Page 28 of Private Tutoring
“Thank you. I’m looking forward to wowing the audience on opening night.” She did her famous head toss, the one that made boys’ eyes go glassy.
Matthew’s lips tightened, his eyes going hard as steel. “That’s good to hear. The story is worth telling, and we want to make sure we’re giving it our best effort.” With a nod for both of us, he took a step backward and to the right.
The heated feeling returned to my face, filling my cheeks with so much warmth it was like I’d walked into a volcano.
Sweat beaded on my hairline, and I reached up to dab it away. More gathered under my arms. Nothing I could do about that but hope my deodorant and the dark blue shirt wouldn’t give me away.
My heels banged against the kickboard at the edge of the stage, and I blew out a slow breath.
Leighona leaned forward, grabbing my arm and pulling me around to face her. “What the hell is that all about?”
“What?” I used the script to fan my face. “I’m melting under these lights. It’s a good thing you’re lead on this. I’d have to put on more makeup every time I walked off stage.” I meant for it to be a compliment and a distraction.
It almost worked.
Leighona preened, but her narrow-eyed glare remained. “I thought you had a crush on Professor Rossi?”
I warned her with a frown. “What about it?”
Students shouted from behind us as they wheeled out new props for the musical. They’d been working on a rolling scene setup that could be taken on and off stage with Leighona standing in the middle of it, and they practiced rolling it back and forth while one of the guys jumped on and off.
“Why are you blushing so hard?” Leighona’s grip on my arm tightened to an almost painful hold. “I’ve never seen you this flustered around Professor Bellington.”
“It’s the musical. Even though I won’t be on stage, I’m nervous about the production. I want everything to be perfect.” All true. All a distraction meant to remind Leighona of her prowess on stage.
She took the bait, but only after a long examination of my face. “I’m not nervous. I was meant for this role.” The cold way she swept a glance around the room reminded me of her tenacity and relentless pursuit of her career. It was the motto for our entire sorority, a motto I’d been more than happy to uphold.
Sleeping with my professors changed nothing. They could only break my career.
Matthew stopped at the back of the theater. He stood on the edge between light and shadow, his hands on his hips and his face obscured by the light shining in my eyes.
I spun around and stood. “Again?”
“Sure.” Leighona followed me up. If she noticed Matthew watching us, she ignored him.
That was exactly what I should be doing. Our one night together was over. I would remember it for the rest of my life. The way they’d made me feel was now my expectation. Didn’t I deserve to feel that way during sex?
Heat swept through my body. Damn it all. Leighona was right. I was flustered, and all the man had done was look at me. He’d barely even done that.
This was going to be harder than I thought. If I was this out of sorts in my easiest—and favorite—class, how was I going to make it through the others?
14
ROBERTO
Watching Harmony squirm throughout my class had to be the most delicious sight in the world. I worked through the lesson plan on autopilot, answering questions and asking my own without really hearing the answers. It was a shameful way to conduct class, but my ability to compartmentalize helped me disassociate the two.
“Now. Who can interpret this phrase?” I ran my blue marker along the board, underlining the Italian poem I’d written earlier.
A hand raised, and as much as I hoped it would be Harmony, when I turned, it was the girl behind her who waved at me.
I pointed the marker in her direction. “Yes, Miss Kirkwood?”
“For all the hearts, in all the years, it is among the stars where I find you.” Her blue eyes went soft as she clasped her hands beneath her chin.
“Correct.” Her words and pronunciation were on point, but it was Harmony’s voice I wished to hear. Should things be different, I would hear her whisper my language into my ear in the depths of night. I would hear her cry out my name in that luscious voice she hid. According to Matthew, if we truly wanted to hear her, we needed her to sing.
I had a different song in mind than one appropriate for an audience beyond my best friends. Too risky. I walked back and forth along the front row.
