Allure

8-ryon

We sit in my car, in the rain out front of the coffee shop.

"Hi." I say without looking at him.

"Hi..." he says back, turned towards me in my passenger seat.

"Tell me, Richard, what do you do for a living?"

"What?" he was confused

"Just tell me."

"Oh okay..." he begins. "Well I work part time at an auto shop I'm in college, to be a professor and I am taking the last steps by being an assistant professor at K-"

"At Kaymen-U." I said once again cutting him off.

"Uh yeah that's it...how'd you know?"

I pull out my ID and hand it to him, I know that it will be easier then saying it myself.

"Like I said, You're just a customer, and I'm... just a student." I've managed not to look at him this entire time. But when he doesn't respond to me my eyes are drawn to him.

His hands are covering his face and his head is leaned back against my window, my school ID is wedged in between his middle and first finger.

"Holy fucking shit." He mumbles, and continues to mumble an array of curse words from beneath the cover of his large hands.

"Yeah." I play with my hands suddenly uncomfortable. He's still swearing to himself.

"Uh, care to say something that's even the slightest bit productive?" I mumble irritated with his behavior.

He drops his hands. "Yes." He gives me my card. " I didn't just see this and we didn't just have this conversation."

"But you did, and We did."

"But for me it's to late."

"Richard you've seen me three times."

"And I honestly only needed once."

"Get out." I don't know why I'm angry with him, probably because I know he's correct and I feel the same way, or probably because I was hoping he'd make it easier to do what I didn't want to do in the first place. Instead he's making it hard, he's giving making it seem like I have a choice but I don't. I care for him way too much to be with him and way too much to ruin his future.

"Get out, Richard."

"Ryon, I'm not letting you be mad at me for not leaving you especially when you were Mad at me when you thought I did only 45 minutes ago."

"That's different."

"How so?"

"Because now you're being stupid. And I do not date guys who make stupid decisions." I try to justify my answer.

"Good but we aren't dating, and I'm not making a stupid decision."

He leans over and grabs me hand, and I snatch it away.

He exhales heavily. "Ryon, your hand." He holds his hand out and keeps his penetrating eyes on me until I comply.

"I didn't know you were a student when I met you, I didn't know you were a student when I kissed you, I didn't know you were a student when I told myself I would do anything to keep you around, i didn't know when I tried to convince myself that I wasn't in love with a woman I just met I didn't know when I failed and realized that I was head over heels for that woman and I didn't know when I walked into your coffee shop and begged you not to end what we didn't even start."

Speechless I stared at him and he stared into me, I was transparent to this man and he knew exactly what to say.

He continued. "And I'm sorry if you think I'm making a bad decision but if you hadn't told me tonight then I would still be here, so I am still going to be here. I didn't fall for a student, I fell for you, Ryon. I fell for a Barista at Martins Coffee. I'm not gonna walk away from this because you say so, just because you think it's a bad Idea. Now tell me right now that you don't feel anything for me and then I'll leave, then I'll just be "Your customer" but even then you'll never just be my student."

"You're being difficult."

"I'm being realistic, people give up so much for other people, and so much because they're afraid. I won't. And you don't have to. I'm not forcing anything on you, but I won't let you make decisions based on fears."

I smile to myself. Part of me is angry part of me is happy part of me wants to cry.

"Is that a 'Yes Richard, I'll take a chance with you.'" He mimics what I think is supposed to be me and I laugh.

"Yes Richard..." He smiles and begins to lean towards me. " I'll take a chance with you."

He whispers out a small triumphant "Yes!" before his lips are on mine.