Falling for Him Read online

  Was I being for real? Just looking around, all of these guys were older. I mean, the one next to me easily had ten years on me, give or take, no matter how good he looked, and the others were at least the same age as him or older. No, I needed to stick with guys my own age. With my little bit of “experience”, there was no way I was putting myself out there for an older man to laugh and make fun of me once he realized just how young I was. He might have been nice in offering me his seat but that’s as far as I was going to go with this. No, no, no. Nothing more.

  When the teacher made it back to the front of the class after passing out all of the paperwork, he instructed everyone to pay close attention while he read through the assignment. There would be two parts to this project, one that involved individual work and the other that involved group work. He went on to explain that groups would be assigned at the beginning of the next class and we would be allowed to briefly introduce ourselves prior to starting the project. We would have some class time devoted to the group part but it was expected of us to meet outside of the classroom for the remainder of it. Not only did the school have a library on their main campus, but we would also be allowed access to the military library. He emphasized that using the military library would eliminate any obstacles we might run into. I’m not sure what he meant by this but we shouldn’t be lacking for information that’s for sure.

  Honestly, I wasn’t looking forward to the group part since I didn’t know one single person in the class so far, but hopefully that would change and I’d be placed with a group that was willing to work hard. I thought about Monica and her lab partner and wondered if I’d get lucky too. Looking around the room, nah, I doubted it.

  When there were no more questions pertaining to the project, the instructor started back on his lectures. I kept stealing glances over at the jumpsuit guy and wondering what my chances were of being placed in the same group with him.

  I could hear the conversation with Monica now. “You should see the guy that I’m doing group work with.” I’d tell her. “He’s part of the Falcon Club.” She might have the guys in fraternities to look at, but I had the ones in the Falcon Club.

  Class finally ended and I stood to collect my things.

  “So, what do you think of the class so far?” Jumpsuit guy asked me. He spoke with a slight Spanish accent and I loved the sound of his voice. It wasn’t deep or anything but the words rolled off of his tongue making him sound exotic.

  “I’m… I’m not sure just yet.” I couldn’t believe I’d just answered his question like that. “I mean, the workload seems to be pretty heavy, but I’m sure I’ll manage.”

  “I’ve not seen you around before. You must be new.” He continued, obviously interested in what I had to say.

  I nodded my head. “Yeah, this is my first semester at Bishop. How about you?” I immediately wanted to slap my forehead. With this guy being in the Falcon Club he’d probably been taking classes for quite some time now. Blame it on being young and asking stupid questions.

  “This is actually my last semester.” He quickly added.

  “Oh?”

  “Yea, I found out I was one class shy of graduating and needed an elective. This class seemed interesting enough.”

  I kept thinking back to how much I had frowned upon the class selection and here this guy was finding it interesting. I guess for him, being one class away from finishing, anything would be interesting.

  “Doesn’t sound like it’s going to be an easy class with all the projects we’ve got lined up.” I added.

  “I’ve had Professor Jordon in another class before and he’s a pretty good instructor. Likes to make the class fun. That’s part of the reason why I selected it.”

  “I hope you’re right. I’ve got a full load this semester and don’t want to start off on the wrong foot.”

  “Well, if you need anything, just ask. I’ve got plenty of time and can help if you need anything.”

  He winked at me and gave me another one of his killer smiles before turning to walk away. I thought I was going to melt before we made it out of the classroom. While I hadn’t thought about looking for a ring, it wouldn’t surprise me to find out he was married. Someone as good looking as him either has a gorgeous wife or a long line of women trailing after him. I made a mental note to find out more about him the next time we were in class.

  “Thanks for the offer. I really appreciate it. See you next week.”

  “Likewise.”

  I made my way out of the classroom but not before running into one of the chairs. I caught myself before tripping over it and making yet another fool of myself. Once outside the building, I paused long enough to take in a deep breath. Just that little bit of conversation with him had sucked the life out of me but in a good way. There was no denying, I was interested in finding out more about him. Older or not, he was pretty damn hot. And his accent just added to the icing on the cake.

  Cars were pulling out of the parking lot and I wondered what kind of vehicle jumpsuit guy was driving. I hated I hadn’t gotten his name and I immediately started going through possible names in my head wondering if I could guess correctly.

  Thankful my car hadn’t been towed because of where I’d parked, I got in behind the wheel and looked around to see if I could spot him. I hoped I hadn’t sent him the wrong message. I didn’t want him to think I was boring or immature but how was I supposed to act around an older man? I noticed several of the guys that were wearing the jumpsuits had huddled together on the sidewalk as though they were waiting for something. And there he was. I spotted him, standing right with them. I could have picked him out anywhere. Whatever this group was they all seemed to be cordial with each other and I was determined I was going to find out more. I needed to come to terms and get over this slump I was in for being here. I might be jealous of Monica and all of the friends she was making but I could make friends, too. And if they happened to be older, oh well. At least they were nice to look at.

  I looked up to see headlights coming towards me. A big bus, similar to that of a Greyhound or Trailways, pulled up next to the curb and opened its doors. I couldn’t help but stare when all of the jumpsuit guys slowly made their way up the bus steps. This just made it even more mysterious. Just exactly who were these men and why were they traveling by bus?

  My jumpsuit guy was the last one to climb on board and, catching me by surprise, he lifted his hand up to wave at me. I almost felt like sliding down in the seat because I hadn’t even realized he’d watched me walk out to my car. I was mortified he’d caught me staring. I had no other choice but to wave back.

  I cranked up my car and pulled away before the bus had a chance to leave first. I admit, I was curious to see where the bus was headed but I’d had an interesting night already and didn’t need any other issues.

  As I drove through the security gates leading away from the military base, I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I kept seeing that gorgeous smile of his when he looked over at me. The words he’d spoken to me kept replaying over and over in my head. His accent could drive any woman wild.

  Later that night, I called Monica and told her all about him.

  “Men in uniform are so freaking hot.” She told me.

  “I know, but this was a different kind of uniform. And he had long hair that was pulled back in a ponytail.”

  “Are you serious? Maybe the military is changing, but who cares. If he’s hot and he’s checking you out, go for it girl.”

  “Oh Monica, I don’t even know his name. He could be married for all I know. Or even gay for that matter.” I couldn’t help but let out a little laugh. I honestly don’t think someone as attractive as him could be gay but you never know these days.

  “Well, looks like you’ve got some work to do.”

  “Yea, yea. We’ll see.”

  Images of my jumpsuit guy filled my head all through the night. The next morning, I actually found myself looking forward to going to class instead of dreading it. I just had t
o make it to the following week so I could see him again.

  Chapter Three

  The following Tuesday I made sure to leave work with plenty time to get to class. There was no way I was going to show up late again and cause another scene.

  I wore my favorite pair of skinny jeans with a printed top and my favorite pair of Toms. My outfit was cute, but still comfortable. I remembered from last week that the handful of civilians (non-military) in the class had been dressed casual for the most part but I didn’t think shorts or yoga pants was the right thing to do. The idea was to look nice and not draw too much attention to myself even though I did want a certain someone to notice. That someone being my jumpsuit guy. I wondered if he’d be dressed the same way tonight or if it would be something different.

  I walked into class and found many of the seats already taken. I wasn’t sure if we were taking the same seats we had last week or if it was whoever got here first got to sit where they wanted. With the class being so large, getting a good seat was a priority.

  I glanced around to see if I could spot him. Did I really want to sit next to him again? Of course I did. I had, after all, spent extra time picking out my outfit and straightening my hair.

  Looking down at my watch I noticed there was still ten minutes before class started and it looked as though he wasn’t here yet. Or, if he was here, he was wearing something different than the jumpsuit and I just hadn’t spotted him yet.

  I walked up towards the second row of seats where we’d sat before and found a seat that left an empty spot on either side of me, just in case. Hopefully, he’d show up soon and notice the empty seats.

  The professor walked in and, after saying hello to a few of the students, made his way to the podium at the front of the room. I pulled out my notebook and pen and glanced back over my notes from last week. The classroom became quiet and everyone looked towards the front. There were quite a few empty seats still left, unlike last time.

  Professor Jordon did a quick overview of Chapter 1 since we’d covered it last week and wasted no time beginning Chapter 2. With both seats still unoccupied on either side of me, I felt disappointed my guy hadn’t shown up tonight. Without completely turning around in my chair to look, I realized that no one wearing the gray jumpsuits were present tonight which explained the extra empty seats. I felt relieved knowing that “he” hadn’t dodged sitting next to me.

  Probably fifteen minutes into the lecture, the instructor paused when the classroom door opened and about fifteen guys walked in. I turned around to look and my eyes went straight to him. They were here, the men in jumpsuits.

  I felt my face flush as I watched him walking towards the second row of tables and heading my way. He’d remembered our seats.

  I shifted uncomfortably when he placed his books down on the table. I think it was more nerves than anything. I noticed that he fumbled around with his notebook then began to pat his pockets. What was he doing? Suddenly, it dawned on me. He was looking for something to write with.

  I leaned down and pulled a pen out of my bag that was on the floor propped against my chair. I offered it to him and he smiled appreciatively at me. Thank god I had a spare one.

  “Thank you.” He mouthed and I nodded my head. Just watching his lips form those two little words sent chills throughout my body. There was no doubt in my mind that I was attracted to him.

  I hadn’t realized Professor Jordon was lecturing again and hoped I hadn’t missed anything important. For the next hour I took note after note. No matter how hard I tried to focus and pay attention, my mind kept drifting to him. Yes, that him.

  When the first hour of class was up, we were dismissed for a fifteen minute break. Chairs scraped across the floor as everyone stood and made their way to the door. I grabbed my purse and figured I’d go to the restroom. It wouldn’t hurt to glance in the mirror just to make sure my hair and makeup still looked okay.

  My jumpsuit guy made his way to the front of the class and was having a one on one conversation with Professor Jordon. I looked back at him before walking out the door and he looked up just in time to see me leave.

  When I was finished freshening up, I reapplied my lip gloss before walking out of the restroom. Just as I stepped out the door I almost ran right smack into him.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” I managed to say, embarrassed that I’d nearly ran him over.

  “My bad, I hadn’t realized you were in there.” Who was he trying to fool?

  His accent sounded even sexier tonight than it did the first night of class.

  “By the way, I’m Erica.” I stuck my hand out to shake his and prayed I had completely dried off my hands. There was nothing worse than shaking someone’s hand that was damp, even if it was due to their hands just being washed. The other person might not know that was what it was from.

  I was proud of myself for not stumbling over my words. He was just so mouth-watering to look at.

  “Nice to meet you Erica. I’m Jaime.” He extended his hand as well and I felt like he held it just a bit longer than he should have. I almost felt like he was about to kiss the top of my hand but changed his mind at the last second. I really wouldn’t have minded the gesture but I suppose doing that here at school probably would get some looks if anyone had noticed.

  “Well Jaime, it’s nice to meet you.” Dear God I hope he hadn’t detected the giddiness in my voice. Was I that obvious?

  “Thank you for the pen earlier. I guess I must have dropped mine on the way here.”

  “No problem. I usually try to keep extras.” You better believe I’d toss in a few more just in case the situation arose again.

  Students began to make their way back inside the classroom and I was sad to end our conversation so soon. Hopefully we’d pick back up again when class was over.

  He held the door open for me to enter first and I made my way back up to my seat. I kept repeating his name over and over in my head. Jaime. Jaime. He had pronounced it Jaime, as in “hi-may,” so I was pretty sure he was Hispanic, thus explaining his accent.

  The next half of class Professor Jordon covered the group assignment more in depth and began calling out names. I held my breath, listening carefully. Sure enough, Jaime and I were placed in the same group along with Hector, who also wore a grey jumpsuit, and Ray, who sat just two chairs down from me. Ray was dressed very professional with his fancy name-brand suit on and didn’t look too thrilled to be placed with us.

  I looked over at Jaime and we both smiled. I know I was glad to be placed in the same group with him and I felt his smile showed he felt the same way too. I seriously hoped this was the start of something. Apparently something about me had changed because the Erica I thought I knew would never have started crushing on an older guy. No way!

  When all the groups had been announced, we moved our chairs around one of the tables and Jaime sat on the same side as me. Our legs lightly brushed against one another and I could feel the heat coming from his body. The second time our legs touched I didn’t bother to move mine away from his. It felt natural and I left it at that.

  We each took turns briefly introducing ourselves but I felt it was still too soon to get very personal just yet. It was on the tip of my tongue to mention the Falcon Club and the gray jumpsuit but I held back from saying anything. Ray took over as being the head of our group and immediately began reading over our assignment. He appointed different topics that we all needed to research individually, then on Thursday night we all planned to meet at the library on base. Since I already had my pass and ID, Ray assured me I’d have no trouble getting into the library as well. Ray and I both had classes from five to seven on Thursday and it shouldn’t take but a few minutes to meet up with Jaime and Hector shortly thereafter.

  Hector asked Jaime a question in Spanish and I immediately felt intimidated because I had no clue what they were saying. Jaime smiled at me then looked back over at Hector. Hector nodded his head and, while I wanted to say something about it being rude, especially because I felt
he had said something about me, I just looked back down at my papers and pretended it didn’t really bother me. Jaime sensed my uneasiness and reached underneath the table to lightly squeeze the top of my leg. It took me by complete surprise but I kept my hands on top of the table not sure how I should react to this gesture.

  Ray pointed out a couple of others things we needed to work on and once we felt comfortable with the assignment, we were all free to go for the evening. I gathered up my things and stood up to push my chair underneath the table. I was still bothered by whatever Jaime and Hector had said even though I didn’t have a clue what it could have been.

  “You leaving already?” Jaime asked and I could tell by the look on his face he didn’t want me to go.

  Hector stood up and brought his fingers up to his lips indicating he was going outside to smoke.

  “I’ll catch up with you shortly.” Jaime told him and Hector made his way out the door. Ray didn’t bother sticking around so the two of us sort of lingered around in the classroom. A few other students were still here as well so we weren’t really alone.

  Something about Jaime was so intriguing and yet I couldn’t quite place what it was. He was hot as hell and not someone I would typically be interested in but he was gorgeous and I wanted him. Yes, that is correct. I wanted him.

  Now that I was in college, what was wrong with looking at older guys? Maybe dating someone a little older than me might be what I needed to branch out.

  Jaime scooped up his things and followed me towards the door. We walked out to the hallway together and I noticed several people look our way and stare. Did we look that mismatched? A few other guys wearing the jumpsuits were huddled together in their little groups talking amongst themselves. Some looked up at us while others paid little or no attention to us at all. I pretended not to notice. We eventually made our way to the exit and the man who sat by the door checking ID’s gave me a cold, hard look when I placed my hand on the door.