This was stupid. Judge was nearly half my age and my student. It was scary how much I thought about him. I’d jerked off in the shower this morning to the mental image of him fucking me again. I’d never been interested in someone as much as him, not even when I’d first met Chris.
Fuck, I needed to stop thinking about my ex.
He was long gone.
My past.
I dug my phone out of the pocket of my pants and ignored the text message from Judge. I scrolled through my contacts until I found Corey’s number and called it. This was one of my dumbest ideas ever, and here I was calling him anyway.
“Hello?”
“Let’s go on a date.”
* * *
I tugged at my tie,glaring at it as I tried to straighten the black piece of material. I should’ve gone home and changed into something more casual like Corey, who was only dressed in a T-shirt, jeans, and shiny brown biker boots.
“You okay?” Corey laughed and reached across the tabletop. We were in a surprisingly comfortable booth, and on the wall to our right was a mural of an Old World map. I stared at the spot in the Atlantic Ocean with a tentacled sea monster wrapped around a Spanish galleon, dragging it into the depths. I was drowning, too, and couldn’t find a way out.
“I shouldn’t have dressed in a suit,” I said pitifully, finally giving up on my tie. “I haven’t been on a first date in over twenty-five years. I’m useless.”
“You’re not.” He grabbed my tie, tugging until it tightened around my neck. “This is sexy, we can use it later.”
I gave an uncomfortable laugh and rubbed the back of my neck. We’d already ordered, but I needed to piss from how nervous I was. Whenever I was doing something I wasn’t prepared for, I always needed to use the bathroom. I hated it.
“Do you like spaghetti?” I asked stupidly.
He blinked at me and flashed a smile. “Yeah, Italian food is nice.”
I hummed in agreement and glanced around the room. All the booths were taken, and it was pure luck and a cancellation that won us a spot. I hadn’t been to Manzi’s in a long time and was glad I’d finally gotten back here, even if it wasn’t with a person I wanted to come with. Corey was nice enough, but he always seemedtoo coolfor me. He’d been a jock when he was younger, while I was the nerd who loved learning and had never outgrown it. Judge was like Corey in some ways, but Judge made me feel as if he wanted me and it wasn’t a big act. The difference was subtle but real.
“So, tell me about that kid who said he was your boyfriend. What’s going on there?” Corey finally let go of my tie and crossed his arms, and I couldn’t help but notice a few women across the room from us who shot him appreciative glances. I didn’t blame them, but he was still far too slick for me. He also reminded me a lot of my school bully, Jim Tunnel.
“He’s a good guy,” I said, instead of denying he was my boyfriend. What was wrong with me? “He’s watching out for me.”
“I’ve never met him before. Did Chris know him?”
“No, not that it matters. Chris isn’t in my life anymore.” His name reminded me of what he’d done, and I glared at Corey. “Did you know he was going to cash in my stocks without telling me?”
“What?” His eyes widened and he held up his palms to me. “No, I haven’t talked to him in weeks. He abandoned his friends. He made new ones with his boyfriend’s younger crowd.”
“Are you sure?” I narrowed my eyes on him. “Because if you did—”
“I didn’t.” He touched my hand and raised it to his mouth to lay a kiss on my knuckles. It took all my effort not to pull away. Nothing about the move seemed natural the way it would’ve coming from Judge; it had a practiced, sleazy energy that put me on edge, and I winced. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“Corey, why are you interested in me? I’ve seen the guys you’ve been with, they’re basicallyGQmodels.” I hadn’t expected to hear myself blurt that out, but I was glad I did, even if an embarrassed heat spread across my cheeks.
“You’re sexy.” He grinned.
“Not like the guys you date.” I took back my hand and tucked it in my lap. A few curious gazes turned toward us, and I tried my hardest not to bolt. I hated being in public at the best of times, and the only moments I was confident being in front of people was when I lectured. This wasn’t a nice feeling. Corey had always loved the spotlight and making people notice him. “Maybe we should leave, it’s busy.”
“Nah, here’s fine.” He winked. “I’m starving. We can eat and then head home, and I can fuck you good.”
I stood abruptly, nearly knocking over our glasses of wine when I hit the table with my knees. I apologized and scrubbed a hand over my face. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
I didn’t wait for a response before I fled in the direction of the men’s room. Apologizing when I nearly knocked into a man exiting, I tripped over my own feet as I headed inside and caught myself on the door. I went straight to the urinals to empty my bladder and sighed in pleasure at the feeling of finally letting it go. I had no idea why I was so nervous with Corey, but he didn’t feelrightand I couldn’t work out why. Would I be feeling this way with anyone?
The door opened and I ignored it as I shook my dick and slipped it back into my pants before zipping up. I turned, going to the sink to wash my hands, and only after I was done did I realize the person who’d entered was standing in front of the door. I raised my gaze and froze at the sight of Judge.
