A COLLEGE AFFAIR

TEN

Now she has done it! Aurora Mackenzie Kent has committed the abomination of the year! What was she thinking? Forget it. She hadn't been thinking at all. What could have enticed her to kiss her student?

She went to look at the small mirror by the bathroom sink, hoping it will reflect a sane version of her, but it didn't. Rather, what she saw was a crazed version with misty eyes, flamming cheeks and puffed lips. In fact, her facial expression bore every trace of her abominable act. Resigned, she raked her hands through her hair.

What had she been thinking? All her life, she worked very hard to this point. To maintain this point. Now she could either stake her claim or fall, tumbling back, down the steep devastation she'd climbed through. No way was she going back down that way! Nothing, no one is worth it. Not even a temptation of a student, named Mathew. Resolved, she drew up water on her face, and allowed it trickle down her chest, cooling her body. She lazily found her way back to bed and fell into a restive sleep.

* * *

The sun felt like hot droplets of water trickling down his back. Or maybe it was just his sweat? Having given up on wiping the sweat off his forehead, the beads of moisture fell silently, lightly, landing on top metals. Metals, he was putting all of his concentration on. It took minutes before he got behind the wheel of the rustic vehicle and tried it again. The soft purr he received was eons away from the sputtering cough it arrived with to the auto center. Satisfied, he got back out and closed the hood of the car. Then, as if by calculated precision, a black leather bag dropped heavily on the hood.

"Hey, you could scratch it!" Mathew exclaimed at Grace who bounced unto the driver's seat of the car.

"Scratch what? my bag or the car?"

"The car of course."

"It would just be the thousandth scratch besides the nine-hundred and ninety nine it already has." She said. She ran her fingers along the steering. "Did this come in today?" Grace asked as Mathew came to lean on the car's open door.

"Yes." Mathew says, his earlier irritation gone.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Just engine failure and I already fixed that."

"You sure? This thing looks like the first set of wheels on earth." Grace scoffed.

"A paint job should recover her lost glory."

"Did the owner ask for one?'' She asked.

"Nope. But I plan on convincing him."

"Better do. Nothing beats a referral and this won't get any if it goes back in this frame."

"Yeah." Mathew said nodding thoughtfully. "Did you meet Jaime today?" He asked after a pause. His eyes were squinted against the prevalent sun.

"Yes I did and he gave me more."

"Please send them to my email."

"Already did." Grace said as she moved out of the car and went to retrieve her bag. She walked towards the compulsive building, taking a side entrance marked Employees Only.

Grace and Mathew have been friends for as long as they had known their names. They attended the same high school and now the same college. Grace, who majors in English Literature frequently helped him gets texts in either hard or soft copy versions from Jaime, another student who was in the same department of Architecture as he was.

"I saw Miss Kent today." Grace says as they walk through the door.

"Okay." Mathew replies simply.

"Okay? That's all?"

"What? Was I supposed to say something else?" Mathew questions.

"I don't know. I was thinking you'd say more, you know, with her being your crush and all." Grace gave a dismissive wave.

"What! I don't have a crush on Miss Kent!" Mathew said hotly.

"Uh, uh. Don't think I haven't noticed you go for classes more frequently now."

"That has nothing to do with her. I have just become more studious."

Grace backed the door to face him. "You were in school this morning."

"Yeah, and so?"

"So why didn't you just stay for the other class you had. The one you missed and had me meeting Jaime for?"

"I was tired. That's why I left."

Grace nodded lamely at him, in a gesture that said I totally believe you bro.

"Believe whatever you want." Mathew says nudging her aside to open the door. Grace went in with him. She took out clothes from a locker adjoined to the wall. The clothes were coloured with dirt and grease. She went into a bathroom to change. From within, she says:"How was work last night?"

"Okay." Mathew replies. He was also taking clothes from a locker. Clean clothes. Just when he was walking towards another bathroom, Grace came out, and unfortunately for him, continued her litany of questions.

"How did things go? Give me details."

Mathew sighed. "Grace, you know what I do. It's basically the same process every night."

"I disagree. There has to be loads of excitement you're holding out from me."

Mathew remained numb choosing not to say anything.

"Did Mrs Briggs show up?"

"Always." He continued his walk to the bathroom.

"You ever considered quitting?"

"You know I can't." He says turning to face her fully.

"You can and you know it, you're just being stubborn and determined."

"Well, stubborn is what I am, determined is what I've learnt to be."

"Sometimes that can be a problem."

He went on to the bathroom and this time, made it to the door. Thank God he thought, but it was short lived. Grace called him again just as he pushed open the door.

"Chase is still at my place."

"I'll come get him this evening. Thank you." Mathew went in and gratefully closed the door. He hit the shower immediately. The water was cold. He made quick wash of his body and turned off the water. Goosebumps sprang up on his arms immediately. Then he remembered when the same thing happened earlier today. The memories of Miss Kent's supple body hugging him plagued him again. He remembered her ankles encircling his waist, her hands running through his hair. Most of all, he remembered her lips, tasty and moist, clinging to him, drawing him. His body hardened in response to his thoughts. Mathew was chagrined because as Grace said; 'He was stubborn and determined,' and he feared Miss Kent was the one fantasy he could never attain, no matter the height of his stubbornness or determination. He hit the shower again.

* * *

She groaned. Her head seemed to be hurting with every breathe. Was she breathing with her head now? Because It thudded a with low pulsing beat. She stood up and winced when the pain seemed to intensify. Going over to the kitchen, she took painkillers for the headache. Then she made tea and drank it slowly. The ancient clock perched above the TV ticked the minutes away. It's moving hands transfixed her. She had this distinct feeling she was forgetting something and the clock was supposed to be her reminder. She continued sipping the tea until the scalding taste tore through the fog in her head. She looked at the clock again. Then she remembered. s**t! Melissa! The airport! She was supposed to be there! She forgot the text she received from Melissa just before she slept off. Melissa decided not to postpone her trip anymore and moved it back to the original date, which was today. It was spontaneous, but that was Melissa. Aurora checked the time. She had only a few minutes to scrub her face and change her clothes before dashing out.

Outside the airport, Aurora stood waiting calmly. Unlike many of the other persons holding up placards, she held nothing. She was sure, Melissa would recognize her. She hadn't changed much. More so, she would recognize Melissa who went everywhere causing a little drama, good naturedly. Like her spontaneous text, she could pop up anything at anytime.

A little after twenty minutes, Melissa strode out, and sure enough, drama followed. A young man closely followed her, carrying a bag and a red giant teddy that no doubt obstructed his vision. Aurora was sure, these were Melissa's properties. She chuckled, feeling a little sorry for the guy who must have been taken with her blonde beautiful friend. The friend in question, was currently holding a selfie stick, taking different photos at different angles. She bumped into other people along the way and apologized sweetly. They didn't seem to mind as they were either in too much of a hurry or too much in a heartthrob. A little girl stood gazing at the giant teddy before her mother hurries her along.

The party finally got to Aurora, where she stood close to the car, and the two friends hugged each other excitedly.

When they pulled apart, they were both smiling radiantly, a little teary eyed.

"I missed you." They both say at the same time and giggles.

''Is it yours?'' Melissa asks motioning to the car.

"No. I rented. My car is a junk and is currently at an auto shop."

"I'm sure it's beautiful." Melissa says and they laugh again.

"Uh, hi." It was from the guy carrying Melissa's things. Carried away with their reunion, they had forgotten him.

"Oh, this is Alex! Alex meet Aurora, my friend." Alex lowered the teddy and Aurora saw his face clearly for the first time. His hair was cropped short. His eyes were liquid black and demanded attention. He was handsome with a charming face, and an air of neat precision hung about him.

"Alex is in the navy and is also here for a visit." Aurora looked at Melissa, surprised.

Alex offered his hand for a handshake and Aurora took it with a smile. "Nice to meet you." She said.

"Same." He says. "Where can I put him?" He points at the teddy with a grin. "Oh, right here." Aurora opened the back seat of the car and Alex carefully placed the teddy and Melissa's underseat carry-on.

"Thank you so much!" Melissa says patting his shoulder. Aurora goes in to the driver's seat, willing to give them time to talk. She looked at the busy airport and the people milling on every space. So many persons, so much persistence, she thought. Back beside the car, Aurora looked as Melissa hugged and pecked Alex who seemed surprised. But he gave her his contact and turned to leave, then Melissa joined her in the car.

"Military boy uh?" She questioned.

"Cute isn't he?" Melissa mused.

"Definitely." Aurora says and backed out the car.