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Peter kept his distance, probably worried about his work clothes.
“Are you teaching this afternoon?” I asked as we moved along the backyard fence line.
“I am, in a couple hours.”
“Have you filed for restraining orders yet from your admirers?”
He sighed. “They’re forcing me to be incredibly blunt—and lie about urgent things I have to do in other parts of the building during my office hours. It’s too early in the term for anyone to really need me. Well, except for a few challenged souls that email me nearly every day. They’ve confused professor with personal tutor.”
I clicked my tongue. “Some of the people in my classes are right out of high school. Makes me feel a little jealous—I’ll never be that full of innocent bubbly energy again. One person I sat next to last week had a backpack full of candy, wolfed it down through the lecture giggling, and totally ignored the class notes. When he spilled skittles all over the floor, I decided to not sit next to him again.”
Peter leaned on the fence, his mouth cocked up in a grin. Charley had paused to thoroughly sniff around a big flowering bush with purple flowers. “Will you try coffee with me again? Please? I promise to be well behaved this time.”
I glanced at him through my lashes, tempted to tell him how much I’d liked his naughty ideas. “Yes. I’m taking this week off. Hoping the media interest will taper off soon as well.”
“How about next Thursday?”
“I think that should work.”
“Good.” He stood up. “I’d better get back to campus. Rest well.”
“Thank you for those flowers.” I smiled at him.
He stared at me for a charged moment. “I’d love to bring you flowers all the time. Bye, Sally.”
“Bye.”
I rolled one of the pompoms on my cover-up dress between my fingers as Peter walked away. It was a bit strange not to be in hiding anymore, my life history accessible to anyone with a phone or television. The current eclectic iteration of myself had grown on me—or maybe I’d expanded into the new Sally. I didn’t think I’d go back to the old light-blonde long-hair style. I’d stick with my brown bob.But what do I do now?
That night, Javier called me. I watched my phone ring while lying on my bed, my hands tucked under my cheek.
I texted Amber to distract myself.
Sally: Did you ever meet that new guy over the weekend?
Amber: I did on Sunday. We went for a walk.
Sally: Tell me tell me…
Amber: I don’t know. Nice guy. Good looking enough. I was bored stiff.
Sally: Darn.
Amber: Yeah. I kept noticing his nose hairs—can a man at least keep up with those? I mean there I was with my entire body groomed. I don’t know. Maybe I need to spend some time alone until I feel desperate enough that I don’t notice the nose hair.
Sally: I say go for three strikes first. That’s only two meetups.
Amber: Hmm I like that. Three strikes and take a breather.
Charley snored softly in his crate next to me. I put my hand on the empty pillow next to mine, wanting a warm back to press against. Javier hadn’t left a message.
In a way, I could understand why he’d shared personal information and photos of me. I hoped the attention did himsome good. He and I were on different journeys though. I rolled onto my back and stared up at the dark ceiling.
My phone lit up with another message.
Hank: My mother is moving into her care facility this week. I’m selling my house. I visited the Eugene Police Department last weekend and we’re negotiating. Do you think we could manage to live in the same town again?
CHAPTER FORTY
