Claiming Carter (11 page)

Now, I sat in my classroom, twenty minutes away from the end of the school day, wondering if I’d given Kelvin the worse kiss of his life and scared him away forever. I knew from experience that a bad first kiss could ruin how much you desired someone. There had been more than one occasion where I’d kissed someone and had it gone horribly wrong. It usually killed my sexual attraction to that person. All I could do now was hope that I hadn’t just killed my chances of being with Kelvin.

The minutes on the clock ticked away, and the next thing I knew, the bell rang and school was dismissed. I walked over to my door and stood next to it with a smile as my students trotted out. I’d done a good job of pretending like I wasn’t preoccupied by thoughts of Kelvin and our first kiss. I’d also caught Tim staring at me from across the hall on more than one occasion. I knew that he wouldn’t be able to handle seeing me kiss another man. Especially a man who looked like Kelvin. He couldn’t stand the idea of me being with someone who was better than he was. Someone with more money
and
a better car. Someone who looked better
and
wasn’t afraid to kiss me in public. The look on his face as I passed by him and his whore, Angela, was priceless, and that look seemed to have lingered into today as he stared at me through our open doors. When I looked over and caught him, he would snap his back around and try to act as if he hadn’t been doing a thing. It was sad, really, but I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy his jealousy.

As my last pupil exited the room, I sauntered back over to my desk and plopped down into my chair. I was exhausted. It had been a long day—a child with a bloody nose, having to send two girls to the office for excessive cursing, and the stress of wondering if Kelvin would call seemed to drain me of my energy. I looked over at the stack of papers that I still needed to grade and let out a pitiful sigh. The size of the stack was intimidating and my mood didn’t seem up for the challenge, yet I knew I had to get it done. However, instead of picking up my red pen and grading the papers, I reached inside my purse and pulled out my cell phone. I saw that I had a text from Lexy that I’d missed, asking, of course, if Kelvin had called or texted. The answer to the question would only make me feel bad, so I decided to ignore it, and shoved the phone back into its place in my purse.

As I sat back in my chair and exhaled once again, I heard a light tapping on my door. I looked up and immediately frowned at Tim as he stood in the doorway wearing dark blue jeans and a button up flannel shirt that he’d tucked into his pants. He had a sorrowful look on his face and he pinched his lips together tightly as he stared at me.

“Is there something I can help you with, Tim?” I asked, annoyed.

“Sorry to bother you, Lily. You mind if I come in?” Tim said. His tone was funereal, and he looked like his puppy had just died.

I finally picked up my red pen and moved the stack of ungraded spelling tests in front of me. “I’m busy, Tim. What do you want?”

Tim inched his way into the room. “I know you are, and I don’t mean to bother you. I just wanted to talk.” I began grading the tests in front of me without acknowledging Tim at all. He seemed to take my lack of interest as an invitation to continue talking. “Listen, Lily, I just wanted to take a moment to talk to you and let you know just how sorry I am about the way we ended and the way things have gone lately. I know you’re still pissed at me, and you should be. But, there is something that I think you should know.”

I continued grading without looking up. “And what is that?”

“I miss you, Lily. I can’t stop thinking about you. And seeing you with that guy yesterday made me really realize just how big of a mistake I’d made. I was standing there next to Angela, and I looked at her and I realized that she could never be you. She isn’t even half the woman you are. You give me so much more than she ever did, and that’s why I broke it off with her a few days ago. I’m sorry it took me so long to see it, but I do now. I see it now, and I really think we should give us another shot.”

I listened to Tim’s speech with my head down, pretending to grade papers, but I heard every word. I couldn’t believe my ears. I knew that he’d struggle with the thought of me being with another man, but I never thought that he’d come crawling back to me like this. He’d given it a shot with Angela, but as it turned out, exclusive wasn’t her thing.

There may have been a time when I would have fallen for Tim’s begging. I knew that it was what my mother wanted. But, since I’d met Kelvin, I didn’t feel the need to seek anyone’s approval, especially Tim’s.

I slowly placed my pen on the desk and sat back in my chair as I looked up at Tim. He didn’t possess the same confidence he usually did. In fact, he seemed more self-conscious and discouraged. For the first time since I’d met Tim, I actually pitied him.

“Tim, I don’t really know what to say. As much as I appreciate your candor, it’s just too late,” I said. “I know you, and I know you’re feeling a little challenged because you saw me at the playground with another guy yesterday. That’s what this is really about, isn’t it?”

Tim cleared his throat and straightened out his shirt, as if the memory of seeing me kissing Kelvin offended him. “I did see you yesterday, and it’s not one-hundred percent about that, but that does have a little something to do with it. Is he your new boyfriend or something?”

“That’s really none of your business, Tim.”

“Okay, that’s fair, I guess. You can at least tell me his name, can’t you?”

Just then, my cell phone began to ring from inside my purse. I pulled it out and struggled to hold back a gleeful smile when I saw Kelvin’s name written across the screen.

“Now’s not a good time, Tim. You should go,” I said as I slid my finger across the screen to answer the call.

“Hello?” I said with a smile.

“Hi,” Kelvin said, his deep, sultry voice instantly making my heart flutter.

“Hi, Kelvin,” I said. Then I realized that Tim hadn’t left the room. He was still standing in front of my desk with his arms folded. I waved for him to get out, but he didn’t budge.

“How are you, Lilliana?” Kelvin said. I loved the way he said my name, which was a surprise because I usually hated being called by my full name.

“I’m great. School just let out. I’m just grading some papers now. How are you?”

“I’m doing okay. Sorry I couldn’t call you earlier. I’ve had a lot on my plate since the last time I saw you.”

“Well,” I answered, “I wasn’t going to mention it, but I was wondering if I was going to hear from you again. I thought I might have scared you away.”

“Nah, you definitely didn’t scare me away. It’s just been a little hectic with … business,” he said hesitantly.

“Well, that’s good. I mean, it’s good that I didn’t scare you away. It’s not good that business has been hectic,” I said with a giggle. I could sense Tim’s discomfort as he stood in front of me, glowering. I waved at him a second time, and mouthed the words “get out,” but Tim still wouldn’t move.

“Yeah. It gets a little complicated sometimes, but it’s okay,” Kelvin said. “So, how was your day?”

I smiled a wide smile. I didn’t know if Kelvin knew it, but the fact that he was always interested in how my day went made me even more attracted to him. “My day was long. I had a kid with a nosebleed. Somehow he managed to hit his face on the water fountain and cause bleeding. You never know what you’re going to get with teaching third graders.”

Kelvin let out an adorable chuckle. “Yeah, I bet
that
gets hectic. Was he okay?”

“Oh yeah, he was fine. The
nurse
fixed him right up,” I said, putting emphasis on the word
nurse
to let Tim know how I still felt about Angela Bronson.

“Well, that’s good. I’m glad he’s okay,” Kelvin said.

“Yeah, he’ll be fine.”

“So, I was wondering if you had any plans for tonight,” Kelvin asked. I couldn’t hold back my smile.

“No, not that I can think of. What do
you
have going on tonight?”

“Well, I was kind of hoping that you and I could get together again. Maybe we can make up for how our last dinner date ended.”

“That sounds great. What did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking dinner at my place.”

I gasped. “At your place? Like, you’re going to cook?” I inquired.

“Yeah. Don’t sound so scared,” Kelvin quipped.

“Oh, I’m not scared. I just … I haven’t met many guys who actually know how to cook,” I said, glaring at Tim. Tim was diligent in his efforts, but the man could barely cook macaroni and cheese. Throughout our six months together, either I cooked, or we went out to eat. If Kelvin cooked, it would mark the first time a man had ever cooked an actual meal for me.

“I think you’ll come to find that I am not like other men,” Kelvin stated with a hint of playfulness.

“I can tell already,” I replied. “I am definitely intrigued by this. What time?”

“Well, I have some business stuff I have to take care of here in a little bit, so I was thinking I could pick you up around seven, if that’s works for you.”

“Seven works great for me. That way I can finish up these tests so I won’t have to worry about rushing to grade them later.”

“Okay. So, I’ll see at your place at seven.”

“Great,” I said, just before we said our goodbyes and hung up.

I placed the phone down on my desk and looked up at Tim, who was still standing in front of me with his arms folded. He looked pissed and his demeanor made me feel uneasy, but I didn’t let it show.

“What the hell, Tim?” I snapped.

“I take it that was him,” Tim replied. “So his name is Kelvin. Kelvin what?”

“It’s none of your fucking business, Tim. You made your decision on what you wanted when you chose to sneak and hook up with the nurse. I’m making my decision now. Can you please respect that?”

“What’s to respect? Are you guys a couple?”

“What … I don’t know what we are. But, obviously we’re something if you saw us kissing yesterday,” I snapped.

Tim obviously didn’t like that answer. He cleared his throat once again, seemingly forcing himself to calm down. “All I want to know is his name,” he said indignantly.

“What difference does it make, Tim? I highly doubt that you know him.”

“Jesus, what’s the big deal? You can’t just tell me his name?”

“Fuck! It’s Carter, okay! You happy now? His name is Kelvin Carter Jr. Now please get out of my classroom,” I snipped.

Tim scrunched his forehead and tilted his head to the side. “Kelvin Carter? Why does that name sound familiar?”

“Oh god! What, are you going to go Google him or some shit?” I said. “Please don’t be weird, Tim. Just leave it alone.”

“What do you even know about this guy? What does he do for a living?” I didn’t bother answering, choosing to continue grading the tests instead. “How is it that he can afford a car like the one he pulled up in at the playground? It takes some serious money to buy one of those cars. You have to be careful, Lily. I have a bad a feeling about this guy.”

I put my red pen back into the Chicago Bears coffee mug I’d pulled it out of and slammed the last test on top of the others I’d already graded. “Oh I bet you do, Tim. It doesn’t surprise me that you don’t want me seeing him. You wouldn’t want me seeing anybody that isn’t you!”

“Just admit it, you don’t know anything about this guy,” Tim said as I pulled my purse off the back of my chair.

“I know all I need to know right now. I know he’s a nice guy, and I know he hasn’t had his dick in Angela’s mouth. And that’s good enough for me. I’m over this shit. Just get the fuck out, Tim.”

I slung my purse over my shoulder and headed towards the door. Tim slowly followed behind me as I walked. Once we entered the hallway, I locked my classroom door behind me, noticing that Tim wasn’t leaving. He was still standing behind me with his arms folded.

“I’m telling you, Lily. Kelvin Carter. I know that name. I know this guy,” Tim said, shaking his head from side to side.

“That’s great, Tim,” I replied, walking past him, towards the exit. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a date to get ready for.”

“So, you’re telling me that this guy rides around in a Bentley, dresses in fancy suits every day, sticks his tongue in your mouth in public, and he cooks too?” Lexy screeched in my ear. When I told her that Kelvin had finally called and invited me to dinner at his house, I had to pull the phone away from my ear to lessen the volume of the screaming.

I stood in my closet, fishing through my clothes with one hand and my cell phone, on speaker, in the other. “Yeah, he told me he wanted to make up for how our last date ended. I figure he’s already off to a good start. I don’t know how sexy it’s going to be though, with his driver around. Maybe he’ll drop us off or something. I don’t know, but I am totally excited about this.”

“Hell,
I’m excited!
I’m so glad that you are getting out there and meeting new people. I’m sure this just eats Tim up, doesn’t it?” Lexy said. I could feel her enthusiasm through the phone.

“You bet your ass it does! He came to my class again today after school let out. You wouldn’t believe the shit he was saying to me. He was basically begging for me to come back to him. It was really pathetic, Lex, you should have seen him.”