Ardor

14. Reality of a Situation

Nina got to school in time to be able to take her things up to her room, which was good, she didn't want to lug all her stuff to class and look foolish for it. Tyson dropped her off at her residence and she thanked him, he smiled and told her he would be in his office when she was done class before he pulled away. She knew that meant if she wanted to see him, she now knew where he was going to be for the afternoon.

After class, I headed downstairs to his lecture hall, finding the door unlocked. Had he unlocked it for me or did he had a class this afternoon at the same time as hers? She slowly opened the door, and heard some voices. She heard a male voice, then another female laughing. She raised an eyebrow and wondered if she should come back, when she heard him in her mind.

"Come down, they're just about to leave," came his voice. She nodded and moved down the steps toward the front. He emerged from the office behind the two people and I noted they were students, holding backpacks and laptops.

"So, professor, for the next paper we have to write, is there's going to be a theme we'll have to do? I was thinking like, Halloween themes of myths or legends or something," the guy asked.

"Tell you what, I'll think about it. I still have to go by what the school tells me I'm allowed to do," Tyson chuckled and the female seemed to sigh in a dream state at his words.

Nine found herself rolling her eyes at the girl and it caught Tyson's attention.

"Ah, Nina, I was hoping you'd stop by," he said, acting like he hadn't known she was there. "I wanted to talk about your last assignment."

"Oh, yeah," Nina nodded, and the girl looked at her scornfully. "I was actually coming to talk about the same thing."

"Perfect," he said and the other two looked at him as they were about to ascend the steps. "I'll see you two next week?"

"For sure," the girl smiled, a little too long and Nina knew it was on purpose. She raised her eyebrow at the girl slowly. She put her nose in the air just enough to notice and left with the guy.

"Wow," Nina whispered as the door closed.

"Did I detect jealousy from your direction?" Tyson teased and Nina felt herself blushing slightly.

"I don't know," she teased back. "But I did detect serious upset that I interrupted that girl's sighing and dreamy eyes looking in your direction."

"I can admit that she is a constant flirt," Tyson began. "However, she's like that with all the male teachers she's had for the last couple years. Probably even in high school."

"Because that somehow makes it better," Nina huffed. "I mean, she's going to do what she's going to do, it's just annoying how she looked at me there."

"She was jealous that you came in," Tyson added. Nina nodded, she could tell that much. "Now, I was wondering if you were going to come over after class."

"Did you think I wouldn't after you mentioned where you were going to be once I was done for the day?" Nina asked, now raising her eyebrow at him.

"I had a feeling you would," he said, stepping past her and only just missed her arm as he went by. She turned to watch him move swiftly up the steps, lock the door and come back down. He took her hand gently and led her into his office, where he also closed the door but didn't lock it. She assumed there was just no need to since he locked the other one. "You're welcome to look around, I've added a little statue, see if you can tell which one is new."

Nina put her bag down and slowly looked around his office, trying to figure out if she could see it right away. He moved around his desk while keeping an eye on her, and began slowly putting his books away in exactly the same place he always put them. One here, one there, all in their own particular spots.