My Professor's Secret

13|

thirteen

"His name is Sawyer. You probably didn't see him but he's the one who was driving the white car with the super tinted windows you said you liked the other day? Remember?" I pause for a response, but there wasn't one. "Anyways, he saw you and practically begged me to give you his number. I told him you were single," I end, singing the last bit to encourage a smile from him, but he didn't budge.

"Yeah, well you shouldn't have," Josh says after taking a puff of his grape flavored vape before shoving it into the pocket of his jacket. Summer's sun officially returned to its slumbering hibernation—allowing the chill of autumn to creep in.  Josh presses his back on the side of the building using his shoe as a steady support. Almost an entire week passed since the incident with his apartment. Somewhere in between then, his refusal to express himself gave his decline attitude away.

Enough time had already gone by to recognize when Josh's mood contradicted his tangents on how "fine" he was. His shoe drags across the brick wall of Hinkhouse before echoing off the concrete once it hits the ground again. He wraps himself tight in his jacket then heads for the back entrance of the restaurant.

"Look, I know you have a lot going on. Sawyer's gay and single too, but that's not the only reason I told him about you," I shrug, handing him the crumpled piece of paper with Sawyer's number. "He's a good guy, Josh. A decent friend. He wants to help."

I follow close behind Josh to the lounge, watching silently as he packs his things for the end of an early shift. Kevin's decision to close the restaurant in loo of Halloween never happened according to Josh. His sudden change of heart was a blessing to all of us. Josh being the first one to reap the benefits. Professor and I had to clean and lock up.

"I'm not some charity case in need of helping, Alex," he sighs, nearing the door.

"Well then it's a good thing I didn't say you were. Give him a call. Or a text. Please. It'll be worth it."

The tension locked in his shoulders finally release along with another defeated sigh until he pulls me in for a brief embrace. "No promises, but I'll consider it. Thank you, and Happy Halloween."

After Josh left Hinkhouse, I could no longer use his presence as means to avoid talking to Professor T. Communication between us was nearly nonexistent at this point. Primarily because I couldn't hold a conversation with him knowing all the shit he was going through. Not without crossing a line with an opinion that was best kept to myself.

He and I kept to our respective sides of the building for as long as we possibly could. Needless to say, I wasn't the only one desperately trying to avoid the other. After our debacle in the lounge and his half attempt at an apology through his ex sister-in-law, we hadn't spoken two words to each other since then.

The last traces of today vanish beneath the sunset through large windows in the center of the restaurant. Professor Thornton hunched over a table—scrubbing it as if his entire existence depended on it being clean.

"Professor?" I urge. My voice breaking him from his intense cleaning.

"You don't have to call me Professor when we aren't in the classroom, Alex. I'd actually prefer if you didn't," he says, beginning to wipe again. "We've been working together for so long now I thought it'd be a good time to let you know."

Even after two full months of working together, I'd still not gotten used to seeing him outside the classroom. When he wore his apron, he was different than the man I'd been introduced to on that first night in class. He was nicer, maybe even a little timid.