The College Professor

Chapter 06

"Tell me something" I mumbled, still sitting on the lounge chair as I hugged him. "Just anything."
He breathed in once, exhaled, again and again before he replied. "I have written the first chapter of my new book and it's good, or so I like to believe."

"Tell me more" I demanded, eyes still closed with the warm sun only hitting my hands as I sat in his shadow.

"I have a shit load of work to do this weekend and so far you have kept me from even looking at my desk." He chuckled and I smiled.

"More."
"I have nothing to eat in this place aside from eggs and pasta. I cannot cook."

"You can't or you don't enjoy it?" I asked.

"Both."

Well, hence the tiny kitchen. He must only be eating take out, and still he was fairly fit. There were no rock-hard abs or shredded arms, he had a lean muscular build. He was most definitely in better shape than I was. Ever since the summer I had gained a few extra pounds and all that drinking and going out hadn't improved the situation at all.

"Do you think I am attractive?" I wondered even though I knew he did, he had to - otherwise I wouldn't be sitting on the lounge chair in his apartment.

"Mentally or physically?"

"Both."

"What do you think?" he asked back and finally turned to look at me again. "Why would you ask that question if you know the answer?"

"Confirmation and for the purpose of hearing it."

He leaned in and kissed me, pecked my lips shortly. "You are attractive" he simply answered the question, not sounding like he meant it but more like he was trying to make fun of me. "Happy now?"

"Not when you say it like that" I complained, frowning as he smirked.

"I'm not here to tell you that your are beautiful."

"What else are you here for then?" I asked back and let go off him as I grabbed my coffee to lean back, my legs still stretched out on either side of him.

"Quite the existential question, isn't it?" His smirk got even wider. He put down his empty cup and scooted closer. "I can tell you that I am not here to tell you all those sweet nothings. My name isn't Romeo nor Heathcliff nor Mr. Darcy."

I didn't know what to think. Maybe it had been all that sex the day before, the sexual tension breaking that had kept him in that state of mind to cuddle, talk to me normally, be nice and fun to be around.

"If you keep talking like that I either need to pour rum into this coffee or-"

His face was blank again. "Or?"

"Or leave." I finished my sentence.

"If you stop asking those questions you will find that my company can be quite enjoyable." He wasn't flirting, he just looked so smug as he moved even closer. It didn't suit him well.

"Oh, dear Lord" was all I said before getting out of the chair. He was trying his best to make me feel bad, to make me sound like the ridiculous teenager that I still was deep in my heart. Just a few moments ago I had been leaning into him and now I was grabbing the pack of cigarettes as I sat down in the other chair. I wanted to say something immature like "go and do your work then" but I refrained from doing that. And maybe I was overreacting. Maybe he was only trying to not build my hopes up even more. Maybe he had just answered truthfully and I was only disappointed because he wasn't Romeo.

Breathing the smoke in deeply I heard him moving behind me as he moved inside. In the far I saw those rain clouds I had feared and silently finished my coffee as I came to the conclusion that I was being childish indeed.