Page 9 of Irresistible Professor

Arriving at my apartment building, I parked in my designated spot in the underground garage and rode up the elevator to the ninth floor. The silence of my apartment greeted me, a stark contrast to the vibrancy of the night. I hung up my coat, the echo of the door clicking shut resonating in the stillness. I sighed, suddenly feeling tired, and the familiar mantle of loneliness settled over me. Maybe I should get a dog or something. At least then I’d have some sort of companionship. But then again what was I thinking? I didn’t have time to care for a pet right now. I had to focus on work. If I could just gather enough data to prove my hypothesis, I knew it would be enough to secure funding for a research center. I rubbed my temples as I walked through the living room to my bedroom suite. I probably just needed a good night’s sleep.

Suddenly, my phone pinged with an incoming message, making me jump. Could it be Bonnie? Had she gotten home alright? Worried, I pulled the device from my pocket.

But when I glanced at the screen, I froze.

I’m in town, and I need to see you.

Greer Tolliver, my ex-girlfriend, the woman I’d asked to be my wife, was back.

Chapter Five

Bonnie

The mid-morning sun spilled across my desk, casting a warm glow over the papers scattered in front of me. The window in Ford’s office offered a modest view of the campus courtyard, where students hurried to class, bundled up tightly against the February chill. The sky was a pale blue, and the world outside seemed to be waking up from winter's embrace.

I tapped my pen against the desk, trying to refocus my attention on the project at hand. Now that the astrophysics conference was over, I was back to helping Ford with his research publications. He had been incredibly supportive of my studies, and I felt grateful to be here.

Still, my thoughts occasionally wandered to the dance floor, where I had felt something unexpected, something that lingered in my mind despite my best efforts to push it aside.

I shook my head, trying to banish the memory. I was here to work, after all. Ford Kingston was my mentor, my colleague, and nothing more. Even if there was an undeniable chemistry between us, it wasn't something I could act on. I was engaged to Jonathan, and that was where my focus needed to be.

The thought of Jonathan was bittersweet, especially today being Valentine’s Day. He had left a box of chocolates in the kitchen before he headed off to work, a sweet gesture that would have been perfect if not for one small oversight: the chocolates were filled with nuts. The disappointment had settled in when I realized I wouldn’t be able to eat them due to my severe nut allergy. Jonathan must not have noticed, I figured. It was just a mistake. I told myself that it didn't mean anything; after all, he was always thoughtful in so many other ways. Wasn’t he?

I glanced up as the office door swung open, expecting to see Ford, but instead, a woman swept into the room like a gust of wind. She was striking, with long blonde hair that cascaded down her back in perfectly styled waves. Her eyes were a steely blue, framed by expertly applied makeup that accentuated her high cheekbones and full lips. Her outfit was straight out of a fashion magazine: a tailored designer coat over a chic dress that hugged her model-like figure, complete with towering heels and large diamond studs that caught the light with every movement. Her skin had an artificial glow, as if she spent every day lounging on a yacht in the Mediterranean rather than braving the bleak Illinois winter.

In her hands, she carried a bouquet of flowers, bright and vibrant against the neutral tones of the office. She breezed past me without so much as a glance, her eyes fixed on Ford’s empty desk.

"Hello," I managed to say, rising from my seat. "Can I help you?"

She paused, her gaze finally settling on me with a mixture of curiosity and mild disdain. Her lips curved into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. “Oh, you must be the assistant,” she said, her voice smooth and confident.

“Yes, I’m Bonnie,” I replied, unsure of how to react to her sudden appearance. “And you are?”

“Greer Tolliver,” she announced, as if her name alone should have been enough to clarify everything.

Recognition dawned on me almost instantly. The Tolliver name was well-known in town—Greer’s father was the mayor, a prominent figure whose influence extended beyond the city limits. Suddenly, everything about her made sense.

Before I could respond, Ford entered the office, his expression shifting from surprise to something more guarded when he saw Greer.

“Greer, what are you doing here?” he asked, his tone polite but edged with an unease I’d never heard from him before.

Greer’s smile widened, and she stepped forward, placing the vase of flowers on Ford’s desk with a flourish. “Ford, darling! How wonderful to see you! I know we planned to meet tomorrow for dinner, but I just couldn’t wait,” she said, adjusting the arrangement with practiced ease. “And since it’s Valentine’s Day, I thought your office could use a woman’s touch.”

She cast a condescending glance in my direction, as if implying that the place was otherwise lacking. I bristled at her insinuation, a flush of irritation warming my cheeks.

Ford shifted awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden display. “Greer, this really isn’t necessary. We’re at work, and I have a lot to do today.”

Undeterred, Greer moved closer to him, her movements fluid and deliberate as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug that lingered just a little too long. Her intentions were clear as she looked up at him with a mixture of affection and possession.

A pang of jealousy pierced my heart like an arrow, and I immediately chastised myself for it. I hadn’t even asked Ford if he was seeing someone; it wasn’t my place to assume anything about his personal life. Besides, I had no right to feel any way about it. Yet, seeing Greer with him, so different from me in every conceivable way, made me feel small and insignificant. She was everything I wasn’t—tall, poised, with the kind of polished beauty that belonged on the cover of a magazine. I glanced down at my simple blouse and skirt, feeling suddenly dowdy in comparison. My dark hair was practical, shoulder-length, and unremarkable, my curves not the sort that turned heads. I felt a wave of self-doubt wash over me, a nagging voice that whispered I didn’t belong in Greer’s world, and therefore any chemistry I’d thought I felt between Ford and me was simply my imagination. He could never be interested in me. But why did that bother me so much?

Ford disentangled himself from Greer’s embrace, stepping back to put some distance between them. “Thank you for the flowers, Greer, but I really do have to get back to work now. I’ll see you tomorrow night as we planned.”

Greer pouted for a moment, then relented, her gaze sliding back to me with a hint of challenge. “Alright, Ford. I’ll let you get back to your...work.” She gave him one last lingering look before turning on her heel and striding out of the office, her heels clicking against the floor with each step.

The silence she left in her wake was deafening, and I felt Ford’s eyes on me, gauging my reaction. I busied myself at my computer, pretending to be engrossed in work, but my mind was a jumble of confusion and uncertainty.

“Bonnie,” Ford began, his voice carefully neutral, “I’m sorry about that. Greer is my ex-girlfriend. We were engaged for a while.”

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