CALLUM
Fall break was over and done with and while I often jetted off to New York City or Miami, as I did last year, this time I stayed home in Chicago. I caught up on essays and made some adjustments to the curriculum which I would share with the students upon their arrival to class. This particular Monday morning reminded me a lot of the first day of school. Once again, I had overslept. Granted, my dream had been too damn good to wake up from which was why I purposely ignored my alarm clock.
I was just to the best part of any time spent with Nicole. We were both back in Costa Rica, and this time, there was no one else in the pool or at the beach house. We had the entire place to ourselves and I made use of every surface of the place. In fact, I’d just been about to fuck her in the pool when reality came calling in the form of a shrill bell. I nearly ripped the alarm clock out of the wall but with the moment over and done with, I reluctantly opened my eyes.
Traffic was hectic, more so than usual, and I was already counting down the weeks until the snowbirds left for the winter. I would then only have to concern myself with the tourists and out of town sports fans. I could already see myself spending most of this winter indoors, and that meant I would have a lot of time to spend with Nicole. On the drive to work, I was picturing the two of us in front of a roaring fire. These visions were ones that used to make me want to run for the hills, but with her, it was different. Instead of retreating, I wanted to run toward her.
I finally arrived at UChicago and just as she had done the first day of school, Erin Reed was there with a cup of coffee for me. “How do you always know what I need, when I need it?”
She smiled before responding, “I didn’t know if you would be running late the first day back from an extended break, so I took a gamble and I’m glad I did. It looks like I was right to worry about you and your morning coffee.”
“I’ve always considered myself anything but predictable, but I’ve been proven wrong. You’re my literal angel, and I thank you for looking out for me once again.”
Her smile grew wider. “I’m more than happy to help with whatever needs you may have.” She must’ve realized what she said because her face turned as red as her skirt, and she quickly added, “I meant at school. I’m here for whatever you need at school.”
“And I appreciate it greatly, Erin. Now, I must get to class and consume some of this elixir from the Gods that you gifted me with, and get ready for the second half of this semester.”
“Yeah, well, good luck with your class. “She then turned and hurried back to her classroom.
I remembered the near disaster on the first day of school when it came to my coffee so I didn’t linger in the center of the crowded hallway. I entered my class and went straight to my back office. I powered on my laptop and took a seat. I had to send the emails I’d composed the night before with their midterm grades, and as I sent the first few off, I began to drink my coffee. It was exactly what I needed and the extra shot of espresso Erin had them put in it was already starting to wake me up.
I got to Nicole’s grade and she was doing surprisingly well. There was a test or two where she’d missed a few of the questions, and there were a few typographical errors on her last essay, but overall she was doing very well. I never let the fact that I was sleeping with her affect my grading or judgment. Regardless, she had an A- in my course so far, which was the third highest grade in this class. I hit send on it, then continued down the list. When the last one was sent, I heard voices as the students began to file into the classroom. I finished the last of the coffee, then headed out to greet everyone. Most were already pulling out their laptops and cellphones, and when one student looked over at me and smiled, I knew she had gotten her grade.
The bell rang signaling the start of class, and I leaned against the edge of my desk. “Good morning, students. I trust that you all had a nice vacation?”
A couple students nodded, and two different girls even started telling me about their trips. One had gone to New York City which was a favorite of mine. “What did you do there?” I asked her.
“I went to see my cousin who is performing in a show on Broadway,” she told me.
“And I went home to Memphis,” the other girl said. “Have you ever been, Professor?”
“I believe I stopped there a few years ago when on a road trip for Spring Break. ”
“You do Spring Break?” the guy next to her asked, and I chuckled.
“I do. It’s not like I’m that much older than all of you.”
Others then chimed in with their own recaps of Fall break. I already knew where Nicole had gone because she’d called me prior to boarding her plane for California, but she joined in with the others. The only one to not say anything was Travis so I looked over at him. “And what about you?”
He smirked, and after winking at Nicole, he responded. “Los Angeles. I spent my time there with a good friend.”
Something about the way he said ‘friend’ and looked back over at Nicole had me ready to growl. I held it off, and remembered the grades. “Enough of that. I’ve sent your midterm grades so I’ll give you all a few minutes to look them over.”
I then went back to my office and finally let the scowl out. I knew Travis hadn’t been lying when he said he went to Los Angeles, and I knew he probably saw Nicole when there. It shouldn’t bother me, especially since she had stressed to me multiple times that he was simply a friend and nothing more, but as a man, I knew what the looks Travis gave her meant. She might want to ignore them, but I certainly wouldn’t. There was little I could do right now though, so I headed back out to the classroom.
Overall, it appeared that most were happy with their grades. I was tough on them, but I graded fairly. “And if there’s any concerns over your grade thus far, please make sure to request an appointment with me to go over them.”
No one seemed overly concerned, so I moved back to my desk and sat back atop it. I then spent the next twenty minutes telling them about their newest assignment. I wanted them to write their own five thousand word chapter from the point of view of one of the guests at the many parties that Gatsby threw. I went over the specific questions I would be looking for the answers in their writing. I also mentioned what percentage of this new term’s grade it would be in case someone wanted to just throw something out there. We’d been delving deep into the meanings of the different themes, and the best part was that the class was not in complete agreement over which one they believed which meant I should get some good essays to read.
I’d always loved writing myself, and if I had not become a teacher, I might’ve seriously considered pursuing a career in that field. I’d done a similar assignment in one of my Lit classes, except my assignment was to write an epilogue to a different book. My professor had been so impressed with my work that he told me I should consider getting an agent. I had tried once or twice to come up with a plot, but I had never quite had the right kind of inspiration. I looked over at Nicole as she scribbled something down in her notebook. Her head was down, and that long mane of dark hair was framing her face as it fell. She had the perfect look for one of those regency heroines, and maybe I finally found some inspiration after all.
The bell rang again and the students all stood. I walked to the door, and stood there as I waited for Nicole to leave. She was the second to last one to leave and when she stepped near, I cleared my throat. “I got your request to talk about your grade. I have a class next period, but you’re welcome to stop by after it.”
She looked at me with a strange look, then glanced over her shoulder at Travis who was right behind her. “Thank you, Professor.” She then exited with him, and I shook my head.
The next class practically crawled by, and it felt like hours since I had last laid eyes on Nicole but it had only been about fifty five minutes. I gave this class the same assignment, and when the bell rang, I went back to my office as they saw themselves out. I had just sat down and pulled back up my email when I heard a light rap on the door. I looked up to see Nicole .
“Close the door behind you,” I told her, and she quickly did. She didn’t move closer though until I stood up. “What’s the real reason you wanted to see me? We both know it has nothing to do with my grade.”
“Very observant, and impatient, Nicole.” She smiled at me but kept her brow arched. “Come over and sit down.”
She hesitated. “I actually need to run by the library before my next class.”
“Okay. I called you here to invite you to a party.”
“A party?” she asked. “Where?”
“There’s a Halloween Masquerade Ball to benefit one of the dance theaters in town. It’s going to be on Halloween night at the—”
“Won’t I be recognized?”
I knew she would think that, and I absolutely hated having to ask her what I was about to ask her, but it was the only way I could see her that night. “Yes, which is why I will need you to do more than just wear a masquerade mask.”
“More?”
“I’m sorry, Nicole. Would it be possible to wear a wig as well? You know I hate to ask you to do all of that, but with you being my student, we can’t risk it.”
“I don’t know. I—”
“Did you have other plans?” The thought had never occurred to me, although it should have.
“Well, I was going to hang out with some kids from marketing at a local club, but if it would mean a lot for me to go with you, I—”
“It would mean everything to me. I’ve missed you. ”
“I’ve missed you, too. Will you be stopping by tonight?”
I nodded. “Absolutely. I don’t think I could handle another night without you in my arms.”
“I’ll see you tonight,” she told me, then stood up. I watched her leave, then leaned back in my chair.