"Have a good day, Professor Brock," Mary held the elevator in place as she stepped in front of the doors, watching Eddie step off towards his classroom.
Laughing he gave her his debilitatingly gorgeous smile before turning to walk into the classroom.
Heaven and hell, the last few nights have been a reactive mixture of absolute heaven and hell. Heavenly, because every night since the night of their fight she has been sleeping in his bed. The arrangement was forged without words, it was simply understood that after their nightly rituals, which recently included his new nightly run he took, they would simply get up from the couch and make their way to his room. Neither said anything when she pulled back the covers to get in or when he would drape one arm around her waist. The arrangement simply existed.
Though with every minute spent in heaven one must know that the time spent in hell is double.
And god, did it feel like fire when he touched her so intimately, and with such an air of casualness. Did he not feel it too? Did the fire from his touch only affect her? It must have, because Eddie was unfazed by her—just like always. Leaning against the elevator wall, Mary took the elevator back down to the first floor to her office. Refraining from letting out a heavy sigh, Mary plopped into her chair and flipped on her computer, she was being a fool for Eddie again. All throughout high school and college she practically ignored every man except for Eddie. It took her years to tell herself that the relationship she fantasized about with Eddie simply was never going to happen, and now because of one kiss on her neck she was back to being a complete and utter fool. Turning on her internet radio, Mary immersed herself into work anything to keep her thoughts off Eddie.
Six new enrollees, four borderline hysterical under-graduates, one text from Eddie stating that he wouldn't have time to see her during her break, and one full-blown melt down from a fellow advisor well past her lunch hour—Mary was exhausted. Normally during her lunch break, Mary listened to her favorite story-time podcast about a creepy town being invaded by aliens but since she was so busy all she could do was listen to the local news. All day, every news anchor on every channel covered the recent gruesome vigilante killings hitting San Francisco. In her opinion, that wasn't worth interrupting the usual afternoon special she liked to listen to about new restaurants opening in the area. Someone killing bad guys—big deal, who cares. A new Japanese fusion restaurant, now that was news she wanted to hear about darn it.
Mary was just about to close her door to take lunch when, Eileen stepped into the office. Mary inwardly gave an unladylike groan. The tall platinum blonde was the very antithesis of Mary.
"Mary, I am so glad I caught you," Eileen gave a little sigh of relief, as if she had been running to catch her. Mary was tempted to slam the door in the woman's face. "I just wanted to make sure you were going to the welcome party we are throwing just after work. It will be super quick and it will be fun."
Eileen was the type of woman that walked around the school like she owned it. Tall, attractive, dressed well, liked by all surrounding heterosexual males within shouting distance and for appearances sake she seemed to have it all. Mary knew the sordid details however. Miss Perky was an absolute failure of a teacher and a carnivore with pretty much every male teacher, married or not. Mary had a working theory that Eileen must have either been seriously unpopular in high school and now was living out her fantasies or the exact opposite. Eileen's superior attitude seemed deeply rooted so it certainly wouldn't surprise Mary, if Eileen was the homecoming queen of her high school and her overall antics as an adult was just her continuing to live out her glory days.
Plastering on her brightest smile, she gave Eileen a polite questioning look.
"You know for your childhood friend Eddie," Eileen's hazel eyes met Mary's dead on like a predator watching its potential prey for any sign of weakness in their defenses.
First name basis. Childhood friends no less. Oh, there was plenty to make her armor crack but Mary held it together.
Eileen continued to needle. "Yes, I was talking to Eddie and I asked him the question everyone was curious to know and too polite to ask, but you know me," Eileen laughed as if Mary knew just what she meant. "I asked if you two were somehow related with you knowing each other and the same last names and all. But Eddie being the sweet guy he was clarified it without a problem, he said you two weren't related and were just family friends."
Every word hit her like a bullet directly to her heart. Just friends. Just some random person in his life. Using every last thread of control, she could muster Mary smiled and nodded. "Yes, that is exactly it. Just friends."
"So, in honor of his arrival I arranged a little welcome party after work in the speech auditorium." Eileen checked her watch and stepped back to the exit door. "I do hope to see you there. Bye."
Not waiting for a reply, Eileen was gone. Resisting the glaring red urge to slam her door in anger, Mary calmly closed the door to her office to try and finally have lunch.
#
The party was just as bad as Mary knew it would be. At the center of attention, Eddie stood amongst a throng of his new co-workers who were practically dripping with unbridled curiosity at the young single, disgraced journalist. It was the equivalent of throwing a lamb into a den of half starved wolves. Only for the briefest of moments Eddie was able to tear himself away from the assistant dean, Eileen, and a few other teachers to come her way.
Holding a red solo cup up to his lips he practically growled at her. "Do you think anyone would notice if I just walked out now?"
Smiling into her own drink she sipped at the flat soda. "Mr. Puegett and Eileen would sniff the air like bloodhounds and sound the alarms."
"Fuck me," Eddie grumbled under his breath as he raised his hand to waive and nod at the dean waiving him over to chat with new people. "Ok I will be back."
Mary couldn't help but smile evilly at the torture he was enduring. Stepping back near the entrance of the room, she watched as the party continued. The buzz from her phone caught her attention. Ducking out into the hallway, Mary read her text.
Perfect. This would give her the perfect reason to slip away.
#
"Thank you for meeting with me," Jacob took a sip of his wine before nodding to the waiter of his approval in the wine selection. Bowing, the waiter left the tall black bottle on their table. "I have been missing you," Jacob continued.
Taking a tentative sip of the wine, Mary felt as if she was hiding behind the large wine glass from his searching gaze. The expensive upscale restaurant was located in a new trendy section of downtown, their second floor seating near the window gave them a premium view of the darkening skyline and the twinkling city lights. Even in her work clothes, Mary felt a little underdressed compared to everyone in the restaurant, including Jacob. Her nude ballet flats and simple navy-blue dress screamed practical compared to his tailored suit and gleaming leather shoes.
Glasses clinked at nearby tables, laughter echoed from the bar, and even at her own table near the long windows overlooking the busy street, Jacob kept up the conversation like a pro never letting a dead moment pass between them. So why did her thoughts keep returning to Eddie? Why couldn't she get from under this cloud of guilt? Laughing at one of Jacob's remarks she took another bite of her cobb salad and did her best to maintain the conversation with him as her mind wandered. She was feeling guilty because she ran from the party, there was no doubt about that. She ran like an absolute coward when she saw Eileen's hand lay possessively over Eddie's bicep or how Eddie smiled and nodded at the blonde harpy's stories. Mary hated herself for the jealousy that ate away at her and spread through her veins. She shouldn't have run, she should have stayed and just endured it, and she certainly should not have involved Jacob. Continuing to see Jacob was a cruel move on her part, she couldn't just string him along, not after the realization that she would never love anyone like she loved Eddie. The relationship between herself and Eddie may be regressing but it didn't entitle her to use Jacob as a safety cushion.
Walking to their cars after dinner, Jacob gave her a questioning frown. "You have been quiet all night. Is there something wrong?"
"No…yes. There is something I want to talk about with you."
Stiffening his spine, Jacob stood tall and a little imposing in front of her. "Why do I have the feeling I am not going to like this?"
"Jacob," Mary began carefully. "You're awesome, you're absolutely perfect but…"
"Let me help you out here," Coldly, he cut her off and stepped forward until she was forced to look up at him. "I'm perfect but I am not perfect for you, is that what you are trying to say?"
"I…I…I'm only trying to say that we should…"
Pulling her against his chest, Jacob ignored her shocked expression and stared down at her with a fierce intensity. "Mary, I don't want to let you go." Pushing her backwards, her back arched into the curve of her car behind her. "And, I'm not going to."
With her arms pinned at her side, Mary felt herself begin to panic. "Jaco…"
"THE FUCK WAS THAT!" Shrieking Jacob fell away from her, hitting the SUV parked next to her hard before scrambling along the vehicle until he was standing a few yards away in the middle of the parking lot pointing over her head.
Scared, Mary whipped around and scanned the darkness of the parked cars as she backed away slowly.
"Did you see that? There…there was a huge fucking thing with teeth!" Jacob's voice shook as he pointed frantically at the spot on the other side of her car. "It was huge. The teeth….the teeth were huge…it was huge." His terrified rambling ebbed away as if he was finally hearing himself.
Worried, she stepped closer to put her hand on his arm in comfort, the wild glare he shot her stopped her in her tracks.
Pulling at his jacket, self-consciously straightening the material as he bounced nervously from one foot to the other Jacob cleared his throat. "Fine, you want to break up?" He asked snidely, as he stared back and forth from her to the spot he was pointing at moments ago. "Fine, whatever, we're done. Goodbye."
Without sparing her another glance, she watched the man all but run back to his car and peel out of the parking lot. Clutching her purse with both hands, Mary turned cautiously back to face her car. Nothing was there and there were no sounds. She had no idea what spooked Jacob like that and she honestly didn't want to stay and find out. Quickly, she unlocked her car and put on her seatbelt before backing out of the spot.
Pulling into the parking garage of her building, her heart sank when she noticed Eddie's empty motorcycle space. Swallowing the knot in her throat, she made her way up to her apartment and in to her room. Shutting the door, she sank to the bed and let loose the tears and emotions she kept locked away all day.
