“So, why are you so weird?” Michael asked, pushing out the chair for her with his foot. She crinkled her nose and wiped the seat with a napkin.
“A multitude of reasons,” she replied, plopping in the chair and tearing open her Chick-fil-A sandwich.
“What couldn’t you tell me in class?” Michael asked. “We’ll start with that one.”
Cadence took a deep breath. “Well, I was all excited about starting college and running away from my complicated past until it was pointed out to me by the girl sitting behind me.”
“You have a complicated past?”
“Hard to believe, but yes,” Cadence said.
“And what is it?”
“I had an affair with my math teacher,” she said airily. “My current boyfriend.”
Michael’s mouth dropped open. “Um, a million questions starting now.”
Cadence checked the clock hanging above them. “You better hurry,” she said with her mouth full.
“How old is he?”
“Twenty-eight.”
“How old were you?”
“Seventeen.”
“Fucking. Awesome.”
Cadence stared at him.
“Did he change your grades?”
“No.”
“Is he in jail?”
“No. He didn’t commit a crime.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Whatever. Were you found out?”
“Yes.”
“Did he go to jail?”
“Seriously?”
“Did he lose his job?”
“Yes.”
“What did your parents say?”
“Stuff.”
“What did they do?”
“Punched me in the eye.”
“What the fuck?”
“Tell me about it.” Cadence took another huge bite of her sandwich.
“Both of them punched you in the eye?”
“You’re an idiot.”
“So what happened after that?” Michael asked. He’d abandoned his food in favor of gawking and drilling her.
“I ran away.”
“Seriously. What happened next?”
“I’m telling you the truth. I ran away. I live with my boyfriend now.”
They were quiet for a time. Cadence finished off her sandwich and licked her fingers.
“What did your parents do?” Michael asked.
“Disowned me.”
Michael sat back in his chair. “Are you telling me the truth?” he said quietly.
Cadence nodded and gathered her things.
Michael whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she replied. “You didn’t disown me.” She smiled and stood up.
“Going so soon?”
“I told you I had to be quick,” she said.
“Does your boyfriend know we’re friends?”
“Yes. And his name’s Mark.”
“Is he okay with that?”
“Yes. He’s not possessive.”
Michael nodded. “Cool.”
“Are you done interrogating me now?”
He smiled. “‘Til next time, yeah.”
“Nope. Next time it’s my turn,” Cadence said.
“Fine.”
“Are you gonna tell the whole campus what I just revealed?” Cadence asked.
“Uh, I have, like, three friends,” Michael replied.
“Are you gonna tell those three friends?”
Michael smirked. “You can trust me.”
Cadence considered him. “I sure hope so.”
He nodded reassuringly.
“Later.” Cadence waved as she walked out of the student union towards the west parking deck. Flower deliveries all afternoon and then homework later that evening. And maybe hot sex before bed.
Hmm, I should think about birth control pills, she thought as she unlocked her car.
Her life was calming down, turning ordinary, and she was happy for it.
***
It wasn’t on the level of a four-year university teaching position, but Mark would take what he could get. The pay wasn’t absolutely horrible, but that was only because he managed to land a full-time position. With benefits. And he could put Cadence on his medical insurance. Even though she had the university, it was a good backup plan. He was always thinking of the ways in which he needed and wanted to provide for her. He already looked at her as his wife. But she wasn’t ready for marriage yet, and he knew it. He’d treat her like a wife now and make it official later.
“Hey there,” a woman said, poking her head in his classroom.
He’d just finished his final math class of the day and was packing his bag.
“Hi,” he replied.
“I’m Drew Blakely,” she said, walking up to him and extending her hand. He shook it. “I teach across the hall from you. English and communications courses.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Mark Connelly.” He pointed to the board he hadn’t yet cleaned.
She smiled and nodded. “I hate math. With a passion. I can’t balance my checkbook.”
She placed her hands on her narrow hips and studied the board. He waited patiently for her to leave. He had a special dinner in store for Cadence, and he needed to pop by the grocery store first.
“What do you think of this place so far?” Drew asked. It was evident she had no special dinner planned and was content to sit around and chat for a while. He wanted to be rude, but that wasn’t his nature. Well, usually it wasn’t his nature.
“I like it. Students seem to care about their work, which is different from high school.”