Teacher's Girl (Aflyingwhale)

EMMA’s POV : For the first time in eight months, I typed his name into a google search.

A few things came up.

There was an article in The New Yorker about the gallery’s grand opening.

The article praised the exhibition, calling it a creative space for international contemporary art lovers.

There was also a picture of lan and Ally, standing together in front of the gallery with Mayor de Blasio.

They were smiling from ear to ear.

They sure made a great looking couple.

That was painful to see.

The article even called them ' the power duo’, New York's hottest art lovers.

I put my phone down and immediately regretted my decision.

I should have never googled an ex.

Ever.

But I was stubborn.

After my friends went back to the States, I was alone in my apartment again and I was forced to deal with my feelings.

There were still a few days left in the holiday, so I had no excuse to be busy with school or the internship.

In my desperate, boredom stage, I ended up googling his name again.

This time, I found Ally’s social media page.

lan had deleted his Instagram profile ages ago, right around when we started dating.

He wanted to keep himself and his activities hidden from the world.

He also never liked the idea of social media in the first place.

But finding Ally’s Instagram page was like finding a land mine.

Her page was filled with pictures of her and lan.

Ian looked...great, of course.

His hair was longer and his jaw was scruffier.

He wore a lot of suits now and he looked amazing in them.

His tattoos would peak out of his collar and I remembered how much I enjoyed running my fingers through his inked skin.

Ugh! I need to stop! We just entered a new year and this year my resolution was to stop pining over my long lost love.

Stalking his girlfriend’s instagram page wasn't gonna help my case.

I threw my stupid phone on the bed groaned into a pillow.

I'm so pathetic! I can’t keep living like this! I have to do something! Suddenly, I was hit with an idea.

I grabbed my phone again and stared blankly at the screen for a few seconds.

Not wanting to overthink things anymore, my finger tapped the screen several times and I got right to work.

This was probably not one of my brightest moments.

I just download Tinder.

For a while, all I did in that app was swipe people.

Swiping left, swiping right, it was just something to entertain myself.

I wasn’t in any mood to find love, especially not on Tinder in a foreign land.

I was just bored, honestly.

And looking at these guys’ faces on my screen was a safe way to remind myself that there are other people out there.

There could still be a future for me after lan Hayes.

Sometimes the guys I matched with would send me messages and they could be flattering.

They were a great confidence boost, and I would leave it at that.

But some days when I got super bored, I ended up replying to their messages.

I didn't think of much of it.

I only downloaded the app for fun anyway.

But after talking to several guys for a few weeks, the idea of meeting one of them seemed enticing.

"I don’t have to marry the guy, I’m just looking for friends,"

I said to myself.

So one day in early March, I agreed to go on a date with this guy, Olivier.

with beautiful eyes, and we bonded over our love of

at this bar not too

dating that I quickly learned was that people were not what they

on the phone, but as soon as we met that night, all he wanted

to say, it wasn’t a

going into this date thinking that ms nA im his it

is France famous for? No, not the

about the French

was more than an

form, and French people were more

French

in the city, but I was

side more openly than guys in

showing their feminine side

guys were more vocal about their

care about being too forward or mushy, they only did what

down my throat did not

okay, no, sorry, I

as I pushed Olivier

confusion as I gathered my purse and

"Something wrong?"he asked.

if you have to ask, I don’t even know where to begin.I smiled politely at him and said, "Sorry, I'm just not into it.Have a

him to say another word, I turned to my heels and walked out of the bar in

didn’t feel like

for my Uber in front of the bar, when suddenly a tall guy

"Tough night, eh?"he greeted.

"Excuse me?"

the looks of it, you could use some of this,"he lent out a

good,

"You are an American?"

"Yes,"

are you

"Georgia originally,"

from Tennessee.Because

"Only ten I see?"

I laughed drily.

and we laughed at

English was pretty good even though

"What's your name?"he asked.

"Emma,"

put his

pull away, however, he held onto it

in the air,

do you for a

on an exchange program,"I said, sounding as casual

thought you

"Why?"

my

time I look

help but laugh

"Are you always this...cheesy?"

the one who's

"What?"

looking Gouda tonight!"he

"Stop!"

my eyes

can keep

both said this joke in

eyes met again and we smiled appreciatively at each other’s

moment, like

that moment, my Uber pulled up in front of the bar and I took a step

my ride, I have to

"Wait, before you go,"

before saying, "Don’t tell me if you want me to take you out to dinner.Just smile for yes

was funny

to that,

night, I did agree on

weird meet-up with Olivier at that bar, I hadn't been on a proper date with

I couldn't really count that as going on a date since we mostly stayed in his

couldn't remember the last time

a very sweet

we got dinner at this romantic restaurant by the Seine

dinner, I found out that he

it with teachers and me? Anyway, we took a walk along the river after dinner and we talked about

could hold my hand and

year old guy asking to hold my

the Carnavalet Museum and took a

to the

about it, he calmly responded with, "I keep looking at your because it’s so beautiful and I want to kiss

did kiss that

the garden at

a

I had a feeling I wouldn't forget

we took a day trip to Loire

beautiful area with a castle, historical towns,

wine tasting in the vineyard and Elliott kept raving about this

he proceeded with kissing me on the lips, parting my mouth open with the tip of his tongue, and a slurp of wine poured

was very smooth