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“Only two years, ma’am. I did an accelerated program, and I’m only twenty-eight. I got my PhD in Canada, they let me stay to finish it there despite the Agreement, then I applied to NLU, got accepted.” He dabbed his mouth with a napkin and stifled a burp into his fist. “Please, excuse me. So, yes, then I came here. At the moment though, I’m just an assistant professor. They only tend to grant full professorships to people with at least ten years teaching experience. In reality though, it’s often a lot more.”
“Well, you seem like a very capable and dedicated young man. I’m sure you’ll get there,” my mom said, giving him a serious yet kind look. She seemed really impressed with him. It had to be the nerdy vibe and the PhD. The safe, sensible type of guy moms always took a shine to. “Do you have any family close by or are they all in Canada?”
“My parents had me late in life. I’m an only child. And because of their age, they got an exemption to stay there.”
“Oh, I hope you don’t get lonely here.”
“No. I have a close friend I live with. And I like making new friends too.” Aaron glanced at me and his cheeks tinted.
“Hmm… I have to say I’m glad Ceci has such a good friend in her teacher, considering some of the students here are known to be less than friendly.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure her time on campus goes smoothly, believe me.”
My mom smiled and yawned. “I so appreciate that. Now, you’ll have to excuse me. I think all that wonderful food you so kindly brought us has pushed my sleep button.”
She began rising from the couch and both Aaron and I lurched to help her, but she shook her head. “That’s fine, I can manage. Please don’t fuss.”
Standing and hugging her, I gave her a kiss on the cheek, and she thanked Aaron again for dinner, before ambling off to the bedroom, creaking and clunking the door behind her.
That left us alone. My stomach full, I clinked my fork down on my plate, leaning back into the couch, feeling relaxed. “Thank you so much. For everything. I can tell this evening meant a lot to her. You just made her very happy.”
He gently placed his plate on the table, and leaned back into the recliner, his thick, long legs branching out far, his arms hanging over the sides, as he struggled to fit within the chair’s frame. His size made him look like he was perching on a kindergartener’s seat, but that was all we’d had for him, in our tiny apartment.
“I’m sorry that chair’s far from ideal. Thanks for suffering it while we ate. I’m sorry we didn’t have another option.”
He shrugged, waving his palm in dismissal. “Nah, it’s nothing really. Perfectly adequate.”
I loved his politeness just as much as I loved his sense of humor, both of which made him seem older than his late twenties. I wasn’t sure how much longer he planned to stay, but I felt bad for him having to hunch over the way he did, especially after being so generous with the food. “Now that mom’s in bed, you could sit on the couch? It’ll give you a lot more room to move.”
“That sounds like it might be nice.” He stood and was over beside me with two careful strides. He sat close.
I shifted back a bit so I could turn to face him. “So, you’ll laugh, but I was kind of still worried you were…maybe a bit bothered about having a human in your class. I don’t think I was right about that though,” I said, nodding at all the empty bags and boxes of Chinese food he’d paid for.
He seemed fascinated with a spot over in the kitchen, avoiding my gaze for once, as he answered. “Well…I am bothered, but I—I mean, not in the way you think.” His cheeks were changing color again as he stuttered out the words. A small rumble, almost like an animal would make, escaped.
He looked horrified, like he’d just barked at me or something.
But I wasn’t afraid of him, despite his size and how close he was. In fact, I felt safer with him sitting over here. And then I processed what he’d just said.
I gulped. “You mean, you’re bothered in… another way?”
He nodded, cheeks pink and glasses halfway down his nose. “I think you understand what I mean?”
I did. I was finally getting it. Feeling flustered, I nodded.
He looked deep into my eyes and seemed to be searching for my approval, for my acknowledgement that I was okay with him liking me. Professor Belanger liked me!?
I nodded again and he scooted so close his muscley thigh grazed mine. His woody scent and giant shoulder—bigger than my head—nudged my side like a pleasant-smelling pillow.
He twisted a bit to look back into my eyes. “Is this okay?”
Hadn’t I told myself just the other day that I wasn’t going to say no to exploring something with someone here just because they weren’t like me?
I mean, I hadn’t been thinking they’d be a professor. That wasn’t the sort of difference I’d meant. But there was no denying how appealing Aaron was. He was everything you could ask for in a man. And now that I’d let myself truly think of him this way…
“I don’t know, I’m your student.”
“I know, it’s not really appropriate. But things are a bit different here in New Nebraska and I know you’re twenty, a few years older than most freshmen. I may have checked out your student file,” he admitted and bit his lip.
