“Berkeley is not that far from Bay Point,” Parker leaned closer to her, his voice a soft whisper after the waiter left. “Would you mind if I pay you a visit one of these days?”A slight blush creeped up her neck. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time.“Why not?” She shrugged. “Just make sure you give me enough notice before you come.”“I'll do that.” He picked up his cutlery with a smug smile. As the night progressed, Tasha and Parker engaged in lighthearted conversations about the conference and their respective campuses. She couldn't believe how much she was enjoying herself in the company of a younger man. It was so different, so exhilarating for her.Tasha suggested they skip dessert. She insisted he needed to go over his paper before morning, as he was going to do his presentation after the coffee break the next day. “I think that's a good suggestion,” he opined. “I bet you don't have to read over your papers before presenting. You must have been so used to the
The audience rose to their feet, offering thunderous applause as Trevor concluded his keynote presentation to signal the end of the conference on the third day. Tasha had given the first keynote presentation in the morning and it was well accepted as well. “Thank you, thank you,” he looked at the audience with a gracious smile. “Before I take my seat, I would like to honor two outstanding educational luminaries here with us. Both of them had been very remarkable and endearing in their chosen career. And coincidentally, they were just recently promoted to the rank of full professors in their respective institutions.”Trevor looked around at the faces of the people sitting in the hall. “Without further ado, I would like to call Professor Greg Stone and Professor Tasha Harrison to come forward.”Tasha blinked twice. She didn't expect it. She walked to the podium, along with Professor Stone. They were both presented with service appreciation award plaques. Tasha grinned from ear to ear a
Her mind was whirling with thoughts of Parker, who was in the opposite room. A confusing mix of fear and desire washed over her as she turned and tossed on the bed. Her body yawned for the man in the room opposite. Parker. Her former student and a younger man. A pang of desire stabbed her, a sharp, sweet ache was burning from her core. She wondered if he was already sleeping or thinking about her, too. “Parker,” she whispered his name in the darkness of her room. Then she heard a soft knock on the door. She was so sure it was him; her heart leaped, a joyous, frantic bird trapped in her ribcage. “It had to be Parker,” she thought to herself and scrambled out of the bed. There was another soft knock as she got to the door.“Who is it?” She asked tentatively.“Parker,” he rumbled from the other side of the door. She unlocked the door, and he was standing there with a slow smile playing on his lips. “I can't seem to fall asleep,” he said. “Me too,” she replied, her voice a warm care
Parker collapsed on top of Tasha, panting, extremely happy for finally being able to live out his dreams after all these years. When his breathing slowed down, he turned on his back to the other side and took her with him. So that half of her body was on top of his body. “You are so sweet,Prof.,” he beamed into her eyes. “You are all and more than I had ever dreamed about.” “You are really serious about thinking of me for over five years?” She asked incredulously. “Of course,” he kissed the top of her head. “I wasn't kidding you. It's the truth.”“Hmmm,” she tilted his face to her, “I am glad to have made your dream come through.”“I have been in love with you for the longest time, you know,” he confessed. “Only I couldn't muster enough courage to come to you all these years.”Tasha was lost for words. She only smiled at him. She saw he was deeply sincere with his feelings for her, with the look of adoration on his face. He cupped her cheek with one hand, and whispered again, “I d
Several hours after Tasha arrived at Sandville, she was in her mother's kitchen cleaning up. The aroma of spices still lingering in the air. She, her parents and Tyson just finished dinner. The clatter of forks against plates echoed through the kitchen, a symphony of post-dinner cleanup as she continued to stack the used plates into the dishwasher. The last of the plates was her late grandmother's chipped plate. She held it in her hands for a long time with a nostalgic smile as fond memories about Ma Gloria Harrison rushed back at her. She put the plate in the dishwasher and closed the door of the machine with a soft click. Tasha paused, her gaze lingering on a carrot stick lying on the oak worktop in the middle of the kitchen. She hummed the lyrics of a popular song to herself as she removed the carrot stick and dropped it in the garbage bag under the sink. Then she wiped down the countertops and worktop with vinegar. “Yeah…yeah, yeah,” she mumbled to herself. “That is okay f
"Ladies and gentlemen,” Blake, started his address to the board members Friday midday in the Carter Industries boardroom. “I am so glad to inform you that our new project, Dreamkey Realty, has finally birthed its first baby, blue diamond luxury homes, and is in its final stage of completion as I speak to you.”The board members clapped their hands.“Thank you,” Blake looked into their faces with pride, while they looked at him with admiration. His hard work over the last few months had finally paid off. A few of them had been skeptical about the feasibility of building an estate of such architectural magnitude and luxurious masterpieces, which Blake had envisioned within eight months. “I can tell you without a doubt that Dreamkey is here to stay and it will revolutionize the reality market in this country.”They gave him another round of applause, with his father taking the lead. “I am going to show you some slides today,” he clicked to the first slide on the projector and the gener
Trevor woke up on Saturday morning with his wife tangled up around him, which was not unusual; her arm on his chest with her legs intertwined with his own. He looked at the digital clock on his Laura's nightstand and it read thirteen minutes before six. He smiled to himself as he tried to move gently, hoping not to wake her up. But before he could get out of the bed, she opened her eyes, she smiled at him, and mumbled, "it's Saturday, where are you going?" “I want to make breakfast,” he said, but she had already turned her face to the other side and slept off. Trevor went to the toilet to do his morning usuals and left for the kitchen before he proceeded downstairs to the kitchen. Knowing Laura craved anything spicy for now, he decided to make spicy bread toast for breakfast. He decided to check his email first. He was expecting a letter from one of his colleagues. Trevor saw the message from Teddy and quickly read it over. He was about to close up his laptop when his mind traile
“Please sit down, Professor Harrison,” the doctor said to Tasha, pointing to the chair across from his desk. “Thank you,” she said and sat down, fear kicking at her heart. “I am doctor Fabian,” the middle-aged doctor said with a professional smile.“Please, what is wrong with my son?” She asked in a panic-stricken voice, “What is wrong with Tyson?”It was three weeks after she returned from Los Angeles. She was lecturing her students when a call came through that she needed to come over to the state that Tyson collapsed in class. “Not yet, Prof.,” the doctor’s face softened. "We're not sure yet, but we'll do everything we can to find out."Tasha looked around the sterile white room. Dr. Fabian's calm voice was a stark contrast to the turmoil going on in her mind. “How long is that going to take?” She clasped her hands on her legs. “Doctor, please?”“Let’s say two days,” he closed up Tyson's case file in front of him. “He's going to wait for two days?” She pushed forward in her se