Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
“Okay, I suppose. I don’t know much about sushi but I guess this is quite good.”
He leers again.
“It’s only okay because you didn’t have soy sauce or horseradish,” he says. “If you dip the sushi in a mix of soy sauce and wasabi, it’ll be so much better,” he says. “I’ll make it for you when I take you out,” he adds with a wink.
I stare at him.
“I’m sorry?” is my confused reply. “I didn’t see the soy sauce on the table.”
He nods with a queenly air.
“It’s because this is a shitty departmental holiday party, so they didn’t get any condiments. Those spacey secretaries never get it right. But how about next weekend? Sushi Tomo over on the west side? I know the chef, so I’ll have him make you something absolutely delectable.”
I stare at him a bit before forcing my mouth closed. I don’t want to go out on a date with Professor Rossi because I’ve already been burned in that respect. I don’t want to make the same mistake twice, especially since now I have a baby to show for it.
Even more, this man is absolutely not my type. He’s sleazy, and his nose glistens under the harsh florescent lights. There must be an entire tube of gel in his hair, given its streaked, wet look, even though it’s likely completely dry.
“Oh I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I couldn’t. I have a son, and he needs me. I’d have to get a babysitter, and it’s really tough, and …”
But Maximo Rossi won’t take no for an answer.
“Then I’ll bring the sushi to your place. Address please,” he says with a charming smile. “Take out would be perfect.”
“Oh no,” I say, waving both of my hands back and forth. “I couldn’t. That’s too much. My son gets really fussy around strangers.”
But Maximo Rossi takes my elbow and guides me to the side of the room. I move stiffly but follow because I don’t want people to overhear our conversation. At least if we’re out of the way, no one will know what’s going on.
But then I realize that I’ve been foiled because the room has been decorated with bits of mistletoe hanging in random places. In fact, there’s one cluster right above our heads at the moment, and Maximo leans in, his skin porous and oily upon close observation.
“No need to freak out,” he says in his best snake-charmer voice. “Everything’s going to be fine, Aria. Just give me one kiss. You owe it to me, sweetheart. Relax. It’s the holiday season.”
I look at him with sheer terror in my eyes. Oh my gosh, I’m about to be kissed by this overbearing Romeo with the fleshy fish lips who reeks of alcohol. But he’s coming closer and closer, and I get ready to scream when suddenly, my lips are covered with a possessive male mouth that speaks of Heaven itself.
9
Roland
Who the fuck does this Maximo Rossi think he is? He’s a new assistant professor hired after I decided to take a leave of absence, but still. I didn’t know he was a lech of the umpteenth degree, dressed like a fucking 20’s gangster with his baggy suit and leering smile.
But I don’t blame him for zeroing in on Aria because she’s absolutely stunning. She’s curvy and luscious, even if she’s still hiding her incredible body under loose sweatshirts.
I don’t blame her. After all, this is the English Department’s annual holiday party, so it’s not anything fancy. It’s the opposite of fancy, in fact, with its sad food and drink and dingy decorations. But still, it’s a time for my colleagues to get together to build camaraderie with professors, staff, and students alike.
It was a last minute decision to come, to be frank. I’ve been spending my time as part of a writer’s colony up in Maine in order to get my head screwed on right. After I was cleared in the investigation, my department chair supported my decision to go off the grid, and relieved me of teaching duties for a year. It’s been a relief, living in a small wooden cabin in the forests of Maine without any distractions to detract from my writing.
Yet, the real reason why I needed to go was because of Aria. Yes, the investigation was fucking awful, but her desertion was even worse. I didn’t know what to make of it at first. She disappeared, and initially, I thought it was a mistake. She’s a young girl, and didn’t know how to handle the pressure of an academic investigation. With my support and some calm reasoning on my part, we’d get through this together.
But her disappearance was real. After it became apparent that she’d actually withdrawn from the university, my heart plummeted. What happened to having each other’s backs? What happened to staying together through thick and thin? Was it possible that when my situation became difficult, Aria was just about a good time? Did she really leave me because we were about to face the Inquisition?