CHAPTER FOUR

My alarm blared, telling me it was 6:30 am and time for me to get my butt out of bed. I lazily stood up and grumbled to the bathroom and throughout my morning activities, but I smiled when I got to the kitchen where Tatiana was cooking up a Russian storm. Since I told her about the incident on Friday night, she's been treating me like a baby, sometimes she tucks me into bed!!!

I know she feels guilty about what happened for leaving me on my own, and this was her way of apologizing. Though I had no problem with her cooking, Tatiana is a great chef. I said 'hello' to Dimitri and hugged Tatiana from behind as she chopped carrots.

"Tatiana…"

"You know you do not have to do this, right?"

"Do what?"

"Cook for me, clean for me…I'm okay, it wasn't your fault and besides, I'm okay."

I saw and even felt the change of mood in Tatiana even before she said anything, it was like the temperature in the room dropped to an all-time low. She turned her neck around and looked at me, I could see her eyes were glassed over, she was about to cry when I pulled her in for another hug.

"You know, on some days I'll be thinking if something is going on between you two. You're starting to get me jealous."

"Aww, baby…"

Tatiana walked to him and kissed him on the lips, it was moments like this I love to see between them.

"Okay, Arizona. But please take care of yourself?"

"I will now can I have some of this goodness?"

Tatiana nodded her head and I went on to have my breakfast, I'm sure I wolfed it down in about two minutes flat because as the clock indicated, I was running late. I rushed out of the house and power walked to school, it was on days like this I was grateful that Tatiana lived close by. Thankfully, I made it to class, and immediately I sat down the professor entered.

"Good morning, class"

That voice was painfully familiar, where have I heard it? I looked up and lo and behold, it was none other than Viktor Petrov AKA Mr. handsome, AKA the man who saved my butt from been raped a few nights ago, AKA the man I had danced so seductively with. He's my professor!!!

I've been in this school for two weeks, he wasn't the one who taught this course, why was he here?

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure many of you are wondering why you haven't seen me before. That would be because I was on vacation and another professor was assigned in my place, but I'm here now and I hope that you will work with me as you worked with the other professor, okay?"

Several murmurs of agreement echoed through the hall as everyone readied themselves for the day's lecture. I, on the other hand, couldn't seem to get my wits about myself, my eyes kept meeting him, it was as though magnets were drawing us together and our eyes kept meeting as he walked around the class. The class couldn't end soon enough and I packed my books up, ready to hightail it out of class.

"Miss O'Brien, would you please wait back after the class. We have some things to discuss."

I nervously nodded my head and headed down to the podium in front of the class as the other students walked past me, some exchanging greetings, some not. Viktor waited until the last person was out the door, he came around the desk so he was closer to me and sat on his desk and we were at the same eye level.

"So, Arizona…like the state."

"Yep, that's my name."

"I didn't know you were in my department, or that I'd be the one teaching you."

"I didn't know that either."

He chuckled lightly to himself before he got up, he was now in my face and it was unnerving because he was quite tall.

"I was going to call you today. Maybe we could go out for that coffee?"

"We can't possibly be doing that."

"Why not?"

"You're my lecturer."

"Isn't that enough reason for us not to…you know?"

"No, it isn't. Listen, I like you…very much. No one has to know about it."

The offer was tempting, he was a snack, one that any woman would want to have for lunch but there was a lot at stake for me. There was a lot to think of, my scholarship would be terminated if I was expelled or even suspended. He might be fired but he had the certificate and the experience, he could easily get another job. I would be disgraced and so would my family, my father would be disappointed and my mother would be heartbroken. The sacrifice was too much and no one knows if it would be worth it.

"What's going through your mind?"

"No, we can't do this. I can't do this."

"And I'll ask again. Why. Not?"

"There's too much at stake for me. I have to go."

I ran out of the class, ignoring his several calls for me to come back. The rest of the day went by in a blur, I couldn't say that I was in class because I wasn't. My body was seated there but my mind was traveling through the future, trying to see the possibilities and disasters that could come with going out with my professor. By the time I got to the house, I was mentally drained and it was showing on me physically, I didn't even notice Tatiana watching TV in the living room, I almost fainted when I heard her call my name.

"Christ, Tatiana. Was it necessary to scare me like that?"

"No, but was it necessary to walk past your best girl like she didn't exist?"

I walked over to her with my shoes in my hand and slumped down on the sofa beside her, threw my bag and shoes to the floor, and lay my head in her lap. Tatiana readjusted herself to accommodate me very well and began running her fingers through my hair.

"Aww, my darling, tell me what's wrong."

"Viktor, the guy…at the club?"

"Yes…"

"I left him my number the morning after we went clubbing."

"That's great, but I don't think that's the reason you're so gloomy. What happened?"

"He's my professor."

Tatiana was silent for a while that I thought maybe she hadn't heard me but then she began laughing. She laughed so hard she dislodged me from her lap, I sat up and watched as she laughed herself to tears, when she finally got a hold of herself, she sat up and wiped her eyes.

"So, all that…face you were making was because of hottie?"

"That's what I just said, yes."

"I don't see the problem here…"

"What do you mean you don't?"

"That's because I don't. You can still date him, professor or not. Tell me exactly what he said."

I told her everything, from how I walked into the class and saw him there to how he asked me to 'see' him after the class to him telling me he liked me and would love to get coffee with me. By the time I was done, Tatiana had stars in her eyes, like she was watching the best romance movie in the world.

"That Is so romantic. It sounds like the best romance story that could ever be written."

"Yes, but you're forgetting something very important here. This is not Titanic; this is real life and there is a lot at stake here!"

Tatiana raised her hands in mock surrender and had her serious face on.

"So, what if he's your professor, you two can still have a good time."

"But…"

"But nothing. You're both adults, you're both capable of keeping a secret, I've told you this before you're in a new environment, you might never get a chance like this again. You will never live like this again."

"So, what are you saying?"

"Do what your heart is telling you to do. If your heart is telling you that you should move forward with this, please do. I won't be the one to push you to make decisions, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now go on up, have a bath, have a nice little nap, come down and have something to eat. Then you sleep on it tonight."

I heaved and picked up my shoes and bag, and dragged myself up the stairs to my room. I did as Tatiana had suggested and it was 10:00 pm by the time I was ready to retire for the night. Just as my head hit the pillow my phone pinged indicating a text, I checked and it was a text from Viktor.

"Hey, hope I didn't overwhelm you today but I would love for you to consider my proposal. Have a sleep as beautiful as you are. Goodnight."

I sighed after reading the message, he wasn't making it easy for me at all. If he kept sending me sweet texts such as this, I might just date him and gladly bear the consequences. I don't know how long I kept tossing and turning in my bed but I was grateful when I fell into a sleep filled with a certain pair of delicious chocolatey browns.