Oral Communication: A Teacher/Student Romance, page 1
Oral Communication
Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling Author
Winter Travers
Copyright © 2021 Winter Travers
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduction, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges
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For questions or comments about this book, please contact the author at winter@wintertravers.com
Class is about to begin…
Are you ready for back to school? This year we’re giving you something hot to prepare for the new school year. This multi-author collaboration invites you to study our naughty lessons.
Twelve of your favorite instalove authors are going to be giving lessons in love. Grab your Kindle and enroll in Love 101.
Let’s Get Physics by Mila Crawford
Human Biology by Lena Lucas
Bad English by Evie Mitchell
Fine Arts by Jenna Rose
Oral Communication by Winter Travers
Advanced Spanish by Mayra Statham
Simple Math by Loni Ree
Basic Chemistry by Harlow Layne
Natural History by Margot Scott
Physical Science by Nichole Rose
Basic Business by Melissa Williams
Intro to Anatomy by Lily Nicole
Also by Winter Travers
Devil’s Knights Series
Loving Lo
Finding Cyn
Gravel’s Road
Battling Troy
Gambler’s Longshot
Keeping Meg
Fighting Demon
Unraveling Fayth
Forever Lo
Devil’s Knights 2nd Gen
Passing the Torch
Riding the Line
Royal Mess
Changing Lanes
Bucking Tradition
Skid Row Kings Series
DownShift
PowerShift
BangShift
Fallen Lords MC Series
Nickel
Pipe
Maniac
Wrecker
Boink
Clash
Freak
Slayer
Brinks
A Fallen Lords Christmas
Kings of Vengeance MC
Drop a Gear and Disappear
Lean Into It
Knees in the Breeze
Midnight Wreckage
Thrill Seeker
Livin’ on the Edge
Blacktop Freedom
Powerhouse MA Series
Dropkick My Heart
Love on the Mat
Black Belt in Love
Black Belt Knockout
Nitro Crew Series
Burndown
Holeshot
Redlight
Shutdown
Royal Bastards MC: Sacramento, CA
Playboy
Six-Gun
Monk
Rebel
Sweet Love Novellas
Sweet Burn
Five Alarm Donuts
Stand Alone Novellas
Kissing the Bad Boy
Trapped with the Bad Boy
Daddin’ Ain’t Easy
Silas: A Scrooged Christmas
Wanting More
Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool
Tangle My Tinsel
Mr. Motorcycle
Oral Communications
Coasting In
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
About the Author
Coming Soon
Excerpt from Nickel
Chapter One
Win
I didn’t mean to wake up late today. My alarm had been set for six-fifteen, but my body had other plans and I had turned my alarm off in my sleep.
Brilliant, Win.
That didn’t stop me from stopping for a venti double shot vanilla latte though.
Perhaps my priorities were a bit skewed.
I balanced my cup on top of my notebook and twisted open the handle to the classroom.
I wasn’t actually late to my first day as being a TA, but I wasn’t exactly on time either.
Professor Halifax had sent me a very detailed email two days ago with expectations for me, and one of those was being at least twenty minutes early to class to help get the classroom set and be available to any students needing help.
Strike one.
I mean, it wasn’t like any of the students were going to need help from me today since it was the first day of class, but it would have been better if my first day I wasn’t late.
And besides, it was Basic Oral Communications. I had taken this class two years ago, and it was a total bird course. You could fly through it without even trying. I had decided to take the TA job because it never hurt to have a little extra money.
I was in my last semester, and I needed to sock away all the money I could before jumping headfirst into the real world.
Most of the seats were filled and a couple of kids mingling toward the back of the room. Mr. Halifax had his back to me and was writing on the dry erase board.
There was an empty desk by Mr. Halifax’s desk, and I made my way over to it.
Mr. Halifax turned from the board and looked directly at me. “Uh, you can take a seat in the back. I’m keeping that desk available for my TA if she ever decides to show up,” he grumbled. He nodded to the back of the room and then turned back to the board.
Well, then.
My step faltered for a second, but I pushed forward to the desk. I set my coffee down and managed to drop the rest of my things on the desk with only a minor thud.
Mr. Halifax spun around and glared at me. “That desk is not available for you to sit at, miss.” His words were sharp and annoyed.
I pushed a strand of my dark purple hair out of my face and sighed. “I understand this desk is meant for your TA.” I held my hand out to Mr. Halifax and plastered a huge, fake smile on my lips. “And that would be me. I’m Win, your TA.”
“No, you’re not,” he stated.
I tipped my head to the side. Did he just tell me I wasn’t who I was? Cause I was Win. Had been for the past twenty-six years. This was not how I pictured meeting Mr. Halifax. He had only been a teacher at the university for two years, and I had never met him before. I had moved well past basic communications, and that was the class he taught.
“Um, yes,” I cleared my throat. “I am Win Grant. I’m your TA for the semester.” I took a step closer to Mr. Halifax because everyone was taking notice of the awkward exchange.
He looked me up and down and frowned. “Professor Aims told me you were extremely intelligent, friendly yet very professional.”
The corner of my lips quirked up. “I’m all of those things, yes.”
His eyes zoned in on my bare arms.
Ah, that was his problem. They were bare, but they were covered in ink.
He then tipped his head back and stared at my hair.
And there was the second problem.
Plum colored hair.
Did I look like your typical grad student who was a TA?
Not in the least.
But was I extremely intelligent and professional? You can bet your ass I was.
“This is the 21st century, Mr. Halifax. I don’t think my tattoos and hair define my intellect and professionalism.” I didn’t mince my words. If Mr. Halifax was going to judge me by the way I looked before even speaking a single word to me, then I wasn’t going to be his TA.
A loud bell noise sounded from Mr. Halifax’s desk. He snatched his phone and turned off the timer.
I glanced at the clock and saw it was exactly nine AM. Time for class to start.
The question was if Mr. Halifax was going to let me sit in the desk he had saved for his TA or if I was going to get back on my bike and go back to bed.
“Have a seat, Miss Grant. We can continue this conversation after class,” he said flatly.
I wrinkled my nose. I didn’t want to continue the conversation because I was pretty sure it was going to get ugly. “Or I can just leave, and you can find another TA,” I suggested.
Mr. Halifax shook his head. “I don’t think that will be necessary. Please have a seat and we can get the class started.”
He turned his back to me and finished his writing on the board.
I sat down at the desk and rearranged my notebooks and textbook. I took a sip of my coffee and kept my eyes trained on Mr. Halifax.
Ai
The man was the stereotypical professor.
Black slacks. White button-down shirt. Black and white striped tie. Don’t even get me started on the old man loafers he was wearing.
He couldn’t be more than thirty, but his clothes looked like he was pushing seventy.
Now his face though, his face was a different story.
Aiden Halifax could be on the cover of GQ and have everyone knocking on his door. Too bad the man had a horrible disposition and was a judgy ass.
He finished writing on the board and turned around to the class. He snapped the cap onto the marker and laid it on his desk.
“Welcome to the first day of Basic Oral Communications,” he announced. “I’m Aiden Halifax, and I’ll be your professor for the next semester.”
I had never really heard a professor start a class that way before, but it worked for Aiden. Stodgy and boring.
Aiden looked over at me. “And this is Win Grant. She will be my teaching assistant for the semester.” He grabbed a stack of papers and held them out to me. “And she will be handing out the syllabus for the class.”
Welp, there was my first duty being Mr. Halifax’s TA. I slipped out from the desk and grabbed the stack of papers. “Make sure everyone gets one, Win, and then just mingle around the room to make sure everyone is paying attention.”
I smiled and nodded. What I really wanted to do was roll my eyes, but I managed to keep that professionalism going for me. “Yes, sir, Mr. Halifax.”
His eyes connected with mine. “Just call me Aiden.”
Whoa. A chill ran through my body at the low timber of his voice and his eyes piercing into mine. Where the hell did that come from?
“Aiden,” I whispered. I nodded and said his name louder. “Aiden.”
A smirk crossed his lips. “Trying to commit it to memory?”
Ugh. And now I looked like an idiot. I tapped a finger to my head. “Got it. I’ll just get these passed out.” I spun on my heel and beelined to the nearest student to get away from Aiden.
Somehow, I had gone from being indifferent to the man, to hating him, and to now having butterflies in my stomach and blushing like a little schoolgirl.
By the time I had all the syllabuses handed out, I noticed I wasn’t the only one in the class who had noticed Mr. Halifax’s good looks.
Four students I had handed the papers to hadn’t even spared a glance at me. They had their eyes trained on Aiden and I could have been standing naked next to them and they wouldn’t have even noticed.
I lingered in the back of the room and listened to Aiden go over the basics of the course and couldn’t help but find myself getting caught up in his smooth, mesmerizing tone.
Aiden Halifax could possibly be a judgy asshole, but damn was the man fine.
*
Chapter Two
Aiden
My third-year teaching.
My first day with a TA.
What a mess.
I knew I should have met with Win before the class started, but I never had the time. I had been approved to get a TA two weeks ago and Win and I were never able to communicate more than through a couple of emails.
Next time I was going to ask for a headshot so I would at least know who was walking through the door.
I had decided to go with Win off the recommendation of my friend, Professor Aims. The least he could have done was tell me Win looked like she stepped right off the cover of a tattoo magazine.
I knew Win technically was a student, a grad one at that, but the TAs from my time in college looked like teachers. They didn’t walk in looking like they could be one of the students. Win had thrown a curve ball at me, and I hadn’t handled it well.
I had looked like a prejudice ass.
“You wanted to talk after class?”
I looked up from my desk and noticed the room was empty except for Win and me.
I had dismissed class, but figured I had a few minutes to gather my thoughts before I would be face to face with Win.
“Oh. Uh, yes.” I motioned to the chair in front of my desk. “Have a seat.”
Win sat down and crossed her legs.
She was wearing a black, leather skirt that hit just above her knee, and black combat boot encased her feet.
Win looked like a punk princess who was ready to kick my ass. She eyed me expectantly and tapped her fingers together.
“I’m sorry about this morning. You just aren’t…” my words trailed off because I didn’t know what I was trying to say. Well, I wanted to say she wasn’t what I was expecting, but I knew it wasn’t going to come out right.
“I’m not you?” she suggested. “Strait-laced and boring?”
I tipped my head to the side. “Well, I don’t think I would have put it that way.” I wasn’t boring. I mean, I was strait-laced, but that didn’t mean I was boring. “You just weren’t what I was expecting.”
“And that’s bad?” she asked.
I wasn’t sure about that yet. “No, it’s just different.”
“If you are uncomfortable with the way I look, Mr. Halifax, you can find another TA,” she suggested. “I don’t want to be a distraction to you or the class.”
I shook my head. “You’re not.”
She tipped her head to the side and smirked.
Well, when she looked at me like that, she was a slight distraction.
I shook my head, shocked at the thought that had popped into my head. Never had I thought about a student like that. Not like Win was my student, but she was still a student. A grad student. She was basically done with her degree, right? Well into her twenties.
Jesus. Why was I even thinking about this?
I cleared my throat and leaned forward. I rested my elbows on the desk. “I don’t have a problem with you being my TA, Win. I’m sure you will doing an amazing job. I just wanted to clear the air and make sure that there wasn’t any misunderstanding between the two of us. That’s all.” That. Was. All.
Any other thoughts I had about Win was going to be kept to myself and taken to the damn grave with me.
She wasn’t my type anyway. At least, not what my type had been in the past.
Win stood and smoothed her skirt down with he hands.
Jesus. That was the wrong thing to do. My eyes zoned in on the top button of her blouse that was open, and the black lace of her bra peaked out. Fuck me.
I managed to squeeze a finger in the collar of my shirt and slightly loosened my tie.
“Then I guess I better get to my office hours, then. I don’t expect many to need help just yet,” she mused.
“More than likely not,” I laughed. “This first week or so should be pretty easy on everyone. You included.”
Win nodded. “Sounds good.” She moved to her desk and gathered her things. “See you tomorrow, Mr. Halifax,” she called.
“Aiden.” I reminded her. “Call me Aiden.” I was a traditional guy, but when it came to having Win calling me Mr., it just didn’t feel right. Afterall, I was only two years older than her.
She tipped her head to the side and a light laugh bubbled from her lips. “Later, Mr. Halifax.” She breezed out of the room and the door closed gently behind her.
What was that about?
She had no problem saying my name twice before, but now she made it a point to call me Mr. when I told her to call me Aiden?
I sat back in my chair and sighed.
Teaching Basic Oral Communications was easy. It had been the past two years.
Now with Win in the mix, I had to think this semester was going to be anything but easy.
*
Chapter Three
Win
I grunted as I wedged the phone between my ear and shoulder and grabbed the milk from the fridge.
“What are you grunting for?” Mom squawked.
I rolled my eyes and bumped the fridge shut with my hip. “I didn’t want to drop you when I grabbed the milk.” I set the milk on the table and grabbed the phone with my hand.
“The grunt made that not happen?” she laughed.
“I guess so.”
“What do you need milk for?” mom asked.
“Cereal.”
She sighed into the phone. “So, when do you think you’re going to stop eating like a college student?” she asked.
