The Spare Girl [M/F/F]

Chapter 27

I couldn’t hide from class for too long. I was paying for it and it was a needed credit. But as I stood out in the front lobby waiting for Simon, I was rethinking my whole major. English wasn’t exactly the most flexible degree, especially when I’d already ruled out being a teacher when I was in high school. 

I was three years in though. It would be pulling teeth to change now when I’d been taking classes to specifically graduate quickly. Now, it was hitting me how backed up in a corner I was.

“Finally, you’re going to class.”

I turned around. Simon swung his arm over my shoulder. I couldn’t help the smile pulling at my lips. He noticed it right away, but he already knew somehow that it was a front. I don’t know how. It wasn’t like we were closer than me and Melanie.

“What’s wrong?” He asked with a sigh. 

We walked into the building. I tried not to think about Nate and how good he was going to look in his suit.

Fuck. I’d already screwed myself over with that thought.

"Nothing," I said. Simon raised a brow to that. I made it a point to not look at him.

He nudged my shoulder. "I can tell when you're lying."

I keep silent as we walk into the class. My eyes take in the empty desk in the corner of the room. A little bit of the weight on my shoulders lift. He's not here yet. 

We go to our usual spots in the middle of the room. Simon's still looking at me and I can tell that he wants to say something. Our eyes meet. He doesn't need to say anything because he's said it before about Amelia. He thought there was something there when there wasn't.

But he's not wrong this time. There is something going on between me and Nate. Simon just doesn't know how messed up it is.

When I sit down, I tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear and try to hide into the chair. Students start to file into the room, making it easier for me to relax, but the longer it took for Nate to enter the more it was harder to settle my racing heart.

I chewed the tip of my fingernail. It was like waiting for a ticking bomb to go off. The suspense made it harder to think about anything else except for what he would do when he saw me sitting here. There were only two ways this could go. He could acknowledge me or he could simply pretend he’s never lied eyes on me before.

A clench in my chest made it obvious which one of those ifs would gut me. There was no question how I felt about him and I hated that Simon could already tell that I was falling. I had to wonder if Simon could tell if Nate or anyone else could.

My bangs fell across my eyes. I let the dark curls of my hair cover the look of pure dread painted on my face. The night he and Amelia had proposed their idea, I had been disgusted at first. There had been no way that I would enter a relationship that was all for the pure pleasure of the body. It was the equivalent of whoring myself out.

The money had been the turning point. It was as if they knew that I was down on my luck. Like they had singled me out for more than one reason.

That was just a thought. It couldn’t be true.

Even when I told myself that, I had an uneasy feeling about the supposed situation.

Just as the last few seats were filled with students, the classroom door swung open once more.

To say that Nate was anything less than handsome would be worse than accusing the sun was not hot. He embedded a sense of assurance and confidence that made him feel unattainable. He was married to a woman as beautiful as he was. I could scarcely believe that I’ve been with him. For a second, I questioned if the nights in the club had even happened. Perhaps I’d fallen ill and had created a fantasy to easy my mind. It was more believable than to think Nate had wanted me. Had invited me to his bed even. 

He was dressed in a white button down suit shirt that fitted to his chest. The black slacks he wore cuffed his thighs. He looked as if he’d stepped out from a modeling catalogue and not like he was about to teach a bunch of college students. My mouth went dry the moment I took in the full state of him. He was, of course, more than a body to ogle, but looking like pure s*x made it quite hard for me to not think about him f*****g.

I didn’t even have to me that he was f*****g.

I averted my eyes. He placed a leather book onto the desk in the corner and turned to face the crowd. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, leaning against the edge of the desk.

“Please pull out your essays. I’ll be around to collect them shortly.”

My hands were shaking as I pulled my essay out from my bag. It was protected in a clear laminated folder. Even though I hadn’t been to class, our work and assignments had been posted online. I thanked my past self for doing the work and not letting myself be embarrassed now.

I glanced up.

Nate looked up from the first row as he collected the papers. Our eyes met for a brief second. I bit my lip and looked back down at my paper. My heart fluttered. It was a painful flutter that made my face go hot at being noticed.

He took his time going around the room. The papers were delicately taken from the students with a careful hand. He straightened the papers so they stayed in a neat pile. 

I thought I might faint as he finally edged to the end of our row of tables. The tip of his black dress shoes entered my vision. Slowly, like a camera was panning up, his waist, his large strong hands, and then his chest came into view.

I shoved my essay into his awaiting hand. 

Instead of walking away like I’d hoped he would, he hovered in front of me. He placed his hand on my desk.

I held my breath.

“It’s good to see you.”

He lifted his hand and collected Simon’s paper before he headed back to his desk.

The breath I’d been holding whooshed out of me.

“What was that?” Simon hissed under his breath.

I shook my head.

“I don’t know.”

But I knew what he was doing. Vaguely.

He was tempting me.

And it was working.