After Class (8 page)

13

Taylor spends Friday morning studying hard at her desk. Her first few morning classes before Zakarak’s are all review classes and she knows that she could spend the time studying and working harder. After her near blowout with Chad last night, getting caught masturbating and having a rough sleep due to thinking of James, Taylor wants to focus and get some serious work done.

Cup after cup of coffee, Taylor is feeling good. She is powering through her notes and getting a substantial amount of work done. She is studying just like she used to and she is retaining the information that fills her brain.

Come lunchtime, Taylor finally slips into the shower to freshen up for English. She wants to look good for Mr. Zakarak and she wants to make him notice her. She wants him impress him and to make him want her badly. Taylor gives herself enough time to put some effort into her appearance. She puts a slight wave into her hair to give her that bombshell look. She puts on smoky eye makeup to really make her blue eyes pop. She fits into a pair of tight skinny jeans and a black tank top that hugs her in all the right places. She pairs her outfit with cute kitten heels and she is ready to head out the door. Before she does, she squirts a bit of perfume on her neck. She feels sexy. She feels ready.

As Taylor struts to class, she catches the attention of nearly everyone she passes, both men and women. Everyone is struck by her appearance. The men drool over her and she even gets the occasional whistle, while the women sneer at her and it is obvious they are envious. Taylor is in phenomenal shape and today is the day that she is not afraid to flaunt it. In fact, she wants to.

After her borderline runway performance through the quad and hallways, Taylor reaches the classroom and sees him across the hall. They both meet each other’s gaze instantly. Not wanting to stare at each other for the entire way, Taylor tries to look down to her feet and James does the same. They both try to look busy but can’t keep their eyes off of each other. The second he saw her, she took his breath away. The jeans Taylor was wearing hugged her curves perfectly and left little to the imagination. As she strutted down the hallway, her blonde hair framed her face perfectly and her breasts bounced just at the cusp of her top’s neckline. She looked irresistible and it made James nervous to get closer to her.

As they walked closer to meet in the middle, Taylor noticed that he looks even better than he did the other day. He wears a black suit and white dress shirt that is slightly unbuttoned, showcasing the right amount of chest that is sexy yet classy. His hair is freshly cut close to his head and reveals more of that salt and pepper coloring. He is not wearing his glasses today but instead allows his gorgeous green eyes to be seen. He continues sporting the stubble and this time, it has grown in slightly. He looks modern, and fresh but still has a rugged quality to him. Taylor can’t take her eyes off of him. The two finally meet at the classroom door and exchange smiles. James moves his hand in front of Taylor and signals for her to enter. “After you, Miss Murray.”

She smiles and looks deep into his eyes. As she passes him, she curls her hair behind her ear with her fingers. “Thank you James.”

Hearing her say his name sends chills down his spine. When she passes by him, he can smell the fragrance coming off of her skin. The combination of the perfume paired with her pheromones is overwhelming. It is intoxicating and James inhales it deeply. He follows her into the classroom and closes the door behind him. He allows the students to settle while he does the same. He takes off his suit jacket and Taylor watches his every move. She watches him unbutton the jacket and pull it off of his body. As he does so, the shirt clings to his chest and is slightly see-thru, allowing her to see more of him than she should. He puts the jacket on the back of his chair. He then takes his shirtsleeves, unbuttons them and rolls them up slightly. Taylor can see more of his tanned skin and the more she sees, the more she wants.

Once again, Janessa fails to come to class and this fact delights Taylor. She feels free to flirt and look at James without having to deal with any immediate consequences. She settles into a spot closer to the front of the class than her usual spot tucked into the back.

Before James starts the class, Taylor can sense that something is wrong. She doesn’t know what it is exactly but she has this intuition. The way that he is carrying himself inside the classroom walls is different. There is sadness in his face and a lack of sleep can now be seen. Her heart yearns for him and she wants to know what is going on. James starts the lesson chipper but as some students start acting up and acting immature with him, his tolerance dissipates. He even snaps on one student and kicks them out of his class, something that he has never done before. This action solidifies to Taylor that something is not right and she wants to know what is going on. James spends the rest of the class defeated and deflated. He sits on the edge of his desk and barely interacts with the class. They participate in a group discussion on a novel study the class was working on as a review lesson, but James barely mutters a word. The students are the ones to carry the lesson along. Dismissal cannot come soon enough.

As the class wraps up, the students leave silently. The usual female admirers approach James, but he instantly waves them off. He has no time or desire for meaningless flirtations today. The class empties and soon it is just Taylor and him alone in the room. She approaches his desk with caution. “Mr. Zakarak, I don’t mean to overstep any personal boundaries but are you okay?” she asks with concern in her voice.

Taylor’s voice causes James to feel a sense of calming. He looks at her deeply and smiles. “I’m fine. This time of the year is just very stressful. I’m sorry you had to see me like this.”

Taylor walks closer and as she does, the tension between them thickens. James still sits on the edge of his desk and Taylor now stands only inches away from him. Their bodies both tremble at the distance and how they are so close yet so far away. “I know what you mean and it’s fine. Dillon deserved it. He shouldn’t address you like that,” Taylor says softly to him.

“Are you stressed too?” James asks her, looking right into her eyes. There is an unspoken moment between the two of them. Their glances suggest that they could easily help the other in forgetting about any existing problems in seconds.

“So stressed and frustrated…” Taylor says as her voice trails off. She wants to hint at the fact that the frustration is due to the sexual desires she has for him. She wants to tell him how badly she wants to straddle him on that desk. She would give anything for him to tear off her clothes and have his way with her right then and there.

As her voice trails off, James rises from his desk. He stands facing her. He places his hands on her shoulders and their skin meets for the first time. He can feel the warmth radiating from her shoulders and how smooth her skin feels. She can feel his strong hands gripping her tight, yet caressing her gently. He looks into her eyes again. “You’ll be fine. You’re a smart girl and whatever is troubling you, I know you’ll get through it.”

Taylor stares at him and it takes everything out of her not to lean in and kiss him.

“And you know, you can come to me for anything that you need,” he says to her. “Anything.”

The sexual tension between them is unbearable and James can feel it. He instantly stops caressing her shoulders and shoves his hands into his pockets. He turns away from her and walks towards the back of his desk to gather his things. Taylor’s body is trembling. She steadies herself and still remains in that one spot. “Maybe this weekend you can help me prepare for the exam?”

James knows the underlining question in Taylor’s voice. His heart starts to flutter and his palms sweat. He turns to meet her gaze. “You have my number. Why don’t you give me a call when you’re in need of assistance?”

Taylor’s breath catches in her throat and her chest quivers. Seeing the effect he has on her drives James crazy. The two lock eyes for a minute more until Taylor needs to leave before something happens. “I’d love to. Have a good weekend.”

“You too,” James says as Taylor heads for the door. She looks at him once more before disappearing into the hallways and smiles. He smiles back. The second Taylor leaves the room, James sits quietly and plays with the wedding ring on his finger. He feels guilty for wanting Taylor and for hurting his wife in the way that he has been. His marriage is falling apart and he is not one to allow things to end so suddenly. Despite feeling the intense attraction for Taylor, James knows that it is wrong. He wants to make things right with his wife. He wants to hold onto the woman that he fell in love with. With a newfound sense of hope, James collects his belongings and heads for the door, determined to make things right.

14

“Honey, I’m home,” James shouts as he enters the front door. Instead of organizing his belongings like he usually does, he stuffs everything onto the nearby entrance bench.

“I’m in the kitchen,” calls out Tiffany.

James enters the kitchen and sees his wife standing there. He looks at her and can tell she has reached her last straw. His eyes trace her entire body, picking up on any negative body language that she may be giving off. “I want to talk to you.”

“There’s no time for small talk, James,” she says to him. “This isn’t working. I’m not happy.”

James wants to say that the feeling is mutual but he doesn’t want to give up. He continues looking into her eyes and can see the pain that she is feeling. “What do you want me to do? I’ll do anything. Don’t let me lose you.”

Tiffany’s eyes fall and she pulls out a suitcase from behind the kitchen island. “I just need some time to myself. Maybe a bit of a break might be good for the both of us.”

James’ heart sinks in his chest. “We can work on things. I…”

She cuts him off. “You can’t take time away from work. I know that and I won’t allow my happiness to be sidelined because of it.”

James bites on his bottom lip. He feels a sense of hopelessness. He refuses to put in an effort if the feeling isn’t mutual. “Okay, fine. You win. Go. Just walk away from our problems. That’ll fix everything.”

“If you can walk out on me, then I can certainly do the same to you. I hope your heart breaking in your chest feels as good as mine did.”

Frustrated with her husband, Tiffany pulls on her suitcase from behind the island and exits the front door. Her heels click on the hardwood floor beneath her and with every click, James can feel his anger raging on. Tiffany slams the front door behind her. The sound of a vehicle can be heard revving up its engine and its tires squeal on the pavement as it speeds away. She’s gone.

Inside the home, James is left standing in a rage. He looks at the fruit bowl perfectly placed on the kitchen island, swats it and finds pleasure in the glass and fruit crashing to the floor. His perfect life is not perfect and he has known that for a long time. James heads on over to the fridge, grabs a beer, cracks it open with his teeth and downs it as fast as he can. Before he can finish the first one, he opens the fridge to take out a couple more. He walks over to the nearby couch, turns on the TV and intends on spending the night in his sorrows, hoping the alcohol will make him numb from the pain of his broken heart.

15

Friday night hits the college and parties are happening everywhere but Taylor sits quietly by her desk, reading and studying. She remembers what happened last Friday and the way it made her feel and swears that it won’t be happening again anytime soon. She relaxes and is dressed down. The makeup is scrubbed off and her hair up in a bun on the top of her head. She wears loose clothing and holds a cup of tea close to her lips. She is comfortable even though she has a massive amount of work to get through tonight. The clock is at 7:00pm and Taylor feels ready to get some serious studying done.

An hour later and in the midst of studying and focusing intently, Nicole comes through the dorm door and interrupts Taylor. Nicole enters the room with her hands shielding her face. “You aren’t diddling yourself again are you?”

Taylor laughs and throws a pillow at Nicole. The two make eye contact and Taylor rolls her eyes. “Thanks for that.”

“It’s what friends are for”, Nicole laughs as she hops onto the bed. “So what are you up to tonight?”

Taylor gestures to the assorted books that lay out in front of her. “Care to take a lucky guess?”

“Being a loser and studying on a Friday night?” jokes Nicole.

“If I had another pillow, I’d throw it at you, but maybe this mug will have to suffice,” Taylor says as she teases Nicole with the cup of tea. Taylor devilishly smiles but then her smile fades. “Yes, you are right. I am being a loser and studying. What are you doing?”

“Care to take a lucky guess?” asks Nicole, smiling and playfully lying on her bed.

Taylor wrinkles her nose and thinks for a moment. “Having drunk unprotected sex with Mr. Tim?”

Nicole laughs. “You bitch. Guess again!”

“Damn, I thought that was a given,” jokes Taylor. She sits for a moment in silence, wracking her brain. “I don’t hun, I give up. There’s not much else that you do on a Friday night.”

Nicole gets up off the bed and motions for Taylor to move over. She does and Nicole brings her desk chair over. “Make room loser, because it’s going to be a loser study fest tonight.”

Taylor nearly spits out her tea. “Is that so?” she asks. “No big parties tonight?”

“Not tonight,” Nicole says as she wheels her chair around the room to her desk. She grabs her backpack on the way. “I need to get something done, but tomorrow is a different story.”

“Oh yeah?” says Taylor. “What’s happening tomorrow?

“Only the biggest club opening to hit this town in years and guess who has 2 tickets?”

Taylor looks at Nicole blankly. “You have tickets to the opening of Shade?”

Nicole smiles and reveals the tickets from her bag. She wheels over to Taylor with them in hand. “That’s right Tay, one for me and one for you. Now, I know you’re going to give me some sob story about how mommy and daddy are picking on you, but let’s make a deal. We study tonight and I won’t make a peep. Then, tomorrow during the day, I’ll be gone and let you focus all day and you promise that you will get all dolled up and come have a few drinks with me at Shade. Deal?”

Taylor thinks to herself for a moment but before she can answer, Nicole shoves the ticket down Taylor’s sweatshirt. “Pleasure doing business with you,” she says as she wheels away to her desk. Nicole puts her ear buds in her ears and stars studying away.

Taylor turns slowly to face her desk again. She looks at the ticket and then at the work before her. She thinks to herself, a few hours at the club won’t hurt anyone. How bad could it be?