Memoir in the Making: A May-December Romance (4 page)

Licking her lips, she turned down the road and saw the one person she least expected to see. Ainsley Jacobs, swaying from side to side and stumbling every few steps as she walked on the right side of the road with her back to Meredith. Pulling over the car in front of Ainsley, Meredith got out and leaned against her trunk with her arms over her chest.

She’d seen plenty of drunk college students in her time wandering around after midnight in an attempt to find their way home, but usually they were smart enough to walk in groups and not alone. Especially a young beautiful woman like Ainsley—she should certainly know better. Ainsley stopped short when she finally caught sight of Meredith, and then she tried to walk on the opposite side of the road.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Meredith muttered under her breath and walked across the empty street to her drunken student. “Ainsley.”

Ainsley kept walking.

“Ainsley, stop!” Meredith moved quickly, heels clacking on the asphalt with each step she took.

Ainsley turned around and threw her hands out around her, her body nearly crumbling to the ground with the force of the move. Meredith grabbed onto her arm to hold her still and upright. The scent of alcohol, sweet and sickening, wafted from Ainsley, and Meredith had no doubt Ainsley wouldn’t remember much in the morning.

“Let me give you a ride home. It’s much safer.”

Chewing on her bottom lip, Ainsley shook her head. “I’m fine,” she slurred. “I don’t need a ride.”

“You’re drunk. You’re walking alone at night in a not so great neighborhood. Just let me take you home.”

“Why?”

Ainsley stepped in close to Meredith, and Meredith felt her breath on her face. Her heart beat harder in her chest, and for a paradoxical moment, she regretted and was very glad she had decided to sober up at the bar before driving home.

“Because you need to be safe.”

“Is that really it?” Ainsley’s eyes narrowed.

Meredith felt as though she was on the edge of a cliff, ready to fall over it if she said the wrong thing. She had to be careful with the situation, had to keep her cool and her sanity at the same time. Taking a deep breath, Meredith put her other hand on Ainsley’s free arm.

“Yes. This is not a safe place to walk home by yourself. Now get in my car, and let me drive you home.”

Ainsley shook her head and moved in even closer. Meredith would have taken a step back, but Ainsley was too quick for her. Without any hesitation, Ainsley wrapped her arms around Meredith’s shoulders and embraced her in a hug. Sobs tore from her and echoed into the night. Meredith patted her back gently and held on for quite some time, cars passing them by.

Meredith pulled back and looked into Ainsley’s eyes. The tears had made them red, and even by the street lamps, she could see the puffiness and mascara-streaked eyes. Meredith brushed her thumbs over Ainsley’s cheeks and nodded.

“Let me drive you home.”

Nodding in response, Ainsley turned and stumbled back toward the car. Meredith followed her, making sure she didn’t fall on her way, the alcohol still working overtime in Ainsley’s system. Once she had Ainsley in the car, she put it in drive and pulled back onto the roadway.

“Where am I going?” Meredith asked.

When she didn’t get an answer, she looked over to find Ainsley with her head on the glass, breathing deeply. Rolling her eyes, Meredith reached over and shook Ainsley awake.

“Wha—what?” Ainsley asked.

“Where’s your house?”

“Tha’ way.” Ainsley pointed straight ahead and promptly put her head back down. “Then lef’.”

“Right,” Meredith said more to herself than anyone.

She drove down the road, hoping Ainsley would wake up and tell her exactly where she was going, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Meredith shook her awake a few more times and drove around the neighborhood a couple dozen before giving up. She pulled into her own driveway and stopped the car, turning off the engine.

Ainsley was still passed out against her window and had been for at least the last twenty minutes. Meredith hadn’t had the heart to wake her up again to get nowhere in terms of directions. Getting out of her car after checking the time, Meredith walked around to the passenger side. One in the morning had already come and passed, and she was beyond ready to be in her own bed sound asleep.

Reaching in through the small crack of the door and shoving a hand onto Ainsley’s shoulder when she opened the door wider, Meredith shook her awake as much as she could. Ainsley mumbled and swung her feet out of the car. Meredith wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her walk to the front of the house, where she unlocked the door and led Ainsley inside. They made it to the bedroom on the left, Meredith’s room, and she plopped Ainsley down on the mattress.

Moaning and turning on her side, Ainsley curled into the pillows. Meredith put her hands on her hips and flicked the light on in the hallway, giving her enough to see but not enough to wake Ainsley up. She moved over, pulled off Ainsley’s sandals and tossed them on the ground. She grabbed a throw blanket from the living room and covered Ainsley’s body, hoping she wouldn’t wake up in too much of a bad mood.

Stepping to her dresser, Meredith pulled out her pajamas. When she turned back around, Ainsley was staring at her. She sighed and walked over, setting her clothes on her reading chair in the corner of the room. She sat on the edge of the bed as Ainsley rolled onto her back.

“I couldn’t get you to tell me where you lived.”

Ainsley nodded.

“I’ll bring you in some water in a second. I think it would be good if you drank it.”

Ainsley nodded again. When Meredith made to get up, Ainsley grabbed her hand and held on tight. Meredith sat back down and waited.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to bring me here.”

“I couldn’t very well leave you in my car.”

“Didn’t have to pick me up.”

“Well, that’s true,” Meredith said back. “But it’s not safe—you should know better.”

“Usually I do.”

Silence swept over the room and the clock on the nightstand hit two in the morning. She tapped Ainsley’s arm and got up again. Taking her clothes with her, Meredith changed in the bathroom and grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen before trudging back to the bedroom. Ainsley was still awake, much to her surprise, and when she handed Ainsley the glass of water, the girl drank it down without protest.

“Thank you,” Ainsley whispered.

“No problem. The bathroom is down the hall on the right if you need it.”

Meredith was about to leave when she heard her name softly called. Settling back down on the bed, she waited to see what Ainsley had to say. She’d already given her thanks multiple times, and while Meredith would love to talk about why Ainsley had been so upset, she’d rather wait until morning when both were sober and somewhat rested.

“Come here,” Ainsley begged, her hand wrapping around Meredith’s wrist and tugging.

Meredith complied and leaned closer in. Ainsley drew in a short breath and squeezed her fingers. Tension rose in the room, and Meredith could swear anyone within a mile would be able to hear her heart beating.

“You’re beautiful, you know that, right?” Ainsley’s words were like a whisper on the wind.

Meredith’s breath caught in her throat, and she had to inhale sharply. The sincerity Ainsley said the words with had her leaning in closer. It had been far too long. Meredith licked her lips and then stopped—Ainsley was her student. She couldn’t.

“Beautiful and strong, and so very independent.”

“It’s acquired through years of experience,” Meredith said, trying to break off Ainsley’s train of thought so she could escape into the other room.

“I’m sure it is,” Ainsley answered, raising her other hand to cup Meredith’s cheek.

Meredith leaned into the gentle touch and closed her eyes. She had to keep reminding herself that there was a good thirty plus years between them, but it was times like this, when Ainsley was pure of heart and sincere that she forgot to look at their age difference. Moments like this reminded her how truly alone she had felt the past few years.

Before she knew it, Ainsley was leaning up and pressing their lips together. Meredith’s eyes snapped open, and she moved away as soon as she could. Bringing her own hand up to Ainsley’s cheek, she shook her head.

“Not now, Ainsley. We’ll talk in the morning.”

Ainsley didn’t move from her position on the bed. Meredith stayed where she was, collecting herself before leaving to sleep in her office where she had a small day bed. But she had to take deep calming breaths first. The temptation to slide under the covers and curl up against Ainsley’s side was too powerful, and she just needed a moment.

Ainsley reached up and brushed her thumb across Meredith’s lips, and Meredith knew she had to get out of the room as soon as possible. She pushed down Ainsley’s hand, took the empty glass and made for the door. Shutting it behind her, Meredith walked to the kitchen, setting the glass in the sink and let out a deep breath. She then headed to her office and pulled out the day bed in the corner, getting under the covers, turning on her side and staring at the wall for a few hours. She finally fell into a slumber.

Chapter Four

Ainsley stretched, warmth spreading through her body under the thin cover. Her mouth felt like cotton and her head ached in the morning sun, but she still stretched and waited to see if her belly would react.
Way too much alcohol the night before,
she thought. When her stomach roiled, she preemptively grabbed it and held still.
Definitely too much alcohol
.

Even the thought of a drink had her stomach churning again. She tried to think of anything else, and it wasn't hard once she opened her eyes and got a real good look around the room. The dark colors gracing the bed and the curtains indicated it wasn’t her own bedroom. Sniffling, Ainsley looked around some more.

There was a chair with a high back and oldish flowered pattern situated in the corner of the room. A bookshelf that reached to the ceiling was just behind it, covered with older versions of books she had certainly read in high school and in college. A small desk was right next to the chair with three books stacked neatly on top of each other.

Outside the window was bright light but also a small backyard. The sheer curtains prevented her from seeing anything beyond the blurry scene of grass and fence. Ainsley turned over onto her back and stared at the rest of the room. Pictures surrounded the bed on all sides. Some were decorative and others were of family. She rested her head back and saw the glass of water on the nightstand next to her, seated nicely on the coaster. Grabbing for it, she drank it down slowly, savoring every sip of wetness on her tongue and in her mouth.

Sound echoed in from under the doorway, streaming up in the room, but she couldn’t make out what it was. It sounded more like a radio than a television. The thin blanket covering her was down by her feet, and Ainsley swung her legs over the edge of the bed, taking a few deep breaths to calm her stomach and head. She wished there had been aspirin sitting next to the glass of water.

Closing her eyes, she tried to recall as much of the night as she could. The last thing she really remembered in great detail was the beer pong game she had played. Adam had been there—and Cody. Groaning, Ainsley lay back in bed, curled her hand into a fist and put it to her forehead. Cody. That had been when things had gotten bad.

Beer and liquor mixed with anger and pissiness in the span of a couple hours was not the best combination out there. Sighing, Ainsley looked around the room again. She’d walked home—that much she remembered.
Walked home and picked up by…no!

“Shit,” she muttered.

She’d been drunk in front of her new professor in the first week of school. The rest of her year was going to be hell when it came to looking at Meredith and having any respect in Meredith’s eyes. Grinding her teeth, Ainsley clenched her fists and stared at the door. She would have to go out there at some point. She clearly wasn’t the first one awake in the house, which meant she would even have to talk with Meredith before leaving.

Letting out a single sob, Ainsley turned back on her side and pulled the covers up and over her body again. Maybe she could sleep off the rest of her hangover and then not have to deal with Meredith for a few more hours. Closing her eyes, she tried her hardest to fall back into a deep slumber.

The door to the room creaked open, and bare feet slid across the hardwood. Meredith reached over and pressed a hand to Ainsley’s shoulder, rousing her from what should have been sleep. “It’s late,” Meredith said.

Ainsley nodded and looked at the clock on the nightstand for the first time since opening her eyes. It read eleven o’ seven.
Shit,
she thought. She had certainly overstayed her welcome at the house, and that was why Meredith was waking her up.

“I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. Do you need anything? More water? Aspirin?”

Ainsley looked up into Meredith’s blue-green pale eyes and drew in a sharp breath. What she really wanted was a toothbrush and toothpaste. But that meant getting up and going to the bathroom. With that thought, her bladder reminded her just how full it was.

“Bathroom—I’d love to brush my teeth,” Ainsley said, hoping the nasty scent of her breath didn’t waft too close to her professor.

“Yeah. Here.”

Meredith helped her sit up and then led her down the hallway to the bathroom. She pulled out a toothbrush still in its packaging and the toothpaste from the medicine cabinet. Meredith glanced at her one last time before exiting the bathroom and shutting the door.

Oh thank God,
Ainsley bit her tongue to prevent the whisper escaping her lips. She tugged down her jeans and sat on the toilet, peeing for what felt like ten minutes. Once she was done, she brushed her teeth and then stared at herself in the mirror. She looked like death had taken a stroll over her and then backtracked a few times.

Ainsley left the toothbrush and toothpaste on the vanity and left the room, heading down the hallway to find Meredith, thank her, and have a long walk of shame home. Meredith was seated on her couch with a book in hand, and she looked up when Ainsley entered the room.