Hard To Love (Professor / Student)

Nothing But A Shirt

2 Weeks Later: December 18th

"I'm going to miss you so much!" Meg cries as we both finish packing our room up for winter break.

"Relax. It's only a month. Then we will be right back here like nothing happened." I say as my phone blasts the 90's Hits Pandora play list throughout the dorm room. The entire room looks as if a hurricane ran through it. There are scattered pieces of clothes everywhere.

"I guess you're right. So how are you and the Professor?"

"Mark? Uh I don't really know. We've been on a few dates and stuff. But I have no idea where we actually stand." Meg looks at me like I said something completely wrong.

"You've been on a few dates, he sleeps here more than I do and you two fight like an old married couple, But you don't know what you two are?" She exclaims, flailing her arms through the air.

"I guess he just wants to take things slow."

"Is that what you want?" she asks. After running a hand over my face, I just walk into the bathroom to start getting ready.

*Knock* *Knock*

"Meg! Can you get that?" I call out from the bathroom. "It's Mark." I call out as I rush into the bathroom wearing a pair of pink panties and an old high school t-shirt.

"Yeah, yeah I'll let him in" She yells as I begin doing my hair.

"I guess it's a good thing our reservation isn't until 8:30 pm." I hear Mark say from the bathroom doorway. Without burning myself, I let a now curled piece of my hair drop before picking up a straight piece, while looking at Mark in the mirror.

"Excuse me, but I'm getting ready to go out. So if you don't mind" I say as I go back to curling my hair

"Well hello to you too." I hear Mark chuckle a bit. His black dress shoes hit the tiled floor, walking up behind me. His hands find my t-shirt covered hips, rubbing circles on my hipbones.

"Just a t-shirt today? My kind of girl" Mark whispers, brushing his lips across my ear as an involuntary shiver rushes down my spine. After placing the curling iron down on the counter, I spin around still in the hold of Mark. I take the lead by placing both hands on his black buttoned down chest, playing with his silver tie.

"Professor O'Shea, I'm going to have to ask you to leave so I can finish getting ready."

"Is that right?"

"Mhmm..."

"Well in that case.." He begins before crashing his lips down to mine, pulling at my grey t-shirt as he bites down on my bottom lip, causing my mouth to open the slightest bit releasing the smallest of moans. Enough for the innocent kiss to turn into a french kiss in a matter of seconds.

"You sneaky devil" I mutter into the kiss. Mark laughs a deep, throaty chuckle that sends a shiver through my body. Before I know what's going on, Mark pulls away and spins me around to face the mirror.

"Finish getting ready, please" Is all he says, before retreating back to the bedroom. After taming my now curled hair and applying minimal makeup, I walk back into the bedroom to see Mark sitting on my bed, talking to everyone in the room.

"Look who it is." Evan says and everyone's eyes meet mine and I wave.

"Uh hey guys? How long was I in there for?" I ask Meg and she laughs a little.

"Almost 45 minutes."

"Oh God. What time is it?" I ask looking at the clock that reads 7:45 PM.

"We have plenty of time, Ness. But..." Mark starts as he walks over, standing in front of me. He starts pulling at my shirt; his lips dangerously close to my ear. "I'm loving the look, but I don't like to share." He whispers, biting my ear. "You might want to put a pair of pants on" Mark says and my eyes shoot up to meet his and I smile

"Oh yeah, Professor O'Shea? I'm a college girl and we tend to just open up for anyone." I whisper back and his eyes meet mine, with an expression that is hard to read. Instead of continuing to play with fire I walk into the bathroom to get dressed for tonight. That's what you get for keeping me on edge about this damn relationship, if you can even call it that.

A few minutes later I walk out...

"Hey Meg, do you know where....Meg?" I ask as I walk into an empty bedroom.

"They all went down to eat." Mark says, as he is sitting on my desk.

"I'm almost ready, sorry it's taking so long."

"That's fine. But first, you know that I don't think you get around, right?"

"Come on Mark, I was just playing around. You've already told me you don't think I am a whore."

"Wow, that was a little straight forward but okay."

"Get used to it buddy boy. Now what should I wear? This or this?" I ask Mark. I hold up a maroon dress and a dark green dress.

"Hmm the maroon makes your eyes pop." Mark says and I can't help the smile that stretches across my face. I change into the dress, a long beige cardigan and dark brown boots.

"Where are we going?"

"Just a quite restaurant outside of town." He says. We walk outside to the parking lot where his car is parked. After driving for a bit Mark parks the car and the two of us walk hand in hand inside the restaurant. We are quickly greeted by an older woman.

"Mark O'Shea, little Marky is that you?" She calls out and I look up at Mark and he's blushing. "Come here young man, my you've grown since I last saw you!" She coos.

"Hi Mrs. Mancini, you look fantastic. How long has it been? Five or so years?" Mark asks as he hugs her tight. "Ness, I'd like you to meet the woman who is like a second mother to me. "

"A second mother who practically raised you. Who you never see." Mrs. Mancini adds in and we both laugh.

"It's very nice to meet you. I'd love to hear all about Mark here when he was a child." I say smiling. Mrs. Mancini and I begin talking and she tells a few stories of how Mark was when he was younger. She says how he once dressed up as a super hero, wearing his underwear on his head and a towel as a cape. Little Mark thought he could fly like Superman and jumped right off the living room couch onto the coffee table, breaking his femur.

"He wasn't the brightest little kid but he definitely had a huge imagination." She says and I look up at Mark who is covering his face with his hand.

"Thank you so much Rose for embarrassing me in front of my date. I get it, I'll come visit more often, okay? Can we please have our table now?" He asks, trying to remain polite. She directs us towards the back of the restaurant. Mark and I are seated at a small booth along the window that overlooks the glistening lake outside.

"Mark this is beautiful, thank you for bringing me here."

"It's nowhere close to being as beautiful as you, Ness. I know I have made a few mistakes so far but asking you out on this date was not one of them. I don't know how you did it, but you made me change my perspective on your generation. I once thought all young women were coffee breathing Barbies without opinions or care in the world. But you, you are the complete opposite. You are smart and opinionated. You seem to care about the little things in life and I respect and love that about you. You know where you want your life to go and are striving to accomplish that.