Learning the Hard Way Read online

  “To me, she is.”

  “And to her, it doesn’t matter what it is that you do. What woman is willing to do that?” Gross walked over to Troy and put his hand on Troy’s shoulder. “Maybe you need to come down off your high horse and recognize love when you see it. That woman is crazy about you.”

  Troy was crazy about her. Now that he had asked her to leave, how could he ask her to come back to him? How could he right his wrongs?

  “Fuck.”

  * * * *

  “He asked you to leave? That mother fucker.” Dina slammed her fist onto the table.

  “I told you that you shouldn’t have gone out with an escort.” Vonda shook her head.

  “Don’t worry about it, Doc.” Dina crossed her arms over her chest. “He was your rebound man anyway. This is what we’re going to do now. You’re going to—”

  “Stop.” Ava brought her hands in the air. “That’s enough. Look, I love you guys. But so far all I’ve done in the last few months is have my every decision made by committee, from my love life to my job. Before Richard, I had a mind of my own. I still have a brain.” She let out a long breath. “Somewhere along the line, I lost my ability to trust my instincts.” She slammed her napkin onto the table and stood. “I don’t want to be a department head.”

  Dina started to open her mouth. This time Ava stopped her.

  “It’s a great job. And I know I’m perfect for it. I just don’t want the responsibility right now. I’m not ready for it. Plus, the one thing Troy did show me was how much he really wants to teach. He renewed that passion in me, made me remember why I wanted to teach in the first place.”

  “Okay, so you’ve figured out what you want out of your career.” Vonda glanced at Ava, then Dina. “What else?”

  Ava tossed her napkin on the table. “I’m going after that man. I don’t care if he slams the door in my face ten million times. I’ll deserve that and more for what I did to him.”

  “And what, exactly, did you do to him other than rock his world?” Dina cocked her head back.

  “I doubted him. Deep down in my heart, I knew he couldn’t have been an escort. I kept thinking that I must attract players like Richard, so I put him in that category and kept him there.” She turned to the door. “I just hope I’m not too late.”

  Before she could take a step, Troy stood at the door. Without turning around, Ava heard the women behind her release a collective gasp.

  “Were you leaving?” Troy asked.

  Ava nodded. “Coming to see you.” She approached him. “I believe you.”

  “I know.”

  “No, you don’t. I really do believe you’re a contractor.”

  “Not exactly.”

  Ava stopped.

  “I own the company.” Troy smiled. “I did the escort thing for a week to help my friend. He was the guy at my house. I didn’t want to do it, but I’m glad I did. It was the only way I could have gotten to know you. But I didn’t sleep with anyone else. Hell, after our date, I didn’t see anyone else. I turned down all clients because to me, it felt like I was cheating on you.”

  “Aww,” Ava heard Vonda say behind her.

  “I put the blame on you, but that wasn’t fair. I should have told you upfront what the deal was, but I was testing you. I thought that if you could accept me for what you thought I was, then I would have found the perfect woman. When you did accept me, I faulted you for that. I shouldn’t have tested you.” He stroked his thumb over her cheek. “I want us to start all over. Can we do that?” Troy framed her face in his hands.

  Ava shook her head. “No.”

  His eyebrows furrowed.

  “Ethically speaking, we need to learn from the past, otherwise we’re doomed to repeat the same mistakes. I don’t want to do that again with you. I want a second chance.”

  “Baby, you got it.” He planted a soft kiss on her lips. “I love you.”

  Ava beamed. “I love you, too, Troy.”

  “Our girl has got her man,” Dina said.

  “Love is possible even after a jerk like Tricky Dick.” Vonda clapped.

  “I guess if you open your heart, love will find its way inside.” Dina’s final words rang true in Ava’s head.

  Troy pulled back from the kiss. “I heard what you said about the department head job, and what you said about me. Did you mean that?”

  Ava nodded. “I heard the passion in your voice whenever you talked about teaching. You sounded just like me when I got into teaching. Besides, I think I’d rather teach more than be some figurehead. It’s apparent there’s a lot I need to learn before I lead a whole department of people. I have time.”

  “Good.” Troy lifted Ava in his arms. “Because I need your time right now. You have been a very bad girl. You’re in dire need of a good, old-fashioned spanking.”

  She beamed. “If that’s what you think I deserve, then let the punishment fit the crime. You’ve got me.” She held him around his shoulders. “Never let me go.”

  About the Author

  Bridget Midway, best-selling author of interracial BDSM erotic romance, has been published since 2005 with over five different small press and electronic publishers including Phaze Books, Parker Publishing, Loose Id, Xcite Books, and Liquid Silver Books. The multi-award winning and award-nominated author has found her niche with readers with her scintillating interracial BDSM erotic romance, including the EPPIE Award finalist, Love My Way, and Romance Slam Jam Steamy Novel of the Year finalists, Corporate Needs and Licorice Whips. With over 20 published short stories, novellas, and novels under her belt, she shows no signs of stopping.

  For more information on Bridget, visit her website: http://www.BridgetMidway.com.

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