Shuttered Affections (Cornerstone #1) (5 page)

“I don’t mind a little flirting to make them happy.”

Just as I began to pull out of my hard-earned parking spot,
my phone started tickling my pocket and made me jump. Taking it out to look at
the caller ID, I saw it was my best friend, Sid.

Seeing her number puzzled me because her shift at the club
should have started fifteen minutes ago.

I frowned and answered her call with forced enthusiasm.

“Hey Jules, I just wanted to call and let you know I won’t
be at work tonight. Becky wanted to trade shifts with me and even offered to
throw in half the tips she makes. I couldn’t turn her down.” She sounded
excited and disappointed all in one breath. “So, she’s working tonight and I
will be working her shift on Wednesday.”

I rolled my eyes… Great. Now I had to put up with Becky all
night. This day just kept getting better and better.

“Sidney Anne! I was really looking forward to catching up
with you. I’ve had one hell of a day and could really use some vent time!” I
was really just trying to make her feel a little guilty for leaving me stuck
with Becky.

It’s not that Becky was a mean person or anything. She was
just really clingy and constantly filled your ear with inane chatter. Always
wanting to ‘chat-it-up’ in passing and constantly asking if we could hang out
later after work.

I tried to hang out with her before, but she would never
shut up. Once, she overheard me tell Sid something rather private and the next
thing I knew, everyone at the club was informed of my personal business. So, it
was best if I just tried to keep my distance before I ended up saying something
to her I would regret.

“I’m sorry, Julia. You know we’ll see each other at home
after your shift. Plus, you’ve got me on the phone now anyway. So spill.”

Could I tell her everything now? I was in a bit of a hurry
if I wanted to get all this clay off and in my work clothes before I ended up
getting docked a half hour for being late.

“Nah, Sid. It’s okay. I’m going to be home in a few and need
to hurry. I have clay stuck in my hair and I have less than forty-five minutes
to get to work before Lib docks my time. We’ll catch up after my shift. Are you
home right now?” I had to ask because I could hear some rowdy shouting in the
background.

“No, I’m at Sean’s. His buddies just walked in and it’s
getting a bit loud. I’ll try to be home before you get off work though, okay?” I
heard her giggle as Sean started mumbling something to her. “Love you, Jules!”

“Ditto, Sid. See ya.” We both hung up.

Dressed in my white, three-quarter sleeve, button-up blouse,
a black skirt that fell to mid-thigh, and black, sheen pantyhose with black
stilettos, I walked into work with two minutes to spare. I always had to pull
my hair back for my sanity, so today I slicked it back in a braid while it was
still wet.
That should keep the curls
under control… for now.
I could already feel a few tendrils escaping around
my temples and ears as my hair began to dry.

“Hey, Julia!” Uh, oh. Along came Bubbly Becky.

I smiled and secretly rolled my eyes as Becky ran to me and
put her arm in mine. “Isn’t it great we get to work together tonight? We’re
going to have so much fun! I had to practically beg Sid to switch shifts with
me because I have a date on Wednesday night!”

“Yeah. What a pleasant surprise,” I said, feigning
excitement.

The club was fairly empty. Only a few people scattered the bar
and one guy waited at the door for someone. Dex wasn’t going to let him linger
there for long.

Dex was the club’s bouncer. On busy nights, he had a full
security team he managed. But on the slower weeknights, it was usually just
him.

He was a very big, muscular man. I imagine he was a good
foot taller than me, probably standing at about six-foot-four. With his height
and muscular frame, intimidation emanated from him. He was definitely a good
bouncer and security manager. He fit the bill perfectly.

I entered the employee lounge, put my purse and things away,
and donned my apron. After grabbing my order pad, a few pens, and stocking my
apron with straws, I walked over to the office and clocked in.

Libby, who usually goes by
Lib
, owned the club and was a damn good friend. She was very nice,
but a stickler for the rules. She was tall and skinny with straight, blonde
hair and continuously wore jeans, a tank, and a band of keys around her
muscular arm. Carrying herself with extreme confidence, she always seemed to
have a chip on her shoulder, but I knew it was a tough-chick act she portrayed
well.

Lib looked up from her order sheets and gave me a small
smile before I walked back behind the bar.

I took a deep breath through my nose and sighed. The club
always put a smile on my face.

All the bars throughout the club were filled with water and
built into aquariums. The countertops bubbled with backlit blue lights and the base
of the bar was a beautiful, tropical paradise for several colorful fish. The
main bar was elevated so people on the dance floor ended up face to face with
the beautiful aquarium. The walls were also lined with pipes of flowing water. Bubbles
danced around and reflected nicely in front of the deep blue lighting that gave
the entire place an underwater feeling—hence the name,
H
²
0
.

I enjoyed burying myself into work and would often forget
about any other troubles until after my shift.

I could hear Becky cackling in the other room with the barbacks
and rolled my eyes again at the thought of working with the bubbly blabbermouth
all night. She wasn’t that bad, really. She and I were just different, which
made conversation very uncomfortable for me.

As the night went on, I was surprised at how packed the club
was. Monday nights were usually pretty dead, but I didn’t mind the abnormal
busyness.

Tonight was Becky’s turn behind the bar with the senior
bartender, Pete, and I was scheduled to be out on the floor, waiting tables and
serving people standing around.

I flashed an apologetic smile to Pete and turned to walk to
the VIP section where a group of college frat boys were getting situated and
laughing it up before even having a sip of alcohol.

Oh, this group is
going to be fun.

The guys seemed to be enjoying one another’s company as
their arms draped carelessly around the shoulders of their groupies.

Since this job came easy to me, I let my mind wander.

I began to think about Mr. Stone and how ridiculous I must
be for even thinking he had an interest in me. And, even if he did, what did it
matter? It wasn’t like I could act upon the attraction I had for him. I knew
that was a big no-no and I was sure he did too.

The way he called me
Angel
crept into my mind and made me smile. Of course, a few of my customers
misinterpreted my smile, thinking it was intended for them. But that was okay. I
didn’t mind a little flirting to make them happy, as long as it stayed innocent.

The rest of my shift went very quickly. We were so busy that
I didn’t get out of there until after one in the morning.

I dragged my tired butt up to my apartment and couldn’t wait
to be in my bed.

Just as I walked over the threshold, I noticed a sliver of
paper under the heel of my shoe. Did it get stuck on there when I walked in?

Curious, I bent over and picked it up. Turning it over, I
read the scribble that was sprawled across the blank paper.

Suddenly, everything around me began to plummet into darkness.

“Bravery is easier in the form of an email.”

“He knows where I live.” My words escaped me in a gasp and,
as if the paper was on fire, I let go and watched it float to the floor.

How could this be? I tried so hard to get away, to
disappear. I knew I couldn’t change my name, but I had no idea he would try to
find me.

Bending over, I picked it up and looked at the paper again to
read his venomous words…

Thought I couldn’t find you?
Think again.

Bile began to rise in my throat. The first person I thought
of was Sid. I hoped she wouldn’t come home tonight. I would die if anything
happened to her because of me. Yet, I didn’t want to be alone either. The
thought of him anywhere near my place gave me the creeps.

Putting the paper down, I gripped the edge of the counter
tight, worried I was going to pass out. I tried taking deep breaths in and out,
just standing there and concentrating on my breathing. Slowly, I began to calm.

Okay, I was hungry and tired. I would just have to figure out
what to do about all this tomorrow.

I made sure my door was locked and put the deadbolt in
place. If Sid planned on coming home, she’d be here by now.

I popped some Ramen Noodles into the microwave, figuring it
was the only thing I could stomach.

At first, I wished Sid were here so I could tell her about
my day. Then, I was glad Sid wasn’t home yet and sighed in relief. I wanted to
text her and tell her not to come home, but I really didn’t want to burden her.

“I think I’m too tired to relive today’s events anyway,” I
spoke out loud to myself. But that didn’t keep me from replaying them in my
head.

Our apartment was small, but decent for our salaries. The
one thing that was most important to me about choosing an apartment was the
location. I did not care if we lived in a sardine can—as long as it
wasn’t in a seedy part of town, I was happy.

We actually got lucky when we stumbled upon this two-bedroom
condo. A parent purchased it for their son when he attended the university and
decided to lease it out after he graduated. Since they weren’t from around
here, they didn’t want to keep up with much of the maintenance, so we agreed on
a very good rent price in exchange for taking care of any maintenance issues
ourselves.

So far, the place held up nicely and we only had to call a
plumber once to fix a busted pipe. Overall, we continued to be very happy with
our arrangement.

Luckily, I had full scholarships to pay for my books,
tuition, and supplies. The only supplies I had to front myself were for my
photography and art classes.

Sid couldn’t afford to attend college, but I was determined
to talk her into going for loans or grants one of these days.

Sid’s parents died in a car crash shortly before senior year
of high school. With no family left and no plans for her future, she moved in
with me to finish high school. Once things became… difficult… for me, she
decided to start a new life in a new city with me. She hadn’t looked back and
our relationship couldn’t be stronger.

The Ramen Noodles hit the spot before I slowly washed up and
dragged myself to bed. I needed to check my emails before I became too
lethargic to think. So, I pulled my laptop onto the bed and began shuffling
through all the spam mail.

My heart leapt into my throat when I saw the name in my
inbox.

Why in the world would Mr. Stone email me? He must’ve gotten
my email address from Mr. Barnes. Hesitantly, I clicked on the email and began
to read.

From:
[email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: Monday, March 12 at 11:06 PM

Subject:
Angels Do Exist

Juliana –

Do you plan on using any of the free lab time tomorrow? I
took the liberty of looking at your schedule and noticed you don’t have classes
on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I would like to work with you on your spring project
and discuss a possible digital project for your independent study class with
me. I’m sure you know what the darkroom hours are. I plan to be there all day.

Your photographs have not left
my mind.

Goodnight, Angel.

Aiden

Wow. Even his emails made my heart race. And he was emailing
me from his personal email address, too. I knew that was not the official
school email he had on his revised syllabus.

I studied the email for a moment and wondered what the “J”
stood for in “ajstone.” The last four numbers looked like they could possibly
be his birthday. That meant he was an Independence Day baby. How cute.

Bringing myself out of my mental tangent, I focused back on
the topic of his email.

I was planning on meeting up with Maddy tomorrow to take some
photos. Of course, even if I were going into the lab, I wanted to work alone so
I could concentrate. How was I supposed to concentrate with this lovely,
intimidating man around? I decided to be honest with him. Bravery was easier in
the form of an email. Shaking my head in disbelief, I hit reply.

From:
[email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, March 13 at 1:22 AM

Subject: Re: Angels Do
Exist

Mr. Stone,

Actually, I was planning on working in the lab on Thursday.
Maddy and I usually meet up every Tuesday
morning to travel around for ultimate photo settings and situations, and to
sometimes take photos.

I purposely made sure my schedule was clear two days a week
so that I could work in the labs for both photography and sculpture.
There is something so liberating about
working by myself without any distractions.
I
get lost in my work and accomplish a lot more than in the classroom setting.

So, I’m sorry I won’t be able to make it into the lab
tomorrow, but I will be utilizing the lab time from 10am to 1pm on Thursday.
Although I’d love to hear your feedback and
get any advice for my spring project, I do work best alone.
I will likely have another roll of infrared
I would like to develop by then and I need to spend some time in the darkroom
printing those three shots we spoke about today.

Thank you for your
thoughtfulness.

 
- Julia

Hopefully that would get the point across to him without
being impolite. After I pressed send, I regretted telling him I work better alone,
despite the fact it was the truth.

I had to be honest with myself… I wanted to see him. I
wanted to spend time with him. I wanted to be with him. And after the creepy
note I just found, I didn’t want to be alone. Not even at school. But, there
was an underlying problem—he was my teacher and I shouldn’t have been
having these feelings.

Nothing good would come from crushing on the professor who
stole my parking spot.

Just as I was trying to think of a way to make it up to him,
my MacBook pinged, notifying me of a new email.

Excitedly, I pulled the Apple closer to me and clicked on
the Mail icon.

From:
[email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, March 13 at 1:34 AM

Subject:
Re: Angels Do Exist (and are hard to catch)

Julia –

I understand you need your space to work.
We’ll go over your spring project when you
first get there.
That way you can spend
time in the darkroom alone.
We can go
over your digital photography assignment on Wednesday during your allotted
time.

Where are you planning on
traveling tomorrow?
Please be safe.

I hope you have a good evening.

Mr. Stone

My excitement plummeted when I read how formal he was this
time. Even the subject line was evidence I pushed him away. Then again, why was
he even pursuing me? Wasn’t there a rule against professors and students
co-mingling?

I didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize his new
job, or my scholarship for that matter. But maybe we could spend some harmless
time together. After all, we were both adults, right?

I decided to reply with a more cheerful attitude this time. Maybe
this would be the peace offering he needed and would give me some company
without having to explain why I didn’t want to be alone.

From:
[email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, March 13 at 1:45 AM

Subject: Re: Angels Do
Exist (and enjoy the chase)

Aiden,

Thanks for understanding my unusual comfort in working
alone.
You know I would never kick you
out of your own lab though, right?
LOL

Maddy and I plan to travel to the small town just off the
highway where the roads are canopied in big oak trees and the main drag has
several old antique stores. We’ve both been there before, but never in the
morning. So, we’re hoping the change in the direction of the sun will make for
better exposure.

I usually pack my lunch every day and eat in the courtyard
while soaking up this heavenly March sun.
I
would love it if you could join me for lunch on Thursday.
I’ll pack enough for two.
I know you have class around 1:30, so we’ll
leave the lab a little earlier than I had planned so we are not in a rush.
I think the sun would get awfully sad if we
didn’t spend enough time under his blanketing warmth.

I will bring my halo.

 
- Julia

Pride swelled in me as I thought of how creative my last
line was. Then doubt inched its way into my thoughts.
What if I just went too far?

I shook my head at my dreaded thoughts and tried to put it
aside. I was just suggesting lunch, nothing more. No harm done… I hoped.

My mail app pinged, causing the butterflies to flutter in my
tummy again.

Man, I’ve got it bad.
I seriously needed to get a grip on myself!

From:
[email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, March 13 at 1:57 AM

Subject:
Re: Angels Do Exist (and are fun to chase)

Julia –

That is an excellent town to photograph.
Actually, just as you turn to go west on the
main road, you’ll see the first store on the left that has a cow pictured on
their sign.
Just behind that store is a
beautiful butterfly garden with antique wagon wheels acting as trellises for
the vines and flowers.
With the morning
light and some unique angles, you’ll get some kick ass shots.

There is also a little piece of property about 10 miles
west that has a lot of abandoned antiques amongst a plethora of greenery.
I imagine with your infrared skills, you’d
be able to capture some really incredible photographs.
I would love to take you out there some time soon, if that is okay
with you.

Lunch on Thursday sounds
perfect.
Waiting will be a test of my self-control.

Please guard that halo with
your life, my dear Angel.

Aiden

In a hopeful attempt to appear less eager than I really was,
I decided not to respond and closed the computer with an idiotic grin plastered
on my face. I sat there for a moment, still grinning from ear to ear,
daydreaming about what it would be like to spend a day traveling and
photographing with him.

With utter exhaustion taking over my body, I scrambled into
bed and sunk into my pillow.

Sleep overtook my body with a vengeance. Surprisingly, I
slept somewhat peacefully that night. I still had a few nightmares, but
unexpectedly, I also dreamt of not-so-innocent picnics and sun-rimmed halos.