Temptation

Chapter Twenty-One

 Tom slowly sat down across from Esther at her desk. She leaned back in her seat and spun from side to side for a moment before stopping and directing her attention towards Tom.

"What is your name?"

"Tom Hiddleston."

"Mmm, I see. Alice's professor?"

"Yes." He replied.

"Why are you here? Don't you know about her crush on you? She gushes about you at every possible moment." Esther scoffed.

"Um, actually-"

"Don't 'um' at me, Tom, okay. Any man willing to punch another guy in my show will not 'um' in my presence." Esther interjected.

"We've been dating."

"Dating? Does your fiancée know about this?"

"She really does talk about me," Tom mumbled to himself. "I broke up with her before I started seeing Alice."

"Do you really think I believe that?"

"Bring Alice here and let her talk for herself."

"I'm not going to do that."

"Can I at least see her?" Tom asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Not after what you did."

"So some man assaults her and you're punishing me for standing up for her?" Tom scoffed.

"If you knew anything about her, you'd know why I'm punishing you." Esther seethed.

"I know a lot about her, okay."

"Don't take an attitude with me, Tom. I'm not the one sleeping with my student and taking advantage of her, okay?" Esther mocked him.

"I am not taking advantage of her. I love her!" Tom shouted.

Esther remained unphased by his outburst. Tom heard the words that came out of his mouth and he exhaled sharply.

"I love her." He said quietly.

"If you love her so much, tell me this... what did she tell you about her family?"

"They cut her out when she was eighteen after they found out she got a job here. She came to the theater, you housed her and then she stayed with Pierre and Cory permanently."

"She tell you about how her last relationship ended?"

"She went out with him for about a month, another student. She-"

"Did she tell you she caught him cheating?" Esther interjected.

"Yes. So I know about her past."

"You just made it abundantly clear that you know nothing about her." Esther chuckled.

"What are you talking about? She told this to me." Tom scoffed.

"The cheating story is her go to story as well as the being cut out."

"What?"

"Ah! So you don't know much about her then." Esther grinned.

"What didn't she tell me?"

"This isn't my story to tell you nor is it my business to share it, but knowing Alice, I don't think she'd tell you this... ever," Esther began. "Her parents didn't cut her out or force her out of the house. They gave her an ultimatum. It was either quit the show and stay with them or stay with us and get out of the house. She chose to leave... but then, of course, doubt set in and she went back. Because she made the choice to leave, they turned their backs on her and cut off contact. She didn't come to the theater for a few days. Alice was living on the street with a few bags filled with her possessions and some money. She walked all the way to the theater and was passed out on the doorstep. We brought her to the hospital and I took her in until she was strong enough and Pierre and Cory offered their home to her. It is true that we helped her with her college stuff leading up to her first semester there. But when I found her, she looked like those photos you see of someone in an assault case in court."