Page 36 of The Other Side
“I need to change first.” I sighed, knowing it would be awkward if I refused.
“Just knock on my door when you’re ready.” He gathered the empty mugs and made his way over to the far window to descend the fire escape back into his apartment.
I took a moment to gather myself as I swapped the loungewear for slacks and a polo, not wanting any students to see me looking less than professional.
I rolled my eyes as I found myself primping in the mirror. I wondered if part of the frustration I felt regarding Chance was that my mind was at war with itself when I was close to him. It was exhausting to ping pong between thoughts of desire and physiological reactions when I was near him, to having to remind myself that he had already proven himself untrustworthy between the stunt he had pulled the first night we had met and whatever he was doing with Claire DeLongpre.
But I was finding it impossible to stop the butterflies in my stomach every time he smiled at me, or spoke in that soft and low voice, trying to entice me to him. It was much easier to avoid him entirely, but he had seemingly decided to thwart that tactic.
Walking in charged silence to the dining hall, there were a million things I wanted to ask Chance; most of them were completely irrational, inappropriate, or were about what the hellhe was doing with Claire. I decided keeping my mouth shut was a better approach.
“I didn’t realize how late it was.” Chance was disappointed when we found the dining hall had stopped serving lunch for the day. Only a few students lingered in the dining hall, either studying for classes, or eating food they’d brought themselves.
“Give me a sec.”
Chance looked puzzled, but took a seat at an empty table near the entrance to the kitchen.
“Chef Lenny.” I saluted upon entering.
“Lunch is over, Violet.” Lenny scowled. But it was an affectionate one.
“There aren’t any leftovers?” I asked sweetly.
He rolled his eyes, but tipped his head toward the service area.
I was easily able to fill two plates and quickly returned to Chance in the dining room, only after offering Lenny a “thank you” on my way out.
“Oh thank god.” Chance sighed in relief. “I’m starving and the only food I have in my room other than the hot chocolate is a box of crackers.”
I couldn’t help but give a genuine laugh at the thought of him angrily munching away at crackers alone in his apartment.
“You have a car, you could have driven to get food in town,” I suggested as I took a seat next to him on the long bench, intentionally angling my body toward him, so I could keep an eye on him.
“Been too busy,” he sighed. “I didn’t know you had a connection in the kitchen.”
There was a glint in his eyes that made me nervous. “Yeah, well, I don’t often abuse it, so don’t get any ideas.”
He snorted a laugh.
But then a light bulb went on over my head, and I realized he had just provided me with the perfect opportunity to ask him about his potential history at Montgomery.
“Was Chef Lenny working here when you attended?”
He froze.
GOTCHA!
“I never went here.” He recovered quickly, but the damage had been done.
“You sure about that?” I glared at him, mimicking his words from earlier that morning.
“I think I’d know where I went to high school.” He chuckled, but I could sense his nerves along the edge of his tone.
He was only digging his own grave.
“Who told you I was a student here?” he asked cautiously, focusing his attention on the food in front of him to keep from looking me in the eyes.
“I don’t remember,” I lied. “One of the faculty, I think.”
