Tea or Coffee

Tea or Coffee

By 5pm, Yaren was already making her way through the hallways towards the professors's office. As always, she anticipated and dreaded every second that drew her closer to the professor, and today she didn't hesitate to knock on getting there.

She knocked twice and his voice answered almost immediately from inside.

"Come in."

She opened the door slowly and stepped in.

The odfice was as immaculate as always, the fading afternoon light filtered in through the windows and made the polished woods look like glowing honey, it reminded her of something she'd see in a fantasy movie or something; it was almost surreal.

The professor seemed all professional and his gaze was glued to his screen, he had his glasses on today and Yaren couldn't decide if he looked better with it without them. He glanced up, offering a small nod which was rather professional but not indifferent.

He glanced at his wristwatch and his lips tilted in a faint smile.

"Yaren. Right on time," he said, setting down a pen. "Come sit."

He was wearing a crisp black shirt today, the material was perfectly tailored to his shoulders. The dark fabric contrasted with his skin beautifully, making him look almost ethereal with the golden hue pouring in.

"How are you doing today?" he asked her as she made her way to the seat opposite his desk and settled down. "How were classes?"

His simple inquiries were nothing out of the ordinary, he was just a professor asking about his student's studies and all, but it warmed Yaren's chest. She relaxed slightly, the normalcy of the conversation eased her a bit, it distracted her from her sexual thoughts.

"I'm fine, Professor," she replied. "Classes were good. I spent the afternoon in the library catching up on what I missed."

"You did well," he affirmed, his tone was thick with approval, and Yaren felt her chest warm up some more. He reached into a folder and pulled out a single sheet of paper. "I need you to handle a quick administrative task for me. I'm finalizing the syllabus for the accelerated summer course."

He handed her the sheet. "It's simple data entry. Compare this list of required texts against the current library catalog status. Note any that are marked 'reserved' or 'out of stock.' Use the spare terminal over there."

Ah, so she was back to actually doing the tasks? She didn't mind though, in fact, she was grateful for that. It anchored her in a way, made her feel more of who she used to be than what she'd suddenly become.

"Alright sir." She replied as she took the paper and moved to the small workstation tucked into the corner of the office. She tended to it quickly and efficiently, and though her thoughts tried to stray from the task every now and then, she forced her focus back.

The task took less than thirty minutes, but in that time, she was intensely aware of his presence. She was stealing glances at him every now and then, observing how focused he was, and she couldn't help but wonder how he managed to maintain his focus, professionalism and everything else.

When she was done, she approached his desk once more and handed him the annotated sheet. "I'm done, Professor. Only two titles are currently out of stock."

He took the paper, glancing at it briefly, he nodded once.

Then, with a definitive gesture, he set what he'd been studying aside, pushing his MacBook aside before leaning back into his chair so he was looking at her directly. She now has his full attention and her nerves returned sharply.

"Thank you, Yaren. That's all for the official work today." He said. "Do you have any other assignments you needed to tend to this evening? Papers you need to turn in soon?"

She shook her head.

"No, sir," she replied truthfully. "I'm clear for the evening."

He nodded once more. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a set of car keys, he slid them across the desk toward her.

"Good. I need you to head out first and wait for me in my car," he instructed. "Third row from the fence. You should be able to recognize it. I'll be there shortly."

He offered no explanation, simply an order, and she doesn't argue, she does as she's told. She picked up the keys, and nodded. "Yes, Professor."

~~

Yaren slipped out the building and into the faculty parking lot, she spotted the black Mercedes easily, it seemed to stand out amongst the other vehicles there; it screamed money. She moved towards it discretely, unlocked the passenger door, and slid inside. The interior smelled faintly of him and she shut the door and let the cozy interior engulf her.

She waited about twenty minutes before the driver's door opened and the professor slid inside, settling into the seat, he'd worn his jacket and he looked even more regal, it told her he was just going to drop her off at the dorms. He inserted the key she’d left in the console and started the ignition, he pulled out of the faculty lot easily.

"We have to be discrete so we don't stir suspicions." He explained why he'd sent her out first. "We can't be seen leaving together frequently."

She nodded, she understood that.

"I understand." She replied quietly.

He didn't say anything for a moment, and then he spoke again.

"Are you hungry?"

She was, she'd only had some snacks after the second class. But she shook her head, se didn't want him buying her dinner after he'd already given her so much money. She felt like that was too much, she'd just be taking advantage of his generosity and she didn't want to do that.

Nothing else was said. The drive was mostly quiet, Yaren glanced at the passing scenery, confirming her initial instinct: they're not headed towards the dorms. They were driving away from the university district, heading toward the quieter, more exclusive areas of the city. She'd never gone past the university but it didn't bother her that she was out here with him, she felt safe.

After about 30 minutes of driving, the car slowed, turning onto a small, discreet side street. The car stoped at a small but luxurious restaurant. It was utterly unlike the brightly lit, popular places students frequented, this was somewhat intimate dimly lit, and clearly designed for privacy.

He shut off the engine, turned to her, and his eyes softened. "Let's have dinner."

Her cheeks heated up immediately and she lowered her gaze from him. He wasn't just buying her dinner today, he was having dinner with her. He had driven all the way here to have dinner with her, and maybe it was nothing grand, maybe it was what people in relationships did, but she was new to it and it awed her.

He lead her inside, and they were immediately ushered to a private dining area, a secluded alcove shielded by a silk screen and heavy velvet curtains for privacy. The atmosphere was hushed, warm, and intensely intimate.

They were seated right opposite each other as they were served and began eating, a small table separated them. The food was exquisite, but Yaren could barely taste it, she was more self-conscious than focused on the food, she was intensely aware of the contrast between her simple shirt dress and the elegant surroundings, and he looked perfect in his tailored suit.
Not to mention the fact that his gaze was on her; he stared at her face, her flushed neck, everything.

She was glad when he started a conversation.

"Do you like the salmon?" he asked, indicating her plate. "It’s their best."

"Yes, it's wonderful," she murmured. And it was, it was so savory and it had a smoky flavor to it that made her enjoy it more.

He nodded.

"Coffee or tea?" He asked.

"Tea, usually. Chamomile." She replied. She was beginning to ease up, his simple questions were soothing her nerves. "How about you, sir?"

"Coffee?" He replied. "Tea makes me lazy."

And she smiled. This was the easiest he'd been with her.

"Your favorite color?"

She thought about it for a moment, she'd never been one to have a favorite color. But now that she thought of it, she liked yellow.

"Yellow." She replied, quietly.

He smiled.

"Yellow is a lovely color." He replied.

Yaren’s shoulders began to drop their tension. She was feeling a lot more at ease now.

"Do you have siblings?" He asked her.

She nodded.

"I have a young sister, Elif. She's twelve." She replied.

"That's lovely."

The simple conversation went on and on, he kept on asking simple questions and she kept relaxing, answering easily and even laughing a bit.

Soon enough, the waiter cleared the last of their plates, replacing the silverware with two small cups of tea. The air was thick with the scent of the tea and Yaren noticed the professor leaned back into his seat lazily. It made her smile.

"Yaren," he said after a moment of silence, his voice dropped to a low, serious rumble. "It's time for the serious conversation."

His words hung in the intimate spa
ce between them thickly, and Yaren knew the easy talks had come to an end now.

"It's time to ask the uncomfortable questions."