I leaned in toward her and gave her a smoldering look. “I’m pretty sure my devastatingly good looks played a part as well.”
Her eyes got hooked on mine, a beat of silence passing between us.
“Mr. Donahue,” the professor’s voice broke through. “Do you think you could conduct your personal business before or after class? Some of us come to learn, not to see how many women’s phone numbers we can get.” His beady-eyed stare behind his glasses looked more annoyed than upset, so I took the opportunity to try to get on his good side.
I smiled and put on the charm. “Of course, Professor. There are just so many beautiful women and so little time. I’m sure you remember how it was when you were in college. Am I right?”
His balding head, with only tufts of hair on the sides, and his high waisted pleated pants proved there was nothing about Professor Larsen that screamed ladies’ man, but I didn’t doubt he would want people to think he had been.
He pushed his glasses up farther on his nose and straightened his sweater vest, a small smile creeping onto his face. “I did have a few lady friends.”
He ate up my offering, just like I’d thought he would.
“It’s hard for guys like us,” I said, as if it was a hardship we both had to bear.
He nodded. “Well, do try to keep the distractions to a minimum?” he said, looking at me over the rims of his glasses.
“Will do, sir.”
Professor Larsen jumped straight into explaining his syllabus, and I couldn’t help smiling at my success.
“I can’t believe you just sold that,” Isla said out of the corner of her mouth.
“I’m a talented man.”
“Pfft,” she countered. “More like a brown noser.”
I chuckled at her choice of insult. “A brown noser who is going to get an A in this class.”
She shook her head but didn’t say anything more for the rest of the class.
When Professor Larsen dismissed us, Isla and I both packed up our things and walked out the door.
Before we went our separate ways, I wanted to see if I could get her to blush one more time. Just for fun.
“So, are you going to let me sit by you again next time?” I asked, smiling down at her.
“Hmm, depends,” she said, pretending to be in thought.
I decided to play along with her. “On what?”
“On how manylady friendsare with you. Might not be enough room.”
I laughed at her use of Professor Larsen’s words. “Are we countingyouas one of my lady friends?”
Pink bloomed on her cheeks. Ah, there it was. Success.
“Isla,” a voice across the hall yelled.
We both looked over to see who had called her name. A lean guy with light brown hair was watching us, his backpack hanging off one shoulder. He scowled when he looked at me and then waved her over.
“Uh, I gotta go,” she said, looking at the guy.
“Wait.” I lightly placed my hand on her arm to stop her. “Do you know him?”
How in the world did she know this guy? I’d had a few run-ins with him at the Wolf’s Den. He was on the soccer team and hated how football players got all the attention. He was loud and obnoxious, always wanting attention and thinking he was better than everyone. What he really wanted was to have the same royalty status as the football team. He should have chosen a different university if he wanted that.
“Yeah,” she said. “He’s my boyfriend.”
