I walked around the store a bit more searching for a piggy bank, but there wasn’t one. Then I searched another store. And another. And another. Slowly making my way down Main Street, trying to find the one thing that apparently wasn’t available anywhere. I’d never owned a piggy bank growing up. And I was pretty sure I hadn’t touched any change in years. I was the last person that would know where to find one. But once I set my mind on a task, it was hard for me to stop.
At the end of Main Street, I looked up at the last possible store to look in. A dollar store. I laughed. And I’d certainly never been in one of those before. But there was a first time for everything. I walked in and a bell jingled above my head. Was that to notify employees of shoppers coming in or out? Certainly it was for people coming in. Because no one could steal that much valuable inventory from a dollar store.
I shoved my hands into my shorts’ pockets as I roamed through the disorganized aisles until suddenly I found one. A tiny pink piggy bank. I lifted it up. It was perfect. And my bad vibes toward the store disappeared. Hell, this store had everything. I caught my reflection in a small mirror. I was a disheveled mess from my run. It was hard to imagine I’d ever been in New York at all. The suits. The money. Honestly, I looked like I fit in hanging out in here. Not just the dollar store. But Newark. I smiled to myself and looked back down at the piggy bank. Or maybe I was losing my mind.
The cashier rolled her eyes at me as I pulled out a credit card to pay for the dollar piggy bank. For a moment I was debating whether I should stop by the bank to get some pennies to fill it with. But I had a feeling the bank teller would have the same reaction as this cashier. Besides, what would I do with a roll full of pennies?
By the time I walked back out on Main Street it was dark. I’d been wandering around for hours in sweaty workout clothes searching for a piggy bank for a student. I looked down at the paper bag. God damn it. I’d turned into the stalker.
Chapter 4
Thursday
I could hear music blaring outside. For such an expensive apartment, the walls seemed rather thin. I turned off my computer and glanced out the window at the rowdy students. It was raining. Again. When I was in college, I wouldn’t have let a little rain keep me from a party either. But that was a long time ago.
I stretched my arms above my head. There were no papers to grade or anything else to distract me. My lesson plans were already written for the next few weeks. None of that was on my mind though.
Penny Taylor. I was tempted to look her up in the school directory. But what did it matter? She was in my Comm class. Which meant she was a senior. Which meant she was off-limits for two more semesters. There was nothing else I needed to know.
Why didn’t that dismiss her from my thoughts? If anything, telling myself I couldn’t have her made it even more impossible to push the thought of her aside.
I needed fresh air. I stood up from my desk and walked out into the hall. I ignored the empty walls and lack of any decorations. There was no reason to hang images of people that weren’t here. That wasn’t a cure for loneliness.
I laughed. There was no cure for being lonely. Was that really why I was fixated on Penny? I pulled on my jacket. She wasn’t exactly the person to help me if that was my problem. Before pressing the elevator button, I grabbed an umbrella.
Besides, it was better when I was alone. I exited into the parking garage instead of the lobby so I wouldn’t risk having to socialize with anyone. It was definitely better when I was alone. I stepped out in the rain and opened my umbrella.
The sound of the rain against the fabric of the umbrella was soothing. I didn’t move here to find a girlfriend. I was here for a fresh start. I walked down Main Street, trying to clear my head. Now that classes had started back up, I was going to be fine. Or at least focused. I sighed. Who the hell was I kidding? The only thing I was focused on was a certain undergrad.
And then she was there. I blinked, assuming I was imagining her. No, that was definitely Penny walking a few paces ahead of me. Her red hair was unmistakable. I should have turned around as soon as I saw her. I needed distance from her if anything. Instead, I increased my pace.
She was dressed in a ridiculous sparkly blue miniskirt and a pair of heels that were way too high for her current state. She was stumbling down Main Street, obviously drunk. All I could focus on were her long legs. The rain on her skin almost shimmered as much as her skirt.
I knew I shouldn’t. I knew talking to her outside of class was the last thing I should be doing. But I couldn’t let her walk home like that. It was my responsibility, as her professor, to make sure she was safe. Right? "Miss Taylor, is that you?" I called.
She stopped mid-step, like hearing my voice froze her. "Um...no. You have the wrong person,” she said and quickly started walking again without even glancing at me over her shoulder.
She still looked wobbly in her heels. And clearly she didn’t want me to approach her. I knew I should let her go. But I couldn’t. What if she fell? Or worse. Someone could take advantage of her. It happened on college campuses all the time. She needed my help. I needed to keep her safe.
Again, I knew I should let her go. Instead, I started jogging up to her. I wasn’t some frat boy creep. I’d help her get home. I wouldn’t even touch her. I’d be a good professor, helping out a student in need. That was it. “Penny, stop!”
She turned around and stared up at me. But her eyes didn’t stay on my face. They slowly wandered down my body, like she was drinking me in.
She’s drunk. She doesn’t know what she’s doing. But I just stood there, letting her do it. I liked her eyes on me. Besides, it gave me a moment to stare at her long legs again. And her… I swallowed hard. She was wearing a white tank top. In the rain. Fuck. What was she trying to do to me? I forced my eyes back to her face.
"Professor Hunter, I'm sorry..." she let her voice trail off and folded her arms across her chest to help hide her breasts.
Professor Hunter. What was it about the way she said it? It just sounded sexy falling from her lips. And wrong. So fucking wrong. "You like to apologize when you've done nothing wrong,” I said. I was the one doing something wrong. I couldn’t stop staring at her. I stepped forward to prevent myself from ogling her. And to get her under my umbrella to keep her dry. Mostly the keeping her dry thing, of course. I tried to tell myself I had no ulterior motives for being closer to her. I gripped my umbrella tighter so I wouldn’t touch her.
As soon as I drew closer, I saw the mascara under her eyes. And her beautiful blue irises were surrounded by red. She had been crying. Had I been too late? Had someone already hurt her? I resisted pulling her close. That was the last thing she probably wanted. And the last thing I should do. "Is everything alright, Penny?"
"I'm fine,” she said too quickly for me to believe her.
"Then what are you doing out so late all by yourself?" I did care about her safety. I truly did. But I was also curious about her being alone. I thought about the boy that had talked to her in class. Were they dating? Was she dating anyone? And where the hell had she come from? A party? A date? What kind of prick wouldn’t walk her home?
"I could ask the same of you,” she said.
"I was just going for a walk."