by Ivy Smoak
"Hey." He cupped my chin in his hand. "I do think you're strong. I think you're perfect. You don't need to prove anything to me."
I smiled up at him.
"Does that mean my apartment is cozy enough already?"
I laughed. "It could be cozier."
"Mhm. So back to my original question. What else do we need?
"A rug in the living room might be nice."
"Good thinking."
***
"What about L.A.?" James asked, as we pulled to a stop at an intersection.
"I think I want to stay on the east coast."
"Finally, now we're getting somewhere." He turned to me and smiled. "North or south?"
"North. I think I'd miss the snow."
"Me too." He put his foot on the gas when the light turned green. "But I don't want to go too far north. Tons of snow would be worse than no snow."
"You're probably right." I pulled my legs up onto my seat. New York seemed to be a good fit. Minus the fact that I preferred a back yard with grass and friendly neighbors. But central park had been beautiful. That whole day I had spent with him in New York had been wonderful. "If we moved to New York, where would we live?"
"If we moved to New York, I think I'd like you to give the city a try. Maybe an apartment in Manhattan?"
"Would that be weird? You know so many people in the city. I wouldn't know anyone at all. Tyler said he was going to interview for a position where he'd have to move there, but that wouldn't be until after he graduates. And he might not even get it."
James didn't even seem to react to me mentioning Tyler. Maybe he was starting to accept the fact that he was my friend.
"You'd know me. Penny, if we moved to New York, I'd still be hanging out with you all the time. I prefer spending my time with you."
I could tell that was where he wanted to be. "You said you left New York because you needed a change. If you went back, do you think you'd be unhappy again?" I couldn't help but think about his addiction problem. His brother had been here for less than 24 hours and James had already drank more than I had ever seen him drink. Maybe being around people he used to know wasn't what was best for him. But he had seemed so happy during our day trip to New York. It was his home.
"I'm not sure I could possibly be unhappy as long as I have you." He didn't turn to me and smile. He wasn't saying it to be flirtatious. He said it because he thought it was true. It was similar to what he had said to me after he hadn't spoken to me for weeks. That he couldn't possibly have a good life without me in it.
"I think we should go to New York then."
He laughed. "I thought you didn't like the city?"
"I liked it with you."
He put his hand on the center console and I quickly grabbed it. He ran his thumb across my knuckles. "Is that really what you want to do?"
"NYCU has a beautiful campus. And it's only a 15 minute subway ride from Manhattan."
He turned toward me and smiled. "You've been thinking about this for awhile?"
I shrugged. "I did a little research. And wouldn't it be easier to start a company there? With all your connections and stuff?"
"Connections and stuff?" He laughed. "I don't need investors. I can start it anywhere. I was starting it here. But yes, I probably would have had to go to New York every now and then."
"So let's just go permanently."
"Is that really what you want to do?"
"Yes." I squeezed his hand. I wanted to start my life with him.
"You're sure?"
"I'm positive."
He pulled to a stop outside his apartment building and leaned over and kissed me. "So how about we tell the reporters what really happened?"
They were already rushing over to his car.
"You don't care about making Joe mad?" I asked.
"Nope. I care about making you happy." He kissed me again before stepping out of the car.
I opened up the door to follow him.
"James! Are the allegations true? Have you seduced several students at the University of New Castle?" A woman's microphone was already waving in front of his face.
"No." He looked over at me and held out his hand.
I grabbed it and he pulled me beside me.
"Just Penny." He was talking to the reporter, but he was looking down at me.
"How did your affair start?"
"It isn't an affair. I filed for divorce last year. My ex-wife and I have been separated since then." James tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. We were in front of dozens of cameras, but it somehow seemed like we were alone. I loved how he made me feel like I was the only one that mattered.
"How long has this been going on?"
"We met right before classes started."
"You met outside of class?" The woman looked surprised.
I turned toward the reporter. "Yes, we met in a coffee shop. Actually, we didn't really meet so much as he bumped into me and spilled coffee all over my shirt. He was really sweet; he let me borrow his sweater so I wouldn't have to walk around campus with a big coffee stain down the front of me. I thought he was just another student. I was shocked when I went to class the next day and found out he was a professor."
The woman smiled at us.
Maybe we can win them over.
Another reporter stepped in beside her. "How many students did you have relationships with before Penny?" He was gruff and didn't seem touched at all by the story of how we met.
Maybe we can't win them over.
"None. Just Penny."
"And what about Blive Tech International? Did you make a habit of sleeping with your employees? Maybe your young interns?"
"No. All of my relationships at Blive Tech International were purely professional. I don't even think I ever met any of the interns."
"So what made you be unprofessional in your current position? What made you break the code of conduct at the University of New Castle?"
"We didn't break any rules. Student-professor relationships aren't mentioned in the handbook. Given the fact that we didn't do anything wrong, I think we've both suffered enough backlash. I'm appalled by how the university has handled this situation. And I'm greatly disturbed by how the entire campus has reacted. By harassing Penny and I instead of trying to find the truth."
"Of course there's been backlash. Because the university has found the truth. There's evidence that you've had sexual relationships with several students in addition to her."
"Which isn't true. I get it, okay? It's their word against mine. But every girl that came forward was failing or almost failing one of my classes. With their testimony, their classes were canceled and they got As. They must have known what would happen. I don't think their motive could be any more obvious. The university should be punishing them, not us. Or at least trying to get to the bottom of what happened instead of pretending lies are the truth."
"Three young, innocent women with no priors are definitely trusted over a rich bachelor who didn't even need this job. Why did you even start teaching here? Was it just so you could sleep with your students?"
"I was trying to give back to the community. And it's just one student. Just Penny. I had no idea when I accepted this job that I was going to fall in love."
"She's eight years younger than you."
"She's only seven years younger than me. You should really get your facts straight."
The reporter frowned.
"What made you pursue this relationship?" the first reporter said, pushing herself back in front of the surly one. "Even when you knew what might happen if people found out?"
"Something happened to me when I met Penny. Everything just...nothing was..." His voice trailed off. "What no one seems to understand is that we're just two normal people who fell in love. Yes, the circumstances weren't ideal. But what we have is. I don't really care what people say about me. Spread all the rumors that you want. All I care about is Penny. All I care about is what we have."
"If you aren't gui
lty then why did you resign?" the rude reporter asked.
"I resigned because the dean told me that I couldn't keep working here if I continued my relationship with Penny. That was never an option. Like you said, I don't need this job. But I do need her."
"Did he sexually harass you, Penny? Did he force..."
"No. Haven't you been listening at all? Absolutely not. He resigned so he could be with me. Because he loves me. James is sweet and thoughtful. He's smart and kind and charming. He's always been such a gentleman. He never forced me to do anything. I'm so in love with him. I don't understand why you're choosing to vilify him. And I agree with James completely. Make up whatever you want about us. We're not going to let you affect our relationship. We're not going to let all this toxicity hurt us. That's why I'm done here. I'm not going to finish school at a university that clearly doesn't want me."
"Are you moving? Are you transferring to a different school?" The nicer reporter asked.
"Look, you're all going to need to find a new hobby," James said. "Because we're not going to be here for much longer. We don't want to be associated with a community that is filled with hate. I expected more from the students around campus. And I definitely expected more from the other professors at this institution. Maybe that's a story you should be chasing. Penny and I are going to try our luck somewhere else."
"Where are you moving?"
"We don't have any more comments at this time." James pulled me back to the car and opened the door for me. He walked around the back of the car to avoid the reporters and climbed into the driver's side. "You were right. That was a good idea. It was nice to finally say something bad about this ridiculous university."
"Yeah. Fuck them."
James laughed. "You're right. Fuck them."
Chapter 33
Saturday
"Hey, guys!" Rob said as we stepped off the elevator. "Why won't you die?"
I looked over at him. He was sitting on the couch with a videogame controller in his hand. Sitting right next to him was Brendan. God no. Why is Brendan in our apartment? I just had the most relaxing day with James. This was surely going to set him off. Why now?
"Boom, suck it!" Brendan stood up and made a rude gesture toward Rob.
Rob threw his game controller at him. "Suck that."
Brendan caught it in one hand and looked over at me. "Hey, Penny." He was smirking at me.
"Hi, Brendan." Stop smirking at me.
James tightened his grip around my waist.
Damn it.
"Oh yeah, Penny, I ran into your friend in the elevator," Rob said. "If I had known he was so good at this game I never would have asked him to play, though."
"You're such a sore loser." Brendan tossed both controllers down on the couch and walked over to James and me. "Hey, man. We haven't officially met, but I've certainly heard a lot about you." He put his hand out for James. "I'm Brendan."
James let go of my waist and shook his hand. "I think I owe you a thank you for taking Penny to the hospital the other day."
"No problem."
"I'm glad to see you're still alive," Brendan said to me. "I've been waiting for your call all week." He leaned down and hugged me.
"Sorry," I said and patted his back awkwardly.
"Yeah, I'm thankful for what you did." James put his hand on Brendan's shoulder. "But I don't appreciate the fact that you made out with my girlfriend."
Brendan released me from his hug and laughed. "Oh. You know about that? Well, she wasn't exactly your girlfriend when that happened. Either time."
"Either time?" James said.
Rob laughed and ran over to us. "Seriously? You hooked up with Penny? This is just too good. Anyone want a beer?"
"What do you mean either time?" James asked.
"The second time doesn't really count I guess," Brendan said and leaned against the kitchen counter. "I kissed her, she didn't kiss me back."
"When?" James turned to me.
"In the hospital," I said. I had already told James about the first time I had kissed Brendan. I barely even remembered being in the hospital. But I remembered that now. Brendan was right. I didn't kiss him back. I had already decided to be with James.
"Don't get mad at her. I'm pretty sure she was doped up on morphine and she still pushed me off. Cleary she chose you. I didn't even get a thank you for sending her flowers. I'm not used to losing. I'll have a beer," he said to Rob.
"You got it." Rob slid a beer down the counter and Brendan picked it up.
"I do really appreciate the fact that you were there when Penny fainted," James said. "But I think it's probably best if we don't make it a habit to hang out here."
"Calm down, James. Brendan's cool. He even apologized for hooking up with your girlfriend. That's a quality guy," Rob said. "Besides, you can't blame him for trying. That's the risk of having a hot girlfriend."
"I'm not sure I'm completely comfortable having two guys here hitting on her," James said.
"I'm not hitting on Penny," Rob said. "She's the one that clearly wants me." He winked at me. "Was she a good kisser, Brendan? I bet she was a good kisser."
"A great kisser." Brendan smiled at me.
"I knew it," Rob said.
"Okay," I said. This was so ridiculous. "Will you all just stop? Stop talking about me like I'm not standing right here. James, Brendan's just a friend. I told you that. And actually, you should be thanking him because I talked to him that afternoon when I left your place confused. And he told me to choose you. He was actually really nice and helpful."
"That's true," Brendan said. "She told me you were a better lay than Tyler, so I told her she should choose you. I didn't even hit on her. Or wait. Maybe I did. I think I probably said that if she really wanted to know what a good lay was she should call me."
"I said stop talking. But yeah. See. He was just being a good friend. Despite that last part. And Rob," I said, turning to him. "I don't want to sleep with you. I'm in love with your brother. So please just stop saying super weird things to me. It's really inappropriate."
"I do like you," Rob said. "You're like a million times better than the troll. Feisty too. I like a girl that can stick up for herself."
"Oh my God. I asked you to stop."
Rob smiled at me. "Stopping." He pretended to lock his mouth and throw away the key. "And Brendan's not going to hit on Penny anymore either, right Brendan?"
I wasn't at all surprised that Rob had immediately started talking right after he had thrown away the key.
"Sure, I won't hit on her anymore," Brendan said. He took a sip of his beer.
"How about you two go hang out at Brendan's place?" James said.
"But I just set up the Xbox! Let's all play Golden Eye. We can shoot it out." Rob patted James' chest and walked back toward the living room. "Besides, Penny promised to school us."
"I doubt that," Brendan said and followed him back to the T.V.
"Of course Rob had to befriend Brendan," James whispered to me. "I don't like this at all. I want you all to myself."
I laughed. "James, they're just joking around. You do have me all to yourself."
"They're not joking around." He looked down at me and smiled. "Even three men flirting with you isn't enough to make you realize how beautiful you are."
He didn't seem as mad as I thought he would. Maybe he was finally understanding that all I wanted was him.
"You're the only man that makes me feel beautiful." I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Hey, love birds! It's game time!" Rob called over to us.
James put his lips against my ear. "Let's take them down."
"Okay, partner." I reached down and squeezed his ass.
He laughed and grabbed my hand. "Rob is right. You are feisty. And all mine. I can't wait to move and have you all to myself again. There are so many things I'd rather be doing than playing videogames right now."
The way he was looking at me made me gulp.
He led me over to the couch
and pulled me onto his lap as he sat down.
I laughed as he wrapped his arms around me.
"You guys can't seriously play like that. Come on, I need help killing Brendan." Rob handed us each a controller.
Instead of moving off of James' lap, I looked down at the controller. "Wait, why are there two joysticks?"
"This is going to be hilarious," Rob said and restarted the game.
"Wait, you have to tell me how to use this."
James kissed the side of my neck. "So, the right joystick lets you move your view up and down. And the left one lets you move your guy around."
"Why did they make it more complicated? Aren't advancements in technology supposed to make things better, not worse?"
James laughed and kissed my neck again.
After we selected our characters, the screen split into four quadrants. It took me awhile to even realize which one was me. Unfortunately, I was the one continuously running into a wall. "Crap, why is this so hard?" I slid off James' lap and tried to focus. I was stupidly good at N64. I was a huge nerd growing up and I loved sitting on the couch after school playing videogames. And I even used to crush my boy neighbors in Golden Eye. But this wasn't anything like N64. I was currently running around in circles staring at my feet.
"Speaking of hard," Rob said. "Penny sitting on your lap got you a little excited there, James."
"What?" James looked down at his pants. "I don't have..."
Rob snuck up behind him in the game and shot him in the back of the head.
"Asshole." He shoved Rob's arm. "Game on. I'm going to kill you next."
"I have a better idea," said Brendan. "Let's see who can kill Penny first."
"No! Just give me a second to figure this out." I had just titled my head back up when blood filled my screen.
"Gotcha!" Brendan said.
"Damn it, Brendan!"
He started laughing as my girl came back from the dead. Rob immediately shot me in the face and started laughing too.
"What is wrong with you guys? Just give me a minute to learn what to do."
James had started laughing with them.
"Hey." I nudged his shoulder.
"I thought you said you were good at videogames," he said and smiled down at me.