Chapter 4
ASHER
The week passes by fairly quickly. I gave my students the day off on Friday so they could work on their assigned research paper, and decided I needed a much-deserved vacation day. I had texted Nikki to ask if she wanted to grab dinner with me, and she’d replied with an enthusiastic yes.
Which is exactly how I found myself sitting across from Nikki with a flickering candle between us at a nice restaurant in Queen Anne.
Nikki is beautiful. She has thick black hair that stops at her collarbones, hazel eyes, and dark, flawless skin. She has a cute gap between her front teeth that makes her smile incredibly endearing.
She’s told me she’s thirty-four, an ER nurse, and that she loves the outdoors, which is one of the reasons why she moved to Seattle. She paddleboards and hikes in the summer and snowboards in the winter.
Her life sounds somewhat exhausting.
She’s wearing high-waisted dress pants that flare at the bottom, black heels, and a flattering blouse. She looks sweet, mature, and very put together. All good things, and yet, I find myself missing long golden legs showcased by short skirts.
I shake my head and try to give Nikki my full attention.
“So maybe you’d like to go sometime?” She beams at me, making me immediately feel guilty for not giving her the proper attention she deserves.
“I’m sorry,” I say, an embarrassed flush creeping up my cheeks. “I missed that last part.”
Her smile falters slightly, but she quickly hides her disappointment. “I was just asking if maybe you’d like to join me for paddleboarding sometime?”
“I’ve never been before, but I’ll always try anything once.” I smile at her.
She giggles. “I’ll make sure to plan a day for us before the good weather’s gone.”
“Sounds great.” I nod.
The rest of dinner continues with polite conversation, and though she leans forward and places a hand over mine, I find myself looking at the clock and wondering when I can end the date without being seen as rude.
After I pay, I help her put on her jacket, hold the door for her on her way out of the restaurant, and walk her to her car, all while searching for a good exit line.
She turns to me and flips her hair over her shoulder, showing off a long, elegant neck.
The wind blows a stray strand of hair into her eyes, and she quickly pushes it behind her ear, and I’m hit with the sad feeling of wishing it were blonde hair.
“So, do you—”
“I think I’m—” we both say at the same time.
“Sorry.” I gesture to her as she blushes. “Ladies first.”
“Do you want to go somewhere to get a drink?” she offers. “I can drive.”
I give her a forced smile, and I can see the exact moment when she realizes I’m shooting her down. Her grin falls, and her eyes lose some of their shimmer. “I’m actually exhausted from work this week and was thinking I’d head home to bed,” I reply lamely.
“Of course.” She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “We can still try and plan some time for paddleboarding?” she asks hopefully.
“Yeah, sounds great.” I nod as I wave and turn toward the other side of the parking garage to make my way out of here.
“Bye, Asher!” she calls after me.
“It was nice to meet you, Nikki,” I respond over my shoulder without fully looking back at her.
It’s best not to give her too much hope as far as a second date goes.
I haven’t been into random hookups since I hit thirty and didn’t feel like dragging anything out when I can already tell there’s no spark there.
I can’t help but think of how it felt when my fingers brushed Summer’s, or the joyous feeling I get when she smiles at me.
Nope, don’t go there.
Though I had no desire to continue this lackluster date, I will admit that Nikki’s idea of grabbing a drink is appealing. A thought made even more enticing knowing that Summer might be at The Pour House.
It’s not like I’ll talk to her. It’s my favorite bar; no rule says I can’t be in the same public space as students.
With my mind made up, I shove my keys into the ignition and head toward Ballard.
I can grade some papers, read my novel, or give my sister a call. I haven’t spoken to her in a while. The point is, one drink can’t hurt.
She’s here.
She’s sitting in the same window booth she always claims, and she’s wearing another one of her maddeningly short skirts.
It’s a tan plaid skirt that looks soft to the touch, paired with a tight black short-sleeved turtleneck and knee-high black boots.
Despite her boots and short heels, I know that I would still tower over her, and our size difference gives me a primal sense of satisfaction.
She’s sporting dark red lipstick that draws my eyes to her perfectly shaped bow lips, and her hair lies in golden curls down her back in a style I’ve never seen her wear before.
A sick hope that she went to all this effort in the hopes of seeing me enter my mind, and I have to physically shake it off.
I make my way to the bar where I order a Guinness and force myself to look at anything besides the intoxicating blonde behind me.
The bartender, Dave, hands me the beer and gives me a head nod in greeting. “Papers to grade tonight, Ash?” he asks.
“No.” I shake my head. “I just thought I’d have a beer or two and read my book before calling it a night.” And that is the only reason I’m here.
Summer’s laughter rings across the bar, and I’m unable to stop myself from looking her way. Her friend from class seems to be making an impression of someone, resulting in Summer’s giggles.
Dave follows my gaze and smiles. “She’s in here almost as much as you.”
“Yeah,” I mumble, still caught up in her smile. “I’ve noticed.”
“She also comes in here alone to work on her laptop or to read.” He gives me a pointed look.
“If you talked to her, I bet you two would really hit it off.” I take a hearty sip of my beer as I resist looking back at her again.
It feels too complicated to explain to him why ‘hitting it off’ with my student is a bad idea.
He pulls out a martini glass and nods in her direction.
“I can send her a drink from you,” he offers. “She has a usual.”
“No, no,” I say quickly. I pull the small paperback out of my jacket pocket and snag my beer off the bar. “I’m just here to read, not socialize.”
He glances between Summer and me before pursing his lips to avoid grinning. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
“That won’t be happening,” I assure him, but he’s already walking away to speak to another customer, and it just sounds like I’m trying to convince myself.
I turn and make my way over to a table in the back of the bar closest to the pool tables.
I feel eyes following me across the bar, and when I plop down into the chair, I look up to see Summer looking my way.
Recognition flashes in her eyes before she quickly looks away, a light blush coloring her cheeks.
I settle into my seat and try my best to focus on the novel in my hand.
Coming here was a bad idea. Hoping that she would be here was an even worse idea. Realizing all this and not leaving promptly is the worst idea I’ve had all day.
I stare at my book without taking in any of the words.
What is wrong with me? I practically blew off Nikki, who was nothing but kind to me.
She’s close to my age, successful, and beautiful; there’s literally nothing wrong with her.
So why did I find myself counting down the minutes until I could politely end our date?
Why wasn’t I interested in taking her back to my place?
Why didn’t I get a drink with her instead of coming here on my own?
All valid questions that I have zero decent answers for.
I try to block out the bar and remind myself that all it would take to end my career is Summer reporting me to the board. Even though the thought is scary, it still doesn’t tamp down my desire for her.
Another magical laugh drifts across the bar, and I grit my teeth in response. I glance over my shoulder at her as she flips her hair away from her face, exposing a delicate neck. My grip on my book tightens, and I can hear the paper crinkle in protest.
I run my hand down my face, feeling the stubble along my jaw before taking a healthy sip of my beer. Maybe if I drink enough, I’ll forget about the fact that I’m attracted to my student.