Page 8 of Professor Next Door

5. Tara

“Maybe he’s gay now, and with that other guy. What did you say his name was, John?” Amanda was munching on a carrot stick and staring over at the professor’s house. There wasn’t anyone home so it was safe.

I grunted a reply as I typed into my laptop, glancing over to check on Rikki who was asleep on the couch. She’d been an absolute angel until she grew grumpy and started to cry. Thank goodness for Amanda because I had zero experience with kids but she has two younger brothers. I’d have never tried to rock the girl to sleep.

“Yeah, his name is John.” I went back to typing up a paper for another class as Amanda stared out of the window.

“So what do you think? Is he batting for the other team now?” Amanda broke into my thoughts again and this time what she was saying actually penetrated.

I turned around in my chair, pushed my glasses up my nose, and gaped at her. “Wait, isn’t it batting for the same team? And no, he can’t be gay. Can he?”

“You were the one that said that guy is there all the time, and wouldn’t he have a female babysitter?” Amanda came and sat next to me in a recliner I’d pushed up beside my desk.

“I suppose, but, well…” I stopped to think. I don’t know much about gay men, so I don’t really have anything to go by. “Maybe they’re just friends?”

Could he be interested in men now? I suppose it could happen but it wasn’t something I’d ever thought about.

“Oh, he’s here!” I jumped up as lights flashed at the window that faced his house. I ran around, picking up the toys, bottles I’d cleaned, and other paraphernalia that seemed to come with babies.

“I’ll get the door,” Amanda said, sauntering over to open it just as a knock came. “Hello, there.”

She has such a sultry voice, I thought, as I went to stand behind her, smiling at the professor from behind her shoulder.

“Hi, is Tara here?” He looked her up and down, a light of interest flashing in his eyes for a moment before my snort of disbelief caught his attention. No, he’s not gay.

His eyes changed as he looked at me, the interest fading into a cool business-like perusal instantly. I wasn’t covered in goo and I wasn’t losing my mind which meant his kid was alright, that gaze told me.

“Hi, Tara. Is Rikki ready to go home?” He gave me a wry smile, impersonal but still somehow making my heart trip.

“Yeah, she’s asleep on the couch.”

I pulled Amanda out of the doorway and walked with him to the long brown couch I’d inherited from my grandmother. A behemoth from the 1980s, it was the most comfortable couch I’d ever rested on, but it was dated. He didn’t seem to notice because he was busy staring down at his little girl.

I didn’t think my heart could melt any more than it already had, but when he stooped to look at his daughter, a finger brushing a blond curl out of the way, I felt my heart ooze down to somewhere around my ankles.

“How was she? She’s not used to being in a stranger’s house.”

“She was great! It was really fun to have her here,” I said simply, not elaborating much because I was too caught up in watching him. I felt like a terrible person when I remembered the dream I’d had about him. Look at him—just an innocent father, not bothering anyone and I go and have a sizzling hot dream about him.

“Do you, well, do you think you could do this more often then? John won’t be able to watch her for me in the evenings for a while and I need to be out some evenings.”

He finally looked back at me, his eyes telling me he expected a no and could live with it.

I wanted to say no, I don’t know enough about kids, but I saw Amanda behind him at the back of the couch, nodding her head vigorously, a huge grin on her face. I looked back at Galen’s stoic face. I couldn’t say no, especially when he turned up the heat in his eyes just the right amount while he looked me up and down. Oh my God.

“Sure, we can do that, can’t we, Amanda?” I stressed her name and looked at her pointedly. She nodded in agreement and did a quiet dance behind the man we were both crushing on.

“I don’t think Tara would mind at all. She’ll just need a nap first.” She gave me a teasing wink, and I wanted to kill her for the second time that day.

“Great! I’ll bring her tomorrow, I have a… meeting. I can’t miss it. If that’s alright?” He sat there, his size all but making the couch disappear, smelling like heaven, and staring right into my eyes. I thought I might drown in those green irises.

He looked at me more closely for a moment, as though something had caught his interest, but then Rikki started to whimper. He picked her up and pulled her warm little body next to his.

“I’m going to get her home. She’s eaten?” He looked up at me as he stood with his daughter in his arms, concern for Rikki a priority again.

“Yeah, she’s all ready for bed.” I came close enough to stroke Rikki’s soft hair, before moving away. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

He took the bag I offered him in one arm and went out the door as Amanda opened it. We both watched him until he managed to make it inside his own home. She shut the door and stared at me with rounded eyes.

“We are so going to make the best of this.”

I stared at her, not sure what she was talking about, but hoping it didn’t involve waxing and curling stuff I’d rather not wax and curl. Just the thought of those words made me cringe, I surely didn’t want to doany of it. Not even for him.