Page 33 of The Marriage Deal
"W-what are you doing here?" I hated how breathless I sounded. I still hadn't gotten used to not bringing up the last kiss we had in my mind whenever we were together.
"What everyone does in a cafeteria. Eat food."
"Can your stomach process that thing?" I said, pointing at the burrito.
A small smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. He slowly unwrapped it, lifted it to his mouth, took a bite, and chewed. Then nodded. "It seems to go down fine," he said. Then, taking me by surprise that I wasn't sure was left in me, he draped his arm across my chair, a clear move of claiming me.
Jess shifted in her seat, enjoying herself.
"What are you doing?" I practically whispered to Levi.
"Will you stop asking that?" Levi said.
"It's not appropriate."
"Sitting next to you is not appropriate? What makes them?" He gestured to Wyatt and Billie, whose attention was now on us.
"Still."
"I thought we were a married couple," he whispered in my ear. "We even slept in the same bed. We would be considered married in the thirteenth century England."
"Ha. Too bad for you we're not in England."
He drew back with a smile and took another bite of his wrap like it was the most normal thing for him to do. The way he was sitting and whispering in my ear, one would think he was saying sweet nothings, like an obsessed boyfriend. Like a loving husband.
That's what Wyatt seemed to assume because he then said in a not so conversational voice, "Isn't it odd, Billie, that those two are dating like there's nothing wrong? I'm sure there's something in the rule book against professors dating their students."
"I'm not his student," I blurted out.
"Dating your teaching assistant also seems inappropriate. Don't you think, Jessy?"
Jess hated being called Jessy, and she ground her teeth before saying, "That's not an issue when the couple is married, Wyatt. Which," she gestured at us. "They are."
Billie snorted. "Show us the ring, then."
But her question was drowned out by the dean taking the most inopportune time to pass by, hear the last snippets of our conversation, stop and say, "Ha! I knew it was you two I saw at City Hall!"
14
Elvira
THE DAYS FOLLOWING THE reveal were chaotic. People came to our department congratulating us, but it was obvious the visits were to sniff out the latest gossip. Someone had sent a complaint to HR about us, my money was on Wyatt, and we got a visit from the HR lady. But just as Levi had said, since Levi was not my supervising professor, there were no issues in us being together. Although she had given Levi a side eye and made us watch a video on harassment in the workplace.
I had to put on my wedding ring again, because it would have been conspicuous if I didn't have one. And it was just as well that I did, because when I went to the break room one morning, a few colleagues wanted to see what it looked like.
"It's so pretty," an adjunct from the anthropology department said as she tilted my ring finger so the diamond would catch the light of the fluorescent bulbs. "It's what I would expect someone like you to wear." I raised my eyebrows at Jess, who was standing in the corner of the room taking way too long to make tea.
Everyone wanted to know how long Levi and I had been dating. When it started, and if we were going on a honeymoon. When I said I didn't want to do so on the last part, the group went into an uproar. "Don't be a bore!" "He has the money!" and "If I were you, I would want that hot piece of ass to myself for at least a month."
After that, I told them we're not sure where to go and are thinking about it. The group eventually filtered out of the breakroom, and it was just Jess and me. There was a lot I wanted to say to her. But before we could talk, Levi entered, empty cup dangling on his thumb. Something flashed on his hand. He was also wearing his ring. I don't know why that made my heart stutter.
Jess flashed an apologetic smile at him. "Sorry for spilling your secrets."
I scoffed. "He gets an apology and I don't?"
"Yeah, but I was trying to save you, so…"
"I don't believe you!"
