Ocean Breeze

6-Keegan

In the distance I heard my phone buzzing in my purse. I finally pulled out of the daze I was in, not knowing why I let myself get so soaked up into Ryan. I didn't know what was going on but I knew it wasn't right. The problem was when I was around Ryan it didn't feel wrong. I shouldn't feel this intrigued by someone when I was married to a great guy and I definitely shouldn't be intrigued this much by my female student.

I grabbed my phone answering on the last ring. It was John. He started freaking out asking where I was. I couldn't understand why he was so upset until I looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. It was already 6:10 and we were supposed to have dinner with his parents at 7. How in the world had 2 and half hours passed! I apologized to John multiple times. Ryan had already started cleaning up as I rushed off the phone. I stopped for a second watching her arms flex as she scrubbed the clay off the table. I looked away quickly cursing myself for my thoughts. She rinsed the towel in the sink as I grabbed our pieces off the table and placed them in the kiln room. Neither of us had spoken since my phone call.

"I'll put your pot in here and if you have time before or after class you can finish it and we'll fire it in the kiln." I said breaking the silence.

"Sounds good." Ryan replied. She seemed at odds with herself like she wanted to say more but didn't. I was thankful she didn't but I wondered what she was holding back. I grabbed my purse as she picked up her book bag. We walked to the parking lot side by side making small talk. It was easy to talk to her. I had a hard time carrying on conversations with other staff but yet I could talk to Ryan like a peer. I just had to remind myself she wasn't.

There were only a few cars left in the parking lot and only 2 in the direction we were walking, one was further out in the student parking lot. "Is that yours?" I asked pointing towards the gray jeep.

"Yeah she's my baby."

"I love it but I didn't peg you for a spoiled rich kid," I laughed. "I used to have one and my favorite thing to do was take the top and go for rides."

"Used to?!" She exclaimed. "How in the world could have gotten rid of a jeep? They're literally gods gift to earth" she said smiling.

"Ah well John thought I needed a more suitable car for a house wife." I didn't mean to sound so defeated. John had suggested a smaller SUV and I went along with it.

"Yeah see thats you're problem right there. You let a man make your decision for you. A chick would've never let you get rid of something so precious." She said sarcastically.

I didn't know how to respond. I was a straight married woman. I had a husband and that wasn't going to change. I realized I was getting defensive.

"And I'm not a spoiled rich kid." She laughed. "It was more like a guilt gift. My parents are gone a lot for work so they tend to over compensate when they are around."

"Sounds kind of sad, and like a win win at the same time."

Ryan continued walking towards her car as we approached mine. "Later Ms. Austin" she said walking backwards smiling. I couldn't help but smile back, "Goodbye Ryan."

—-

After fighting traffic for what seemed like hours I pulled up at John's parents home. It was huge. Realistically it was bigger than they needed. Hell it was bigger than a family of 12 needed but John's mother liked to flaunt the family money.

I knocked twice before pushing the door open. John and his father were standing in the dining room talking shop. His father owned Rutherford Architecture where John worked and he had suggested the promotion and move. air was a family business. I assumed his mother had pushed his father into it since she had already had us over for dinner weekly since the move. John turned away from his father waving at me but quickly gave his father all of his attention again. I walked into the kitchen where John's mother and sister were cooking and discussing this weeks fashion trends per The Kardashians.

Dinner had dragged on and on and I was tired by the time we got home. I was always quiet during family dinners because John's family was so uptight and not really a fan of my art profession. They made no attempts to hide their disapproval. I had left school smiling and happy and here I was completely the opposite and ready to crash. I didn't want to focus on the reason behind my earlier smiles.

I pulled the covers up over my shoulder and turned on my side. I could hear John downstairs on a work call but it's sounded like it was ending. I heard him trudge up the stairs. He stopped in the door way, "You're not already asleep are you hunny? I thought maybe we could ya know mess around, it's been over a week." I didn't move. I didn't want to give him any indication I was awake or had heard anything he said. I heard him move out of the doorway not making any attempts to be quiet. He changed his clothes and yanked back the sheets and got in the bed. He was angry but I couldn't fake it tonight after the mood his family always seemed to put me in. He turned his back towards me grumbling. I finally let out a small relieved sigh. Ryan's smiling face appeared in my mind as I drifted off to sleep.