Page 33 of Unsupervised
“I’m so sorry! It…startled me. I didn’t know what it was. We’ve never had one of those…” Shit. Anxiety has stolen my word retrieving ability again. “One of those angry sinks.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, there’s a split second of silence. Then laughter. Even Mr. Aldrich—who still has coffee dripping from one eyebrow—can’t help but chuckle.
Still desperate to correct my mistake, I grab a roll of paper towels, tear off a wad and start trying to clean his shirt. “I’m so sorry,” I repeat. “I’ll pay the dry cleaning bill.”
“It’s okay, Ms. Bryant. It’s not a big deal.”
He steps back, trying to get away from my crazy ass as I dab at his clothes. The coffee has dripped down over his waistband and onto his pants. Without a thought in my head, I follow it with the paper towels, until Owen tugs me back by my arm.
“Kel, pretty sure that can get you into trouble.”
Oh god. I was rubbing his crotch. In front of everyone. “Oh!” I drop the towels and step back. “I’m sorry! I wasn’t trying to touch your…” My hand waves at his crotch. “Inappropriate section.”
I regret every decision I’ve ever made in my life that has led to this moment.
There’s no way I can do anything but escape. With a muttered curse, I’m out of there. By the time I reach the front porch, I realize I don’t have my bike or any way to leave other than taking one hell of a long walk.
“Hey.” Owen steps onto the porch.
“Hey.”
He walks over and stands next to me, leaning against a column. “Are you okay?”
“Do you think changing my name and moving a state away would be an overreaction?”
“Come on, it’s not that bad. So, you felt the teacher up a little.”
Of course, he doesn’t understand why this is so much more mortifying than what he witnessed. The kitchen was full of other students. Why did it have to be Mr. Aldrich?
“And if you want my opinion, he totally owes you a coffee. His stupid hair and clothes just sucked it right up. How rude.”
His words and the smirk on his face make me smile in spite of myself. “Also, I like your word for it much better. From now on, garbage disposals will be known as angry sinks.”
Chapter Nine
Layton
Kelly dropped my class. She also hasn’t shown up for Adulting Club for the last two weeks, ever since the coffee incident. She’s avoiding me and while the rational part of me thinks that’s for the best, I hate it.
Not just because I miss being around her—which I do—but because it’s my fault she’s missing out on educational opportunities she needs. It’s true she kissed me first, but I sure didn’t hesitate to kiss her back, and she never would’ve done that if I hadn’t gone out of my way to spend time with her.
“I don’t understand the problem,” Dalton says, opening a beer.
We’re taking a break from helping him move into a new apartment. Only one more truckload to carry inside.
Travis shakes his head. “That’s because you have no morals or conscience.”
“He barely touched her! And she’s legal age.”
“Some of us aim a little higher than justwill this get me locked up? There’s right and wrong. She’s his student.”
Dalton turns to me. “I thought you said she dropped your class.”
“Yeah, because I let things get inappropriate.”
“Then she isn’t your student anymore. Go be inappropriate all over her ass.”
Travis is right but damned if I haven’t thought of it in exactly the way Dalton just described. I’m surprised when Travis seems to think it over a moment before shrugging. “If she isn’t your student, and she won’t be again, then you aren’t technically breaking any rules.”