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“Banner dropped me off here. He’s waiting outside to take me. Thank you for offering though.”
“Would you like to set up another meeting now, or wait? I don’t want to pressure you into anything. I know my style is unorthodox, but I find more women relax in a familiar setting.”
I give her a warm smile. “I will message you a day when I’m free. And I can see why. Surprisingly, this wasn’t as bad I thought it would be. I think I opened up more to you than I have to anyone other than Banner.”
“I’m glad. That’s what I love to hear,” she tells me softly. “Be safe, keep warm, and if you need anything, you have my numbers. Don’t be afraid to call, day or night. I’m looking forward to our next meeting.”
“Me too,” I tell her as we head towards the door. When we get outside, I pull my coat tighter around me. “Goodbye, Milly.”
“Goodbye, Emma.”
I feel her watching me as I get into the car. It isn’t until I’m in and the door is shut that she crosses the road to her own car.
“How was it?” Banner asks, pulling slowly out into the slick roads.
“Better than I imagined. She’s really nice,” I tell him.
“I’m glad. Did you tell her about Darren?”
“Not in detail,” I whisper, not wanting to talk about it with him. I know he’s mad I won’t go to the police. He doesn’t understand what it was like answering all those questions after Darren attacked me.
“I’m going to pick you up after class. I’ll meet you by the entrance, so don’t wander off. That okay?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
He finishes pulling into a parking space before shutting the car off and facing me. “I want to.” He drops his head, licking his lips. “And… if you’re not too tired after class, I was wondering if we could talk about something.”
I glance at the time on the dashboard. “I still have ten minutes if you want to talk now. Is everything okay?”
He rubs the back of his neck. I sit up straighter, not sure whether I like the look on his face. He’s never anxious.
His mouth opens to answer me, when a tap on my window startles me. I scream, flinging myself at Banner and away from the intruder.
I glare when I see Becky standing by the door, her face near enough pressed against the window.
“Come on, let’s go inside. Even polar bears would freeze their tits off in this weather.”
Banner’s hard body shakes beneath me. I groan, lifting myself off him, and wince when the handbrake digs into my hip.
“Did you want me to tell her to wait?” I ask Banner when I’ve straightened myself out.
He shakes his head, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth to keep from laughing.
“I’m not waiting out here. My nipples are gonna freeze off.”
“Go. We wouldn’t want her nipples to fall off,” he tells me, looking away when he starts to chuckle.
“Hey, I’ll have you know, Bess and Tess are good peeps. There’s no need to get sarky,” she yells through the window.
At that, I have to bite back my own laughter, especially when the few lads that are in our class walk by, trying to look around her to see her chest.
“You named your boobs?” I ask in disbelief when I open the car door.
She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Don’t you?”
“Yeah, do you?” Banner pipes in.
I smack him lightly on the arm and give him a warning look before turning back to Becky. “No, I don’t.”