Chapter 17 - What are we?

Alice Forrest

A rapping of knuckles on the office door made me look up, and my gaze met Nate’s his green eyes sparkling passionately and his cheeks flushed.

“Dr. Forrest? Are you busy?”

“No,” I choaked out, straighten my blouse, “Come in.”

The office door opened and Josh, one of the board members stepped into my office looking around. He was a kind soul, but perhaps a bigger gossip than some of the women in the front office, he knew everyone’s gossip, he was like a walking bank of everyone else’s personal information.

“What can I help you with Josh?” I asked, putting down a student’s work that I was marking.

“I heard that you had a guest in your office, I thought I’d come and see for myself,” he grinned, referring to Nate who lounged comfortably in the corner of my office in an armchair, feet on the other armchair, shoes off and of course, his tablet balancing on his knee.

“Nathaniel Black,” Nate said, jumping up and shaking his hand, and I frowned at my black lace panties that poked out of the back pocket of his pants – that’s where they went.

“Not Nathaniel Black from Black Inc.?” Josh said, his face confused as he shook Nate’s hand.

“Yes, indeed it is.”

“Wow, I’m honoured to meet you,” Josh grinned, shaking Nate’s hand a little bit more enthusiastically. “How do you know Alice?” he asked.

Nate’s smile twitched a little as the handshake ended and he looked at me, “I’m not going to over step, Alice can explain that one if she wants,” Nate said, his hands floating back to his pockets where he tucked the panties out of view before turning and resuming his position in the corner of my office.

Josh turned and looked at me, if he had been a decent person, he would have perhaps said something along the lines of ’oh, I’m sorry for overstepping, I know you’re a private person,” but he wasn’t. He wanted to know.

The words came slowly out of my mouth, as I thought about what answer I wanted to give, what I wanted to say. Boyfriend sounded to informal, partner sounded too professional, yet he wasn’t my husband or fiancé.

I looked at Nate, his eyes hard as he looked at me, he too wanted to know what I would say.

“Nate is trying to court me, and apparently he thinks an effective way of doing that is distracting me from doing my job.”

A deep, whole hearted chuckled came from Nate’s chest and he threw his head back laughing. “Okay, I can tell when I’m no longer needed,” he purred, and he slipped his shoes back on and grabbed his suit jacket.

Josh seemed frozen to the floor as Nate walked over and planted a casual kiss on my lips, of course the taste of earlier still lingering on his lips. “I’ll pick you up at six thirty so you can finish grading those papers, but we have a reservation at seven, okay?” he said, his hand burning my arm as his touch lingered.

“Okay,” I smiled and he reluctantly pulled him self from my side, leaving the office and walking out of view.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Like promised, he was waiting in the same place he dropped me off. But the car was different. He’d gathered quite the crowd as he lounged care free on the hood of the black – expensive looking car, his eyes were closed as he nodded to music that pumped through his headphones. I knew he was showing off, I was no longer ‘unobtainable’ but ‘unavailable’.

Giggle girls and gawking boys parted like the sea parted for Moses, their eyes lingering on me more than them. Apparently, rumours spread like wild fire on Mondays.

He rolled, resting his head on his arm, the cliché ‘draw me like one of your French Girls’ pose. He winked at me and twirled the car keys on his finger, he was really trying – living up to the reach playboy aesthetic.

“Did you buy a car? Or do you just have a garage of them somewhere?” I asked, making him grin playfully, so much so that it made my heart skip a beat.

“Actually, I thought I would fill that other car spot that you pay for.”

I looked at him blankly, “did you buy me a car?”

“Maybe,” he said.

“You’re an idiot.”

“I can’t win your affection with buying you things then?” he asked, slipping off the front of the car and closing the few feet between us. His breath lingering on my skin as I looked up at him, and he simply looked at me.

“We have dinner reservations,” I reminded him, breaking the long lasting moment between us.

He ran his finger down my hair line and jaw, holding my chin ever so lightly as his planted a light kiss on my lips, completely ignoring the crowd of hovering people. His other hand traced my shoulder and lifted my laptop bag off my shoulder, before he placed one hand on my waist, guiding me towards the car, opening the door and putting my bag in the boot.

I was in awe of the car, it’s sleek edges were attractive even to me – but the lavished interior made my car look even worse in comparison. You could still smell the new car smell mixed with strong fresh leather, the dashboard was glossy and black, while a majority of the dials were all electronic, everything in built and a touch screen nearly as big as my computer.

He slipped into the driver’s seat and I wanted him bring the car to life, an exaggerated rev filling the air from him touching the accelerator without putting it into gear. He turned at me and gave me a quick wink, before pulling out of the drop off/ pick up area and into the street, revving the car excessively, likely to just show off to the bystanders.

He seemed to ignore road rules with a passion in the city, he’d never taken his eyes off the road when we’d been on the highways and gravel roads, but now, he seemed reckless and cockish. It was like the childish side of him was showing.