Amber would be the first person to admit that she has been distracted in class. Okay, maybe distracted is a bit of an understatement. She had just started a new graduate program and she had never had a professor that looked or sounded quite like that before- he was that tall, dark and handsome type, and probably the youngest teacher she had ever had (she would guess him about 32, not far from her 25). To be honest, when she first walked into class she would not have been able to distinguish him from the students were it not for the navy blue blazer he was wearing. And god did she love a man that could fill-out a blazer in the right way. Before he even opened her mouth she beginning to swoon as he listed his introductory notes on the board. She watched as he meticulously moved his broad shoulders up and down while writing, noticing the muscle tone in his back and eventually noticing that he also had a firm butt to match.
And then he spoke. Amber had gone to a Christian private school before this, meaning almost every teacher was some version of a white-skinned, gray-haired older gentleman that spoke authoritatively. Imagine her surprise when the man she had already begun to think of as Professor Yummy spoke with a thick, sexy Latin accent in a deep, gravelly voice. He introduced himself with a joke and explained that he was from South America and that this would be one of the hardest classes they would take in the program-very heavily focused on differential calculus. She gulped, and thought "this is going to be trouble."
Sure enough, she spent weeks in his class, trying to listen but getting focused on the sexy way he would say certain terms that made him sound distinguished but also highlighted the differences in his accent. It would take only minutes of him writing on the board and her staring at the way he perfectly filled his suits for her mind to be elsewhere, biting her lip and imagining what must be under that snug-fitting garment. She would almost have to shake herself to focus everyday, telling herself that this was utterly inappropriate. He was her teacher. That is it. She was too young for him anyways. She wanted to be taken seriously, which was already difficult considering there were literally only 3 women in the program and her being both the only American woman and the only one that seemed to care about her appearance at all. Despite her attempts to convince herself that she should stop thinking that way, she still made an extra effort on days she had his class- wearing a skirt that was just a little too short or a top just a little too low with shoes that were definitely too high to be considered convenient to walk around campus with.
By the time grades were returned on the first test Amber knew how greatly her distraction had affected her. Prior to this she had never even gotten a B, and her first exam in this class was an F. Feeling both frustrated and embarrassed for doing so poorly, she created an email to explain her concerns (knowing that she would be flustered speaking to him in person) and sent it out. It read:
Good evening Professor-
After reflecting on my missed questions on the first exam, I realize that I do not understand the material as well as I had thought I did. Do you have any suggestions for a better or more efficient way to study for exams of this type? Thus far, I have studied by reading the chapters and making note cards of key terms. What else may help?
Thank you in advance for your assistance,
Amber
"There," She thought, "That sounds professional and not like a bumbling idiot. Good job, self."
Within minutes he responded:
This conversation will be too long for an email. Come to my office tomorrow at 5pm.
Sent from my phone
That evening, she could not figure out why she was so nervous and uncomfortable. Time had passed since her initial attraction to him. And, yes, she would admit that fantasizing about him in class for the first few weeks was a large part of why she was having trouble with her grades but she was not a teenager anymore. She was an adult continuing her education. She did not get butterflies from seeing cute boys anymore. She had even begun an adult relation with an old friend from high school. She was mature. She knew that nothing would ever come of this- he was married and her teacher. The barely even spoke the same language for God's sake. It was probably just because she was upset about her grade. At least, this is what she tried to convince herself.
After a rather sleepless night and a long day of classes and work, she was finally able to make her way to her meeting with the professor. Even though she had told herself last night that this was just a meeting about a test, she took extra time while dressing in the morning. She had chosen a matching set of mint green lace cheeky underwear with a push-up bra, a cream-colored sundress with a deep v-cut and a hem that went to mid-thigh, and a pair of wedges that matched her underwear. She was at least confident about how she looked, with her tanned legs being shown off and her long, curly blonde hair framing the bit of cleavage she was showing today.
Reminding herself to be both professional and confident, she took a deep breath and walked into his office. Boy, was it small. Amber was a bit surprised by this but remembered that he was newly hired so the new guys must just get the smallest offices-it seriously felt like a closet. Anyway, she noticed right away that quarters were close, especially since she could smell the sweet musk of his cologne instantly. Standing in the doorway, she took in the book shelf lining the entire left wall and scanned the texts to notice that he not only had school-relevant books but also some fun novels. The right side had his desk shoved against a wall with two large computer screens and a photo of his two children. The very narrow center of the room had his chair, where he was currently sitting, and a small chair for her right next to him.
She nervously sat down and her stomach immediately churned as she noticed that the chairs were so close they were actually touching knees. He got right to business giving her some tips on studying for the future, though she was so focused on breathing normally and trying to keep eye contact that she barely heard him- something about using the internet and practicing and other typical advice. Then he grabbed her test to use specific questions as an example. He placed it on his desk and started to go through it, forcing her to lean closer to him so that she could see. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she caught him glancing down her dress while he was talking. She disregarded this and tried to focus. At the end of the meeting he told her that she was really going to have to utilize him for this next test and be sure that she comes to see him anytime she has questions. She left with a joke about how he should be careful what he says because he is going to get sick of her and she left.