Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
And why should I keep my hands to myself? She showed up here wearing barely any clothing. She’s normally quite conservative, so this look was a surprise. Did she come here straight from a night out with a guy? It’s Thursday morning, but college kids will go out any night of the week. Not that I blame them. I was the same way with my undergrad and graduate degrees. Hell, I even partied while I earned my PhD in Literature. I would go out to the same bars as the kids in the classes I taught, all while writing my dissertation. Even then, though, I never laid a hand on a student.
I hate the thought of Mari out with a guy. I have no claim over her, yet jealousy stirs in my stomach all the same. I want her to be mine.
No, not just mine.
I glance at Mark again. His gaze goes from me to Mari and back again. I’ve known for a long time that we’re on the same wavelength. This confirms it even more.
I lean forward, my hands folded on my desk. I would love to hold Mari’s hand again, but I don’t want to freak her out. I want her to stay.
“Mari, what made you put on that outfit today? I’m used to seeing you in jeans and a t-shirt.”
Mari blushes. “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s too embarrassing!”
My mind races with possibilities. Is she involved in sexual role play? She does have a Britney Spears vibe going on. I wouldn’t be surprised if some college guys were into that.
Instead of feeling jealous, my cock strains against my pants. I’ve been turned on since Mari walked in, but thinking about her innocent schoolgirl look in bed is killing me.
“You can tell us. We won’t judge,” I promise.
“Honestly, whatever it is, I guarantee we’ve heard much worse,” Mark adds.
Mari laughs. It’s a gorgeous sound. I want to make her laugh over and over so that I never have to stop hearing it. “I don’t know. It’s so stupid...”
“You don’t have to share if you don’t want to. I’m just curious why you are so dressed up today.”
“Dressed up?” Mari asks. “I feel more dressed down than anything. It’s cold outside. I have nothing protecting my legs from frostbite!”
It’s not that cold, but I suppose being in a skirt makes it feel like it is. Fall weather is starting to take hold of New York City. If Mari thinks this is cold, she’s in for a huge surprise come winter. The beginning of the spring semester is usually spent dodging snow piles around campus.
“Where are you from?” I ask. “Must be somewhere south if you’re not used to the cold.”
Mari blushes again. “I’m actually from Queens. You must think I’m such a wimp! I can’t even handle a little cold weather.”
“No! I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to offend you. I should have noticed the accent.”
“I’m not offended, really. No one ever believes me when I say I’m from New York. I can handle the cold, but I hate it. Then again, I could never live anywhere warmer because I’d miss the snow too much.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” I agree. “I’ve traveled all over the world, but my favorite places are the ones with cooler weather.”
Mari looks at me in awe. I suspect the young woman has hardly left Queens. She grew up in New York and stayed for college. I could never have done that; I love exploring new places far too much.
“Where are you guys from?” Mari asks.
“Here in New York, actually,” I tell her. “I grew up in Brooklyn.”
“Makes sense.”
I get that a lot. Brooklyn natives have a reputation for being literature nerds and hipsters. Most of my block ended up in the arts in one way or another.
“I’m from California, actually,” Mark says. “I hope you East Coasters can forgive me for that.”
I grin at him. “We all have our faults.”
Mari laughs, looking between the two of us. Her eyes are suspicious, but she doesn’t ask any questions. I almost wish she would so that we could answer them honestly.
Instead, she glances down at her scandalously short skirt. “I wore this because of some hare-brained advice I got from my friend.”
Her admission takes a second to register. I had resolved myself to never learn the reason behind her outfit choice. Now that I know, I’m surprised. It doesn’t seem as embarrassing as she made it out to be. We’ve all taken advice from our friends that we’ve later learned to regret. I personally think Mari got fantastic advice from her friend. I’d been wondering what her legs looked like beneath the jeans she always wears. I’m not disappointed in the discovery.
“Wait, what?” Mark asks. “What do you mean?”
Mark is an exceptionally smart PhD candidate, but he can be a little slow in other areas. I keep him around anyway. He makes things interesting.