A COLLEGE AFFAIR

SEVEN

Grocery shopping was never at the top of her list. Infact, no kind of shopping was ever in her list, but after the call from Melissa who said she'd be visiting this Friday, Aurora had finally had to haul a cart through the never ending aisles of a supermarket. She glanced at the items balanced on the cart, then pulled out a folded piece of paper from the back pocket of the jean trousers she had on. As a teacher in a classroom, she was meticulous, but send her off to the mall without a list and she'd come back empty handed, all things forgotten. Well, grow up in an Orphanage with scrunched meals, never needing groceries and you wouldn't blame her. While she bent her head surveying the list, someone said from behind her, "Spaghetti and tomato paste are the only things left." She turned back to see a really big guy grinning down at her.

"Hi." He said, then nodding down at the list, he said; "Sorry, I couldn't help but notice."

"It's alright. Spaghetti and paste really are the only things left for me to get." She said, hoping he'd go away. She wasn't the best conversationalist.

"If you want I can show you." Aurora was lost for a second. "Show me what?"

"The spaghetti aisle. Why? What did you think I was talking about?" The guy asked with a smirk and Aurora took that as her cue to leave as she pulled in her cart.

"I could show you anything you want though." The guy said with another smile that was starting to annoy her.

"No, thank you." Aurora said sweetly, pushing her cart in motion. The guy didn't relent though. He followed, pushing his own cart along.

"Can I have your number? Maybe I can drop by and have some of that Spag?" Aurora decided to fend him off once and for all, but just as she turned, another person came up and pulled her into a quick hug.

"Hey babe, you done?" The second person said and frustratedly, Aurora was sure she would scream until she met certain brown eyes twinkling down at her.

"Mathew?" Mathew tried to stifle the laughter that threatened to spill as Miss Kent looked up at him, aghast. Minutes ago, he was perusing through aisles when he got distracted by the nicest ass he'd ever seen. He looked at the clean pale nails of slender fingers holding a cart and dark bouncy curls as he came to a standstill, realizing who he was ogling. Before he could recover, a bulky guy who could have passed off as a giant obstructed his view of Miss Kent. He'd walked closer, curious. He'd wondered if the guy was someone she knew. Maybe her boyfriend. He wondered why he felt a pang at the thought. Catching drifts of the conversation, he realized the guy was hitting on her. Now, he should probably move on and allow Miss Kent deal with her personal life, but he didn't. Instead, understanding, she didn't fancy the guy who didn't seem like he was going to take no for an answer, Mathew barreled towards her and put on an act that was bound to have repercussions. Right now, looking at her gazing up at him in a daze, Mathew thought those repercussions could be damned. He looked to the empty spot where the guy had been standing earlier. Yeah, he got the message.

"What are you doing?" Aurora managed to mumble out of her shock.

"Saving you." Her student replied calmly. Her student! She pulled away from the lazy embrace and put some space between them. "I could have handled it on my own." She said with indignation.

"Fat chance." Mathew said, and quickly added; "No pun intended." Which drew a smile from Miss Kent.

"I guess I should thank you then." Aurora breathed out a laugh.

"Do I get an A as a thank you?"

"Definitely not." She said and they both laughed. Aurora looked into Mathew's Cart.

"Low sugar?" She asked nodding at the Wheat which had low sugar written boldly across it's green packet.

"Yeah well, I'm watching my weight." Mathew said with a wink and Aurora looked him over. Mathew couldn't help the breath that came out in pants as Miss Kent slowly drew her gaze down his tall frame.

"You don't look like you need it." She said and the air around them tensed as they stared at each other. Aurora mentally slapped herself. What was she doing? Flirting with her student? It's just small talk, She told herself, but the way Mathew was looking at her definitely didn't feel like it was small talk. "I should leave you to your shopping." She said with forced immediacy turning her cart around. She sensed he was about to say something else, but thankfully he just nodded and Aurora moved to the Cashier stand. It was only when she got outside she realized, she forgot the spaghetti and paste.