“I never pictured myself in a student’s room either. It just happened.”
Melissa smiled. “So, tell me about yourself.”
“Well, I grew up in New York. I lived there my whole life until I moved here last year. I’m sorry, what is it that you want to know exactly? Something specific?”
“Where did you go to school?”
“Can I sit down?” He gave me a smile. He was handling himself well, despite Melissa’s onslaught.
“Yes,” I said. But I was curious to know where he went to school too. I had never asked him about that before. I pulled out my desk chair for him. Professor Hunter took off his jacket, put it on the back of the chair, and sat down. I jumped onto my bed and sat Indian style.
“I went to Harvard.” Harvard, wow.
“Your parents are wealthy then?” Melissa asked.
“My parents are wealthy, but I had a scholarship to Harvard.”
“Impressive.”
“Thank you.”
“But even so, you’re very handsome and your parents are wealthy. Most things in your life must have been handed to you.”
A flash of anger crossed Professor Hunter’s face. He took a deep breath. “In some regards, yes. Many things that were handed to me I didn’t want though. I owe my success to myself, not my family. Do you have another question for me?”
“Well there’s one main one. Why is it that you want to date students?” Melissa wasn’t backing down.
“I don’t want to date students.” He emphasized the plural. “You seem to have gotten the wrong idea about me. I just want to date Penny.”
“So you have never dated any students besides Penny?”
“No, I have not.”
“Can you really even date someone if you’re married?”
Professor Hunter looked at me. He was surprised that Melissa knew that. Was he mad at me for telling her? I couldn’t tell from his expression. Maybe he looked a little hurt. I didn’t realize telling Melissa would betray his confidence. My stomach churned uneasily. He turned back to Melissa. “I’m getting divorced.”
“But you’re technically still married.”
“Melissa, my soon to be ex-wife has been cheating on me for almost as long as we were together. As far as I’m concerned, we are no longer married.”
Melissa was quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry about your wife. But you are still married. How much longer will your divorce take?”
I was silently thanking Melissa. She was asking him questions that I didn’t have the confidence to. And for some reason, Professor Hunter was answering her questions without hesitation.
“I honestly don’t know. I thought she would have signed the papers by now. I’ve given her everything she wants.”
“It seems wrong to pursue a relationship in that situation.”
“I have to disagree. There hasn’t been anything that’s felt so right in my life.”
“It may feel right, but there are consequences. Won’t you get fired if someone finds out about you and Penny?”
“Not necessarily.”
Watching Melissa and him talk was like watching a ping pong tournament.
“But aren’t you thinking about Penny too? If this gets out, no one will believe the grades you’ve given her. No one will see her as just another student. Even other professors will question her grades. I know that she’s just with you, but people may think she’s been with other professors too. Her whole college career will be in jeopardy. You may be fine with getting fired, but she still has to go to school here.”
I hadn’t really thought of that. Will I really be seen differently?
“I think that Penny can make her own choices.” He looked over at me. “I’ve thought about all the possibilities. And I’m willing to risk it as long as she is.”
“I am.” I smiled at Professor Hunter. I was all in. The future didn’t matter right now. For the first time I wasn’t worried about what might happen. I was enjoying right now. But I’d be lying if I didn’t see a future between us. I couldn’t imagine my life without him.
“And you aren’t at all concerned about your age difference?” Melissa continued.
Shit. I had been so caught up in everything that I had somehow forgotten about my own secret. Would Professor Hunter even want to be with me after I told him the truth? I bit my lip.
“No, it doesn’t concern me.” He paused. “How about we have those brownies?” Professor Hunter suggested.
“Why, because chocolate makes all women’s problems go away?” Melissa scoffed.
“I’m just hungry.” Professor Hunter shifted in his chair. “What are you majoring in anyway, criminal justice?”
“I’ll get plates.” I hopped off the bed and found some paper plates from the closet. I pulled the tinfoil off the pan.
Melissa stared at him. “No, political science.”
“Do you want to be a lawyer?”
“This isn’t really about me, James, it’s about you.”
“I was under the impression that we were supposed to get to know each other tonight.”
“Yes, I want to be a lawyer. Now back to you. I find it hard to believe that you can’t find someone to date that’s your own age.” Melissa was being relentless.
“The only person I want to date is Penny. I don’t know what else I can say to make you believe me.”
Melissa sighed. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“I believe you. I’m sorry about all the questions. I’m just looking out for Penny. Dating a professor just isn’t like her.”
I froze as I was cutting the brownies. Please don’t say I’m a future cat lady!
“I would hope not,” Professor Hunter said.
“That’s a little hypocritical.”
“Then I guess I’m a hypocrite.” He smiled at me.
My body relaxed. It always did when his gaze was on me. I finished cutting the brownies and handed them out.
“These are really good,” Melissa said sweetly. I relaxed even more. Maybe her onslaught was finally done.
“I’ll pass on your compliments.” Professor Hunter put his half eaten brownie down on the plate. “So, if Penny isn’t the type of girl who dates a professor, what type of girl is she exactly?”
Melissa laughed. “The type of girl who likes to stay in on a Saturday night. She doesn’t break the rules. I mean, I thought she was joking when she told me she was dating you.”