The first day of the conference had been a whirlwind, filled with insightful presentations and networking opportunities. Tasha h bid farewell to her friend Trevor and was making her way out the large lecture room when she heard Parker’s voice behind her.
“Here you are, Professor Harrison. Are you leaving already?”
She stopped and turned back. “hey, Parker. Please call me Tasha.”
“Yes ma’am,” he hastened to cover up the gap between them. They both resumed walking. It was a short distance to their hotel.
“What about dinner tonight?” He asked with a little smile dancing on his face.
Tasha’s heart skipped a bit. She had been hoping all day that he would ask her again.
“I’d love to,” she replied, her voice a little breathless.
“Great. When would you want to have dinner?” He asked as they crossed the road.
She cocked her head to the side. “Is seven thirty okay?”
“Absolutely.” He turned to contact her eyes. “Seven thirty it is.”
“This boy is so confident,” Tasha thought to herself. “What is she trying to do to me?”
They have gotten to the hotel now, and he pressed the button to open the elevator door. They rode in silence and they didn’t talk until they came out of the elevator on their floor.
“It seems we are the only ones lodging here,” he said as they walked down the long corridor.
“Yeah, Professor Trevor said so,” she told him. “He said they could only get two rooms here, so the others are in another hotel.”
“I guess as much.” They were in front of their doors now.
“See you at seven thirty,” she said.
“Yeah,” his pupils dilated as he roamed his eyes all over her. “I will knock on your door at seven thirty.”
Tasha nodded. A lump had suddenly formed at the back of her throat. The flicker of excitement that had been dancing in her stomach turned into a full-blown flame.
He waited for her to open the door and went in.
“Tasha,” she plopped on the bed. “What is wrong with you?”
She sat up on the bed and removed her shoes, after which she brought a bottle of water out of the fridge to drink. Tossing the empty bottle of water in the trash can, she decided to take a short rest. But she couldn’t sleep. All she was thinking of was Parker Robert. His easy charm and undisguised interest had sparked something within her.
******
Tasha stood before the floor-length mirror as she fixed her earrings. The cool spring air drifting through the large window, carrying with it the distant hum of the city. Tasha took a deep breath when she was done and smoothed the fabric of her simple dress. She had a long time deciding what to wear. She didn’t want to appear over dressed, so she settled for a simple bodycon dress and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She looked into the mirror and smiled at the image people would see, the confident and a woman of logic as against the tangled mess of her emotions swirling in her heart.
Tasha knew the moment she agreed to this dinner that she was dabbling into something strange…a kind of fire that may burn her or stimulate her.
“Parker was your student,” the voice at the back of her head started again. “You are planning to become a cougar.”
She took a deep breath and said loudly, “Parker is not my student anymore and he’s an adult. Whatever happens from now on is definitely going to be conceptual.”
She stepped away from the mirror with a touch of a smile on her lips.
A knock sounded on her door, sending a tremor through her, knowing it was Parker at the other side of the door. Tasha took a deep breath to quell the butterflies in her stomach as she picked up her purse.
“Hey,” she smiled when she opened the door.
“Prof.” Parker breathed. “You are so stunning. Yellow really suits your color.”
His admiration sent a jolt of arousal through her, flooding her mind with a mixture of excitement and dread.
“Thank you,” she smiled. You are not looking bad yourself.”
Like her, he had dressed simply in a green striped button-up shirt and jeans. And he smelled nice, too.
“Shall we?” He stretched a hand to her.
“Sure,” she took his hand and they walked to the elevator. They sat at a window table in a corner.
They made their order for a cocktail each and they were served almost immediately.
“I like their service here,” Parker said.
“Yeah, they seem efficient.” Tasha picked up her drink.
He did likewise and tipped his glass towards hers. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.” She clinked the rim of her glass to hers.
“So, how has it been? I mean life after Cleverwood?”
“Well, I will say delightful,” Parker replied, his eyes not leaving Tasha’s. “Very fulfilling.”
“Good to hear that,” she sipped from her drink. “It’s such a great honor to be a co-speaker at a conference with my former student.”
“I’m glad you feel like that,” he replied with a wide smile.
“Can I ask some personal questions?” She raised her eyebrows. “If you don’t mind.”
“Of course,” he set his glass on the table. “Why not?”
“Are you married?” She asked because she didn’t want to assume he was single because he wasn’t wearing a wedding bond.
“No,” he said in a low rasp. “And I am not in any relationship at the moment.”
She nodded. And a current flew between them. She squirmed in her seat, feeling heat pooling at her core.
He smiled at her as if he knew the torture he was putting her through.
“Can I ask my own personal question? His brows dipped lower, with a glint in his eyes.
“Of course.”
“What happened between you and that fellow, Dr. Carter in Cleverwood? I know he left.”
“It didn’t work out,” she told him.
“So, you are not married?”
“Nope,” she said with a playful grin. “But I have a son now.”
“Wow, that’s great,” his smile seemed genuine.
“Thank you.”
He reached out and touched her hand and whispered, “I think we should order.”
His touch sent sparks throughout her body. She didn’t know how she could hold still.
“Yes, please,” she agreed.