Page 39 of Something New

"It's not one-sided. He's great."

"He won't kiss you."

"It's not that he won't. Yeah, I guess he won't. I don't know. We're taking it slow, and honestly, Ethan's always around."

"Mark my words girl, you have no idea right now, but this is a blessing in disguise. I think you should hang up this whole idea. You might think you want this guy right now, but I'm telling you, you don't know what you're in for if he's got a kid. That is a life-changer. A kid? That would make you a mom. Uh-uh. That's something you do not want to sign up for."

"What if I do?"

He stared at me "A child, Shy? A human child? You can't tell me you're serious. You're Shy. You don't even give guys the time of day. That's what you have me for, remember? I'm your buffer on the dancefloor, and I feel like I need to be it now, honestly, girl."

"No, you don't. He's a good guy."

"Uhh, he annoys me already," Jonathan said, rolling his eyes and taking a sip of his coffee.

I smiled at him and pretended to be easygoing about it, but I wanted to stick up for John-Michael.

"Where do you even know this guy from?"

"My brothers did some work for his parents. And he teaches at my school."

"He teaches at State?"

"Yes."

He rolled his eyes and let out a huff. "You-do-you, queen, but I don't like it. I don't like anything about it. You can't hook up with a teacher who has a kid. There's like nothing more opposite of an ideal situation for you than that. It's so unbelievably opposite of what you need that I almost feel like you're joking right now."

"I'm not," I said, smiling at how dramatic and disbelieving he was.

I could appreciate that Jonathan would want to be protective of me, and I could also understand how, on paper, it would seem like John-Michael wasn't right for me. But that wasn't true, and I didn't need protecting. At least I didn't think I did. That conversation made me set it in my heart to talk to John-Michael and try to get a read on what he was feeling.

***

That happened a couple of hours later.

I spent an hour with Jonathan, and then I drove straight to campus. I sat on a park bench, thinking and trying to decide my next move.

I sent a text to John-Michael.

Me:

Are you still on campus?

I heard back from him within a minute.

John-Michael:

Yes. About to teach. Done in 1hr. You okay?

Me:

Yes, all good. I'm on campus. I'll walk over and see you when your class gets out. No rush.

He liked my message, and I put my phone in my bag. I hung out there for fifteen minutes or so before walking toward the building where he was teaching. I spent some time exploring the adjacent block because it was a nice, cool day.

His door was open, and I could hear him teaching when I made my way into his building. I waited for him down the hall. I was only there for five minutes or so when I saw a flood of people exiting the room.

I went back toward his classroom to check. He was still talking when I got there, but I could tell that he was in a different position, one closer to the door. He was in the middle of a conversation, and I backed away again, waiting in the hallway.

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