Office Hours

The morning after

The first thing Ellie felt was the dull ache in her head and the soft warmth of unfamiliar sheets. She groaned, prying her eyes open, only to realize she wasn’t in her dorm room. The ceiling was too high, the scent of cedarwood too rich, and the body next to her—

Wait. What?

Her breath hitched as she turned her head. There, half-buried in the pillows, was a man. His dark hair was tousled, his jawline sharp even in sleep, and his bare chest rose and fell steadily. Ellie’s throat tightened. Who the hell is he?

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing her memory to piece itself together. The bar. Last night. Her friends had dragged her out to celebrate surviving midterms. She remembered too many tequila shots, loud music, and then—

Him.

A brief, blurry flash of him sitting at the bar, nursing a whiskey. Sharp suit. Brooding eyes. The way he smiled when she stumbled into conversation with him. The undeniable tension between them when he offered to walk her home — only for them to end up here instead.

“Oh my god,” she whispered, sitting up, clutching the sheets to her chest. She was still wearing his shirt. Her dress was flung haphazardly across a chair. I slept with a stranger.

Carefully, she slid out of bed, trying not to wake him. Her legs trembled slightly as she reached for her dress. Just get out. Forget this ever happened.

“You’re leaving already?”

Her heart stopped. Slowly, she turned. He was awake now, his voice rough with sleep, but his gaze was sharp and curious. He didn’t look panicked — more like… intrigued.

“I—” Ellie fumbled for words. “I didn’t mean to, uh, overstay. I just—”

He propped himself up on one elbow, his toned arm flexing slightly. “You don’t have to rush. Last night was… unexpected, but not unwelcome.” His mouth curled into a faint smirk, and Ellie’s stomach did a somersault.

“Oh. Right.” She forced a laugh. “Yeah, uh— it was definitely unexpected.”

Silence stretched between them, and Ellie’s face burned. This was not how she pictured her weekend going — waking up in a stranger’s bed after what was clearly a reckless decision.

“What’s your name?” he finally asked, voice softer now.

“Ellie,” she replied, swallowing hard. “And you?”

“William,” he said easily, offering a faint smile. “Nice to meet you… officially, I guess.”

Ellie forced out a breathy laugh. “Yeah. Same.” She grabbed her dress, clutching it awkwardly to her chest. “I should, uh, probably get going. My roommate might be wondering where I am.”

“Right,” William nodded, but his eyes lingered on her, as if trying to read her. “Can I… give you my number?”

Ellie froze, not expecting that. “Oh. I— I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

His face faltered for a split second, but he covered it quickly. “I get it. One-night thing. No strings.”

“Exactly,” she forced a smile, though a pang of regret tugged at her. “Thanks for… you know. Last night.”

“Yeah,” he said softly, watching her with something unreadable in his eyes. “Anytime.”

Ellie didn’t let herself look back as she left the apartment. She was too busy mentally scolding herself. What were you thinking, Ellie? Hooking up with a random guy?

But as she walked out onto the busy street, she couldn’t shake the way his voice sounded when he said her name. Or how his touch still burned on her skin.

She remembers clear as day the way his arms caged her on the bed, how her legs trembled as she tries so hard to pull him towards her, pulling him in. She remembers how even when she was drunk—both of them were, she couldn't help but still feel the aching between her legs. The way he pounded into her deliciously..."f**k—" she snapped out of it. "Ellie, get yourself together! This was a one time thing!" she said to herself. She cleared all the gunk from her mind.

She shouldn't be horny right now, she had to get to her dorm and prepare for class. What she needs is a hot cup of coffee, a croissant and a shower. "Taxi!" she called out, as the vehicle stopped right in front of her. "

What she didn’t know — what neither of them knew — was that in less than 24 hours, Ellie would walk into her Biology Literature class… and see William Henson standing behind the podium.

As her professor.