After Class (15 page)

30

James returns to his office chair with sadness. Taylor never came to his office after the exam and it hurt. After the fallout with Tiffany, all he wanted was the comfort of Taylor and the smell of her skin. It reminded him of home. She felt like home.

Deciding that distraction was the best method, James dives back into the mound of paperwork on his desk when a knock is at the door. His heart leaps in his chest and he stands up.

“Tay…”

“Sorry, did I interrupt something?” Mr. Smith replies, quietly and nervously.

James retracts like a turtle hiding in his shell, and sinks back into his chair. “Gregory, please, come in.”

Mr. Smith opens the door slightly with a box full of papers and sets them down on James’ desk. “Here are the final exams from today. I have the morning class marked in red and the afternoon class marked in blue. I also did my best to alphabetize them, but you know how busy it is with the season and…”

“That’s more than I could have asked for,” James interrupts him. “Thank you again for today.”

Mr. Smith stands before him. “Anytime. Are you okay, James?”

James swallows hard and it takes everything in him not to break. He stares at Gregory in the eyes. “I’ll be just fine.”

“Thank goodness for summer.” He smiles and leaves the room, closing the door slightly behind him.

James smiles to himself but the smile fades. Yes, thank goodness for summer and the break from work but summer to James also meant filing for divorce, more stress and Taylor leaving him. It wasn’t really the breath of fresh air and stress reliever he once thought of summer to be. It was always something he looked forward to, and now he was dreading it.

He can’t take the suspense any longer. James digs through the box of exams and of course, goes straight for Taylor’s. Did she even write the exam? He didn’t know. He had to find out.

He grabs the stacks of papers and tosses the red one aside. He uncovers the stack of blue papers and tries his fastest to locate Taylor’s. He hits all of the A’s, then the B’s. Is this actually alphabetized? He can’t tell. Then it is apparent that it is not, as J surnames pop up everywhere. Followed by an F. How hard was it to find one paper in a stack of 70? In this moment, impossible.

After what feels like hours of filing, and paper cuts on nearly every finger, James can feel the sweat intensify on his brow and the saliva pooling in his mouth. He does his best to remain steady. That’s when it hits him. Maybe Taylor didn’t even show up to the exam. Maybe she got her end of the bargain and that was it. Maybe it didn’t matter to her anymore. Was she coming to his office to tell him that? Was that actually Taylor’s voice that he heard? He becomes frantic.

He files through all of the blue papers so quickly, that everything becomes a blur.

It’s not there.

Where is it?

He throws all of the papers aside and everything becomes jumbled. Papers are strewn across the room and blanket the hardwood floor, but it’s no use. He can’t find it.

He goes through all of the red papers, one by one, as fast as his hands can go.

No.

Not there.

She didn’t write it.

He’s certain she didn’t write it.

His heart sinks and he folds his head into his arms on his desk.

“Mr. Zakarak,” a voice calls out.

James’ head pops up from the mound of papers and he sees Mr. Smith standing in the doorway holding a single paper. “My apologies. I must have dropped this on my way to your office.”

James motions for him to come in.

“Is everything alright? It looks as though a tornado just ripped through here.”

James is embarrassed and has no excuse.

Mr. Smith just walks in slowly and hands him the paper upside down. “We all have our own methods of marking.” He smiles and closes the door behind him.

James laughs to himself and finds the situation ridiculous. He knows exactly what he has in his hands and turns it over slowly. The name reads none other than hers, Miss Taylor Murray. He opens the exam.

There, are the most neatest and most beautiful handwritten answers he had ever seen. He is taken by the exam and has trouble blindly finding his seat once again. With a robotic motion, he picks up his glasses, puts them on his face, and picks up a red pen and starts going to town.

He follows every word that Taylor has written, with precise detail. It is perfect. Just like her.

He can’t help but find himself grading the paper.

Multiple choice – everything is correct.

Reading comprehension – near perfection.

The essay – beautifully written.

Final grade – A+.

James takes a moment and notices that his hand begins to shake. He tries to grab it with the other hand to steady it but it is no use. There is one question left and that is the most important one. The only one that mattered to him. The one he wrote for her.

He turns the page and reads the question, “What is love?”

Then, he slowly starts to read her answer.

“Love. Love is your eyes and how they read my soul.

Love is your fingers dancing on my skin.

Love is your energy pumping through my veins.

Love is the taste you leave in my mouth.

Love is when I am with you.”

James can’t help but embrace the paper to his chest like a teenage crush would back in the day. He bites at his bottom lip to try to conceal his emotions. Finally, he got the validation he was looking for.

He pulls out his phone and reopens the message folder, which contains every single exchange between the two of them and begins to type.

31

The college grounds seem to empty by the day, as cars, vans, trucks and a wide assortment of other vehicles are packed up with the assistance of family members, as college students leave the grounds for another summer. They won’t be back until the fall and when they do return, they will be in different rooms, meet new people and have new experiences to help them grow and learn from. The semester comes to a close, and everyone couldn’t be more thankful.

One of those students is none other than Taylor Murray, who has now completed exams and is heading out of the campus grounds to enjoy one of her last days in the city before she heads back to her hometown with her folks. This year, has been memorable and this semester, even more so. In just a few short months, her entire life has been turned upside down and she couldn’t be in a better place.

The air is hot and Taylor is dressed slightly down, but still rocks a gorgeous pair of dark washed skinny jeans, a tight white tank top and the cutest ballerina flats her closet has to offer her. She carries with her a purse and the biggest smile she has worn in years.

She could take a cab but opts to walk instead, several blocks away to a small café on the kitten corner of the massive shopping centre. The hot summer sun glistens on her skin and bronzes her already olive skin. She is glowing.

Taylor nears the café entrance and pulls on the door, holding it open for an elderly couple that is exiting the busy establishment after locking down their matching macchiato. Taylor disappears into the café.

It’s hard to see in the busy restaurant. The place feels packed from wall-to-wall. She tries her best to maneuver around people and head to the back of the café, her head bobbing from side to side the entire time so she can see ahead of her as far as she can and that is when she spots him. James.

He is sitting at a private booth, all cozy in the corner of the packed restaurant. On the table, sit two Americanos, black, and a lovely bouquet of flowers.

He looks incredible, wearing dark wash jeans, a tight grey v-neck shirt and contact lenses, letting those green eyes shine through. His hair is neatly trimmed and he sports that usual stubble that got her heart racing in the first place.

It is as though he can sense her from across the room and without her even signaling her arrival, he knows that she is there. He can feel it.

He turns to meet her and there she is, locking eyes with him. That familiar feeling washes over both of them, where time feels like it is standing completely still. Even though she is caught in a crowd and steps away from him, it feels like they are the only two in the room. She can’t get to him fast enough.

Then, it happens. Taylor stands before him and he stands to greet her. They smile for a while before he extends his hand to greet her. “Let’s start this off the right way, shall we?” he smiles a comforting smile. “I’m James.”

Taylor giggles slightly and interlocks her hand with his to shake it. “Nice to meet you James. I’m Taylor.”

The two shake hands and as their hands break apart, James can’t help himself. He pulls her in by the waist and holds her close to him. Taylor automatically wraps her arms around his broad shoulders and places her hand on the nape of his neck. His skin is warm and so is her touch to him.

He buries his face in her neck and breathes her smell in deep. She’s even sweeter than how he remembered her. He nuzzles there for a moment before placing his lips by her ear. He whispers.

“I’ve loved you from the moment I’ve laid my eyes on you.”

The words are exactly what Taylor has yearned to hear for the past week. James’ text message instructed her to meet him here the day after she was done exams, as he wanted her to focus on her studies, because he knew how much it all meant to her.

She smiles at the sound of his voice and the reassuring tone.

“I’ve loved you all along,” she replies.

Both are overcome with emotion. This is the moment that both of them have longed to hear. Even though it was tough and even though it wasn’t going to be easy, it was going to be worth it.

When they break from their embrace, James gestures for Taylor to sit down at the booth with him. They slide in close together and he places his strong arm around her to pull her in close. She is his now. He wants everyone to know.

“I ordered you a coffee. Americano, no room. That’s what you like, right?”

Taylor smiles and takes a sip. “It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

James smiles and takes a sip of his coffee as well. “And these are also for you.”

He hands her the bouquet of a dozen calla lilies, some in full bloom, others waiting to blossom. “I know you are leaving tomorrow for the summer but I wanted you to have this.”

He points to one of the flowers in full bloom. “This is our love now, full vibrant and full of life.”

He points to one that has yet to bloom. “And this one, this one is our love for the next 3 months. It’s there, and we both know it’s there, but we have to wait to see it, to feel it and to smell it.”

Taylor lets a single tear shed from her eye and looks at him. “I don’t want to go.”

He grabs her gently by the chin and pulls her in close. “I’ve waited for you for 37 years and I would wait forever for you. What’s 3 months?”

He smiles and she reciprocates. Then, he pulls her face in close to his and envelops her lips with a sweet summer kiss, as the two enjoy their last day of summer, together, until their love can blossom again in the fall.

Thank You!

I cannot thank you enough for purchasing and downloading my very first book! It was a pleasure to write and I truly hope that you enjoyed it. Please let me know if you did! It is my goal to write novels for enjoyment and satisfaction, so I want to hear how I did!

Please feel free to leave comment in the form of a review on Amazon, to let future readers know what you thought of the book! As well, feel free to reach me on Twitter at @MsEllaMorris and we can connect! As always, find me on Facebook and I will be glad to chat with you there.

I hope that you stay tuned to my Amazon Author Page and that you watch out for my new books. They are coming. I’m just getting started.

Until next time,

Ms. Ella Morris xo

About the Author

I’m Ella Morris and I am a mother of two beautiful baby girls. When I’m not pursing my greatest passion of writing, I can usually be found playing house, or being out in the garden with the company of my furry friends, Simon and Garfunkel – my two dogs. I am very family oriented and love spending time with those closest to me. I have a mad chocolate addiction and in my spare time, which feels non-existent, you can find me at any coffee shop trying the latest concoction with extra whipped cream.