When he was gone, I dropped down on the bed, listless and numb. My body felt heavy and my muscles felt weak. The knowledge of how close the virus had been to us was weighing on me. Burying my face in the pillow, my sobs came easily. The muffled sound of my cries overtook the silence of the room and caught Glenn's attention from the next room.

  His hurried footsteps were barely audible as he rushed to my aide. Wrapping his arms around me, he did his best to soothe me. I put my arms around him, desperately needing to feel close to another person. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat was hypnotic, calming my chaotic mind. He softly stroked my hair while whispering that everything would be okay.

  Knowing that it would be days of waiting for our test results weakened my spirit. Trapped in limbo, my emotions became a rollercoaster of unpredictability with the deaths of Meilin and Li still weighing on my mind. I closed my eyes and pictured Meilin, her delicate features and radiant smile were easy to recall. Soon after, Li's devilish grin and kind eyes popped into my head as well.

  It had been two weeks since we had seen them last. We met for dinner at a small restaurant they suggested to celebrate the end of a successful trip. After two weeks of negotiating the terms of our contract, we could finally agree.

  That night was by far the most relaxed one of the entire trip. Meilin showed us the pictures of the new house she and her husband had bought. They had only been married a year. The memories of her proudly telling the story of how she found the house brought tears to my eyes.

  Li and his wife had two small children. With tears streaming down my face, I remembered him telling us that his five-year-old was learning how to ride a bike. I couldn't imagine what she must have been feeling. I couldn't believe that two weeks before, Meilin and Li were alive and laughing about their boss' temper tantrums. It never occurred to me even after news of the outbreak, that it would be the last time I saw them.

  The possibility I had contracted the virus frightened me. Calling to inform Gavin was my first reaction, but I kept the news to myself until I knew something for sure. There was no point in worrying Kayla when I knew nothing for sure. I didn't know how to explain something that I still didn't understand to an eight-year-old without scaring her.

  Glenn gently wiped away my tears and asked "How are you feeling?"

  "You are the fifth person to ask me that today. I'm fine, thank you. How about you?" I replied, cleaning my nose with the tissue he handed me.

  He let out a heavy sigh "I'm great. No need to worry. I was just thinking about Li and Meilin."

  I looked up at him, trying to stop my tears. "So was I. It still doesn't seem real."

  "No, it doesn't. It puts things in perspective. I have been thinking about all the things I've done and all the things I've wanted to do. There is still so much I want to do." He responded, holding me close to him. “I've been doing the same thing. We will get the opportunity to do everything we want, I’m sure of it. I just worry that we won't take advantage of the opportunities when they are in front of us."

  "It's amazing how tragedy forces you to think philosophically. I've been gathering up all of my what-ifs and regrets, hoping to change a few of them."

  The chill of winter was ever-present and I shivered next to him. He grabbed the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around me. Sitting with his back against the headboard, he pulled me close to him. I curled up in his arms where I felt safe for a moment.

  We sat for a while in my dimly lit room, convincing ourselves not to jump to any conclusions. The chance that we had been exposed to the virus and the panic that was spreading about it was enough to compel us to lean on each other for support rather than alarm anyone back home.

  Chapter 7

  Morgan

  I sat on the bed in Gavin's guest room holding back my tears. Fear and concern about my mother's health hit me all at once. Jordan did her best to be strong, the way older siblings do. It wasn't hard to figure out that she was just as terrified.

  Before going back out into the living room, I tried my best to regain my composure. Having him witness me falling apart wasn't what I would consider impressing him. I took a few deep breaths to slow down my racing heart and calm my mind.

  I walked out of the guest room and saw Gavin sitting on the couch. Not knowing if my mom had contracted the virus that had shut down countries all over the world, terrified me, but talking to Jordan had made me feel better. Even though the uneasiness it left me with was difficult to get rid of and impossible to ignore.

  "How's your mom doing?" Gavin asked, taking off his glasses and setting them on the table.

  "She is sleeping. Her fever is gone, at least. My sister, Jordan, said that she is looking a little better, too." I replied, rubbing the back of my neck with my hand.

  "I'm glad that she is feeling better. I know that this can't be easy for you. What about your father?"

  "My father is the last person my mother would want to hear from." I acknowledge, rubbing the back of my neck.

  "Oh. I'm sorry." He replied, sitting forward on the couch.

  "It's fine. Jordan and I don't speak to him very often, but he helps my mom pay my tuition, so I feel obligated to have a few conversations with him a year. Usually, it's about my grades or my classes. He has to make sure his money will not be wasted." I blurted out before catching myself rambling. “I am so sorry. I didn't mean to dump all of that on you." I said, not knowing why I gave so much information to him.

  "No, it's fine. I don't mind. How are you doing with all of this?"

  "Me? I'm fine. I just worry about them.” I said, avoiding his gaze and hoping that he didn’t notice how turned on I was.

  He stood up from the couch and walked towards me. Suddenly, I started feeling nervous and excited. My heart raced as he stood in front of me.

  He looked me straight in my eyes, making me weak in the knees before leaning in to kiss me. He pressed his lips hard against mine as if he was trying to make a statement. His tongue feverishly rubbed against mine; his hands roamed all over my body. He clutched a handful of my hair and gently pulled my head back, exposing my neck for his mouth to explore.

  My whole body was begging for his touch. I never wanted him to stop. His rock-hard cock pressed up against my thigh almost had me screaming for more. Suddenly, he pulled away with a look of confusion on his face.

  "I can't do this," he said before walking away, leaving me stunned and embarrassed.

  “Are you serious?” I asked, pulling him by the arm to stop him before he got to his bedroom.

  “I’m sorry, Morgan. I don’t know what I was thinking. I should have never..” He responded apologetically.

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s not appropriate.”

  “Will you stop with that shit already? Not everything needs to be appropriate. Who cares?” I begged, needing to feel his touch.

  “I care. You are my student. I could lose my job for something like this.” He asserted, trying to remain level-headed.

  “How is anyone going to find out? They shut the school down. The semester will probably be over by the time it is open again.”

  He looked deep into my eyes before finally giving in and kissing me, guiding me to his room. I kissed his neck as we went into the bedroom.

  He pushed the door closed then went right to unbuttoning my jeans, pulling them down my legs in one effortless motion.

  His room was dark, but I could feel him leading me towards his bed, pulling off his shirt as he walked.

  I stripped off my shirt as he reached down to unbutton my pants, pulling them down to expose my rock-hard cock. The mounting desire I had in me was spilling over and taking control of me. I needed to have him. My body yearned to feel him inside of me.

  I kissed Gavin's cheek and then his soft, wet lips. His tongue stroked mine and made me ache for him. I ran my fingers down Gavin's body before undoing the buttons on his shirt.

  I pulled the shirt open, revealing Gavin's chiseled chest.

  I kissed his neck, trailing down to his chest. I swept my tongue around his nipple, licking and sucking on it as he moaned softly.

  His cock pressed up against his zipper, completely hard and throbbing. I wrapped my hand around it and stroked it slowly. Gavin moaned with each stroke.

  “Oh my God. That feels so good.” He whispered.

  “I want you, Gavin". I said gently yet firmly. “You're so fucking sexy. I’ve been wanting to do this to you since the first time I laid eyes on you, and I can't hold back my desire for you any longer.” Right at that moment, I rushed towards him for another kiss, our bodies pressing up against one another’s. Feeling his lips on my skin excited me, making my hard cock only want even more of him.

  I moved lower and sucked his nipple into my mouth. Gavin groaned, grabbing at my arms as I continued to stroke his cock. I kissed him again, biting his bottom lip, feeling the throbbing of my dick between my legs.

  He pulled back, pushing me down onto the bed. He hovered over me, his eyes looking over my body. I sat up and kissed his chest once more before laying back down on the bed. His luscious lips caressed mine, softly kissing me.

  “Let’s go slow,” he whispered, before kissing me again.

  His lips drifted down to my neck, licking and sucking as he made his way down to my chest. The feeling of his tongue as he circled it around my nipple, sent a wave of ecstasy through my body, causing me to let out a moan. He turned me over onto my stomach, and I braced myself for him to enter me.

  I arched my back and he kissed my neck, his hands exploring my body. He kneeled, hovering over me while he positioned his cock in my ass. He leaned down to kiss me again, slowly sliding his cock inside me. I gasped, feeling as he filled me up, and rubbed against my prostate.

  I felt every inch of him enter me as he slowly thrust deeper. I inhaled deeply, grabbing at the sheets, my body following his motions. He continued to move his hips, letting me get used to it. He gently rocked his hips back and forth, moaning with every thrust. His gentle rocking grew longer, gliding in and out of me.

  The pleasure surging through my body was unbelievable. He panted and groaned as he quickened his pace. Thrusting repeatedly until I couldn’t hold back any longer. I grabbed my cock and started stroking, escalating the pure ecstasy that I was feeling. He was feeling the same thing. It was obvious from the sounds he was making. I moaned as I felt myself reaching the point of orgasm. His fast hard thrusts had also brought him to the brink of his. Suddenly, I felt him erupt, his body shaking all over which caused me to explode as well.

  Laying beside him, I tried to catch my breath. My mind was spinning, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Gavin breathed heavily, trying to relax himself while still softly moaning.

  The warmth of his body next to mine left me with a smile on my face. As my body started to relax itself, exhaustion kicked in, leaving me unable to move. My entire body tingled, providing me with a euphoric feeling that I had never known before. Gavin wrapped his strong arms around me without hesitation and held me close to him. The rhythm of his heartbeat in my ear as I lay on his chest, lulled me to sleep.

  Chapter 8

  Gavin

  When I woke up the next morning alone in my bed, it felt like the events of the previous night were merely a dream. The memory of Morgan's touch on my skin was still fresh in my mind. Within seconds, I was completely aware of the goofy smile on my face. I didn't know what had come over me. I couldn't resist the urge to kiss him but worried that I wouldn't live up to the fantasy that he had of me. I still wasn't sure if I had disappointed him.

  My sore muscles reminded me of the night we spent together. His scent still lingered on my sheets. I inhaled deeply, trying to take in as much of it as possible.

  Since Claire, I hadn't considered looking for any sort of relationship. Attempting to have one with a student was far from the realm of possibilities for me. At the center of my uncertainty was one question I needed to know the answer to. I needed to find out if what happened between us was merely a one-time thing.

  It would be foolish of me to believe that a twenty-two-year-old kid was looking for a relationship with someone fifteen years older than him. I wasn't even sure if I was looking for a relationship. Everything had happened so fast that I hadn't thought about what it may lead to. With panic about the virus that hit the United States, it was impossible to know how long we both would have to work at home.

  Just as I realized that the night I had spent with Morgan might have just been a one-night stand for him, I received a text. It was from Morgan letting me know he had left to meet his sister for breakfast and would call me afterward. Hearing from him did little to answer my question, but I decided not to let myself get carried away with worrying about it.

  I got out of bed and got ready for my first day of working from home. It would also be Kayla's first day of homeschooling, so I tried to find worksheets for her to do while I set up my classes online.

  "Have you set up your classes?" Henry asked before I said hello.

  "Not yet. What about you?" I asked, trying to navigate the campus website.

  "Yup, I set it all up last night. It only took five calls to the IT department for help to get it all taken care of." He proclaimed with a triumphant laugh.

  "I'm sure they enjoyed that," I replied, imagining all the ways Henry could make a simple task seem impossible.

  "Oh yeah. Omar and I are best buds now. He even gave me a special nickname." He said with pride.

  "Really? What's your special nickname?" I asked.

  "Tonto. I think it's a reference to the Lone Ranger character. It sounds cooler with his Mexican accent, though."

  "I bet it does," I replied, unable to contain my amusement.

  "If you're having trouble, you should call him. He will know exactly what to do." He promised with confidence.

  "I will keep that in mind. Thank you, Henry."

  "So do you miss your students yet?"

  "Not yet. How about you?"

  "Oh, I'm devastated. I don't know how I will go on without them."

  "I am sure you will find a way to survive."

  "Maybe. If I don't have them to tell me that I'm wrong, how am I supposed to know?"

  "I find that it's best to just assume you are always wrong."

  Conversations with Henry were often a great way to reduce stress. We talked for a few more minutes before hanging up so that I could focus on what I was doing.

  It was after eight when Kayla woke up, surprised by my willingness to allow her to sleep so late. Over breakfast, we discussed the worksheets I had picked out for her. She sat at the table with her hair in two braids, eagerly waiting to start her schoolwork.

  I handed her the worksheets, and she ran to her room to work on them. The sight of her so enthusiastic about starting her work was surprising, but it made me proud. I headed to my office to finish setting up the work for my students online.

  Staring at my computer monitor, I sat trying to read through the instructions for setting up my classes online, but my mind kept reverting to the events of the night before. Part of me was still in disbelief at what happened.

  Everything about Morgan was a mystery to me. It filled me with an uncertainty that was just as exhilarating as it was terrifying. The thrill of the unexpected was something that I had given up when I met Claire.

  I wondered if I had made a huge mistake by giving in to my feelings for Morgan. That I had feelings for Morgan was still something I didn’t understand. I was married to Claire for ten years and I never felt about her the way I felt about Morgan.

  "Daddy!" Kayla exclaimed, bursting through my office door. "I finished my math worksheets. Do you want to see them?"

  "You finished them? You are fast, Tink. Bring them here and I will look at them." I replied, holding out my hand for her worksheets.

  "You did a wonderful job, Tink," I said with a smile after looking them over.

  "Math is my favorite subject." She announced with pride.

  "Well, the school still hasn't finished setting up your classwork online, but if you like, I can print out more worksheets for you," I explained as she sat down on the love seat near the door.

  “Yes, please. Those were fun,” she replied with a smile that lit up her entire face.

  After finally getting everything set up, I checked the time and realized that it wouldn't be long until Morgan came over for lunch. Knowing that he would be in my presence again gave me a feeling of exhilaration that I couldn't explain. Morgan was the last person I would have guessed that I would feel this way about.

  “Do you want to help me make the salad?” I asked Kayla, taking the vegetables out of the refrigerator.

  “Okay, daddy.” She answered as she walked to the kitchen sink to wash her hands.

  Kayla proudly washed the vegetables before I cut everything up. Then we put everything in the bowl and mixed it up. Being able to spend my day with her instead of a room full of college students who thought they knew everything was more than I could ask for.

  Chapter 9

  Claire

  My attempts to get ahold of Gavin had been unsuccessful and it was becoming more frustrating with every missed call. Considering how far from home I was, you would think he would be attentive to my calls. It's the only contact I had with Kayla. Unfortunately, instead of talking to her, I ended up in an argument with him.

  Conversations with Gavin weren't something that I particularly enjoyed anymore. Being stuck in this hotel room had given me too much time to think about my life and all of the choices that I could make differently.

  "Did you get to talk to your little girl?" Glen asked, sitting down next to me on the couch in the living room area we shared.

  "I got a hold of her father. We were so busy arguing that I forgot to ask about her lesson. I hate that I can't have a conversation with him about her and hear how she is doing. As soon as I hear his voice, I feel so angry that I lash out about anything and everything that I can." I replied, with my head in my hand.

 

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