“Hi, Professor Dunlap,” she said, a smile lighting up her face. I noticed her extra emphasis on the words.
I look around and realize she had been talking with some other teachers at the school. She had put me into such a trance that I’d completely ignored everyone else in the room, intent on getting close to her.
“Good evening; mind if I steal away my assistant for a moment?” I said, doing my best to sound like a professional.
I fought the urge to grab her hand and pull her out of the room. I wanted to push her up against the wall and run my hands up that skirt.
“You okay?” she whispered, still smiling to put on a good show.
“Fine,” I grumbled. “You look nice,” I said when I managed to cool my raging hormones.
“Thank you. So do you.”
“Professor Dunlap,” the dean said, headed our way. We both instinctively moved a few more inches apart.
I waited until she reached us. “Dean,” I said, tilting my head forward.
“I’d like you to meet a few of our generous donors. Maybe you can convince them to cough up some more money for our marine sciences program,” she said, taking me by the elbow and steering me away from Tessa.
As I looked back, she was waving goodbye, fighting back a laugh. The rest of the evening was much the same. I was whisked around, introduced to new people and expected to make small talk. Tessa and I were kept apart most of the night, but I still managed to find her when I wanted to. People gravitated towards her. She was constantly surrounded by men and women alike. I longed to be there beside her, holding her hand, sneaking kisses and enjoying ourselves like a normal couple.
It’s a dream I will never get to experience. My job is too important, as is her degree. I will settle for my fantasies. Tonight, when I go to bed, I know that her dress and the removal of it will haunt my dreams.
I decided that I’d had enough socializing for one night and made my way back to Tessa. “I’m headed out. I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”
“Goodbye, Professor Dunlap,” she said, smiling and nodding before giving me a small wink.
I made my exit and found my way to my car, enjoying the cool night air. Once inside the safe haven of my car, I pulled out my phone and send her a text.
When she quickly responded, I smiled. We’d be meeting at a small park that would hopefully be empty at this hour. It’s more of a mom and kid hangout, which meant it should be vacant. It better be. My heart picked up the
pace in anticipation of seeing her in relative privacy. I pray I can control my urges.
I waited in my car. When I saw headlights, my palms got sweaty. It was her. She got out, and her yellow dress was a bright light in the darkness.
“Hi,” I said, walking towards her, wanting to grab her, but keeping my distance.
“You did great tonight,” she said in greeting.
“Thank you for going with me—in a way. I was glad to have a friendly face, even if I didn’t get to spend much time with you,” I told her, meaning every word.
“Thank you for inviting me. Me being a lowly student and all, I wouldn’t typically be allowed to attend such events. It was kind of cool to see what happens behind the scenes so the doors stay open at the school. Even though I feel like I pay more than enough to attend, I guess they always need more,” she joked.
We started walking through the park, not touching, but walking close to each other.
“I need to take these shoes off,” she said, sitting on one of the benches neatly tucked away under some trees. The bench was sheltered, blocking out the moonlight, providing plenty of privacy from any eyes that could be lurking.
I watched as she slipped out of the white high heels before rubbing her feet.
“Sit down,” she said, looking up at me, before patting the area next to her on the bench.
I obliged.
“So, did you have a good time?” she asked.
I nodded. “I did, actually. Kind of surprised me. I haven’t had to schmooze in a long time.”
She laughed. “You did great. I heard a lot of people talking about the new professor. They are expecting great things from you. The dean seemed impressed as well. She was clearly showing you off.”