Chapter 5
“Fucking stereotypes,” he grumbled as he released his nose and let out a deep sigh. “Okay, to clarify yes I like to be in charge in the bedroom. For the most part at least. Yes, I’m protective. No, I’m not overbearing. At least not to my knowledge.”
His mouth twisted into a frown. “As for overbearing, I will admit I’ve been called that, but that’s only because it seeps into real life. That alpha personality, but I can usually reign it in.”
“Usually?” I questioned, skeptically.
“It’s not a perfect system,” Alex admitted. “I’m working on the kinks.”
“In a literal way or metaphorical way?” I teased, wanting to lighten the tension. He looked so serious in that moment, and I wanted to reach out and smooth the lines on his face.
Alex bit back a laugh. “I suppose there’s always room for improvement on either front.”
I was about to open my mouth and say something else when the sound of the whistle interrupted us both. Alex stood still for a minute, almost as if he were debating something then he shook his head and turned his back on me.
He carefully poured the tea into the mug, letting the silence stretch between us till I had no idea what to say to break it.
Sure, I’d heard of relationships like that.
I’d even paid to see Fifty Shades of Grey, but it mostly made me cringe. Not the sex parts, but the so-called relationship parts. I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to stay in a relationship like that.
Abusive, controlling and toxic were a few of the words I’d use to describe it. The only problem was, I wasn’t sure how to distinguish if the sex they had in the movie was a continuation of that abuse, or if it was in spite of it.
How could anyone be okay with being beat up like that and call it sexy?
I shuddered at the thought which Alex saw, and he gave me a quizzical look. He walked towards with two steaming hot mugs of tea, his shoes clattering on the floor.
I gestured towards the couch after I pushed myself away from the couch. I went around to the other side, and I sank into the couch snuggling against its back as I sighed.
After setting down the tea on coasters, Alex plopped onto the couch, and it shifted against his weight causing a slight dip that threw me sideways. I smacked into his side and rubbed my nose as I stared up at him.
“Is your couch always this accommodating?” Alex teased.
“I have no idea. This would be a first, but I would definitely say it’s misbehaving,” I admonished as I gave the couch a dirty look.
Alex lightly rested his hand on my shoulder, but he just let it lay there. The implication heavy. “I think it’s definitely on the path to misbehaving.”
“Yeah? What makes you think that?” I tilted my head to the side.
“Certain moves it’s made,” he said, seriously.
Okay, I was confused.
I was also pretty sure we weren’t talking about the couch anymore.
Not that I could be sure without flat out asking and looking like a fool.
“Oh? You think that means the couch is misbehaving? What if it was just testing the waters?” I played along as I pushed my hair behind my back.
“You can’t truly test the waters without diving right in,” Alex pointed out. “How does the couch propose it do that?”
“Just a little dip of the toes at first to see how it feels,” I whispered as I watched the color in his eyes shift and change. He angled his head, and I craned my up, so that we were eye.
Our noses were almost touching, and our breaths intermingled together to form one. We were so close, I could count every individual eyelash, and I could see the slight almost miniscule freckles on his otherwise tan face.
“What if the water thinks it isn’t enough?” he mouthed as his entire body tensed and awaited my next answer.
“Then they’ll have to sort it out. The only way to know is they both try at the same—” I leaned in closer and just as I was about to seal my lips with his, breathed the last word. “time.”
Alex didn’t respond at first, and I held myself still for fear of what he might do. Nothing would be worse than him pushing me away right now, but not reacting at all was a close second.
Did he not like the way I kissed? Did my mouth smell bad? Were the sparks in our head?
Just as I was about to pull away, Alex melted into the kiss, and both arms came up to wrap themselves around me. Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief and pushed myself closer, so that I was practically straddling his lap.
I made a low moan in the back of my throat when he bit my bottom lip, and with a sigh, my mouth parted, and his tongue darted in. Tentatively, my tongue darted out to meet his, and soon it became a sensual and complicated battle for dominance.
Alex growled as his arms wrapped around my hips, and he hoisted me up without breaking the kiss. Next thing I know, I was on his lap with his member poking me between my thighs.
A part of me dimly wondered if we were taking this too fast, but I didn’t care. The heedy way he was making me feel, like every nerve was on fire was enough to make me chuck rationale right out the window.
He tasted like tobacco and mint. A potent mixture that combined with his spicy cologne invaded my nostrils and went straight to my head. My hands came up around his neck and twined themselves in his beautiful luscious hair.
I twisted my neck, so that Alex would have better access, and he responded by running his hands all over my body.
I shivered in response as my hands traveled to the front of his shirt, and I grabbed a fistful of it in an effort to pull him closer. Alex made this low sexy noise in the back of his throat that had goosebumps breaking out all across my body.
I made a meowling noise in response, and Alex’s hands traveled to my ass where he squeezed tightly. I adjusted myself, so that my legs were comfortably placed on either side of him when I grinded.
Alex grunted as he met my thrust with one of his own. The impact alone had my insides turn into liquid, and my core grow wet in anticipation. Alex had one hand playing with my hair, and the other lying idly by his side, so boldly I took his idle hand, and firmly placed it atop my swollen breasts.
He complied by tugging and kneading on them over the fabric which had me wrenching my lips away and gasping for breath. I had no idea when that area became that sensitive, but I threw my head back and pushed myself even closer, so that his other hand came up and played with my other breast.
Soon, he was tweaking both of them, expertly kneading them in his hands, so that they were as hard as pebbles, and I felt his bulge thicken underneath me. A small smile erupted onto my face as my breathing came out in short labors gasps.
Alex Coldwell knew exactly what he was doing, and I was happy to see that I wasn’t wrong on that account. His long and smooth fingers knew exactly how to push, when to give you more, and when to leave you thirsty for more. It was the perfect combination that had me throwing my head back and letting out all kinds of animal noises.
Alex’s eyes were dark as he watched me, there was no doubt that he was just as aroused by me as I was by him, and I placed my hand on either side of his shoulder and squeezed.
“Alex I—”
He pressed his finger firmly to my lips. “No talking.”
I stared at him, wide eyed and confused before I remembered his earlier talk about being the alpha male. I decided to test his little theory by opening my mouth to respond, but he crushed his lips against mine, stealing my breath away.
“I said. No. Talking.” He punctuated each pause with a deep kiss, each one more toe curling than the last.
Eventually, he gazed at me and waited for my affirmation. When I gave him a slight nod, he rewarded me with a pat on my behind that turned into a swift spank. I jumped up in surprise as I glared at him accusingly.
“That’s for not listening the first time,” he said, lightly, his eyes smoldering.
“What happens if I misbehave again?” I asked, breathlessly as I began to wriggle my hips. Alex placed his hands firmly on my butt to keep me from moving, and he met my gaze squarely.
“Then you’ll have to be punished.”
My stomach dipped at his words, and my heart skipped a beat. My throat suddenly felt dry as I swallowed deeply. “How?”
“Like this.” He swooped over me, so that I was lying flat on my back, and he was hovering over me. He pinned my legs on either side of me, and he held my hands in one of his in a vice like grip.
There was a brief part of me that wondered if I should be afraid. After all, I barely knew the guy, but there was something in his eyes then, and the way that he was handling me, gentle in spite of his strength that let me know I could trust him.
My gut instinct weighed on it too.
Or maybe it was just my hormones.
Either way, I knew that if I called off the whole thing right now, Alex wouldn’t force me into it. That, I trusted.
A strand of hair fell across his eye, framing his face and making it look more youthful and vulnerable. It somehow counteracted the whole alpha male thing he had going for him, and an irrational giggle escaped my lips.
A confused look appeared across Alex’s face as his mouth twitched, threatening to break out into a grin. “What’s so funny?”
“Your hair,” I revealed, knowing that I sounded absolutely ridiculous.
His free hand patted his hair, no doubt looking for something that was errant. “What’s wrong with my hair?”
“You have a lock of hair that fell over your eyes,” I pointed out as I used the edge of my chin to nudge him in the right direction.
Alex smirked as he pushed the wayward strand of hair back behind his ears as he balanced himself on top of me. “I’ve certainly never gotten this reaction before.”
“I’m sorry.” I grinned as I tried to keep the laughter from bubbling up.
“You don’t look sorry.”
He was right.
I didn’t sound like it either.
It must’ve been the weight of everything that had transpired tonight finally dawning on me. I almost got raped for heaven’s sake, and here I was pinned beneath a man mere hours later. Granted, this was a man I wanted, and he wanted me back, so this was completely different.
And yet…
Yeah, this was definitely not in character.
“I think it’s the hysteria,” Alex said, finally.
“Excuse me? I am not hysterical,” I sniffed, the grin fading from my face.
“I didn’t say you were hysterical. I said you’re about to suffer from hysteria. It’s a delayed reaction to what almost happened earlier tonight. Now that the adrenaline is leaving your system, your emotions are flooding you, and there is no proper gateway right now,” he explained.
“I had no idea you were a shrink as well,” I said, dryly.
“I spend time around a lot of them.”
“Doesn’t make you an expert,” I snapped.
Who did he think he was to hover over me like that, making my insides turn to jelly while simultaneously analyzing my sanity?
That just wasn’t right.
On so many levels.
“No, you’re right. It doesn’t, but it does give me some insight,” he countered, his eyes sweeping over me. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
My heart plummeted to my legs when he said that. A sudden splat as shame washed over me. The fog surrounding both of us suddenly cleared enough for me to regain a little bit of my rationale.
“If you think it’s such a bad idea then why did you kiss me back?” I demanded as I squirmed beneath him, trying to ignore how it felt to have him pressed against me. I pushed how it made me feel to the back of my mind, refusing to acknowledge it.
Now was not the time.
“In fact, why are you on top of me right now?” I pushed.
Alex watched me carefully, a myriad of emotions playing out across his face. He seemed to be weighing his options, trying to decide what was right to say, and what he wanted to say.
There was also my so-called hysteria that needed to be factored in.
“Because I want to be,” he revealed. “Thinking it’s a bad idea, yet still acting on it are two different things.”
“How are they different? From where I’m standing, one leads to the other. If you have an idea, and you act on it, you own up to it regardless of how you feel, but you shouldn’t make the other person feel bad about it.”
Alex sighed, worry lines appearing on his face, his blue eyes troubled. “Yes, you’re right. That’s hardly fair. After all, I’m as much to blame here as you are.”
I huffed in frustration as I twisted in his grasp. Finally seeming to sense my discomfort without the need for me to say it, Alex released my hands immediately and yanked them away as if he’d been electrocuted.
He scooched backwards, so that he was resting on his hind legs, his expression now unreadable.
“Why do you keep saying that? We both wanted it to happen, Alex. That doesn’t make it a bad idea.”
“It’s a bad idea because I should’ve known better considering the factors that led up to right now,” Alex argued, his mouth pressing into a thin line afterwards.
I pursed my lips. “Alright.”
“What?” Alex’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“You can’t take responsibility for what lead us here. We both walked into this. However, I won’t make you stay, so you can leave if that’s what you really want.” I jerked my head towards the door as I rearranged my features into what I hoped was an impassive expression.
Sure, my pride and ego hurt, but I’d get over it.
And he wouldn’t get to see that.
Just because he hurt my feelings didn’t mean I was going to make a big fuss about it.
“Sandra I—” He began as he unfolded his legs from underneath him and stood up, his shirt riding up to reveal the smooth muscles of his back. I dragged my eyes away and focused instead on a blank spot on the wall behind him.
“Just leave,” I instructed as I too stood up, careful to keep as much distance between us as possible lest my hormones kick into overdrive once more.
“I can’t just leave like that. You’re injured. At least let me help you,” he reasoned, his voice pleading with me.
I lifted my chin up and meet his gaze without flinching. “I’m not some puppy dog you picked off the street, or a charity case. I can take care of myself.”
“Of course, you can. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I don’t care what you meant. I think you should just leave,” I insisted, calmly as I strode towards the door aware as I was going that my hand brushed past his, and I could’ve reached out and touched it.
I yanked the door open, a little harder than necessary causing a gust of wind to blow inside and strew some papers about. Alex stood where he was, a stubborn expression on his face, and his jaw set.
“Don’t get mad—” He began again, taking a step forward with his hands raised in an effort to placate me.
“Enough!” I yelled causing him to wince in response. A dejected expression crossed his features as he ducked his head and began to rub his eyes.
Finally, he lifted his head up and straightened his back. He shrugged into his coat and walked forward, calmly.
“I hope you’ll feel calmer in the morning,” he called out over his back as he stood on the front porch. “You’ll see reason.”
“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. Either way, I hope you’ll be less of a jackass in the morning,” I responded, my voice dripping with icy venom.
Alex craned his neck to look at me, but before he could say something else, I slammed the door in his face with a loud thud. I smirked in satisfaction as I spun around and angrily began to pick up the papers that were strewn across the floor.
Once I gathered all of them, I placed them on the table with a book on top to keep them in place. With single minded determination, I began to tidy up the apartment to erase any evidence that he’d ever been here including dumping the mug of ice cold tea into the sink.
Half of it had been knocked over onto the carpet anyways, so I didn’t feel guilty about it going to waste. I got down on my hands and knees and began to vigorously scrub the carpet to get rid of the stain.
When I was satisfied, I ripped off the latex gloves and placed them next to the sink. I gave the apartment a cursory glance.
It looked the same way as it did before he got there which made me both satisfied and sad.
If only I could wash away the evidence he imprinted on my skin. It wasn’t that simple though. I huffed as I rummaged around for a scrunchie. I gathered my hair into a loose ponytail and went to the bathroom.
After stripping, I stepped under the hot showerhead and scrubbed my skin as hard as I could until it turned red beneath my hands. Once my muscles had relaxed, and the hot water started to run out, I sighed and stepped out.
I changed into a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt, and the second my head hit the pillow, I drifted off to dreams of a dark haired blue-eyed man.
***
“You’re awfully chipper this morning,” Courtney commented as we fell into step together on our way to class. Courtney Wayne was a tall brunette with a shy personality, but she was fiercely loyal. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that she a dry and sarcastic sense of humor that always had me cracking a grin. She was also my ally in a swarm of people who were too fixated on the goal to remember to be human.
Like me, she had to drop out of college for personal reasons, relating to her sick grandmother, and she just wanted a second chance at life.
Life owed both of us that.
“Early bird gets the worm, and all that.” I smiled as I hiked my bag higher up on my shoulder. It was then that Courtney noticed the cast around my arm, and her eyes widened into two twin saucers of surprise.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, we had an incident at the pub yesterday,” I said, dismissively. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to talk about it just yet especially because I’d have to bring up Alex, and I was doing my best not to think about him.
It wasn’t working out that well especially when I noticed that my couch now smelled like him. Now, I’d have to burn it to get rid of any remnants.
“I hope the other guy looks worse,” she joked as she squeezed my shoulder and made to take my bag for me. We both struggled for a bit till she eventually wrestled it triumphantly out of my hand.
“Your arm is out of commission for say a week or two, and I know you hate it, but you can at least enjoy the unexpected perks,” Courtney said, brightly.
“Like what?” I raised an eyebrow as we continued to walk together.
“People will take one look at you and be flooded with sympathy. So, they’ll offer you all kinds of help, and you should kick back and relax.”
“You mean take advantage of people’s kindness?” I asked, sarcastically.
“I wouldn’t call it taking advantage. They’re offering, and they know full well what it’s for.”
I tilted my head to the side and gave her a look. “What would you call it then?”
“Making the most out of an unexpected opportunity.”
I snorted. “You sound like an opportunist right now.”
“Hey, when life comes knocking, I don’t turn it away because it’s giving me an unfair advantage.” Courtney shrugged as she held the door open for me. I passed through, and she had to duck her head to do the same.
“Your brain must be an interesting place to live in,” I commented.
“Oh, it never gets old. Me, myself and I will be right.” Courtney gave me a quick wink as she ran her hands through her hair. “So, did you get a chance to finish yesterday’s assignment?”
“Yeah, I finished most of it, but it isn’t due today, right?”
“It’s due tomorrow, but I was just wondering because I heard we have a guest lecturer today,” Courtney informed me.
My eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really? That’s surprising. I thought we weren’t high up on the tour circuit.”
“Must be some low-profile case,” Courtney theorized. “I heard some of the girls and even guys talking about. It’s some hotshot lawyer. Up and coming apparently.”
“We already need to deal with them as social workers. Do we really have to listen to them in a lecture hall too?” I rolled my eyes as we stepped into the room and chose two chairs in the middle.
Courtney playfully shoved my good shoulder. “Don’t be mean. You haven’t even heard the guy speak.”
“So, he’s a guy, is he? Something tells me those girls will go into a tizzy at that. I swear, the way they talk sometimes, it’s like they’ve never seen a man before,” I complained, good naturedly.
Courtney knew I was only partially kidding.
I mean, they did act like that, but I didn’t know what circumstances led to this behavior, so who was I to judge? For all I knew, they’d lead a solitary life most of their existence, and were only just coming into contact with the opposite sex.
That would be enough to drive anyone crazy.
Who was I to speak?
I threw myself at a man I barely knew because my hormones were doing the cha-cha around him. That didn’t exactly speak to my impeccable moral character at the moment.
“Let’s hope he’s not good looking then, or we’ll never hear the end of it,” Courtney said, seriously as she placed both our bags on the floor and plopped into her chair.
I dropped next to her and shoved my hair out of my eyes as I glanced forward. Students were streaming in a lot faster than usual. Most of the time, they stood outside till the last possible second then scurried in as the professor was about to show up.
Today, the girls were giggling and throwing their hair behind their ears as they filed into the front row.
Courtney and I shared a look as we both gagged and laughed. Finally, a few minutes later, our professor walked in, he was a tall man who looked to be about forty with salt and pepper grey hair and kind brown eyes. He might be a nice person, but that all depended on the kind of work you put on.
Personally, I liked that he pushed us because it meant he wanted us to be better, and most of us could secretly acknowledge that. Publicly, we dutifully whined and complained about what torture college was.
It was all a cycle we were familiar with.
Today, he looked a little nervous as he flicked on all the assembly room lights flooding us in a glow of fluorescent lights that had most of the students cringing. I just blinked as I waited for my eyes to adjust, and I noticed how our professor was fidgeting.
He’d spent most of his life dedicated to teaching people, making them better individuals, and the most prominent point of his career would probably boil down to a guest speaker who was able to pull in funding.
That or evaluation scores which reflected nothing, and were merely part of an antiquated oppressive system that cared more about paper results than actual ones.
I sounded like an anarchist right now, but that was an argument for another day.
“Professor Clairmont?”
“Yes, Casey, what is it?” he asked, distractedly as he sorted out his papers and placed them on the desk in front of him.
“Is it true we have a visiting guest lecturer today?” she asked, sweetly as she shared a look with her girlfriends, and they all batted their eyelashes.
“I would ask how you know that Ms. Walker, but I feel that would be pointless.” Professor Clairmont straightened his back and leaned against the desk, looking a lot more like the formidable professor now that someone had asked the wrong question. “The question Ms. Walker is not if we have a guest lecturer coming in since you already knew the answer. The question is what can you benefit from listening to him?”
Casey Walker gave him a blank look and sank back into her seat, clearly not happy with his answer. Obviously, she was looking for juicy gossip, and now that she didn’t have it, she was about to throw in the towel.
Professor Clairmont allowed his eyes to sweep over the room, not staying for more than a few seconds on each student before he moved on to the next. He crossed his arms over his chest, and said nothing, his eyes speaking volumes as the excited chatter eventually died out, and the room was deathly silent.
It was all a magical effect that only happened when he was around. People wanted to listen to him regardless of what he said. It was his quiet assurance, and his blunt attitude that drew people to him. He was like a sharp razor-edged knife that knew when to hit the bullseye.
“Now, before you all get excited and forget all about me, do remember that he is a guest lecturer who is here to give us the benefit of his experience. He is not much older than you, and that’s why the university and I elected to choose him. Let’s all try to utilize our brains today, shall we?”
At that moment, the side door opened and in walked Alex Coldwell, wearing a white button down top, and black dress pants. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to his forearms, and he had his hands shoved in his pockets.
I blanched as I sunk lower into my seat hoping he wouldn’t see me after the debacle that happened yesterday. Courtney noticed and gave me a curious look as she leaned in. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just didn’t have a big breakfast, and I’m feeling a little light headed.” I offered her a fake smile.
“I have a chocolate bar if you want it,” she offered.
“No, it’s okay. We’ll be out of here soon. We can eat then,” I assured her as I turned my attention back to the front.
A lock of hair fell into his eye, and he easily flicked it away as he stood in front of Professor Clairmont and shook his hand firmly. Professor Clairmont eyed him suspiciously, but said nothing as he gestured for Alex to speak.
Alex stood on the podium and glanced at all of us as if he could see right through us. He opened his mouth to speak and froze when his eyes landed on me. He did a double take before he cleared his throat and tugged on his tie.
He seemed to be waiting for something before he began. A minute later, his entire body relaxed as he stood up there with the ease and confidence of someone who’d been doing it for years.
Once he flashed a smirk, I could almost hear all the girls in the front seat sigh, and I knew we were going to be in for a long lecture.
***
An hour later, Alex was still going strong as he explained how the justice system worked, what to expect as a social worker, and how it affected us. He gave us a few tips about loopholes that could help us with certain cases, and he even called on a few people to ask questions.
Everybody was enamored with him, and it was hard not to see why.
He was a natural.
Professor Clairmont attracted attention by being sharp tongued and sarcastic. Alex turned heads by simply walking in. It was everything from the way he stood, the articulate way he expressed himself, and how vibrant he became when he spoke about a topic he loved.
It was almost mesmerizing to watch, and it reminded me all over again of why I threw myself at him. Even now, as he was gesturing with his hands, I remembered what they felt like running all over my body.
I flushed as that memory went through my head and sunk even lower into my seat. Courtney was watching in rapt attention as she furiously scribbled in her notebook, and I was glad that at least one of us was paying attention.
I hadn’t heard a single word he’d said since he opened his mouth. I mean, I understood that words came out, but beyond that, it might as well have been another language.
Maybe Mandarin or Finnish or some other language I’d always thought was too difficult to learn. I slouched forward in my seat and tried to peak at Courtney’s notes, so that I had some semblance of what he was saying, but half her arm was covering the sheet.
I frowned as I tried to push her arm away. She gave me a confused look. “What’s wrong? Still feeling dizzy?”
“A little, and I can’t take notes,” I said, weakly. I wasn’t technically lying, not really. I wasn’t feeling well. It just had nothing to do with lack of food, and everything to do with the gorgeous specimen droning on in the front of the class with no idea about the effect he had on me.
“I’m sorry Sandy,” Courtney said, sympathetically. “Are you sure you don’t want my chocolate bar?”
I shook my head. I was sure that if I tried to eat anything right now, it would come right back up. Whenever I was anxious, very little tended to stay in my stomach. And this was no exception, unfortunately.
“Maybe you should excuse yourself?” Courtney suggested, helpfully.
“I think Professor Clairmont would have my head if I tried to even ask,” I said, regretfully. It was a shame really. I did actually consider that option in the beginning, but I dismissed it almost as quickly as it entered my head.
Too many complications, and Alex was sure to see me leave, and then he would assume it would have something to do with him. I wasn’t trying to be petty or whatever, but I didn’t want him to have that idea of me.
It was better if we didn’t think of each other period.
“I’m sure it’s almost over. No one can talk for this long and not be tired. Or maybe there’s even a break or something,” Courtney offered as she patted my hand consolingly. “It’ll be okay.”
Courtney was right. Besides, most of my discomfort was psychological not physical, and once I got that into my head, I’m sure it would be a lot easier to handle. I wasn’t the type of woman who would faint over a guy.
That was so…archaic like those women in old black and white movies who needed smelling salts and were called ‘delicate creatures’.
What a silly idea!
With that thought in my mind, I straightened in my chair and grit my teeth. I pushed my hair back behind my ears as opposed to hiding behind it as if it were a curtain, and I adopted a neutral expression.
I gripped my pen in my hand, lifted up my notebook and began to take notes.
I wasn’t going to let him get the better of me.
So, what if he rejected me?
There’s plenty of other fish in the sea and all that.
***
We pushed the double doors open, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I breathed in a lungful of air. He was finally done. That was the longest 2-hour lecture I’d ever had to attend, and I’d been through longer ones.
This one was extra hard when I was trying to listen to Alex and simultaneously not actively think about the previous night. After a while, it became easier until he started asking volunteers to come up, and the women were practically falling over him.
Giggling and batting their eyelashes.
Shit.
These women actually existed in this modern day and age.
I thought it was a myth. I dismissed it because there was no way those women still existed. There was no room for them in the modern world, but today had proven me wrong. Not only did they exist and weren’t opposed to using every dirty trick in the book to land the guy, but the guys also loved it.
They probably saw through the fake act, but they pretended they didn’t.
Men pretended they didn’t know, and women pretended they didn’t know that men knew.
The perfect duplicity.
“See, I told you that you just needed fresh air,” Courtney pointed out, triumphantly as I felt myself begin to regain color, and my cheeks turned a healthy rose once more.
“Yeah, I guess you were right,” I admitted. “So, what did you think of his lecture?”
“I think he made some very valid points, but I do wonder if he expects everyone to stick to that rule,” Courtney mused.
“Which one?”
“Never get involved with your client. I mean, sure from a clinical standpoint that makes sense because it would become a conflict of interest, and all that, but sometimes it’s going to happen. So, what then? Shouldn’t there be some kind of contingency plan for when it does?”
I pursed my lips as I thought about it. “I suppose the best thing to do is to excuse yourself from the case and find them another lawyer. Preferably one who’s just as good. That way you can continue to see the client without jeopardizing their case.”
“What about attorney client privilege?” Courtney challenged. “Wouldn’t it be hard to forget what you heard, reestablish boundaries?”
“No, not if you’re a halfway decent lawyer. Besides, I think lawyers are trained to do that, to forget I mean, and they pass on the information to the next lawyer who’s in charge.”
“What if their client revealed any damning evidence?” Courtney wondered. “Wouldn’t it be their responsibility to report it?”
“No, I think client attorney privilege extends beyond the courtroom, and anyway, it isn’t our job to know all these rules. We’re social workers, not lawyers. The courtroom is their game, their ballpark, not ours,” I pointed out.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Ms. Stevens,” Alex’s voice cut in, smoothly.
I started in surprise as my head went to my heart. “You scared me.”
“My apologies,” Alex offered, sincerely. “I don’t believe we’ve met Ms.” He held his hand out to Courtney who smiled and placed her hand in his.
“I’m Courtney Wayne.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Your lecture was inspiring,” Courtney complimented.
“I’m glad to hear you two were actually listening to what I said. I know it would’ve been more beneficial to have an actual social worker come talk to you, but Professor Clairmont, and the rest of the college staff felt it would help if you heard another perspective,” Alex commented.
“I agree,” Courtney responded as she kept her eyes trained on his face. I had no clue if it was because she was afraid she would end up like the other girls who were openly ogling him, or of it was because he genuinely wasn’t her type.
Based on the look of polite interested shining on her face, I’d say it was the latter rather than the former. They conversed easily about what they’d heard, and I zoned out as I began to play a random word game on my phone.
I knew it wasn’t exactly polite, but I had no desire to talk to him about anything, and I wasn’t about to go pretending for appearance’s sake.
“So, how do you two know each other?” Courtney asked, her eyes moving between the two of us.
“Nowhere,” I said at the same time as he said. “Work.”
We shared a look until I broke off contact and looked directly at Courtney.
“I guess I’ve seen him at the pub before. I didn’t recognize him at first,” I was surprised by how easily the lie flowed through my lips, but I didn’t think I was at liberty to discuss what had transpired that day since it was private, and I couldn’t very well go into the details of the next day because I still wasn’t ready to talk about it.
And I was still unbelievably mad at him.
“I like their pub,” Alex agreed, casually, not minding in the slightest that he was corroborating my story. The ease with which he lied made me wonder what other kind of secrets he was keeping.
“That’s nice. Well, I’d better get going Sandy because I told my mom I’d be home for dinner. See you later?”
I nodded and smiled warmly. “See you later.”
“Cool. Nice to meet you Alex.”
“You too,” he called out to her retreating back as she walked away. We stood there in awkward silence for a moment as I shifted restlessly from one foot to the other.
I dragged my foot aimlessly across the floor. “I guess I’d better go too.”
I hiked my bag higher up and without looking at him started to walk away.
“Wait.”
His voice stopped me in my tracks, and I waited to see what he would say. Part of me was curious even as he was obviously struggling.
“Would you like to go get a cup of coffee?” he blurted out.
I threw him a look over my shoulder. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Why not?”
“You tell me. You’re the one who thought it was a bad idea,” I pointed out as I turned around, so I was fully facing him. I crossed my arms over my chest and leveled him with a stare.
“Coffee isn’t a bad idea,” Alex said with a straight face. “Unless we try to tear other’s clothes off in the middle of the café.”
I snorted. “I think we can both handle behaving in public.”
“I don’t know. We’ll see I guess.” He shrugged as he made a sweeping hand gesture. “After you. I don’t really know the neighborhood, so I’m not sure where to go.”
“Look, Alex—” I began.
“I know that I was a dick yesterday. Letting things get that far then pulling the plug, but you have to understand, it has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with the fact that we were both functioning on adrenaline,” he hurried to add. “I didn’t want you to regret what happened, and I didn’t want to either, so I thought I’d quit while we still could.”
I was quiet as he fell into step beside me, and we walked along the pavement. It was relatively quiet considering most people were at work, and I liked it that way. The sun was beating down on our backs causing a thin sheen of sweat to break out across the back of my neck.
I wiped my face with the back of my hand as I slipped off my sweater and tied it in a knot around my waist. “I get what you’re saying, but I think it could’ve been handled better.”
“Absolutely,” Alex was quick to agree. “I’m with you 100% on this. I could’ve handled that way better, so let me say sorry by treating you to a coffee.”
“Coffee won’t be enough. I’ll need a lot more than that,” I said, somberly.
“Of course, what else do you want?”
“A private jet. Tickets to Disneyland, and the sacrificial blood of a cat along with a unicorn’s horn,” I said, dryly.
“Of course. No apology is complete without any of the ingredients you just mentioned. I assume you’ll also want a big helping of bat ears.”
“Yes, of course. The offering must be complete.” I played along as I stopped at a red light and hit the button. “Seriously though, I’m a big girl, and I can handle it. You don’t need to take me out for coffee to prove that you’re sorry.”
“What if I want to? Would it be okay then?” Alex asked.
“What happened to this being a bad idea?”
“That was yesterday. Today, I hope you’re a bit more clear headed and able to make a decision for yourself. The ball’s in your court.”