Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
It’s not like she’s still a child now, but now that I know who she is, it’s like I can’t shake that image of who she was out of my mind.
“That’s right,” Nikki says with a smile. “Nikki Wilson. That’s me.”
“Christ…” I mutter, averting my eyes. “How in the world…?”
“I guess it was just meant to be,” she giggles. “I mean, I held on to my virginity for a long time, and then you came along. What are the chances?”
I sigh and sit back down on the bed, my head in my hands. “How did you not recognize me, Nikki? I mean – it makes sense that I don’t recognize you, but…”
“Well, I joined your class late, remember?” she replies. “My parents moved into town…”
“Right.” I nod.
“So I didn’t get to know you like everyone else did,” she continues. “But I do remember that all the girls in class thought you were mega cute.”
I raise a hand in the air immediately and grimace. “That’s enough, okay? I don’t need to think about pre-pubescent girls thinking I’m cute.”
Nikki laughs. “It was innocent, Mr. Hartford. Not like that.”
“Okay, but still,” I reply.
I’m torn. My starvation and desire for Nikki has not left me. In fact, after what we just did together, it may have risen to another level. I’ve made her mine, and the experience with her was even better than anything I could have imagined. But now, after the realization that she is a former student of mine has come crashing down on me, I’m a complete mess sitting beside her on the bed. And she can see it.
“Don’t worry about it, Russell,” she says softly, placing a delicate hand on my back. “It’s no big deal. Really.”
“No big deal?” I reply, getting to my feet. “Sure, that’s easy for you to say.”
“We’re both consenting adults now,” she replies. “What’s the matter?”
“Well, aside from the fact that I just broke the law–?”
“You didn’t break the law.” Nikki smiles, nearly melting me inside with how gorgeous she is. “You paid me for my time, Russell. Just my time.”
“Okay, fine,” I agree. “I paid you for your time. But the school has a rule about fraternization with students–”
“I’m not a student.”
“And former students as well,” I say, causing Nikki to frown.
“You can’t be serious. How do they even know? How do they enforce that?”
This is a nightmare. For the first time since Cheryl left me, I’d started to feel like romance would be a possibility for me again. Then, as soon as I gave myself over to it, this absurd wrench was thrown into the works.
“I don’t know, Nikki…”
“Are you just making this up, Russell?” she asks, a testy tone in her voice. “Because if you just wanted me for one night and one night only, you can just say so.”
Her words shock me, as does the look in her eyes. She’s looking at me with anger and pain, almost as though she feels betrayed. The last thing I want to do is hurt this girl, but I just can’t stop thinking about the fact that I used to teach her, and that if I pursue anything with her, it could cost me my career.
“How could you say that to me?” I ask her. “Do I really seem like that kind of guy to you? Just another asshole who thinks he can buy the world with his bank account?”
Nikki shrugs defiantly. “It seems like you’re just using any excuse you can to not have to see me again after tonight.”
“Oh, right,” I laugh. “Says the girl who told me I had to pay for her time earlier tonight.”
“I was at work!” Nikki blurts out as she gets up and begins getting her lingerie back on. This is not going like I had hoped it would go. So much for cuddling up and having her spend the night.
After she finishes doing the clasp on her bra, she grabs her phone and begins to text someone.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“I’m texting my friend to come get me,” she responds. “Seeing as how you don’t want to be with me.”
I let out a heavy sigh and go to the closet for a pair of sweatpants. So many thoughts are swirling around in my mind right now that I don’t even know what to do with myself. It’s like trying to grab ahold of a piece of paper that’s being blown around in a tornado.
Nikki is right; she is a grown woman. But at the same time, I just can’t stop thinking about her sitting in my classroom all those years ago, especially after that comment she made about her and the other girls thinking about how “mega cute” I was.
On top of that, I regret what I did now taking advantage of her situation with her father’s debts. If I’d known that little girl from my class way back then was in such dire straits, I would have just given her the money and figured out how to help her in the future.