Upside Down (Breaking the Rules #3) - A.M. Madden Page 0,2
be with someone. Riana deserved better. I deserved better.
That sick feeling that kept resurfacing over the past week festered in the pit of my stomach because I was single, yet again. More times than not, my thoughts would drift to the long list of failed relationships. Some lasted a few weeks, some a few months, all ending because I couldn’t seem to find that missing thing I’d only read about.
Why was it so hard for me to find that damn thing?
It wasn’t like opportunities to find love hadn’t surrounded me daily. Case in point, a few of my flirty female students hung back to chat a bit, asking what my plans were for the break. Even some of my male students tried to spark up a conversation… and a few were doing so for similar reasons as the girls.
I lost count how many times I’d been propositioned over the years. Regardless of my reputation for not dating students or colleagues, they continued to try. Known as the hottie English lit professor—their words, not mine—I was quite popular among students and other professors alike.
It was a bit embarrassing… especially the theories on why I never so much as looked at a person on campus much less romantically engaged with one. The girls had very vivid imaginations regarding that anomaly.
“He got a student pregnant years ago and transferred here on probation.”
“He and Dean Morris have been having an affair for years before her husband found out.”
“Maybe he’s gay.”
Regarding the males, it was simple. Those who were straight thought I was a cool professor. Those who thought otherwise came on to me often.
On and on the speculation went, relayed to me from some colleagues. At first it bothered me, but I’d learned to ignore it over the years. I was good at what I did. I was proud of how many lives I’d touched. But most important, I loved my job and would never do anything to jeopardize it.
So I’d searched for my happy ever after elsewhere—the gym, bars, blind dates, or even gorgeous women who barreled into my life on a boardwalk during a routine morning run.
No luck.
“Mr. Coop. Are you coming to the Library?” Peggy asked while batting her big blue eyes at me. Knowing the hottest pub on campus would be teeming with students the night before break was the last place I wanted to be. Sensing my reluctance, she pushed harder. “Come on. A bunch of us are celebrating finishing our papers. We’d love to buy you a drink.”
“Thank you, but I’ll pass,” I said, giving my customary declination.
She handed me said paper and held it a few seconds longer than necessary. I got a whiff of her perfume enveloping me and had a clear enough view of her breasts to see that her bra was red.
“One of these times we’ll get you out of this dungeon to have some fun,” she said.
I pushed back in my chair, suppressing a sigh. “Nah, I like my dungeon. Enjoy your break.”
After a few more invites, and once the last paper had been turned in, I shuffled the pile and shoved them into my messenger bag to take with me to Florida. As the best man, I’d promised my brother to leave my work behind, but with my poor sleeping habits I had a feeling I’d have plenty of time to get them graded.
“Coop?” I looked up to see my TA nervously fidgeting at the edge of my desk. “Do you want me to take half the papers to grade?”
“No, I’ll handle these, Kelly. If you could just get the lesson plans typed up for me over the break, that would be great.”
“Absolutely.” She glanced at the last few female students as they giggled their way out of the lecture hall, and then she leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I saw Riana.”
Ah. She knew.
“Kelly, I don’t want to get into this right now.” I gave her a small smile.
“I know. I just want to say I’m here if you need to talk… as a friend,” she claimed. But the lilt in the tone of her voice revealed her true intentions.
Kelly and I had met in a bar the summer before she started and had had a one-night stand. Besides first names, we hadn’t swapped any information. It had been a hot night but nothing more.
And then, on the first day of school, there she was in my classroom. The way her eyes had widened at the same time as mine had