“So you’re okay with that?” she asked, holding her breath.
“Me?” I was shocked to find the conversation had circled back to my feelings. “I have no problem with you exploring your feelings for him. I just hope that you’ll keep an open mind toward me and Dex.”
“I’d like to,” she admitted.
“Then we’re on the same page,” I declared, standing up.
I was a little bit angry with this Flynn fellow. He had Breanna under his own roof, and he couldn’t figure out what to do with her. If I was in his shoes, I would have fucked her long ago. Ididfuck her, and here I was trying to figure out how to do it again.
If the guy couldn’t see what was going on under his own nose, then what good was he? Breanna should just forget about him, but it was clear that wasn’t going to happen. I decided not to tell Dex about Flynn just yet. I would introduce my two acquaintances and see if they hit it off. If they wanted me to step out of the middle, I would, but it would be my preference to have an open encounter that involved all three of us.
Breanna wasn’t saying no. Her insistence on a lunch date was an additional hurdle that we would have to jump through. Although, looking at it from her point of view, it made sense. We didn’t know each other well enough for me to invite strangers into her bed without some vetting process.
Flynn was a wrench in the whole machine that could potentially throw everything off. Breanna was attracted to him, and he had indicated that the feeling was mutual by kissing her after I had staked my claim. I didn’t know him from Adam, and I didn’t care about him one bit. That he was tearing Bre up inside was the only thing I was concerned about. She was young and free; she should be able to do whatever she wanted to without feeling like she was disappointing him.
Yet his actions weighed heavily on her heart. I hoped that another encounter with me would help soothe her anxiety. I didn’t want her to think she was being slutty. That adjective didn’t do justice to what we were doing together.
It wasn’t wrong to have fun, as long as everyone knew where everyone else stood. I knew there were jealous people in the world, and I was happy not to count myself as one of them. Would Flynn be jealous if he found us together? Would he throw his weight around and try to get Bre to stop seeing me? I hoped that wasn’t the case, but I couldn’t be sure. The man seemed like he didn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground.
The mist began to transition into a full-out rain, and I couldn’t stay outside any longer. I understood that Breanna couldn’t invite me in, so that only left me one choice.
“I think I should go,” I said reluctantly.
“Thanks for listening,” she replied, standing up.
She seemed less concerned about the rain and more worried about the potential ramifications of our lunch date. But she didn’t call it off. If anything, she looked relieved.
“Are we still on for Sunday?” I asked.
“Yes,” she affirmed. “I look forward to it.”
“As do I.” I bowed, pretending to court the queen of whatever castle she was living in.
It was time to get back in my car and crank up the heat. I would have to change clothes since the threads I was wearing were becoming wetter by the second. I paused for one more glance, just to make sure that everything was okay.
“Go,” she said, waving me off.
I dashed away, holding my hands above my head. Inside the car, my leather seats groaned with the moisture. I shook my head. The things I did for love. I would have to towel the car dry once I reached my parking garage. It was worth it to have secured another date with Bre, and I could bill Dex if things worked out.
I pulled down the drive, angling my car back toward home. Halfway there, I realized I couldn’t go change my clothes or attend to my vehicle. I was supposed to be in class in thirty minutes.
Carrying all the baggage from my conversation with Bre, I arrived in the lecture hall, pissed. It wasn’t my students’ fault; they didn’t know anything about my private life. But I could hear myself barking at them for the smallest infractions.
I was in rare form, narrating the critics’ take on the mathematical formulas I was presenting. I got a few laughs. There were some questions that were way off-base, and I had to stop myself from making fun of the kids who asked them. I was angry, but I didn’t want to be mean.
The class took three hours and left me in a much better state of mind than when I’d arrived. There is nothing like a room full of people hanging on your every word to soothe your ego. Maybe that’s why I continued to work in this profession. It gave me the energy I needed to deal with all the other shit in my life.
At the end of the period, a few of the frat boys came up to congratulate me. “Great class, Professor.”
All in a day’s work,I thought. Regardless of what happened between Bre and her employer, I had scored a second date with her. That was the only thing that mattered.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
BREANNA
Seanan woke up about half an hour after Connor left. I was practically humming inside, looking forward to my Sunday lunch date. Meeting Connor’s friend sounded particularly adventurous, and his insights into my relationship with Flynn made me feel better. Connor was sexy and fun, but he was also a great listener. He seemed to have everything, except he wasn’t interested in monogamy. That worked for me, since I wasn’t ready to settle down yet either.
After her nap, I took Seanan to the park. We played on the swing set and dug around in the sandbox. Again, she got dirty, and again, I had to help her wash up before dinner. It was becoming habit, this mucking around and cleaning up. It killed time, though, and that was the name of the game when it came to six-year-olds.