THE UNTAMED

I closed my eyes, imagining his touch, his lips warm against mine, his presence overwhelming in the best way. In my mind, every gesture was deliberate, every moment building a connection I craved. I wanted to remember this night forever, to feel as if nothing in the world existed but us.

In my daydream, his body was close, too close for me to think straight. Every movement felt electric, every whisper a promise. My heart raced as I imagined him completely focused on me, as if I were the only person he wanted.

“Amber! Are you listening?”

His voice pulled me abruptly back to reality. I blinked and forced a small smile.

“Yes,” I lied, though my mind was still tangled in the fantasy.

Sir Garett Akins, my impossibly handsome college professor, was the man I couldn’t stop thinking about. I looked forward to every class just for the chance to see him. I’d tried to flirt, but he always remained polite and distant, never giving me the reaction I wanted.

Rumors floated around that he might be gay, not because of me, but because he had turned down countless other girls on campus. The truth? He was just deeply loyal to his girlfriend, Karina Lopez, a striking Latina and a fellow lecturer at the university. Karina was the type of woman who could stop a conversation simply by walking into the room, and most of the male students secretly adored her.

“Okay, time’s up. See you tomorrow,” Sir Akins said, gathering his papers and slipping them into his bag. Just as he was about to leave, he turned back.

“Don’t forget your research. I need it on Monday.”

Then he was gone, leaving me with my thoughts, half in reality, half in the dream I couldn’t quite let go of.

I watched him leave, which irritated me because Karina was waiting for him outside. He kissed her, and she smiled, which made me jealous. I knew Karina was attractive and intelligent, but something about her felt off, making me want to warn Garrett but how? He loved Karina, and his love for her blinded him, making him think she was perfect because he had known her since college, while he had only just met me. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I was jealous and couldn’t deny it, but I had to keep it secret because nobody knew I was in love with Garrett. Nobody knew I fantasized about him except for Glenda, my only close friend at school, who preferred to be called Glen because she found Glenda too feminine and formal.

She knew about my desperation over Garrett, and I knew about her fascination with witches and witchcraft. She practiced Paganism and dabbled in witchcraft, but that was our secret since we attended a Catholic university. She feared expulsion for her practices, just as I feared expulsion for fantasizing about and flirting with a professor but I couldn’t help it. I wanted Garrett Akins desperately!

“Can we please stop following them?” Glen asked as I pulled her along to trail Garrett and Karina. They were heading to the cafeteria, and so were we.

“I want to know more about Karina,” I whispered, not wanting them to discover we were following them.

“What? Why?” she asked in surprise.

“Ms. Karina Lopez was already teaching here before we arrived,” she said, as if to remind me of something I might have overlooked.

“I know, but this isn’t about her being a teacher. It’s about her being Garrett’s fiancée.”

“What?”

“I sense something off about her. I feel like she’s not good for Garrett,” I answered, making her laugh.

“You’re just jealous. Come on, let’s go home,” she said, trying to pull me away, but I resisted because I was still watching Karina.

“Wait,” I told her, unable to take my eyes off the couple.

They were inside the cafeteria having lunch while Glen and I watched them from behind a tree outside. They were sweet to each other, while I silently burned with jealousy. Someday, I would uncover the secret Karina hid behind her smile, and when that happened, I would let Garrett know. They would break up, Garrett would be heartbroken, and I would comfort him and make him fall in love with me. I smiled because I couldn’t wait for that to happen. I couldn’t wait to have Garrett for myself.

“Come on, let’s go home,” Glenda said.

“Wait a minute.”

“Please?” she begged.

“One more minute,” I said.

I watched Karina kiss Garrett before they parted ways, which made me clench my fists. I looked at Glenda and said, “Okay, let’s go.”

“Finally,” she said.

We left the school, and Glenda assumed I would drop her home, but she was wrong. Instead, I followed Karina to her house because I wanted to discover something about her that I could use against her. Something that would make Garrett break up with her. I knew she was hiding something, and I was determined to investigate, so I secretly tailed her. Karina didn’t know what my car looked like anyway, so she had no idea. Glenda was a loyal friend, so she wouldn’t tell anyone about what I was doing.

“I thought we were going home. What are we doing here?” Glenda asked, shocked to find ourselves parked outside Ms Karina Lopez’s house.

“I’ll drop you home afterwards. Just wait.”

“You’re crazy,” she said.

I took out my phone and secretly photographed Karina talking to someone on the phone. The smile on her face clearly showed she was flirting but not with Garrett. Her smile while talking to Professor Garrett Akins was different from the smile she wore right now.

“What are you doing?” Glenda asked. She couldn’t wait to go home.

“Gathering evidence,” I answered.

“Evidence of what?”

“Of Karina flirting.”

“What?”

“Look,” I said, showing her the photos I had taken on my phone.

“She’s smiling while talking to someone on the phone,” I said, displaying the photos.

“So?” she asked, as if it wasn’t a big deal that Karina was talking to someone. We didn’t know who she was speaking with, maybe it was Garrett, but Glenda didn’t understand. That’s why I needed to explain it to her.

“I have a feeling she’s cheating on Garrett.”

“What? She’s just talking on the phone.”

“Yes, but look closer at her smile. Her smile is different when she’s with Garrett.” I looked at Glenda and explained further so she could understand my point.

“Her smile is flirty and romantic while talking to someone on the phone, but the smile she had earlier while talking to Garrett was just normal,” I said, zooming in on the photos to show her Karina’s expression more clearly.

Glenda sighed and said, “You know what? This is too much. Let’s go home... we have homework to do.”

I put my phone down and took one last look at Karina before driving home. Glenda might not believe it right now, but I knew that someday I would prove to her that Karina was cheating and wasn’t right for Garrett. I now had evidence, and I would gather more next time. I would never let Karina cheat on Garrett. I wouldn’t let her hurt the man I fantasized about every night. The man who occupied my thoughts and desires was the man I would someday steal from his cheating girlfriend.

“Bye, Amber. Thank you for the ride,” Glenda said.

“See you tomorrow,” she added, but I just smiled at her and nodded.

I dropped off Glenda and was driving home when I saw Garrett at the grocery store. He was alone, which made me suddenly make a U-turn and stop in front of the grocery store. I let down my ponytail, tousled my hair a little, applied my red lipstick, unbuttoned two shirt buttons to show my cleavage, and immediately went inside the grocery store.

“Colt 45 tastes better than that,” I said, and he looked back, surprised to see me behind him.

“Oh, you’re here,” he said.

“It seems like you’re planning a good night?” I asked, glancing at the beers in the basket he was carrying before looking back at him.

“Nah, I just want to relax and enjoy the night alone.”

His answer that he would be alone excited me, but I needed to keep it discreet because I didn’t want him to know that I liked him and fantasized about him. I didn’t want to scare him away. I bit my lip in front of him and pretended to examine one of the beers in his basket. I looked into his eyes and said, “I had a hard time understanding what you discussed earlier. Can I come over?”

He laughed and asked, “You weren’t listening to what I discussed earlier, were you?”

I didn’t answer and put the beer back in the basket because he was right. I wasn’t listening to what he had discussed because I was fantasizing about him, and he couldn’t blame me. He was so attractive and perfect. He made me feel desire whenever I saw him, but I had to hide my feelings because it wasn’t our time yet.

“Why are you going to drink alone?” I asked, but he didn’t answer.

“Isn’t Ms Lopez drinking with you?” I asked again. He looked at me with an ‘It’s none of your business’ expression and answered, “No.”

She wouldn’t come because she was busy talking to someone else, and I bet she would have a kinky night with a stranger on the phone. I wanted to tell him that, but I couldn’t—not now, because I didn’t have enough evidence, and he wouldn’t believe me if I told him.

“Can I still come over?” I asked him instead, without thinking.

“What?” he asked back. He was surprised by what I had asked him, and I was surprised too by my own question.

“I’m sorry. Never mind,” I answered, smiling at him to cover up what I had asked. He smiled back, went to the counter, paid for the beers, and left the grocery store without looking back at me.

“Damn it,” I whispered and rolled my eyes. I felt like I had messed up in front of him.

I left the grocery store frustrated about what had happened. My attempt to flirt with him hadn’t worked. He didn’t want to invite me over, even though he was home alone, and I had already made an excuse to come to his house. He hadn’t even looked at my cleavage. Why was he so loyal to Karina? He wasn’t a dog, and Karina was cheating on him. I had to do something! I needed to do something!