“Well, for one, I’m an idiot.” He dropped his head back and laughed. “And second, I love the taste. I’m addicted.”
We sat in silence, each looking around, avoiding the other’s eyes. I had no idea what to say, and no idea why he’d invited me for coffee. We knew nothing about each other and probably had nothing in common. And yet I’d jumped at the chance to join him.
Well, nothing in common except Club V. But I think we were both going to pretend that wasn’t hanging between us.
And of course, our favorite author.
“So, Senna, do you have family in the area?” he finally asked.
Grateful for something to talk about, I began to blabber. Because, of course.
Why was I nervous around this guy, dammit? I spent plenty of time around men, both good looking and not so good looking, and it was just business as usual.
But, if I were honest with myself, there was something tantalizing about the student-teacher dynamic. Especially when your teacher was so fucking hot. And had seen you nearly naked. And liked the same books as you.
“No, they’re downstate. My dad is deceased, and my mom is… disabled.”
That usually put an end to the family talk.
But not with Adler.
“How’d you lose your dad?” he asked, waving at a pretty young coed who had called at him from across the café.
“It’s kind of a crazy story. When I was ten, he went over to the neighbors because he heard screaming. Turned out they were having a fight. A domestic disturbance, as the police called it. My dad got shot.”
The tragedy of the story always got people, and from the expression on Adler’s face, he was no different.
“Jesus Christ. That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
Before we could get into how my mom lost her mind after she lost my father, I changed the subject.
“Hey, I visited that bookstore you told me about.”
“Thidwick’s! Isn’t it great?”
Um, no.
“They weren’t too… welcoming. Let’s put it that way.”
He frowned and put down his coffee. “What do you mean?”
I took a deep breath. “I guess I’m not their normal customer. They kind of chased me out when all I wanted to do was browse.”
“Are you kidding me?” he said, shaking his head. “God. I’m sorry. I had no idea they were that way.”
“That’s because you look like the kind of person who belongs there.”
He shook his head. “What a bunch of assholes.”
He rubbed his chin, clearly trying to make sense of the difference in our experiences there. But before he decided to pity me, I took control. Or tried to.
“Professor, why did you ask me to coffee?”
A huge grin broke out across his face, and his eyes crinkled just the smallest amount. After looking at his coffee for a second, his gaze returned to mine, and he stared. Like he could see inside me.
But I wasn’t going to squirm. That was what other girls did.
He took a deep breath. “I like how unapologetic you are.”
What the hell did that mean?
He saw the confusion on my face and leaned closer. “Look. We both know I am aware of your work at Club V. And instead of being embarrassed or worse, you hold your head up high. As though, if someone thought less of you, it was their problem instead of yours.”
A warm blush washed across my face. Compliments always did that to me. I guess because I wasn’t used to them.
“You know how much strength it takes to do that?” he asked.
Holy shit. I didn’t think I’d ever had anyone say something like that to me. It was so… kind.
A lump started building in my throat. Time to get the hell out of there.
“Well, I had better get going. I still have a lot of studying to do. I added Professor Baldwyn’s French class.”
He smiled at that, putting the plastic to-go lid on his coffee.
“Happy to give you a ride to your car,” he said.
Looking outside, I realized it was already dark. “Thanks. That would be great.”
We rode in silence.
“I’m just up here on the right. The white Honda Civic,” I said, pointing.
He pulled up next to my car and stopped, putting his own in park.
Oh god. Why did he do that?
My heart pounded. “Thank you for your kind words back there in the coffee shop,” I said. “I didn’t mean to seem ungrateful. I guess I was just surprised.”
“You’re welcome,” he said quietly.
I grabbed the door handle.
“Wait. Here is my phone number. Text me next time you want to go to Thidwick’s. I’ll go