The Professor

Chapter 9

DALIA

“Dalia,” a voice called out and I looked up from my phone to see two of my coursemates standing next to me. “Are you with the questions?”

Questions? I drew my brows together and tilted my head before realizing what they were talking about. Oh.

Last Monday, someone had asked Noah if we could have practice questions on the topic he was teaching during class and he said those that wanted it should put their names down. He also said they would get it on Friday… of last week.

Today was Tuesday

I set my mouth in a hard line. “Ah, I don’t have them yet. I’ll let you guys know when I do,” I replied and they walked off with one of them mumbling something about it being Tuesday while I frowned.

Pretty sure people thought I was a horrible TA now.

“Won’t you go ask him for it?” Weston asked when I returned my attention to my phone and I shrugged.

I had actually gone to Noah’s office on last week Friday before class and asked him if he needed me to go make copies of the practice questions or if he was going to give it to me in a pdf format so I could give it to those that wanted it but he quickly shut me down with an ‘I’ll handle it’, effectively ending the conversation. I hadn’t even been surprised when he said that because I’d expected it.

Ever since I became his TA, whenever I went to his office to ask if he needed help – which was everyday – he always insisted that he didn’t. Even when he obviously had a lot to do.

And he had been treating me like I was Medusa. He had not looked me in the eye since when I went to submit my TA application in person. Whether it was when I went to his office or when he was teaching. I didn’t even think he would notice if I raised my hand to ask a question in class.

I heaved a sigh as I reached for Weston’s milkshake and he glared at me but didn’t stop me from drinking it. “I don’t know. I’ll probably go later,” I muttered before checking the picture Chloe just sent to the family group chat. It was a picture of her and Weston’s younger sister, Zoe, at a restaurant not far from campus.

FBI: Come @Dahlia @HoneyBun

Me: Why?

FBI: Come

HoneyBun: Okay

I looked up from my phone and raised a brow at him. “You’re going?”

“I’m hungry.”

“They’ll probably want you to pay,” I said and he tsked before typing a response.

HoneyBun: I don’t have money

Gangster: Don’t come then lol

I snorted at Zoe’s reply while Weston muttered ‘jerk’.

“Hey guys.”

I looked up to see Tamika as she sat down next to me.

“Where’s Norma?”

“She’s doing TA stuff.” Weston replied and she glanced at me, tipping her head to the side.

“Shouldn’t you be doing that too?” she asked and I clicked my tongue.

“He doesn’t even want me in his office, It’s like he thinks I’ll jump him,” I said dejectedly, propping my chin on my hand.

“Or his bones.”

It took me a couple of seconds to process what Tamika said and my eyes widened while my cheeks flushed. “Oh my God!” Weston and I blurted out at the same time, staring at her incredulously.

“What?” she asked cheerfully like she didn’t just say that while I swatted the forbidden thought she’s just placed in my head away like a fly when I saw Kristen approaching us.

Please tell me she did not somehow hear that.

“Dalia,” she started and I plastered a smile on my face. “What’s up? You haven’t shared the practice questions.”

Ugh.

“I don’t have them yet.”

She frowned. “You don’t?”

“No.”

She pressed her lips together. She didn’t say it but it was clear she was thinking ‘Why did you apply to be his TA then?’ and also blaming me for her not applying.

She had called me the day I submitted my application form to Noah in person to ask if I was going to apply to be his TA and when I told her I already did, she did not sound happy. After then, whenever someone asked ‘Does anyone know if Professor Anderson already has a TA?’ on the class group chat, she responded with ‘He only wants one TA and he already picked Dalia’.

It wasn’t true then but I didn’t stop her from saying it.

“I’ll let you know when I do,” I added and she hmmed, giving me a once over again before leaving.

“She just judged you,” Weston said.

“I’m aware.” My gaze darted to the window of Noah’s office on the faculty’s fourth floor and knowing that he would most likely shut me down again, I began to gather my things so I could head there and ask if he needed his TA’s help. “I’m going to Professor Anderson’s office. I’ll probably be back in less than ten minutes,” I said and Tamika grinned at me. “I’ll slap you if you say something inappropriate.”

“I was just going to say have fun,” she replied and I rolled my eyes just before my phone started ringing with a call from Noah.

…Is this a butt-dial?

I watched it ring for a couple of seconds and after Weston asked “Aren’t you gonna answer it?”, I picked up the phone and answered it. I then pressed it to my ear tentatively.

“...Dalia?”

Oh dear God.

His voice over the phone gave me shivers and having him speak directly into my ear was kind of… sexy.

This is all because of what Tamika said!

I glared at her as I moved the phone away from my ear and she shot me a confused look. “Yes, Professor Anderson?”

“Are you…”

Huh?

I pressed the phone to my ear again. “Sorry, I didn’t get that,”

“Are you on campus?” he asked and I narrowed my eyes.

“Yes.”

“Can you come to my office now?”

“Uh, yes. I’m on my way.”

He hung up and I shot Weston and Tamika a confused look as I got to my feet.

“I guess I’ll see you guys later.”

“Have fun,” Tamika called out in a cheery voice as I began to head towards the faculty building and I flipped her the bird over my shoulder.

In less than five minutes, I got to Noah’s office and knocked lightly on the door before stepping inside to see Noah standing beside his desk. His eyes darted from his desk to my legs the moment I shut the door, and his breath came hard – I could tell by the rise and fall of his shoulders – before his eyes finally met mine. Oh…

“Dalia.” He turned to face me and I didn’t fail to notice that his shirt gripped every inch of his broad chest and bulging arms and his jeans fit snugly around his powerful, defined legs.

Damn it. He was so attractive it was disorienting.

“Good morning, Professor Anderson. You asked me to come.”

“Yes, good morning.” He pulled on the strap of the bag that was hanging on his shoulder and as I moved closer, I also noticed that he looked a bit tired. “I need your help,” he said and my brows shot up.

Well, this is surprising.

All the times he’d shut me down came to mind and laughter threatened to bubble out as I stared at him but I pressed my lips together before nodding instead. “Okay. With what?”

He began to sort through the stacks of papers on his desk and I moved even closer, coming to a stop next to him so I could see whatever he wanted to show me. “These are quizzes and assignments that need to be graded and I need you to make copies of the papers in this folder –” He looked up, lifting a yellow folder from the desk, and paused while my breath caught because of how close our faces were.

We both seemed to still. To wait. Sounds of people having conversations and laughing as they walked past the office filtered in from the hallway but the office felt pin-drop silent and I suddenly became aware of the heat emanating from his body even though we weren’t pressed up against each other.

Butterflies fluttered wildly in my stomach and as my gaze slid to his lips, I couldn’t help but wonder how he would react if I kissed him right now. But then my common sense returned, loud and demanding.

Dalia, don’t you dare!

Noah swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, and before I could do something stupid, I averted my eyes and moved away from him. He then cleared his throat and resumed talking but his voice was as rough as sand. “The amount of copies you need to make are indicated in the file and the marking keys for the quizzes and assignments are here.”

“Got it,” I muttered but I didn’t look to see where ’here’ was because I didn’t want to meet his eyes again.

Now I was the one treating him like he was Medusa.

I wanted to laugh at that too but I cleared my throat instead and moved the stacks of papers across the desk while grabbing the pen he had used on some of the graded quizzes. This is a lot.

“Thank you. I have somewhere to be, so I’ll take my leave now.”

I hmmed, still keeping my eyes fixed on the assignments and quizzes, and he remained next to the desk for a little while more before heading for the door.

The moment I heard the door click shut, I heaved a sigh before finally letting my laughter spill out – both at the fact that he’d finally decided to allow me to be a TA after shutting me down every weekday since last Tuesday, and me being the one to not want to meet his eyes now.

I then dropped my bag on the floor and turned around to adjust the chair I wanted to sit on, only to see Noah standing in the doorway with a confused look on his face. Oh my God! I jolted, hitting my leg against the desk, before cringing when I realized he had to have heard me laughing. Great. Now he thinks I’m weird.

“...I forgot my phone,” he said, tilting his head, and I glanced at the desk to see his phone on a textbook. I pursed my lips as I picked it up and walked over to the door, stretching it out. “Thanks.” He still looked confused but he didn’t say anything else before shutting the door and I groaned.

Just great.