Free Learning the Hard Way by Bridget Midway

She turned to him. “You want to share that?”
    “Why can’t you?” Her coworker furrowed his eyebrows.
    Ava rubbed her free hand behind her neck. “I can. I—”
    “The last time she saw me, I was a bit lost and needed guidance.” Troy stared at her. “I’ve found myself. I think she’s learning who I am again.”
    The connection they shared forced her to stop breathing for a moment. Who was this man? How did he get into her life? How could she keep him there?
    “The quick answer is that I’m a builder.” Troy glanced at her. “I’m good with my hands.”
    Ava thought for sure Dr. Allenton grunted at Troy’s response. Ava shared that same feeling. She removed her hand from Troy’s and placed her napkin on the table.
    “It’s been lovely. I think I’m going to head home.” She stood.
    “You sure you want to leave now?” Troy had enough implications in his statement for Ava to weigh her options.
    Instead of answering, she bolted to the door. She heard Troy behind her excusing himself before she heard his heavy footfalls.
    Ava circled the car. Before the driver could get out, Troy had caught up to her and opened the door for her. He followed her inside and slammed it closed. Once the car started moving, Troy activated the glass partition that separated the back area from the driver.
    “Can you talk now?” he asked again.
    “I’d rather not. I think I’ve done enough foolish things this evening to kill my career and the little bit of self-worth that I had.” She covered her eyes with her hand.
    “I didn’t see that at all.”
    As soon as Ava uncovered her eyes and glared at him, she spoke. “I’m sure you’ve figured out that the dean and I had, well, a past.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Ava stared at Troy as though waiting for him to say something, either acknowledge that he knew, or lie and say he didn’t deduce that from their short exchange.
    “Look, your dating past is your business.” He said what he knew she wanted to hear. The man inside him that desperately wanted to date her wanted to hear more.
    “We saw each other for a couple of years and he never asked me to marry him. He didn’t want me. So I come to this party with you knowing he would be here.”
    “You wanted to make him jealous?” Troy’s heart sank.
    Ava shook her head. “No. I wanted him to see that I’m okay without him.”
    “You’re right, and I don’t think you needed me to prove that.”
    “That’s nice to hear. But here I am. I ran away. I let him get to me. He sees me as a coward.” She covered her face with her hands.
    “He also called you hard working. If he asks you about your early departure, tell him you had some work to do.”
    She laughed with a snort. “Right. That’ll work. He also commented on my failed love life.”
    “Your personal life is none of his business and should have no bearing on your job.” He moved closer to her. “Besides, you’re a vital, sexy, single woman. You’re allowed to date.”
    The expression on Ava’s face softened. “Ten years. In that time, I’ve gone out with two men.” She glanced at him. “Three.” She curved her body around to give him her full attention. “I brought an escort to a work function.”
    “No one knows that but you.” He wished she wouldn’t allow that thought to enter her mind.
    “And you.” Ava pointed at him.
    “I told you I’m not going to say a word. I won’t even hold it against you if I flunk out of your class.”
    She laughed without a snort this time. “What you must think of me right now.”
    “You want to know what I think?” He rested his hand on her knee. Troy decided to keep talking before she smacked his hand away. “I think of you now what I thought about you the first time I saw you dancing in your office.”
    She covered her eyes again. Troy held her hand and brought it down so that she could see the sincerity in his eyes.
    “I think you’re sexy, smart, and a woman who knows what she wants.” His thumb