Something Fierce by David Drayer

stories of how they were prevented from signing up before it had closed. Even the cutoff point of twenty-five students was really too many with all the writing that was required and therefore, all the grading he had to do. Extra students just meant extra work with no added compensation. However, he was feeling invincible and knew if they were still persisting on the second day of class, he would let them all in.
    The only blemish on the day was that Kerri had never returned his call.
    Nor did he hear from her on Tuesday. That evening, he decided to treat himself to Sammy’s Steakhouse—the best restaurant in the area—and waste no more thought on the subject of Kerri Engel. He took a seat at the mahogany bar, telling himself that he would never know why she didn’t call back and that it really didn’t matter. He didn’t need the distraction anyway. He got to enjoy an erotic adventure and now he could focus his attention on teaching his classes, finding a job to replace this one when it ended in four months, and maybe even get that damned second novel moving again. He didn’t need a woman right now and certainly not a girl. Everything was as it should be.
    He held firm to that perspective until he was halfway through his third martini. Then the truth serum worked its dark magic. The longing for her welled up inside of him and his mind was full of unanswered questions. Why the hell hadn’t she returned his call? It made no sense. She had been looking forward to seeing him again. She’d dropped the L-Bomb for God’s sake. He took out his cell phone and contemplated it. Calling again would be pathetic. But would it be less so than wondering for days? At least he would be taking action. And why put on the façade of Mr. Cool if that wasn’t the truth? He wanted to know, damn it. Then he found himself texting her: So are we on 4 Friday or what? Let me know. Take care.
    “You should take away our phones after the second drink,” he said to the bartender who was passing by.
    The kid broke into a grin. He didn’t look old enough to partake of the liquor he was selling. “Oh man,” he said, “tell me you didn’t drink and dial?”
    “No. No, I sent her a text.”
    The bartender put his hand over his face.
    “Yep,” Seth said, “I’m…textarded.”
    He woke up the next morning with a bit of a headache, but managed to be in good form for Wednesday’s classes. Four of the six students wanting to add returned with permission slips in hand. “Don’t make me regret this,” he said with a wink and signed all of them.
    After his last class, he was planning to go home and make revisions to the lecture he’d just given when he nearly collided with Kerri Engel in front of the bookstore. He got close enough to smell her hair and the spicy apple perfume she wore on their one and only day together. The desire to kiss her was almost uncontrollable. Her eyes were wide, her face turning red…like his own.
    “Hey, Seth!”
    It wasn’t Kerri’s voice, but the person beside her. A freckled-faced girl with a mouthful of braces that he knew from last semester, Katharine. Kat. He wasn’t breathing. His face assumed a smile too big for the occasion and he managed to say, “Hey.”
    “I thought you were only teaching one semester?”
    “Two.”
    They all smiled at each other. Did Kerri, he wondered, tell her friend about their little fling? All three of them were blushing. He felt ridiculous.
    “That’s awe -some!” Kat said.
    “Yeah,” he answered. He recovered then, asked about her classes, when she planned to transfer and where. He nodded, purposely not looking at Kerri, focusing on Kat the entire time, working hard to hear what the girl was saying. “That’s good,” he said, “Very good.” Then he turned his head, deliberately. “How about you, Kerri?”
    “Still doing my penance.” She was stylishly dressed, no glasses this semester, her hair down, light make up. Then, she swallowed and said, “Waiting for