Blurred Lines

Chapter 3: Flirting

The remainder of the week was uneventful, and I hadn't been scheduled to go into work until the following week. Thankfully, however, life went back to normal after that weird incident in Vivian's car.

Things were weird between us at first, at least for me—since Vivian was shameless. We went back to our normal routine in which I'd show up late three days a week, work with the students, and take the bus back to campus.

I also stopped having lunch with Vivian. We hadn't gotten the chance to talk privately, and I avoided any chance of being alone with her. However, that didn't stop her from acting like a hormonal teenager any chance she got. I suppose it was her way of easing the awkwardness, but every time I was near her, she would wink at me, or deliberately let her hand touch mine when she passed me tests to grade, or pull my chair closer to hers when I sat next to her.

I had no idea what she was trying to do, but it was driving me crazy. Still, I didn't protest or flirt back with her. God knows I'm too awkward for that. I'd just give her the same sheepish smile as always and act like nothing was wrong.

Maybe she wasn't actually flirting with me, and all of the contact had been coincidental. I could just be imagining it all. That was definitely more likely than Vivian actually flirting with me, her 18 year old student assistant. I mean, I was nothing compared to her. She probably just enjoyed messing with me to see if she could get a reaction out of me.

I remembered the time when she'd called me "cute."

Cute.

What did that even mean? The way she'd said it was so...condescending. I'm sure she didn't mean it to be offensive, but she'd certainly meant it in a way that indicated how she thought of me like a kid.

Which, technically, I still was. At this time last year, I would have been sitting in the classroom along with her students. Of course she thought of me as one of them. I hadn't even entered into the world of adulthood. Why would she suddenly take an interest in someone like me?

I was too young, immature, and though she didn't consider herself to be my boss, she was still my superior.

And I didn't even know if she was into girls. Hell, I didn't even know if I was into girls.

But then, why was she always winking at me? Is that how people usually flirt? Was she just being friendly? And what about that comment she had made last week in her car, about waiting for me to get my backpack? That was definitely her flirting.

Sigh.

"Elizabeth?"

I looked up from my paper and turned to look at Vivian.

"Yes?"

"Here are last week's quizzes. Would you mind?" She winked again.

"Not at all," I smiled. "It's my job."

I took the papers from her, and again, her fingertips brushed against mine before she let go. I ignored the warmth spreading through my body as I pulled out a red pen and began marking up the paper. Through my peripheral vision I could see Vivian staring at me, but I ignored that too. Eventually, she gave up and went back to looking at her own paperwork.

My mind drifted as I worked. I knew Vivian was way out of my league, and for some odd reason, she was acting more friendly to me after our little encounter in her classroom after school. And maybe that's all it was, just a bunch of friendly gestures, but that didn't mean it wasn't getting to me. I tried my best to ignore her and focus on my work, but I found it more and more difficult each day.

"Vivian?" I said one day during lunchtime. I had decided to stay in for lunch because I wanted to talk to her.

She looked up from her computer and the biggest grin I'd ever seen spread across her face.