“It was…. It was great.” It was good? It was okay? It sucked? Let’s settle for, I survived it.
“I’m so proud of you, dear. When I first met you….” She taps her index finger against her bottom lip. “I believe you were thirteen, and I knew you’d take the world by storm.”
I chuckle. “That’s gushing a tad bit much.”
Hazel Hendrix walks through the door that connects Chloe’s Bakery with the café. I don’t know her well, but I’ve seen her around. And I know who she is. She’s one of my favorite authors. She weaves through the tables and stops in front of Jeanne, my boss, and chats.
“Dear, it isn’t. You were one of my favorite students. You knew what a present participle was.” She glances over in Hazel’s direction. “Oh, there’s my other favorite student.” She waves until Hazel notices. She smiles and walks to the table.
“Hello, Ms. Redding.” She pats her shoulder.
“How’s the new story going?”
“It’s moving along.” Hazel frowns and adjusts the strap on her shoulder. She spends most days in the bakery typing up her stories. “Actually, I’m looking for a new environment today. I’ve been writing this book for the last couple of weeks, but I can’t get this plot going. So, I’ve jumped over here to try and shake things up.”
“Ms. Redding, I’ll check on you later.”
I step back, and Hazel whips her head around. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
“Why?” I blink as heat surges through my body.
There’s no way she knows I’m obsessed with her writing. Does she? God, I probably look like a red tomato. I’m in her reader’s group, but I’ve never posted or commented. Her most recent series was about unrequited love, and I devoured them all. The last heroine was my favorite and my muse for my night with Alexander – AnnabelleCooper.
“You’re a young college girl. So, this is right up your alley.” She turns in a circle and points at a clean table. “Over there. I need your opinion on something.”
“Okay….” I follow behind her and wait as she settles in her chair.
“Sit.” She nods toward the chair opposite her and unloads her writing gear.
Jeanne smiles and shakes her head but makes no move to save me from my fate. After I set down the coffee pot, I join her. The crowd is thin, so I have a few minutes to spare. “What can I help you with?”
“My book is about a stepbrother and sister.”
“That’s not something I can help you with.” I shrug as one of the cooks calls out an order for the other waitress. “I don’t have a brother, and my sister is full-blooded.”
“Forget that. You’re in college, right?”
“Yes.” Where is she going with this?
Andrea breezes by on her way to the kitchen. When I give her an,I’m sorry look, she rolls her eyes. “The place isn’t that busy. Take your time.”
“Thank you.” I return my attention to Hazel, who digs a pen out of her purse and taps the end to her bottom lip.
“Let me help you by giving you a specific example. Imagine you were in class, and you had a hot professor. Why would you risk getting involved with him?” She unfolds a pair of black-rimmed glasses and pushs them up the bridge of her nose. “What would make a young girl willingly risk everything for a forbidden relationship?”
“Uh….” All the spit in my mouth evaporates. I cough as nothing comes to mind except for my night with Alexander.
“What would make you have sex with the hot professor?”
She continues to press until I swallow and say the only thing that comes to mind. “Because he talked dirty and followed it up with orgasms that had their own orgasms.”
Why did I say that? I need to crawl under the table and die.
She leans forward as her eyes twinkle with excitement. “Go on.”
“I guess if I felt the relationship was going somewhere. Or I was just looking to satisfy a fantasy. Those would be reasons to pursue my professor.”
“Perfect. Keep going.” She opens her computer.