Page 93 of Devoured

She kept staring up at me. "You're different here."

"Different?"

"More relaxed, I guess."

"Well I'm not Professor Hunter here. I'm just…me."

She smiled. "James. I still need to get used to saying that."

"You do. Because Rob will give me hell if you go around calling me Professor Hunter." I laughed. Rob was going to give me hell no matter what. I’d been so adamant that I hadn’t started teaching in order to hook up with hot students. Rob was going to have a field day with this development. I’d never hear the end of it.

"So,James. What would you do on a Monday after eating lunch alone?"

I smiled. "I'd go back to work."

"Was your office around here?"

"Well." I looked out the window. "There." I pointed to one of the buildings in the distance. It overlooked Central Park too.

"Is your headquarters still there?"

"It is."

"Your company must do really well."

"It's not my company anymore. But yes, it does." I smiled back down at her. I never thought I’d be standing here feeling this good. When I’d walked away from everything…I was hoping my life could be different. But I wasn’t sure I actually believed it could be. Until Penny fell into my arms in that coffee shop.

"And what about after work?"

I unwound my arms from around her and walked over to the bed. There was a white box on the bed with a red ribbon around it waiting for Penny. Ian really was the best of the best. I had no idea how he’d gotten all this done in time. "Sometimes I'd grab drinks with some of the guys I worked with.” Rarely, really. “Or I'd have dinner back at my place." I usually preferred to be alone. At least once I changed career paths.

"Do you still have an apartment here?"

"No. Not anymore." I’d handed a lot over to Isabella in hopes of her signing the damn papers. None of it worked. But Max would be getting back to me by the end of the week. It would all be over soon.

"What did you do after dinner?"

"It would depend on my mood." I grabbed the box. "Tonight it's your decision." I handed Penny the box.

"What are the options?"

"Open it."

She pulled the red ribbon free and lifted off the top. She picked up a red, silky dress and let the box fall to the ground. The dress was adorned with a sheer red material with small flowers embroidered in it. She’d look like a fucking goddess in it.

"It's beautiful,” she said. She was staring at it like she had the hotel entrance. Like she’d never experienced such luxury. I wanted to change that for her.

"So, I have tickets to an art gallery opening on the Upper East Side. And you can wear that. We can go shopping for whatever else you want. I already have reservations at Eleven Madison Park."

"What is Eleven Madison Park?"

I smiled. It was honestly so refreshing that she had no idea what I was talking about. "It's one of the most prestigious restaurants in the city. I want to treat you to a night as one of New York's elite."

"New York's elite?" She laughed.

And my smile just grew. "Or you can wear exactly what you're wearing. And we can go to a comedy club that I love in East Village. We can walk through Central Park and we can eat at the Tavern on the Green before the show."

She folded the dress and put it back in the box. "I think I'd like to go to the comedy club."

---