Athena was counting down the moment she could return to her dorm room, hide herself in her blankets, and never come out again. Out of all the bars, no, out of all of the schools in Washington, of course she'd run into her professor. Lainey was less mortified, mumbling something about him being attractive. Perhaps she wouldn't be so flirtatious if she knew he assisted Athena in removing Lainey's drunk ass from the bar. But then again, she'd find some way to turn it in her favor. Athena couldn't imagine things getting worse than what they already were, but the day was still young.
Her phone vibrated hard on her desk and she snatched it off the surface before her professor could hear it. She didn't want to give him any reason to look her way, she was already dying of private humiliation and she didn't want to add to it. She waited a few moments and then swiftly put her phone in her lap to check it.
LaineyBug: I would take a side of Mr. Sexy ANY DAY.
Agreed. He's a looker.
LaineyBug: He's going to be mine by the end of the semester.
What if he's married?
LaineyBug: I don't see a ring and even if he were I have absolutely no problem with being a home wrecker.
Duly noted.
"I'll see you Thursday." Mr. Zander's gruff voice startled her and dropped her phone on the floor. She frantically scattered about, packing up the materials she'd taken out for the day. When she touched her sketch book, the unfinished eyes seemed to taunt her. She took a deep breath and shoved her in bag. She saw a clear path to the exit and made a beeline for it when she heard, "Miss Rose can I see you for a moment?"
Lainey waggled her eyebrows and blew her as kiss of good luck before she left. Athena nodded but her feet refused to move. Students shuffled around her without a care in the world. Once the room had cleared out, she moved toward him slowly. Her feet were as heavy as cinderblocks and her heart was bound to beat right out her chest. She couldn't imagine the conversation going anywhere but straight to hell.
"You wanted to see me?" Her voice cracked. She wanted to slam her face into his desk, but resisted the urge. It was bad enough he caught her in a bar, she didn't want him to think she was a complete nut job as well. His eyes locked on hers and he cleared her throat, she felt conflicted. On one hand his eyes were the most beautiful shade of pale sea green. But on the other hand, his gaze was one of the most intimidating ones she'd ever been under.
"Ah, yes. I was wondering if you're going to drop my class." He pondered. She had so many things running through her mind and knot in her stomach but her mouth managed to form words as she gave him a funny look.
."Why would you wonder that?" She inquired. In all honesty, it hadn't crossed her mind. She figured dropping the class would be just as awkward as staying. She'd have to get the papers and describe why she'd drop it. There was no way she'd be able to come up with a good reason and the truth wouldn't make it out of her mouth nor paper if she could help it.
"When I called your name, you lost all color in your face and looked a bit clammy. I thought you were going to puke." He pointed out. She was right, the day was young and at that point, it did get worse. Her face felt like it was on fire as she struggled to form words let alone an explanation.
"Last night—"
"I don't care about what you do in your personal life, Athena." He interrupted. She sighed in relief, but it didn't ease her embarrassment by much. "I know I'm super old to you kids but I was your age once if you can believe that. And I too snuck into bars with my friends. Granted, I didn't have a pretty face so it was much harder but I still did it."
Oh my god, did he just call me pretty!? Athena, stay cool, he was just being nice. You know better and you're not Lainey, so chill.
"I know but what if I'd come on to you? Or like. We—"
"Athena you're going to freak yourself out with what ifs." He cut her off again. She was glad he did because she was going to make a complete fool of herself if she kept rambling on about what she could have done with him. She wasn't trying to sexually assault him in any way or give away the fact that she was slightly attracted to him. "Athena?"
"Huh?" She realized she hadn't heard a single thing he'd said after what ifs and she get her face get hot all over again. She started to pick at her finger nails, a weird nervous habit she had, as she tried to stay focused on his words and not on the familiar scent that made him so attractive.
"I said if math is your favorite class, or you're interested in it in any way, you can't let what happened get between you and me and you and math." He stated. He hurried on to say, "I meant you and me as in, you and I as student and professor. I don't want what happen to come between me teaching you."
She noticed he was a bit awkward as well and it made her smile.
"It is, I'm excited to take this class." She confided. He smiled at her and nodded. She tried to ignore the fact that unlike last night, she could see both of his dimples and she felt butterflies in her stomach. She mentally tried to shake them off before she had to respond again. Lainey had all but called dibs and she was pretty sure getting involved with her professor would ruin her reputation and her education. Besides, she hadn't had a boyfriend before and was sure she wasn't desperate enough to go after her professor who was at least ten years her senior.
No matter how attractive he was.
"Good. Then focus on that not where we first met. My mother used to tell me first impressions are everything, but you learn the most in your second impression." He told her. She was hell bent on keeping a good second impression because her first one wasn't ideal. The most she could do was make the best out of a bad situation that wasn't so bad at all. He'd caught her in a bar when she was clearly under age, but, she wasn't drinking and that's more than she could say for Lainey. At most, it was a learning experience; don't go to bars anywhere near your university when you're under age and Mr. Zander likes scotch.
"I like that I'm going to use that." She decided. It was good philosophy and she was going to need it for her first year of college. So far, she was off to a rough but interesting start.
He smiled again and nodded. "Do that. And for the love of God try not to look do disgusted the next time you see me. My ego is fragile."
She smiled back. "Somehow, I highly doubt that."
He shrugged and said his byes as she left the class trying to figure out her second impression. She could feel his eyes on her but shook it off. She already made things awkward and she wasn't about to make anything worse by turning around and potentially catching him watching her walk away.
"It's harmless Athena," She murmured to herself as she turned the corner out of her view. "And you're legal."
Zander groaned inwardly as he watched Athena leave. He'd made a bad situation worse by asking her to stay after class. But part of him felt if he didn't, the rest of the semester would have shot straight to hell. It would have closed the door of communication and opened the door of her potential failure. But his unintentional advances may have done both anyways. If he'd just let the chips fall where they may he wouldn't have hit on a teenage girl when he was almost in his thirties. It wasn't ethical, but what was done, was done.
"Zander?" A high voice caught his attention and he looked up to see a beautiful petite blonde who was clearly hiding her smallish figure under her sweatpants and a hoodie. He remembered her from last night but tried to pretend he didn't. He didn't need two mortified students in his class and he still wasn't sure how he was going to deal with the first.
"What can I help you with?" He asked. It was clear she was a freshman. No senior in their mind would bother. But it was always nice to see the hierarchy hadn't changed. Even if she wasn't a freshman, she looked much younger than Athena, who, Zander was sure, was actually legal.
"I was wondering when exactly your office hours are." She asked although it sounded like a statement. His face twisted in confusion as he played along and she smiled. "I was just in the class you released."
"Right, remind me of your name?" He requested but he knew her name. He heard Athena calling Lainey name numerous times as she tried to get her out the bar. It was practically engrained in his head.
"Lainey Roberts." She disclosed as she twirled her hair mindlessly. He nodded and tried to ignore the onslaught of flirting he knew was coming his way throughout the semester. He didn't mind harmless flirting, it kept his old ego happy but Lainey was giving him bedroom eyes and he wasn't sure he had the energy to bother with her. But he had to try in the name of education.
"Right, right, you were next to Athena Rose." He mentally hit himself for making the connection. And more so for remembering Athena right off the bat. Although, she hadn't left his mind since he met her, he was in no way prepared to be attracted to anyone.
She batted her eyes at him and with a coy smile said, "Yes I was, nothing gets by you."
"You'd be surprise." He murmured. She had the subtly of a hand grenade when it came to flirting and he wasn't interested in being chased by her, he enjoyed being a pursuer. "I have office hours two hours before class starts. And also Wednesday's from 1:45 to 3:00."
"Great. Thanks! I'll be seeing you soon." She grinned. He nodded his goodbyes and watched as she purposely swayed her hips as she walked away.
He laughed. "Like a fucking hand grenade. College girls, I swear."
"I think I'm in love." Lainey fell into her bed and Athena rolled her eyes. She couldn't recall a time Lainey wasn't "in love". But she figured she would humor her anyway. Ignoring her never worked, she'd end up whining like a dog in heat if Athena tried.
"What's his name?" Athena played along although she knew but could care less. Lainey was nothing, if not, predictable. But then again, she always was a promiscuous girl and there was slight possibility that she wasn't going to be obvious.'
"Zander. God just looking at him gets my panties wet." She moaned and out went the idea of unpredictability. Athena glanced up from her psychology book in time to see Lainey with a hand in her pants and the other up her shirt fondling her breast.
"I so didn't need that visual." Athena mumbled as she looked down and tried so desperately to shake the image from her mind. It wasn't the first, nor would it be the last, time that Lainey masturbated in front of Athena. She was a bit weird that way and enjoyed being watch, especially when she was caught doing it. Last summer it made her a nice bit of cash when she webcammed but she quit in fear that her father would find out.
"Sorry but ugh! That man is too sexy for his own good." She gushed as she stood up and started to pace the room as if nothing crude ever happened. Athena didn't disagree, she too was attracted to Zander but she wasn't willing to take the risk like Lainey clearly was. She hoped she'd go after Zander and he would shut her down proving what Athena already knew. Lainey couldn't get every guy she wanted and some were just out of her league.
"What about Kenny? Weren't you just trying to jump his bones all of an hour ago?" She reminded. Her voice gave away her irritation as her blood started to boil. Lainey's boy hopping always got on Athena's nerves but she was typically good at hiding it. She wasn't sure why, task to sleep with their professor got under her skin. Lainey just never knew when to quit.
"Yeah. And we're hooking up later. But he's a boy. I need a man." She shrugged as she shimmed out of her clothes and tied up her hair. Athena glanced up at her with a raised eyebrow only to see she was naked. Of course, Lainey Roberts, did not wear any underwear. As she conversed without hesitation, Athena sighed quietly in relief, thankful Lainey didn't pick up her irritation nor did she seem to notice Athena was in the room at all. If Athena said anything at all, about her being naked or anything she'd said over the last few moments, she knew would have led to yet another, don't be jealous, speech.
"I'm going to pretend like you didn't say that." Athena decided in her own interest. "What makes you think that he'd be interested in you?"
She bit her tongue. Was she actually jealous that Lainey was going after Zander? If she was, Lainey's infamous speech was definitely in order. She shut her psychology book and gave up studying for the night. It was, after all, the first day of school and she was already three chapters ahead of every class. She figured she owed herself a bit of a break.
She grabbed her unfinished drawing of Zander out of her backpack and sat with her knees to her check coddling her notebook as she abandoned the thought of finishing his eyes on worked on the rest of him. Lainey would have a lot to say if she caught her and she wasn't interested in hearing about it. It was weird, sure, but it was better than trying to sleep with every guy on campus.
"I mean. How many teacher-student relationships actually happen?" She rephrased when she noticed Lainey hadn't replied and the silence had grew too long. Lainey laughed as she pulled on a thin light gray loose crop top that barely covered her chest. Athena opened her mouth to tell Lainey that she could clearly see her breasts and her nipples peaked through the fabric, but then closed it. Knowing Lainey, she was going for the whole under boob look, but failing with her smaller chest and again would cite jealousy although she wasn't sure why. They both knew Athena had the better body between the two of them. She had thick thighs, with a big chest and butt to match, but she was still toned. Lainey had relied on high metabolism her whole life and wouldn't life a weight if a gun was pointed to her head.
"I don't know if it matters. When have I ever not gotten the guy I wanted? Even if he was twice my age?" Lainey challenged. She was right and Athena hated to admit it, so she didn't. Athena was hoping she'd get the dorm to herself for the night so she could finish her drawing in peace without having to worry about someone masturbating in front of her or walking around naked.
"Good luck then. Do you need me to clear out tonight?" She reluctantly asked. Lainey shook her head as she picked up her shiny black crutch and stepped into heels. Up until that point, Athena never realized that Lainey was so late to class that she didn't dress to the nines, but she still managed to put on a full face of makeup.
At least the girl had priorities.
"Oh god no. I would never have sex here.... Unless Zander really wanted to, that is," She clarified with a wink. Athena forced a smile to keep from rolling her eyes or making a snide comment. The idea of Zander kissing on Lainey or sleeping with her made Athena want to vomit. "Don't wait up. I'll call you if I need you."
She nodded and let out a deep sigh as the door closed behind her best friend. She really hoped Zander wouldn't fall for Lainey when he could do much better. Moreover, she didn't want to get caught up in any mess Zander could get into if he slept with Lainey which would include her not telling authorities that she knew about it.
She got up and grabbed a bottle of water from their minifridge to cool down. She plopped down on her bed and looked at her half complete drawing of Zander. She got the same butterflies she did when she was in the room with him and sighed. It wasn't a good idea to feel anything for him when she knew there was a lot of drama that would come of it. She also knew Lainey would kill her. She didn't want any trouble and that was why she was going to stay away from him.
But deep down she knew her reasoning was probably a bit more personal. Though she was prepared to suppress it as long as she could, at least until the semester ended.
To do that, however, she'd need more luck than Lainey needed to get him in bed.