time. Lately,
though, she started to think of other things, of possibly not always
teaching in Valdosta. It was silly of her, but just being around
Gianni made her think of other things.
She had been trying
her best to inch out of the President’s monthly get together
for the last hour. Every time she made it close to the door, she
seemed to get caught by someone. Gianni was supposed to be picking
her up soon and she wanted to be back in the office before he made it
to campus.
Right before she
made her escape, she was caught.
“ Hey, Kianna,
why are you here so late?”
She glanced up at
her colleague, Dr. Brenda Hollison. The daughter of two other tenured
professors on campus, it was pretty much a given that Brenda would
make it. She was definitely the epitome of what a tenured business
professor looked like. Sleek business suit, short business-like hair,
and stilettos. Why did women who were already tall seemed to feel the
need to wear those shoes from hell?
She smiled. “Not
sure what you mean by that, Brenda.”
They had both
started at the university at the same time, but for some reason,
Brenda thought she should be called by “Dr.”. So, Kianna
deliberately called her Brenda. Sure she was a bit younger than
Kianna, but there was no reason to be such a bitch.
“ I just
thought you would be out with that boy toy of yours.”
She said it loud
enough that a few people turned their heads.
“ Excuse me?”
“ That young
man you’ve been seeing.”
“ I haven’t
been seeing a young man. I’ve been dating a PJ.”
“ Oh.”
She took a sip of her martini and smiled. “I just wondered why
you didn’t invite him here. It seems that you don’t want
any of us to know about him.”
She hadn’t
been hiding him really. Sort of—but not because of his age.
Their relationship was so new and so special, she didn’t want
anyone but family knowing. She just wanted to keep him all to herself
as long as she could. When Brenda glanced over Kianna’s
shoulder, her smile turned evil. Kianna turned to find Gianni waiting
for her.
“ Hey, Gianni,”
she said walking over to him.
“ Hey.”
He gave her a kiss on the cheek and she tried not to get embarrassed.
She wasn’t a woman who liked huge displays of affection,
especially in her work place.
“ Are you going
to introduce me?” Brenda asked.
“ Of course.
Gianni, this is Brenda Hollison. Brenda, this is Gianni Santini.”
She held out her
hand and Gianni shook it, then dropped it like she was poison. She
wanted to smile, but didn’t. Most men were enamored with a reed
thin bleach blonde with perfect teeth and surgery perfect breasts.
Gianni was different.
“ Let’s
go, Gianni, I need to pick up some things at my office.”
He nodded and
followed her out. While she shut down her computer and locked up her
office, she felt as if there was something wrong. Gianni said
nothing, but there was a vibe she didn’t like coming off of
him. By the time they got to her place she was ready to scream.
“ What?”
He looked at her and
blinked. “What do you mean what?”
“ What has you
irritated?”
“ Nothing.”
God save her from
stubborn men.
“ Nothing?”
He just looked at
her. This was not the laughing man she was in love with.
Her brain stopped
working and her world tilted a bit.
Oh shit.
No. No. No. She was not in love with the man. No way. He was younger. This was an
affair. And right now, she wanted to smack him upside the head. She
could take him being mad but she couldn’t take him shutting her
out. It was something her mother had done as punishment to all of
them. And she hated it.
“ If you aren’t
going to talk to me, then why not leave?”
“ I just want
to know what functions I am allowed to attend.”
What the hell was he
talking about? Maybe she had been dropped down the rabbit hole, or
maybe it was just because she just realized she was in love with the
stupid man.
“ Excuse me?”
He crossed his arms.
The eyes that
though, she started to think of other things, of possibly not always
teaching in Valdosta. It was silly of her, but just being around
Gianni made her think of other things.
She had been trying
her best to inch out of the President’s monthly get together
for the last hour. Every time she made it close to the door, she
seemed to get caught by someone. Gianni was supposed to be picking
her up soon and she wanted to be back in the office before he made it
to campus.
Right before she
made her escape, she was caught.
“ Hey, Kianna,
why are you here so late?”
She glanced up at
her colleague, Dr. Brenda Hollison. The daughter of two other tenured
professors on campus, it was pretty much a given that Brenda would
make it. She was definitely the epitome of what a tenured business
professor looked like. Sleek business suit, short business-like hair,
and stilettos. Why did women who were already tall seemed to feel the
need to wear those shoes from hell?
She smiled. “Not
sure what you mean by that, Brenda.”
They had both
started at the university at the same time, but for some reason,
Brenda thought she should be called by “Dr.”. So, Kianna
deliberately called her Brenda. Sure she was a bit younger than
Kianna, but there was no reason to be such a bitch.
“ I just
thought you would be out with that boy toy of yours.”
She said it loud
enough that a few people turned their heads.
“ Excuse me?”
“ That young
man you’ve been seeing.”
“ I haven’t
been seeing a young man. I’ve been dating a PJ.”
“ Oh.”
She took a sip of her martini and smiled. “I just wondered why
you didn’t invite him here. It seems that you don’t want
any of us to know about him.”
She hadn’t
been hiding him really. Sort of—but not because of his age.
Their relationship was so new and so special, she didn’t want
anyone but family knowing. She just wanted to keep him all to herself
as long as she could. When Brenda glanced over Kianna’s
shoulder, her smile turned evil. Kianna turned to find Gianni waiting
for her.
“ Hey, Gianni,”
she said walking over to him.
“ Hey.”
He gave her a kiss on the cheek and she tried not to get embarrassed.
She wasn’t a woman who liked huge displays of affection,
especially in her work place.
“ Are you going
to introduce me?” Brenda asked.
“ Of course.
Gianni, this is Brenda Hollison. Brenda, this is Gianni Santini.”
She held out her
hand and Gianni shook it, then dropped it like she was poison. She
wanted to smile, but didn’t. Most men were enamored with a reed
thin bleach blonde with perfect teeth and surgery perfect breasts.
Gianni was different.
“ Let’s
go, Gianni, I need to pick up some things at my office.”
He nodded and
followed her out. While she shut down her computer and locked up her
office, she felt as if there was something wrong. Gianni said
nothing, but there was a vibe she didn’t like coming off of
him. By the time they got to her place she was ready to scream.
“ What?”
He looked at her and
blinked. “What do you mean what?”
“ What has you
irritated?”
“ Nothing.”
God save her from
stubborn men.
“ Nothing?”
He just looked at
her. This was not the laughing man she was in love with.
Her brain stopped
working and her world tilted a bit.
Oh shit.
No. No. No. She was not in love with the man. No way. He was younger. This was an
affair. And right now, she wanted to smack him upside the head. She
could take him being mad but she couldn’t take him shutting her
out. It was something her mother had done as punishment to all of
them. And she hated it.
“ If you aren’t
going to talk to me, then why not leave?”
“ I just want
to know what functions I am allowed to attend.”
What the hell was he
talking about? Maybe she had been dropped down the rabbit hole, or
maybe it was just because she just realized she was in love with the
stupid man.
“ Excuse me?”
He crossed his arms.
The eyes that
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