The Professor

Chapter Eight

Collin takes us to a quiet, yet cozy little restaurant in town. We're seated at a booth that's meant for a party bigger than two but it works out perfectly since we have our books. Collin and I get to know each other over dinner and I notice that every time he asks me a question, he looks at me like he's genuinely paying attention. He asks me more questions after I answer his and go back and forth with questions about each other's families and interests.

I find out that he is the oldest of three; he has two younger sisters, Katie and Rebecca, he loves baseball - obviously - but his second favorite sport is football. His father owns a bank and his mother is dentist. He got a full ride scholarship to play baseball here at Stanford and this is his sophomore year. He's an English major with a minor in business who wants to own his own publishing company if he doesn't make it to the MLB... seriously? Could it be any better than this?

Throughout dinner, I find myself more impressed with Collin. He's nothing what I thought he would be like and it's refreshing. He's polite, smart, and respectful, completely washing away all previous mindsets I had about men.

When dinner is over and the waiter takes our plates away, we pull out our books to begin our reading. "Have you read this book before?" Collin asks. I scoff.

"Is water wet?" I reply with a smirk. He snickers.

"I thought so. Every girl who loves literature has."

"It's a wonderful classic. Have you seen the movie?"

He gives me a look. "With Kiera Knightley? Of course. I'm assuming you have to?"

"Of course." I say, mocking the way he said it. He smiles at me and playfully rolls his eyes. We read the first two chapters before deciding to leave and just like dinner, we talk the whole way back to the dorm. We laugh and joke, becoming more comfortable than we were at the beginning of the date and I forgot about how nervous I was. Talking to Collin has been easy and I find it easy to be myself around him.

When he pulls into the parking spot he picked me up at, my heart sinks and I feel a little bit of sadness. I don't want the date to end. We both look at each other with solemn looks before climbing out and Collin walks me to the front door.

"Thank you for tonight," I tell him. "It was a great first date."

Collin stops walking and looks at me with a weird look. It makes my skin prickle. Was this not a date? Did  say something wrong? I start to freak out and wonder why he's looking at me the way he is. 

"What do you mean first date?" He asks.

I'm nervous to explain, I don't want him to think i'm a loser especially after how well the night has gone. I hesitate to answer and he notices, saying, "Claire."

I look up at him. "This was the first date I have ever been on." my voice is low with embarrassment and I look down at my feet. Collin doesn't say anything and I take his silence as a bad thing. I'm getting ready to turn and walk into the building when I feel his hands wrap gently around my arm. Turning back around to face him, he's closer to me now and looking at me with an unreadable expression.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask softly. He hesitates too.

"I'm trying to figure out why no other guy has had the privilege of taking you out before me." he says in a soft tone just like mine. The word privilege is what gets me. It gives me butterflies and a feeling I can't describe comes over me. I wonder if he's going to kiss me and a small part of me wishes he would. I've heard from a lot of people that you're not supposed to kiss on the first date but i'm okay with breaking that rule right now. 

His words leave me speechless and I feel even more flustered when he starts to lean in. I close my eyes and prepare myself for the feeling of his lips getting ready to touch mine but I open my eyes when I feel his arms around my back and his body pressed against mine in a hug. I usually am all for playing things safe like I always have been but i'm a little disappointed when he pulls away and puts more space between us. 

Smiling at me, Collin puts his hands in his pockets and starts to take small steps backwards. "I had a great time tonight, Claire. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

I try to smile a normal smile back to him and do my best to hide the small disappointment I have that he didn't kiss me. It was a great date and maybe he's one of the guys who respects the boundaries and likes to take things slow. The thought of that makes me smile harder and I wave at him. "I had a great time too, thank you. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

Collin smiles before turning around and I watch him walk back to his car before swiping my dorm key and walking in the building. When I make it back to the room, Jessica sits up in her bed and takes off her glasses, her face brightening when I walk in.

"Sooo how did it go?" She asks with excitement. 

I blush and smile, locking the door behind me. "It was great. He's very respectful and sweet." I tell her. She claps her hands dramatically.

"This makes me so happy! Will there be a second date?"

I shrug. The thought of there being a second date never crossed my mind until now. "I don't know, he didn't say. I hope so." I say. Jessica gives me a reassuring smile. "I bet there will be. So tell me all about it." She says with a wink. 

I take my shoes off and change into my pajamas while telling her all about Collin, the boy who I can't wait to see more of... hopefully.