She raised her eyebrows. “You’ve waited this long. Thursday is the next time she has lecture and it’s the best setting for what you’re going to do.”
“And what exactly am I going to do?”
Melody smirked. “Apologize for being an ass.”
Emme checked her watch again. It was almost nine o’clock and none of her students were in the class. Pulling up the calendar on her laptop, she checked the day again. It was Thursday. She had lecture today. Jeez, she was still nervous enough about teaching. The empty classroom was freaking her out. The only reason she knew this wasn’t a dream was because she wasn’t naked.
She dug her phone out of her tote bag to call Melody when the doors at the top of the auditorium opened and her students filed in, one at time. Each of them held a single, long-stemmed, white rose. One-by-one, they came to the front of the class and handed her a rose, then took a seat. Each and every one wore a face splitting grin. When the last student reached her, her arms overflowed with flowers. She twisted to see four or five roses had fallen to the floor from the bundle.
“What’s going on?” She stared at them in bewilderment. Several of them had their cell phones out and pointed at her.
The doors opened again and a man on crutches hobbled in. He lifted his gaze from watching his feet.
Jordan.
Taking a step back, she gasped, and clamped a hand over her mouth. Several more roses fell to the floor. He made his way deliberately down the steps, glancing up to check his progress every time he reached a wider step.
Why was he here?
Why was he on crutches?
He reached the bottom of the steps and took two long strides until he was standing right in front of her. “Hey.”
“Hi,” she whispered. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m making a grand gesture.”
She shook her head. “A what?”
“I have it on good authority that a fuck up of this magnitude requires a grand gesture.” He tilted his head behind him.
Emme looked at the top of the stairs, where Melody leaned against the wall.
“Is it too late to say I’m sorry?” he asked.
She took a shuddering breath. It’d been weeks. Months. So long ago it seemed like a dream. Something that happened in another time to another person. “Jordan—”
“I resigned my commission.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“The day you called. I’d gotten the paperwork the night before. After talking to you and realizing what the promotion was for and what it meant, I turned it down.”
“Jordan.” She shook her head. “I can’t be responsible for you giving up your career.”
“Well, you are.” He shuffled closer. “You’re more important than my career. More important than anything else in my life. I’m not giving up anything. I’m gaining you.”
Tears spilled down her cheek and she shook her head.
Another step closer. “I’m sorry, Emme. I would never have left you alone like that. Please give me a chance to explain.”
“I have class.” She gestured to the students.
“You don’t,” Melody said from the back. She pushed away from the wall and ambled down the stairs. “I’m covering for you today.”
She knelt down and picked up the fallen roses, then took the rest of the flowers from Emme. “Go. Get sappy.” Placing the flowers on the desk, she grabbed Emme’s tote and held it out while pointing at the side door.
“Where to?” Jordan asked.
