Le Cafe, and the agreement they had reached. Jamie was hanging on her every word.
“I should have stayed,” she said eagerly.
“Oh, you couldn’t have known,” Sarah said, thinking she’d sooth her friend’s regret over not having been there for her.
“No, I mean, I’m sorry I missed all of this. Damn.” She leaned back.
“I can’t believe you,” Sarah remarked even though she knew Jamie and wasn’t truly overly surprised by her reaction.
“So now what?” Jamie had leaned back and was gazing at the stars reflectively.
“Who knows?” Sarah sighed. “On top of that I feel as though I’ve lost my best friend.”
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