Free Call Me by Gillian Jones Page B

by the distinctive aroma belonging to one off-limits student. I’m trying to casually pull off that move where you make it look as if you’re not looking out of your peripheral vision, but like an ass you totally are, and that’s when I spot her. Right behind me, all 5’3” of her, and she’s looking directly at me, a subtle smirk pulling at her lips. She clearly knows exactly what I’m doing.
    “Hey, Professor Ryan,” she beams, obviously not trying to be at all covert about acknowledging me, as I am with her.
    “Ms. Hughes,” I nod, moving up to place my order with the blue-eyed barista named Tracey, who flirts with me now as she always does. Ignoring her, I turn to Ellie. “What are you having?”
    She hesitates, eyeing me like I’m the horse’s head in the bed in The Godfather. “Ellie. It’s a coffee. It’s the least I can do for being a side-eyed creeper just now,” I say, having leaned in close to her ear so only she can hear. A sharp intake of breath confirms I’ve caught her off guard, and I sure as shit like knowing I’ve just affected her.
    “Uh…I’ll have a…medium chocolate raspberry, please. And thank you.” Her voice is low.
    Paying, I grab my coffee, and lean in once more. “See you around, Ellie,” I say, before leaving her to wait for her coffee.

Chapter 13
    Ellie
    W alking into the kitchen, groceries in hand, Courtney and I move about the small, sage-coloured galley kitchen putting everything away. We continue the discussion I’d brought up in the car, about needing to figure out the perfect name for me for my new job. I’d finally built up the nerve to ask her for help with creating my persona. All I can think about are ridiculous handles that make me giggle rather than feel confident and sexy.
    “Destiny says it needs to be a sexy yet simple name,” I tell her.
    “Of course. It is your dessstiny …!” hisses Courtney.
    “Shut up. I’m dying of embarrassment here just talking about this with you. But I’m just as bad. I keep coming up with stupid shit that makes me laugh.” I put the carton of eggs in the fridge, followed by the bags of milk. I huff the hair out of my eyes in frustration.
    “Well, this should be easy. What have you come up with so far?” Court asks, putting Triscuit crackers in the cupboard.
    “‘Mary Underwear’ was the first one that popped into my head. See what I did there?” Courtney bursts out laughing.
    “Oh my God. Dude. You’ll be fired for lameness before you even start.”
    “Right. It’s tough. Then I thought of ‘Kitten’. But that creeped me out. Way too close to pussy and pussy jokes. I’d laugh at myself for sure. ‘Hi, I’m Kitten . I’m happy to be your pussy tonight’.” I say in my lowest, sexiest voice.
    “ Meow ,” Court mews, causing us both to howl.
    “I keep thinking of silly stuff. It’s like my brain can’t be serious.”
    “‘Debbie Dick Rider’?” Court says.
    “‘Rideanne’?” I tilt my head, dumping apples into the fruit bowl.
    “‘Mia Muff’?” Court replies. “This is hard.”
    “See? I suck. Maybe I won’t be able to do this. I most definitely can’t take it seriously. Imagine how I’ll be at caller training tomorrow night.” Oh man . I smack my forehead with my hand. “I’m too lame for this. I’ve only ever had sex with two people!”
    “Maybe you should be ‘Miss Missionary’, then?” Court laughs. “Or, ooh! Wait! How about ‘Mrs. Mia Wallace’, from that Pulp Fiction movie you like so much?”
    “It’s a film , not a ‘movie’. Not helping.” I toss some cut-eye her way.
    “You could always hook up with Doctor Ryan and get a little more experience. I bet that man could teach you a few things. I see the way you two eye each other. I bet he’d be totally game to help you out.” She raises her eyebrows up and down.
    “No way! Like that would ever happen.” Immediately, memories of him leaning in close to me at The Froth House surface from the other day.