Cammie Healy - Jennifer Foor Page 0,7
shake the feeling he had ulterior motives for asking me to help him.
Maybe if I would have said little tiny fish, or the smelliest cheese known to man I could have avoided what fate had in store for me. Instead I answered honestly, sealing that fate and throwing away the key. “Extra meat. I’m a carnivore.”
The smile on his face said it all. We’d gone from business to casual that quick, and for reasons that evade me, I wanted to know more about the side of him other students weren’t privy to. What drew me to him was still unknown, but clearly I was determined to get inside of his suave head no matter the cost.
Chapter 4
A six-pack of beer, and one large pie was all it took for intrigue to become something I couldn’t control. We’d been chatting about life, him talking about when he was my age, me going on and on about my huge extended family which span throughout two states. I told him about high school, my achievements, and finally my aspirations. He listened to me. Really listened. No one I knew ever wanted to hear about medical school, or the hard work I’d done to make it there. I’d always been the boring girl, but not to this man. He was interested in me, all of me. Every. Single. Part.
One minute he was passing a slice of pizza, and the next our fingers were brushing, little signs of my physical attraction to him being revealed by the second.
I swore I didn’t want this. I couldn’t. It wasn’t right.
Like jolts of electricity, I was taken back by my inability to rationalize how wrong it would be to play these kind of dangerous games. I wasn’t a fool. At any time I could have gotten up and walked away. He never held a gun to my head or promised me the world, at least not at first.
His smile was inviting, and when I said something witty he’d bite his lip with those bright white teeth. His words were well thought. He knew just what to say to keep me interested. “Tell me, where does your boyfriend think you are right now?”
I giggled, almost choking on my last bite. “There is no boyfriend. I don’t have time for that kind of nonsense in my life. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve got too much going on as it is.”
He smiled, but kept his gaze focused on me. He was trying to read me, and I didn’t like what it could result in. “I’d hardly think a woman as beautiful as you would turn away the affections of a proper suitor.”
“Well that just shows what little you know about me, Professor Willis.”
“I suppose you’re right. It’s unfortunate, if you ask me. Nothing is more important than having someone to share your life with. This time of yours should be the important ones.”
“It’s my choice. Besides, I haven’t met someone worth my time yet.”
My comment rendered him speechless for a few moments. Finally, when it was clear we were done eating, he stood to clean up the box. “From now on I want you to call me James. Professor Willis seems too formal. If we’re going to be working together I’d rather us be on a first name basis.”
“Then I suppose you should call me Cammie, since it’s obviously my name,” I stumbled.
He clapped his hands together and rubbed them. “Now that we’ve cleared that up, is there anything else you’d like to ask me? You’ve told me about yourself, but asked nothing of me.”
I shook my head. Asking personal details was something that would come with time. I didn’t want to seem like I was prying, especially after he’d already hinted about so much. “I don’t know. Are you always this nice to your students? Am I the first one you’ve helped this way?” I wanted to ask about hitting on me, but figured it wasn’t the right situation.
The look on his face was priceless. I could tell it wasn’t the question he was hoping I’d asked. Then he decided to throw himself out there to see if I’d take the bait. “Tell me, Cammie, am I the first teacher you’ve been attracted to or have there been others?”
He was cocky. This man knew he had suave.
His question was blatant, uncalled for, out of line, but also right on the mark. I sat there flabbergasted, wondering how the hell I was supposed to respond. “I beg your pardon? Are you