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He nods, finishing off his beer. “Yeah, I mean this is our youth, you know, so I might as well enjoy it. At least, that’s what my dad always says. My buddies and I like to party on the weekends. In the summer we go out on my dad’s boat a lot on Lake Michigan.” He motions to the bartender for another beer. “You should come out sometime.”
He nudges me and I laugh nervously. “Yeah, maybe… if I get some free time. This new job is only part-time right now and it already takes up a lot of my time, but I’m hopeful that once grad school is finished, it will go full-time. Speaking of this job, did you get approval for the interview with Mr. Gates?”
“Yup, they signed off on it. So, did you do your undergrad at the University of Chicago? Because I feel like I would have noticed you around campus, or at least your hair.”
“I did actually. We had a few other classes together, but they were big and I tend to sit in the back.” I blush at his comment about my hair and about the fact that we very much crossed paths several times over the years. I don’t have the heart to tell him that we actually sat close in one of our classes, but he was usually focused on Tina McGil… or rather, her breasts. I’m not exactly Forrest Devry’s usual type.
“I like your hair. Redheads are usually pretty fun.” He winks at me and it’s pretty cringe but it makes me giggle.
“So,” I say again, attempting to steer the conversation back to the reason we’re here. If Cyrus could hear him right now, he’d probably be giving me a big I told you so lecture. “I was thinking we could focus the interview on Mr. Gates’ role as the newest adjunct professor at school, maybe what made him decide to take the opportunity, how he sees it as an asset for someone like him to teach there, and then highlight his work with the Chicago Youth in Leadership organization. He is very passionate about instilling confidence in young people, helping them reach their full potential.”
“That’s cool. I think that’s a great approach.” We both take a sip of our beer. “What’s he like?”
“Cyrus—er, Mr. Gates?” Forrest nods his head. “Oh, he’s…” I pause, thinking about how I would describe him to someone. I haven’t known him that long and I don’t think I have any special insight into his life or who he really is, but I do know what Lisa’s told me about him. I let out a slight snort thinking about how I’ve seen him behave.
“What?”
“Well, I guess he’s exactly what you’d expect. He’s demanding, moody, and really, really doesn’t like being told no or what to do.”
“Sounds like a real pleasure to work for.”
I blush, my mind instantly thinking about all the things I didn’t say. My hand absentmindedly settles on my thigh where he touched me briefly the other day. I’m still second-guessing if that actually happened or if I imagined it. I know for a fact that our little mishap in his office happened though. I close my eyes for a brief second, reaching for my beer to cool off as a bead of sweat runs down my back. I can’t decide if he hates the fact that his body responded that way toward me or the fact that he regrets ever recommending me for this publicist job in the first place.
“He’s not that bad. He’s going to be the keynote speaker at a charity gala next week. I have to give his introductory speech and I’m trying to slip a little joke into it because I know it’ll piss him off, but it’ll be funny to watch him get pissed at me.”
“Wait, is it for the Chicago Youth in Leadership you mentioned?”
“Yeah, it is. Why?”
He grins wryly. “I’ll be there too. My parents are big donors.”
“Oh, cool. Small world. What do your parents do?”
“My dad is a federal judge and my mom is a surgeon, head of surgery at Rush-Copley actually.”
“Impressive.” I raise my glass toward him.
“Hey, since we’re both going, you want to be my date?”
“That’s sweet, but I can’t. I’ll be there in a work capacity so it wouldn’t be very professional of me.”
“No worries, totally get it. We should most definitely go on a date though.”
“Oh yeah?” I say in my most flirty tone.
“Yeah, would be a shame not to.” He gives me a look, bumping my shoulder playfully as we both laugh into our glasses.
“I would love to.” The moment I say yes, my stomach feels like it’s twisted into knots. I don’t know if it’s because I feel guilt for agreeing to a date while in a meeting, a meeting I swore to Cyrus was strictly professional, or because I know that for as nice as Forrest Devry is, I feel no attraction toward him. Instead, I’m lusting after my very unavailable and way too old for me professor.
The moment I leave the bar and head home, I get an alert that I have a new follower on Instagram… it’s Forrest. I haven’t posted anything on my profile in almost two years, but I open the app and follow him back. His profile is filled with current pictures, mostly of him and his friends partying, at sporting events, and of course, on his dad’s boat.
I decide to call Serenity, hoping that if I tell her about Forrest, her excitement about him will make me realize that he’s the right choice… the smart choice.
“Helloooo,” she sings into the phone when she picks up.
“Hey, hope I’m not interrupting your night.”
“Nah, J just got home from the gym and I’m currently folding laundry like a housewife. What’s up?”
