Page 3 of Education with Dad's Best Friend
“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen her doing it,” she says. “She usually closes the bedroom door when she works.”
Holy shit. Suspicion rises in my gut again. What does it mean?
I clear my throat. “Are you safe with your mom’s clients?”
Her eyes widen. “Yes! Mom warns them not to come close to me, and I don’t let them in when she isn’t home.”
“Good girl,” I say. My protectiveness for her magnifies as I realize the danger she’s in, being exposed to the male strangers who are most likely here to seek carnal pleasure.
I don’t understand why Elsie’s mom has to have a home business at all. As far as I know, John’s been paying her child support. They shouldn’t even be staying in this rathole of an apartment.
Chapter 2
Elsie
I try to figure out the math problems in front of me, but I’m not making much progress. I’m not lying when I say I’m scared of algebra. My brain just doesn’t function when it comes to this subject.
On top of that, Albert’s presence makes me nervous, too.
College professor. Oh, Lord. I never thought I would go to college and never expected to know a professor, not to mention having him tutor me. Mom says a college is a scary place. She went for one year and dropped out because the professors were mean and students were stuck-up. Thus, I don’t plan to go either. Not that I’ll be accepted, because look, I don’t even get algebra.
But Albert is so kind, and I feel the need to go to college now, just to impress him. I think I like algebra now because it sounds a bit like Albert.
And he’s so handsome! He doesn’t look like a math professor at all but a movie star. When Mom told me Dad found me a math tutor, I thought he would look like the teacher in the adult high school who wore gold-rimmed glasses and was bald. And when I opened the door for him, I thought he was mom’s client, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
I’ve seen a few handsome men before. Mom has some visitors that are handsome, but they aren’t breath-taking. I don’t know what makes Albert exceptional. I think it’s his eyes. They’re light brown and very intense. When they glance at me, I tend to shudder because it feels like they deliver some kind of electric current to my body. When he speaks, my girly bits hum with his deep voice. I have the impulse to touch him and to kiss him. I’ve never wanted to kiss any guy before, but Albert’s lips look so inviting.
Oh, God. What’s wrong with me? I’ve never felt this way toward anyone. Guys, including my neighbor Josh, often try to get my attention by telling me I’m pretty, but all I want is to get away from them. The way they ogle me repulses me.
But I don’t mind the gazes from Albert. I can feel them caressing me. I can feel them even when I don’t look into his eyes directly. I know which part of me he likes to look at. I don’t have large boobs, and that’s why I don’t wear a bra when I’m home alone. Now I wish I had one on because I’m self-conscious. He must think I’m a bad girl, like girls in school who wear less so guys can see what they’ve got. Well, it’s too late now. My nightgown isn’t completely see-through, after all.
“Do you need help with that?” Albert asks, reminding me I’ve been chewing my pencil for a while.
“Yeah,” I whisper.
Albert explains to me again how to add negative numbers, “You add the absolute values and then make it negative.”
That brings us to the topic of absolute values, which I don’t get either. It takes him fifteen minutes just to get me through that. He must be exhausted.
“I’m sorry,” I say to him.
“What for?”
“I feel so stupid.” Now that I get it, I wonder why I haven’t gotten it sooner because it seems easy.
“Never say that about yourself.” Albert holds both my hands and speaks while looking into my eyes. “You are a smart girl, Elsie. Not being able to do well in math doesn’t make you stupid. I’m sure you’re good at other things. You sing quite well.”
I blush because of his compliment and the touch of his skin. “Thank you,” I say. “But how do you know I sing well?”
“I heard you from outside,” he says.
“Oh. I was just howling.” I feel embarrassed.
“No, you weren’t,” he murmurs. “I would like to hear it again.”
I hesitate for a moment and then begin to sing my favorite song. “Why does the sun go on shining…”
Albert’s eyes are intense at first, and then they soften and turn dreamy.
