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Yeah, I’d just keep my nose in the books going forward and ignore whatever crazy ideas my libido was trying to lure me into. I was here to learn from the man and nothing more.
“I wanted to show you what I’ve been working on,” I said while putting data into the last cell of the table. “Do you have a minute?” When I looked up to see why he hadn’t answered, he was staring at me as though in a trance.
“Dr. Chaplin?”
He gave his head a little shake and refocused. “Sorry,” he muttered.
“What are you apologizing for?”
“For staring at you. Again. For leaving so abruptly earlier. For leaving you here alone to deal with my nosy office neighbor,” he rapidly listed and then paused like he wanted to add a fourth transgression.
“Oh, she’s harmless, I’m sure.” I chose to comment on the one thing that didn’t have neon warning lights flashing around it.
He grunted a sort of laugh, but it was forced and manufactured and clearly not the topic weighing heaviest on his mind. “I hope you’re right. I’m not sure how much clearer I can be to the woman that I’m not interested. I’ve told her at least three times this week.”
“Maybe she needs a more obvious clue?” I offered before thinking. When he tilted his head marginally, I wanted to kick myself for opening my mouth at all.
“What do you mean?”
Boy, I really stuck my foot in my mouth now. Oh well, might as well go for broke. I shrugged first as though I were thinking of a solution on the fly. Truth be told, I’d been daydreaming about this most of my lunch break.
“I don’t know. Maybe if she saw proof with her own eyes? Saw you in an intimate position with someone else?”
Chaplin’s eyes widened to the size of nickels, and I laughed out loud. “Or not. I was just throwing out ideas.”
“In theory, it’s a decent idea. Seeing is believing, right? But the building is deserted this time of year. So unless you’re volunteering for the lead actress role here, I’m out of luck.”
I couldn’t hide my grin. Or the flush recoloring my cheeks. Could I be bold enough to do it? “I could think of worse roles to play,” I said sheepishly.
“Well, we’ll see what happens. The university really discourages professors dating their students. She seems like the type of woman who could be really vindictive if rubbed the wrong way.”
“She doesn’t know I’m your intern. She was too busy snooping through your desk to be interested in anything about me. She didn’t ask, and I didn’t tell her. In fact, she said she’d never seen me around campus before.”
“What did you just say?” he asked just as I finished speaking.
Confused, I repeated, “That she never saw me?—”
But he interrupted with, “No, the part about my desk. Did you say she was looking through my desk?”
“Yes, sort of. She was looking for something to write the note on. But she was definitely noticing things while writing it, too.” I sounded like a schoolgirl tattling on the playground.
“You’ve got to be kidding…”
I just shook my head. Suddenly I didn’t want to be involved in this conversation anymore. He looked like he could spit nails. And in fairness, it was completely rude of her to do what she had.
The rest of the afternoon was more productive than just getting angry about Ms. Donnio. By the time I was walking out to the parking lot, I was exhausted. The last person I wanted to deal with was waiting on the sidewalk just outside the building.
If he hadn’t seen me the moment I came outside, I would’ve turned back and hid inside until he gave up.
“There’s the most beautiful girl on campus,” Joel, my ex, said. His boyish smile used to be endearing. Now it gave me the creeps.
“Joel. What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t taking any classes over the summer,” I said, choosing not to even address his compliment. He was so over the top, it was hard to take seriously.
“I thought you might need a ride,” he offered and approached for a hug.
I put my arm out to fend off the physical contact. “Shepperd is supposed to pick me up. Thanks, though.” I couldn’t force another smile today. Too many had already been manufactured for other people’s comfort.
“Then can we talk until she gets here? I’ve really been thinking about us since the other day…” he began, but I stopped him mid-thought.
