His Former Student (Teacher/Student)

Don't Say No, Say Yes

A/N: Video is by Avant "Don't say no, just say yes"
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Prologue: March 2012

Mark: Monica, this feels so wrong but so right

Mark: So what's holding you back?

Mark: I don't date former students

Monica: Wow. so all this time we talked and spent time together, now suddenly you "don't date former students." You specifically didn't mind asking if I wanted to get married, have kids and that I wasn't your student anymore before.

Mark: Monica I-

Monica: I have to go. Maybe there can be a better time you can provide a real explanation

Chapter 1

July 2016

      Monica is living the jet set life: A registered nurse that is a Clinical Analyst on the fast track of being the Director of Information Technology at a non-profit hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. There have been so many blessings in her life: an amazing career, great income, a brand new house, supportive family and friends. However one thing was missing: having true love. She swore she found it back in undergrad with a sexy older cultural studies professor that stimulated her mind and body, however after some talking, he told her he didn't "date former students" when she stopped being his student years ago. She replays hat last conversation often as if Mark purposely was sabotaging what was the beginning of them finally exploring their feelings and taking things to the next level. She thinks about him often, but still dates in the meantime in hopes of finding the one.

      It's another successful academic year for Mark and his cultural studies courses. He loves the advice and tools he gives his students embarking on an amazing journey out into the real world. It is now summer session and depending on the year, he sometimes takes off to go on vacations and visit his family in Atlanta and in San Fransico, but this time he's remaining in Durham, North Carolina to complete some house renovations and working part-time for his online summer session cultural studies courses. What can he say? He loves how rewarding his teaching career has become. He's tenured, has several books and articles published, gets paid to speak at colleges accross the United States, however he woke up one day and while marveling at his success, his reality is he's a single 40 year old man. Mark has had his share of relationships and casual flings, but has yet to find true love, or maybe he already did and ignored it. Mark realized the older he's getting the more picky and set in his ways he's become. His dear mother on their daily check-ins is desperate for a grandchild from her only son, however he explains to his inpatient mother "whatever's meant to be, will be." Sure there's nothing more than anything Mark would love to come home to a beautiful wife and wonderful children, however he is not a desperate man and is very maticulous and specific when it comes to his desirables and is optimistic one day the perfect woman will pop up into his life, or already has.

     It's a beautiful holiday weekend in July and Monica was grateful to be working from home this week to catch up with her parents, grandparents, aunts and cousins for their yearly 4th of July cookout. Ribs, hamburgers, and hot dogs on the grill in the beautiful summer in Raleigh was the icing on the cake. Monica loved the stress-free and fun she has with her family, but also can't wait to unwind back in her house alone to decompress. After the festivities were over, Monica came home to her new house and just wanted to throw on some comfortable clothes and watch the latest Saturday Night Hallmark Channel's Romance movie premiere. While engrossed with the movie, Monica loves to check in her favorite online message board to see what other users think about the movie in addition to her favorite TV shows, when suddenly an email notification pops up on both her iPhone and iPad Air, a new email from Mark. "No way." Monica said to herself. "I never thought I would ever hear from him again."