Do not.
Do too.
I do not.
I think one more time will really convince me.
You’reinfuriating.
You got it bad.
Stop it.
Got it bad. Got it bad.
For Pete’s sake.
[I’m hot for teacher gif]
I cover my mouth with the back of my hand trying to hide the silent giggle that slips out at the gif Alyx sends me.
“Care to share your thoughts with the class, Miss Black?” I don’t realize he’s standing over my shoulder until his booming voice startles me, causing my phone to slip out of my hand like a bar of soap, landing right at his feet.
Frickity frick frick.
He picks it up looking at the tail end of my conversation with Alyx. “What’s more interesting than our discussion ofOthelloand its themes of jealousy, racism, betrayal, and reven…” His voice trails off, and my face heats, knowing what he’s reading. When his thumb moves to scroll further up in the thread, I lean over and attempt to grab the phone out of his hand. He lifts it out of my reach and clasps my wrist, stopping my movements.
My eyes fixate on his hand gripping me. How is he able to touch me? Why am I not freaking out? I can’t stand this man; he is the last person I want touching me. There’s no way he would ever make a move on me. That must be it.
He must feel my tension and quickly releases my wrist. Leaning over my desk, he places my cell face down, covering it with his large palm. I look down at the phone, and my eyes trace the thick veins popping out of his hand and follow them up his forearm. His sleeve is rolled up to his elbows, and I notice a tiny swirl of black ink peeking out his shirt on theinside of his arm. Does the uptight professor have a tattoo? Maybe there’s more to him than I realized.
His voice is a low whisper. “See me after class.”
——————
I remain in my seat as the classroom empties, slowly packing up my things while I watch Professor A-hole out of the corner of my eye, trying to gauge his mood. He’s always so hard to read, a million microexpressions lighting up his face before he quickly schools his features, shoving whatever he’s feeling down deep. I wonder how he deals with all that pent-up emotion? Maybe he gets secret tattoos to torture himself?
Ever so slowly, I approach the front of the room, unconcerned with how timid I must look. This is one of those times that I’m going to pick my battles. I was caught red-handed, and there’s not much I can say to defend myself. I’m just not sure how much of Alyx’s teasing he read. Does he know those texts were about him?
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been on my phone?—”
“Am I a joke to you? Do you think my class is a joke?” He leans against the table, cutting me off as I drop my gaze to the floor.
“No, sir.” I cringe at the use of the honorific, hoping he just assumes I’m being polite.
“Sir?” There’s a lift in his tone, and I fight the urge to look at him. “Look at me.” His tone is firm yet pleading, and I obey his command.
“Good… That’s good. That’sbetter. It’s rude not to look at someone speaking to you.”
Was he just about to saygood girl? Why does that make all the blood in my body rush to my face and also between my legs? Wait, did he just scold me like a child for not making eye contact? This man is infuriating. Before I can open my mouth in response, he slaps a palm on the table next to him.
“I don’t know what you want from me—I mean, from this class. I don’t know what you’re hoping to get out of this class when you write uninspired papers and refuse to heed my feedback. And now you’re texting during my lecture. I warned you that the midterm and final come from class discussion. The more you know, the more you pay attention, the more capable you are. Knowledge is power, Miss Black. Don’t come crawling to my office begging to redo your paper when you decide you aren’t happy with the mediocre gradeyouearned.”
The nerve of this freaking man. I want to punch his stupid perfect face. A million emotions must channel through me as I gather the courage to speak without saying something I’ll regret.
But before I get a chance to respond, he grabs his bag off the podium and walks past me, leaving me alone in the classroom.
——————
