Page 9 of The Cost of a Bride

“Andformerstudents as well,” I say, causing Nikki to frown.

“You can’t be serious. How do they even know? How do they enforce that?”

This is a nightmare. For the first time since Cheryl left me, I’d started to feel like romance would be a possibility for me again. Then, as soon as I gave myself over to it, this absurd wrench was thrown into the works.

“I don’t know, Nikki…”

“Are you just making this up, Russell?” she asks, a testy tone in her voice. “Because if you just wanted me for one night and one night only, you can just say so.”

Her words shock me, as does the look in her eyes. She’s looking at me with anger and pain, almost as though she feels betrayed. The last thing I want to do is hurt this girl, but I just can’t stop thinking about the fact that I used to teach her, and that if I pursue anything with her, it could cost me my career.

“How could you say that to me?” I ask her. “Do I really seem like that kind of guy to you? Just another asshole who thinks he can buy the world with his bank account?”

Nikki shrugs defiantly. “It seems like you’re just using any excuse you can to not have to see me again after tonight.”

“Oh, right,” I laugh. “Says the girl who told me I had to pay for her time earlier tonight.”

“I was atwork!”Nikki blurts out as she gets up and begins getting her lingerie back on. This is not going like I had hoped it would go. So much for cuddling up and having her spend the night.

After she finishes doing the clasp on her bra, she grabs her phone and begins to text someone.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“I’m texting my friend to come get me,” she responds. “Seeing as how you don’t want to be with me.”

I let out a heavy sigh and go to the closet for a pair of sweatpants. So many thoughts are swirling around in my mind right now that I don’t even know what to do with myself. It’s like trying to grab ahold of a piece of paper that’s being blown around in a tornado.

Nikki is right; sheisa grown woman. But at the same time, I just can’t stop thinking about her sitting in my classroom all those years ago, especially after that comment she made about her and the other girls thinking about how “mega cute” I was.

On top of that, I regret what I did now taking advantage of her situation with her father’s debts. If I’d known that little girl from my class way back then was in such dire straits, I would have just given her the money and figured out how to help her in the future.

“It’s not that simple, Nikki–”

“I’ll wait downstairs,” she replies, interrupting as she pushes past me, taking the stairs toward where her jacket is hanging by the door.

5

Nikki

Talk about a whirlwind of a night.I still feel like I have whiplash as I get into Alyssa’s car and she pulls away from Russell’s house. She glances over at me and gives methat look, which is the look she always gives me when she wants to know what’s going on but also to let me know that she’s there for me.

Being that she’s the one who got me the job at the mansion, Alyssa is the one friend I have who I can explain this to and have her fully understand, but even she’s going to think this is a wild one.

“You’re not going to believe this,” I tell her as we pull away from Russell’s house.

“Girl, with the stories we’ve shared together?” She laughs. “Try me.”

“Okay, well first of all, I finally lost it.” I give her a look and raise my eyebrows slightly, letting my words just sort of hang in the air there for a moment. Even though she’s driving, she manages to look back at me long enough to get the message.

“Wait, seriously?” I nod, and her eyes widen. “You finally lost the v-card? To who? For how much?”

“Well…that’s the part you’re not going to believe,” I say slowly, pointing back to Russell’s house as we turn away from his block. “Remember Mr. Hartford from third grade?”

“Yeah, of course. The cute teacher we had back when we were…” Alyssa’s voice falls off when she realizes what I’m saying. Her jaw drops, and her foot falls off the accelerator. “Shut the front door!”

“Yeah.” I nod.

“You lost your v-card to Mr. Hartford?” She gasps. “How in the world? Did you pick him out when he arrived? What’s he even doing at the house? That’s not his crowd!”