The Professor I Shouldn't Want

Same Time, Same Place, Part II

POV: Isadora

I swallowed hard and stepped toward him.

“Professor Anderson.”, I said formally, doing my best to avoid eye contact.

“Could you do me a favor?”, he asked. “Would you mind checking the ladies' room for a woman with brown hair and blue eyes? I believe she’s exactly your height and...”, he scanned me, and before he could find any more similarities between us, I cut him off.

“Of course, Professor! Just a second.”, I ducked into the bathroom.

“Is everything okay?”, Carol asked the second she saw me.

“Almost. Henry’s right outside the door.”, she stared at me, stunned. “I need to change, fast!”, I grabbed the bag and bolted back into the stall.

I barely had time to say goodbye to Carol. As soon as I transformed back into Anne, I hurried out.

“Sorry I took so long, babe!”, I said, a bit out of breath from the rush.

“I was starting to think you’d gotten lost. You okay?”

“Yeah! The... the bathroom was just packed.”, I said, forcing a smile.

“You didn’t answer my text. I was getting worried.”

“You texted me?”, he nodded, and I pulled out my phone.

Dammit. He really had. If I’d just replied, he never would’ve come looking for me. That was the kind of amateur mistake I couldn’t afford to make.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see it.”

“It’s fine.”, he said, brushing a hand against my cheek. “Let’s head back.”

We returned to our seats just as the first match began. To my surprise, Ryan was up first. s**t. I’d completely forgotten Ryan would be at this tournament. He played every year, and this one was no different, just my luck, right? Now I had one more person to hide from.

But I wasn't the only one who noticed him. Henry let out a dry, ironic smile the moment Ryan stepped onto the court.

“This is exactly why I avoid places like this.”, he told me. “I’ve already run into two of my students. That’s one of them.”, he added, gesturing with his eyes toward Ryan, who was stretching on the court.

“Is it really that bad, running into your students?”, I asked, trying not to take it personally.

“That type of student? Yes.”, he replied. It felt like a slap in the face.

What did he mean by “that type”? What category was he putting me in? Was it because we were bad students? Because we came from money? Or both? I was dying for him to explain, but in that moment, I couldn't find a way to ask without sounding hurt. So, I stayed quiet.

The match started, and the rhythm of the game became the background noise of the arena: the sharp thwack of the ball against the strings, the squeak of sneakers on the hardcourt, the echo of the bounce. Every so often, a polite wave of applause would break out, never over the top, always brief. There was no announcer, no loud music, just the controlled murmur of conversation.

I followed every play intently. I hadn't been lying about liking tennis; I genuinely loved it. I’d grown up watching my brother play. Henry, even though it wasn't really his thing, tried to keep up, asking me questions every now and then to get a better handle on the rules.

When my brother finally took the court, I had to suppress my excitement. He looked a little nervous and even botched his first serve, which made my stomach knot. But as the match went on, he found his rhythm and built a massive lead over his opponent. I beamed every time he scored.

“Looks like someone has a favorite.”, Henry whispered in my ear.

I just gave him a tight, awkward smile, mentally cursing myself for letting my excitement show.

At 1:00 PM sharp, there was a break for lunch. Once again, I had to turn back into Isadora. I just didn't know how I was going to pull it off.

“So, what did you guys think of the matches?”, Richard asked.

“Good.”, Henry replied, glancing at me. “But I think Anne enjoyed them more than I did.”

Richard laughed.

“I remember you always preferred hockey, didn't you? I can snag some tickets for you if you’d like...”

Henry chuckled.

“You’re not going to give up, are you?”

“Not a chance.”, Richard said. “Actually, since Anne is the big tennis fan here, how about Vivian introduces her to some of the players while I introduce you to a few important people?”

“Richard...”

Henry was ready to shut it down, but I couldn't miss this chance.

“That’s a great idea! I’d love to meet some of the players.”

“See? She’d love to.”, Richard echoed. Henry sighed in defeat.

“Fine.”

“We’ll meet you at the restaurant.”, Richard said, and his wife nodded.

Vivian led me toward the court where some of the players were hanging out. The area was a bit chaotic, and I needed to use that to lose her. I shot a text to Carol telling her where I was, and she appeared in my line of sight almost instantly.

Carol: [What’s the move?]

Carol: [Where are you going to change?]

Isadora: [See the woman next to me?]

Isadora: [I need you to distract her.]

Carol: [On it.]

Immediately, Carol approached us and started making small talk with Vivian. She discreetly dropped the bag with my clothes on the ground, and as soon as Vivian seemed distracted enough, I grabbed it and slipped away. I ran to the bathroom, but this time it actually was packed. s**t! I started looking for somewhere hidden, an alley, a bush, anything!

Left with no other choice, I ducked behind one of the large trees surrounding the grounds and started changing as fast as I could. I didn't even take off my top this time; I just threw the dress over my clothes, shoved the wig on haphazardly, and pulled the hat over it. I checked my reflection in my phone screen. I still had the contacts in. Great job, Isadora, just show up with blue eyes! I ripped them out, irritated, wondering how my life had even gotten to this point. All of this just to maintain a lie. My God.

When I finally finished, I realized two kids, no older than five, were staring at me in shock. I ignored them and ran off to find my brother.

I made it back to the court. The crowd had thinned out, but there was no sign of Thomas. I pulled out my phone to text him.

“Izzy.”

I looked up automatically, expecting to see my brother, but it was Ryan standing in front of me. This had to be a joke.

“Are you looking for Thomas?”, he asked, stepping closer.

“Yeah. Have you seen him?”

“He headed to the restaurant.”

I was ready to keep walking, but he caught my arm.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Ryan, I don't have time for this right now.”, I pulled my arm away and started to walk off, but before I could get far, he said something that made me freeze in my tracks.

“I know who you dumped me for, Izzy!”