He was<i> teaching</i>here? On a Monday and Thursday? Gwen looked at him incredulously and then a slight smile lifted her lips. Of course he was. Because the universe hated her. It wanted her to feel like an utter loser, incapable of every being attractive. She could almost find it funny except, the next few moments gave her all sorts of messages and, having received them, Gwen was clear.  She glanced at him - her eyes slightly disbelieving truth be told. It almost felt like too much of a coincidence to be anything but his choosing, yet Gwen didn't doubt that it was just what he said. Glancing at him, she tried not to notice how fine he looked in those clothes, or how good he smelled. There was a very manly aroma to him - cologne and yet, underneath, there was a scent which was much more primal.<br/><br/>She glanced down at his hands, thinking how she was sure they were strong, confident, and then she pulled her gaze away. He spoke, though, and that gave her a beautiful dose of reality, rather like a bucket of cold water. "I'm sure she'd be fine with whatever I call her, Eli," Gwen said, when he told her that Mary Beth (or, M.B she thought with a vague taste like she'd thrown up in her mouth a little) would be fine with being addressed  less formally. "Strange as it may seem, I call her what I do out of my own choice, not with concern for what she wants me to call her." His world might revolve around Mary-Beth Sinclair, but Gwen's most certainly did not.<br/><br/>That he was so concerned with how Mary-Beth felt was fine, of course, it was reasonable and why wouldn't he define everything - including how Gwen spoke - by the woman? When he changed his words, though, from how<i> he</i>appreciated her note, to how<i> they</i>had, Gwen wished the ground would just swallow her whole.  "Well, you're both very welcome," she said with a soft smile. Maybe she'd get an invitation to their wedding. The thought made her feel sick.<br/><br/>They walked to the car, and Gwen put her books on the seat, then drove away. She didn't stop to look back, nor did she wave. It was dark, right? He wouldn't see, right? Besides, she didn't want to see him texting<i> Miss Sinclair</i>. No, Gwen knew, she had to just get on with her life.<br/><br/>And that was what she did.<br/><br/>Gwen went to work, picked up and dropped off Toby every day. Sometimes, especially at drop-off in the mornings, she saw Eli and she smiled and wished him good morning. Never more than that. The days turned into a week, then two and Gwen was insanely busy. Work, her studies, spending quality time with Toby - all of these things were full time jobs and so, since she juggled all three of them, Gwen was busy.<br/><br/>Monday and Thursday evenings, of course, was when they were both at the local College. On the first week, Gwen got lost trying to find her classroom and wandered into a bay filled with motorbikes, eager-looking people and Eli. Rather than blush and stutter, though, Gwen had just given a brief grin and then said, "Health & Safety inspection. Carry on, Mr Primeau," before turning and walking out with a straight back. Then, she'd legged it in case he followed her. She'd caught sight of him in the canteen a few times, and she always smiled and gave a slight wave.<br/><br/>Mostly, though, she'd forced him from her mind and concentrated on her studies. She had other fish to fry, too. On the first night, they'd exchanged phone numbers, creating a "Class Contact List" - there was also the class forum and a facebook group. And Gwen had signed up to these happily. But what she hadn't banked on was Martin. Martin was a fellow student; tall and handsome. But there was something about him which Gwen simply did not trust. However, he had honed in on her from the first session. He'd texted to ask her for a coffee, to meet up and study, to pop to the library together. Every time, she turned him down. The other female students all seemed taken with him, but he wasn't Gwen's sort at all - a fact which served only to encourage him.<br/><br/>And then, he'd seen her tagged in a photo on facebook from when she was working and suddenly, Martin was at The Fallen Angel. It made her uncomfortable. More than uncomfortable. Mindy had noticed the way he watched Gwen, too, and had asked her. He was just someone who gave Gwen a bad feeling.<br/><br/>It had been three weeks since they'd started - since she'd run into Eli almost literally. Gwen was enjoying study in a way which she couldn't quite explain. So, on that particular Monday night, as she stood in line for the canteen to open so she could get a coffee, she didn't mind that she was standing behind Eli. "Hey, you, how are you dong?" Gwen asked, with a grin. She was cautious around him, kept things purposely light and light-hearted but there it was. She didn't see Martin walking up behind her although, of course, Eli did. The man was tall, with dusky dark hair and rugged good looks. He had brown eyes which roamed over Gwen's body with undisguised lust. She was wearing a knee-length full red skirt with frilly white petticoats and a white blouse, tucked in to the black belt. Her hair was pulled back into a pony-tail and she had a pair of glasses on. She wore nude-coloured stockings with a single black seam up the back and her feet were in black mid-height heels. Slight make up and a light perfume. Eli saw this man - a student who he might have spotted in Gwen's group - walk up behind her and move far, far too close for her comfort. The first she knew of it, she felt Martin's breath on her neck and he spoke in soft tone. "Hey, beautiful."<br/><br/>Gwen felt herself tense, and her eyes looked at Eli for a moment - just the briefest of glances - as though she was about to ask him to help her. But she didn't, although she continued to look very uncomfortable. "Shall we sit together and discuss the class?" Martin asked her - somehow he managed to make it sound lewd. "Just the two of us?" Gwen felt - and looked - trapped. When she didn't answer, he smiled. "Who's your friend, Gwen? Hi, I'm Martin Southeby. Pleased to meet you," he said, offering Eli a hand. Gwen looked between the two of them and, for one of the few times in her life, she had no idea what to say.