It was the following Friday. Laney had not talked to the Professor all week. He seemed to look at her more in class which she certainly appreciated. She would smile back and he would smile, too. Life was great.
He was at his computer, entering grades.
"Professor?" She stopped by the door.
He looked up and smiled. "Laney." He motioned for her to close the door which she did.
She sat down.
He took off his glasses and looked at her. "So, things got a little personal last Friday. How do you feel about everything?"
"Um, can we do it again?" She asked, smiling.
He smiled. "I was wondering if you would come to my house tonight so we can talk."
"And, do stuff?"
He laughed. "Yeah, stuff."
She laughed too. It was endearing to see her Professor blush. He gave her his address and told her to come over at seven.
She raced home. Amazingly he lived in the next town over - only a ten minute drive if that. She showered and tried on everything she owned. What did he like in a woman? Smart? Slutty? A combination? In the end she decided comfort was the sexiest thing so she threw on her tight jeans (did she say comfort?) and her "Squeaky Springs" shirt.
She pulled up to his house and was surprised to see it looked like a roomy log cabin. It was set back from the road on a private lot with lots of trees. She walked up to the door and he opened it.
"Wow, this is your house?" She asked.
"Yeah. Come on in. I hope you brought your class notes."
She laughed. "Um no I not bring my notes. I'm not here to study."
He closed the door. "Very well. You can have tonight off. But next week we should review material. We have a test in two weeks."
"Ugh." She said. She looked around. It was lofty and spacious. "This is a really nice home."
He went to the kitchen and poured her a glass of wine. He knew from her file she was 22. It was a dark merlot that stung her taste buds but left a nice woody aftertaste. They went on the porch where he grilled up a nice steak. They sat outside and ate fresh steamed green beans, mashed potatoes and a rare ribeye.
Laney waited for a long pause in the conversation. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
He looked at her, then down at his plate. His eyes were so blue. "Laney. I'm set to retire in a few years." He started.
"I won't say anything to anyone." She immediately began.
He stopped her. "I'm not worried about that too much. But we are in different places in life. Your life is just beginning. I have to face the fact that my life is winding down. I don't want to be a burden to you later on." He said simply.
She had been thinking about this all week......well, the last few months if she was truly honest with herself. "Um, I know we are in different places." She started. "But I don't...I don't care." She felt tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. "I know the nature of this relationship is unusual and unconventional but...." She broke off and looked at him. He was her Professor. And they had shared an intimate moment. But she didn't feel it was appropriate to tell him she loved him. She breathed out, and he reached out and squeezed her hand.
The Professor empathized, watching her struggle with her emotions. On one hand, Laney was like a breath of fresh air. She was revitalizing. She made him feel alive. But what happened when she got tired of him? He was around 40 years older than her for God sakes! He knew the reality was that their relationship couldn't reasonably last. And he wasn't so much worried about the beginning, as he was about the end. Because he was already in love with her. And he knew when she left, it was going to hurt bad.
He could see tears running down her cheeks. He reached out and wiped them away. "Laney, don't."
She breathed out. His touch electrified her. She turned her head and started kissing the palm of his hand.
Well, this was a turn of events. He felt her soft lips put pressure on his hand and he immediately felt his manhood swell slightly. He breathed out.
Unexpectedly she got out of her chair and sat on his lap. He could feel herself sit against him and he swelled more in response. She kissed him then hugged him.
"I know you don't think this will work but I promise it will." She whispered in his ear. "Give me a chance. I need you."