Izzy was never enthusiastic about attending her classes but she’d had to practically drag her feet to get herself on time to Dudley Hall. She anticipated Brian would be the one to hunt her down and pester her but instead, hovering by her seat, was none other than the most recluse figure in the group, Iris.

With the shy smile the girl put on, Izzy could only ask, “Can I help you?”

“No— I mean, yeah. Sort of.” Izzy patiently awaited for Iris to find her words, nervously tucking a lock of hair behind her pierced ear. “You didn’t show up for the meeting yesterday so I was concerned…?”

Izzy cocked her head. She couldn’t make much distinction to whether Iris' words were a statement or a question, let alone wrap her head around either of what those implications could mean. Aside from Brian, Izzy couldn’t see how any one else could care for her whereabouts. On the contrary, she was sure they preferred her lack of presence, Iris included.

She studied the girl for a moment. If there was one thing that bothered her about Iris, it was the uncanny likeness she had to her only other friend, Kady. The similar big, doe eyes and shiny, Barbie blonde hair, just a big radiating ball of sunshine or like a Golden retriever. Though, Iris seemed sharp enough not to ever approach Izzy prior but this development made it hard for Izzy not to give into the urge to pet her.

“I wasn’t feeling too good, I stayed at home,” Izzy explained.

“Oh. Alright. Glad you’re feeling better.”

Iris didn’t hang around for a second longer than that, skipping off to the upper rows she usually resided in with some friends. The hell was that about?

Izzy considered just forgetting about it, but once Brian showed up in his fancy cashmere sweaters he seemed to have an endless collection of, the curiosity was hard to bury, even at all the possibilities she would regret it. He hung by the entryway, chatting with some guy who Izzy didn’t recognise from the class.

Sure enough, she was right as once Brian took her in, he quickly shooed off the company who stalked out of the room. He flashed her that charismatic smile, taking the liberty to pull out a chair for her to sit by him. The teacher hadn’t arrived yet so she decided to humour him for the meantime, figuring she’d need it if he had any clue she deliberately ignored his calls.

“What happened yesterday? I tried to get in touch— for the meeting.” Yeah, sure. The meeting.

“Just some stuff.” So Izzy knew she could’ve probably done better there but no part of her felt compelled to try lately.

If Brian was offended by her bullshit excuse, he didn’t show it. “Well, a heads up next time would be appreciated.” Then he leant in, introducing her to that musky, wood scented cologne the male population on campus seemed to buy. It suited him much more than Spencer, but that wasn’t including the burden on her nostrils. “Or if you ever need any help with that 'stuff', you can feel free to call me.”

Izzy fought off an eye roll. “Sure. Is there any reason why Iris was suddenly so interested in why I couldn’t come either?”

Brian’s brows knitted. “Iris?” Then something seemed to click. “Oh, it must be that.”

“That?”

“Darrell didn’t show up too so Simon started speculating that maybe you and him were… y'know.”

It was impossible for Izzy not to grimace. Shudders had even worked their way up along her skin while Brian let out a bark of laughter at her reaction. “I take it he was wrong?”

“That idea is beyond wrong. It’s depraved. How do you even reach a conclusion so stupid?”

“Well, you did buy him a smoothie the other time.”

And this was what she got for being considerate.

“Why would Iris care about that?” She never came across as the type interested in stirring idle gossip.

“She has a crush on Darrell.”

Izzy was wrong. That was the definition of depraved. Seemed as though Iris was more like Kady than she gave her credit for; they both had terrible taste in men.

“I’ll lift you off from the burden of breaking the news to her there’s no competition over that specimen,” Brian offered. He made no sudden moves yet though. “But since we’re on the topic, you never did answer my question back then.” Streaks of heat flared where his fingers came to stroke her thigh beneath the desk. “Are you seeing anyone?”

Izzy found her mind reeling back to that late afternoon on the Newmont golf course. Her face buried in a firm, warm chest and arms around her, nearly picking her off the ground.

Izzy wasn’t a hugger. She could tolerate it from family and Colleen did as she pleased. Outside of that, most hook-ups never inclined to cuddle and the few that did, she brushed them off without a seconds thought.

She’d known Spencer hadn’t meant anything intimate. His hands didn’t linger, or grope but it was all just very sudden. Too sudden. She’d prodded and treaded carefully to get him to maintain eye contact without growing all uneasy, then he'd just gone and ambushed her. Constricting her limbs with his biceps, the throbbing beat of a heart strumming against her own and rendering any strength to form words inoperable, the great big, son of a bitch.

He probably took her words for flattery back then, but she’d meant it more than ever that as much as Spencer acted like a doormat, he profusely controlled just how much people perceived that. He could all too easily lord over a situation like Beck and Colleen fighting when it didn’t put him at a disadvantage.

“Izzy?”

The sound of her name drew her back to meet a concerned look drawn on Brian’s expression. Before he could utter another word, the teacher made his appearance and Izzy seized the opportunity to whisk off to her seat.

In bringing out her notebook, she thought to double check her phone was set on vibration mode and found herself shooting a quick text.

Need the truck

She normally would’ve placed the phone away, but when she noticed the a bubble of ellipses fluttering beneath the message. He was typing. So, she waited.

**

Izzy wasn’t one for shopping. Things like the queues and crowds, the annoying music played over the store speakers made ordering online so much for appealing. Yet, here she was, cruising through Home Depot in the middle of sale with Spencer peacefully humming along to the pop song flooding the aisles.

A situation that could've been avoided by simply explaining to her aunt Doris that she was far too busy to be getting her new drapes. Though, Izzy used that excuse several times already and thought better of it when she had a truck at her disposal. The last thing she expected was for Spencer to bothering to insist on tagging along.

She could’ve just left it that she’d take the truck out the next day but her aunt Doris was in need. That was what Izzy convinced herself of, anyways.

She reached the home appliance section and began filing through an array of colours, textiles and layers when he suddenly spoke. “How come you’re so good at golf?”

Because of course this was what was on his mind. Izzy refused to turn to face him. “Do I not look the part?”

“No but you play lacrosse so I wasn’t expecting you to be an expert in other sports.”

“Wouldn’t call myself an expert.”

“Compared to me you are.”

“Spencer, I imagine that would apply to just about everyone and animals with opposable thumbs.” He let out a dry chuckle, spurning her to recall that the health care products would be the other end of the store. Except, she wasn’t his mother and didn’t need to be advising him on buying cough medicine.

“My mum works at a private men's lodge. She’d take me there during summer vacations to help out and we'd play golf,” she said.

“That’s nice.”

Izzy shrugged dismissively. She supposed it was, when it wasn’t blatant her mother just didn’t want to take time off and would rather put her kid to work in her schemes to curry favour from wealthy clients.

“You still play there now?” Spencer asked.

“No.”

“How come?”

“Got bored.” And it wasn’t a lie. The glamour did die once she'd reached the age for to be dinning at the adult tables to be showboated as 'marriage material’ to the client’s own kids, aside a few Izzy considered uncles before they got handsy.

There came a bit of a pause before she heard him say, "Okay." It was the sound of an okay that meant he didn't really buy her claims but wasn't going to push her on it, which she was glad for. "So, what are you looking for exactly?"

"I honestly have no fucking clue." Izzy sighed. "Something that apparently looks chic but won't cost more than eighty bucks."

"Is that a thing?"

"According to my aunt, it has to be."

"Don't you think it'd be easier if she came with you?"

"She just got hip surgery. Doctor advised her not too move around so much."

Izzy all but expected once again, he'd pry further on it. He took a different angle.

"How's she having the curtains fixed on? Can't imagine work like that would be particularly easy on her in recovery."

"I've got it covered. The pole is already installed and everything."

"Well, to make it easier then you should go for a pattern that isn't too complicated." She heard the footsteps inch closer and then his arm had slipped past her shoulder, fingers skimming the materials.

There was still some distance apart from them as he hovered behind, but it was close enough to make her recall the hug. The intensity of his racing heart, the warmth, the buzz— crisp and so unnerving.

She eventually settled on a vintage, teal coloured curtain with a simplistic pattern that was within her aunt's budget and felt obliged to assist Spencer in fetching his items. It hadn't taken more than five minutes as all he was buying was a pack of cables.

"That's all you came here for?" Izzy questioned. She was sure the hardware store just a block down from their neighbourhood had those but she wasn't about to expose how close I'm range they lived.

Had he insisted he had to buy something to come along then?

"My boss at Vulcan likes this brand and will probably be pissed if I get something else," he said.

Izzy simply nodded. They were passing the drug aisle and her eyes were straying to the shelves for cough syrup. It wouldn't be so weird to just mention it to him? At least as a sort of gesture for helping her pick out curtains?

You already agreed to fuck him though. What are you still trying to bend over backwards for?

Izzy truly had to wonder why indeed. It wasn't like his coughing fits were anything serious. Probably a mild cold or throat sore. He'd obviously be conscious enough to act on treating it.

She steered her gaze away, moving in tow to arrive at the checkout point. In the process of fitting the drapes into a bag, Spencer volunteered himself to carry them to the truck and she decided not to protest since he was letting her drive. It may not have been as well conditioned as her sedan but it was larger and there was always something thrilling about putting her hands behind the wheel of a big car.

Once buckled in was when Spencer suddenly cleared his throat. "... We don't need to count this one in for compensation. Since this was technically an errand for your aunt." He kept his gaze on the dashboard.
Izzy rose a brow. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, you were just filling in because of her hip so—"

"So my aunt should compensate then? I don't judge but, she's not meant to bend more than ninety degrees so that could put a damper on anything you have in mind to do."

A noise escaped the back of Spencer's throat. "Jesus. I don't want to sleep with your aunt, Izzy. I already said what I wanted." A thick silence bled out, reverent touches and kiss resurfaced through her mind within it.

"... Just checking," came her quiet response.

When she reached to put the key in ignition, his hand was fast to intercept. His grip compelling her to turn and find an expression laying in wait that featured in her recent dreams. It bore semblance of lust but ran far deeper, seeping to her core.

"Then can I ask if you're still sure you're fine with this? With me?"

He looked somewhere between fearful but expectant in a way that had Izzy taken aback. Once she recoiled, she took to lowering her head to let her lips brush his fingers that held her. She never moved her eyes off his, intently observing how thickly he swallowed as she deepened it or the way his pupils rapidly dilated. It filled her with the confidence to say, "I'm fine with it."

Though, she knew well enough that probably wasn't right to be fine with and Spencer should've known it too.
He didn’t acknowledge it though but instead, had her pulse spiking through that rough voice, “My shift closes at ten. Could you come over?”

"Ten?"

"Too late?"

"If I was sixteen and still had a curfew, yeah but..." Ten was bordering into hours that could easily slip in to spending the night. And whatever this interest her body distinguished only to Spencer, Izzy wasn't fond on riding it out like one of her regular hook ups. Restrictions helped keep her in more control. "I have an early class tomorrow."

"Oh." A short pause fell as he dragged a hand down his jaw, drawing her attention to the shadow along it. She doubted Brian would look anywhere as decent if he was haggard with stubble.

Not that that mattered.

She reeled out of her intrusive thoughts to catch him say, "... Well, technically, I don't need to be in until another hour." His gaze full of longing, eagerness and unfiltered lust.

If he went to whisper and held her thigh, it would've definitely done something more to her than Brian's.

"Works for me."