Chapter 4

• “Hayleigh?” Tara’s fingers snapped in front of Hayleigh. “Hey!”
• Hayleigh’s gaze refocused on her friend’s face. “Sorry, you were saying...?”
• Tara’s forehead creased. “I wasn’t saying anything. I was calling you and you weren’t responding.”
• Hayleigh dropped her bag, not realizing it was still on her shoulder even though she had been sitting on her bed for minutes. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
• “Yeah, I gathered that much. You just walked in here like a zombie and scared the hell out of me. Is everything alright?”
• No, everything was not alright. Her professor had just asked her out on a date. And she said yes.
• What the hell had she been thinking? Why did he even ask his own student, of all people? She’d been under the impression she’d become persona non grata the way he called her out in class so much. Was that why he’d been picking on her? Because for some odd reason, he liked her?
• Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You barely know each other.
• Hayleigh buried her face to her hands. “I think I just did something completely stupid.”
• “Uh oh. What did you do?”
• There was no way Hayleigh could tell someone else about it, and yet Tara was one of the most sensible people she knew. Perhaps...
• Hayleigh chewed on her bottom lip and winced. “I... may have said yes to a date.”
• “Oh my God! Who?!” Tara squealed, sobering quickly when Hayleigh did not smile. “Wait. Is he ugly?”
• “No.” Far from it.
• “Then what’s the problem?”
• Because he was her teacher? “I hardly know him.”
• “Isn’t that the point of a date? To get to know each other better?”
• Hayleigh opened her mouth, and yet there was nothing else she could think to say without giving away the truth.
• “Wait, who is the guy?” Tara excitedly squirmed in her seat. “Is he someone I know?”
• “No,” Hayleigh quickly answered. “He’s not from this school.”
• Tara raised an eyebrow. “Is he from a dating app or something?”
• Hayleigh had never even used one before, but it was a better answer than she could ever think of in that moment. “Sure.”
• “I did not expect you to be the swiping type.” Tara looked almost impressed. “Good for you though. At least you can have a social life now.”
• Hayleigh groaned with a laugh. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
• “You never join me in any parties and you’re always studying.” Tara shrugged. “Now you can finally have some action.”
• Professor Henderson’s face flashed in Hayleigh’s mind. A strange tingle went down her spine.
• She quickly pushed the thought away and collapsed face down on her bed.
• Oh God, she was in trouble.
• Hayleigh couldn’t stop looking at her watch.
• It was only ten minutes left before four o’clock on a Saturday afternoon. She was currently at a bookstore, pacing restlessly down the aisles.
• In a few minutes’ time, she was set to meet up with Professor Henderson at the café across the street. The journey to arrive at this point had been nerve-wracking, from constantly questioning her life decisions to messing up the entirety of her wardrobe deciding what to wear. Trying to act normal in Stat class the whole week had been just as difficult, and every time her eyes met Professor Henderson’s, her face would go up in flames. How was she going to manage having coffee with him at this rate?
• This wouldn’t be a problem had she not said yes. It didn’t help she had a hard time saying no to people in general. What more to her own teacher? While Professor Henderson didn’t seem the type, the thought of her class standing being affected was something she may have risked had she said no.
• The feel of book spines against Hayleigh’s fingers was calming as she ran a hand over the shelves. It was foolish to be tempting fate, especially when she had a scholarship to worry about. The last thing she needed was a distraction—and God forbid if somebody took it the wrong way—it could even be grounds for expulsion.
• Then again, it was just coffee. What was the harm? It was too presumptive to get ahead of things though admittedly, it was flattering. While Professor Henderson looked to be at least ten years her senior and was practically one of the strictest professors on campus, he was undeniably handsome. He seemed much more approachable during make-up class, which was something he’d been kind enough to set up just for her. Perhaps he wasn’t as bad as she thought. It wasn’t fair to pass judgment on someone she hardly knew.
• Hayleigh straightened a nonexistent crease on her casual, pink floral dress. Tara had nearly strangled her as they argued over which outfit was most date-appropriate. Apparently, all guys loved a crop top and mini skirt, especially after Hayleigh was forced to show a profile of a guy she had dated once in high school when Tara demanded for a photo.
• “Football team, you said? Yeah, he’d totally love that,” Tara concluded. “Just remind him of a cheerleader and you’re good to go.”
• If only Tara had any idea who Hayleigh was really going out with.
• Across the street, a man who looked oddly like Professor Henderson entered the café. Hayleigh’s pulse escalated to an all-time high as she took a deep breath and mustered the courage to leave the bookstore.
• The door chimes seemed too loud, like it had just announced her presence to practically everyone in the entire coffee shop. She nearly wanted to bolt as soon as Professor Henderson’s eyes locked on hers when he immediately spotted her by the entrance, but he was already standing up and walking towards her. It was too late to back out now.
• Professor Henderson approached her in a black leather jacket, grey V-neck, and denim jeans. He looked younger and much more approachable. He didn’t even look like a teacher at all.
• “I’m glad you came,” he said with a small smile. He placed a feather-light touch on her arm as he guided her to their table. A waitress was quick to arrive, and he ordered a cappuccino while she went for an iced mocha.
• “Sweet tooth?” he mused. She snapped into attention, yanking her wandering, uneasy gaze away from observing the coffee shop’s interiors.
• “Yes,” she answered, sitting up straighter and fighting the urge to squirm. Why was it proving hard to look him straight in the eye and talk like a normal person?
• “You look really uncomfortable.”
• A nervous laugh escaped her lips. “That obvious, huh?”
• “I understand if you think this is a bad idea.”
• She was thankful for the waitress who placed two glasses of water on their table, giving her a few seconds more to gather her thoughts. “It’s just that... won’t you get into trouble or something?”
• He slowly leaned back in his seat. “I don’t see how having coffee is a bad thing.”
• “Fair enough,” she murmured, wringing her sweaty hands on her lap.
• “So where are your books? I thought this was supposed to be a review?”
• The smile on his lips loosened a knot inside her. She exhaled and allowed herself another laugh.
• “You’re right. Where did we stop again the last time?”