Page 31 of Private Tutoring
And Leighona had noticed. I’d overheard bits of their conversation as I walked away and hid in my office the rest of the class.
I needed a glass of wine, or something stronger, and a workout.
The elevator doors opened, and I crossed into our apartment, already removing my tie and yanking my shirt off. A few hours with the weights should take the edge off.
Stephen sat at the counter, a glass of whiskey in one hand and the other cupped over his forehead as he leaned forward.
“You too?” I tossed my clothes in the hamper as I passed the utility room and beelined to the refrigerator for a bottle ofwater. I’d hit the harder stuff once I’d worked off some of the testosterone that begged me to find Harmony and work off my energy another way.
A better way.
I fisted the bottle of water and rolled it across my forehead.
Stephen grunted and tossed back the whiskey. The crystal decanter he’d inherited from his father sat by his elbow, and he poured another splash into the glass. He swirled the amber colored liquid around and stared past me, looking out the windows at the New York skyline obscured by clouds and smog. “You could say that.”
“Harmony in your class today?” I cracked the seal on the bottle and took a drink. The icy liquid traveled down my throat and hit my empty stomach with a splash.
Stephen shook his head and downed the whiskey. His gaze remained clear and sharp, which told me he’d just gotten started with the liquor.
“Come on.” I picked up the decanter and set it on the bar beside the refrigerator. “That shit isn’t going to help a damned bit.” Grabbing another bottle of water, I shoved his chair with one foot. “Let’s hit the weights.”
He made another grunting sound that most people would find intimidating.
I gave him a shitty grin and pushed his shoulder. “Now.”
Cussing under his breath, he stood and removed his dress shirt.
Somewhere along the course of our friendship and tenure at the college, we’d stopped bothering to change clothes to work out after class.
I had no idea why.
The elevator dinged and we both turned to face Roberto.
He took in the state of us and grinned. “Glad I caught you both. We need to talk.”
“I really fucking hate it when you say that.” Stephen backtracked to the decanter. “Am I going to need more of this?”
“No.” Roberto rubbed his palms together, a devilish gleam turning into a shit-eating smile that dimpled his cheeks. “I talked to Harmony today.”
Stephen stiffened so fast his spine cracked. “She’s your student. I hope you wouldn’t ignore her.”
“I talked to her about us.” He pointed at Stephen first, then me. “We had a rather enlightening conversation, and then I invited her here to talk. Tonight.”
“The fuck you did.” Stephen stalked over, hands clenched into tight fists. “We agreed not to see her anymore. One night. That was the deal.”
“That wasyourdeal. I never agreed.” Roberto didn’t back down from Stephen’s powerful advance.
I racked my brain, trying to remember the moment when Roberto agreed. I’d been sure he said it should end with our one time together. My mind was full of images of Harmony and the time we’d spent together. If Roberto had agreed, I’d lost the memory.
“Even if I said we should end it then, that was because I knew it was the right thing to do. That doesn’t mean it’s what I want.” Roberto held out a hand when Stephen drew too close. “Check yourself, Stephen. I’m not getting into a brawl with you over this. You’re not drunk, and you’re perfectly capable of having a conversation.”
The man called Stephen out without a fucking care in the world. I admired him for that, and for the way Stephen took a step back when he realized Roberto meant every word.
“It’s a mistake.” Stephen collapsed into a large chair beneath the windows. The white walls on either side of the windows made him appear washed out, but that might have been theliquor and his guilt. “We took a huge risk having sex with her once. Now you want to do it again?”
“I want to have a conversation with Harmony and see what she wants.” Roberto stepped into the living room and sank onto the edge of the leather sofa. “What we felt was too real to give up.”
His words worked through me in a crazy rush of adrenaline. All thoughts of working out vanished at the thought of seeing Harmony again. If things turned out the way I hoped, I’d need all my energy.
