Off Limits ✔

2. Weird Luck

"Hello again," he said, raising one eyebrow. He looked intimidating in his office chair, with a full-wall bookshelf behind him, while the rest of the wall surface was squeaky plain. It reminded me of what Bob told me; he was a newcomer. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" His deep voice pulled me out of my stupefaction.

I shifted my gaze back to the door to ensure I saw the number correctly and, yes, didn't make a mistake. Oh. Well. Shit. "I..." My tongue turned rigid. "I wanted to bring my reports."

Mr. Andrew frowned. "Reports?"

I swallowed an imaginary lump in my throat. "Oh right, sorry, I'm a student in the group you're currently mentoring on psychoanalysis reports. I... uh from the psycho-diagnostic group... l-lab 4. I am, uh, um, Jenny. Jennifer Adrian." Speaking like a normal human was getting harder, especially under those scrutinizing eyes.

"Ah. I thought you had decided to drop out of this subject." He nodded and leaned back in his chair, interlacing his fingers over his abdomen. "And I recall the due date is Wednesday this week, no?"

"Y-yes."

"Time-wise, it will be quite challenging, Ms. Adrian. I wonder why didn't you try to find me earlier?"

I took a deep breath, preparing myself to dodge the coming bullet from my mentor. I'd practiced the speech this morning. I'd be fine. "I'm aware it's quite a last minute." I avoided his eyes. "I have an explanation. I was uh..." What was I going to say again? The words I had carefully arranged in my head suddenly evaporated into thin air.

"You were uh?" he repeated.

"I had a situation in the past few weeks," I replied, my fingers fumbling with my documents. "My younger brother got hospitalized from pneumonia two weeks ago, and since my mother works full-time, I was the one who took care of him." Secretly, I crossed my fingers behind my back. Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned. "I was already halfway through my reports, but then I couldn't finish it until the situation at home was better."

"Why didn't she take a leave to care for your brother?"

"She couldn't. We need the money."

"Your...father is not around?"

I dropped my head, trying to look beaten. I should be crying right now. "We don't know where he is. He left home a few months ago. Things haven't been so great at home lately."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant topics," he said, his toning softening.

"No, it's fine," I replied quickly, glancing up at him to see if he bought my lies. "But that's why I couldn't find time to work on my assignment."

"I see." I thought he'd buy my reason and feel a slight pity for me, at least enough to let me drop my unrevised reports. But his face stayed stoic, which sent me straight into a panic state. "Let me rephrase your points here. Because of your personal situation, which caused you to fall behind with your assignments, you didn't have any initiative to inform me beforehand. Yet here you are now, without an appointment, with your raw reports, two days before the deadline. Do tell, Ms. Adrian, do you expect me to drop all my schedules today for you in order to help you with those reports?"

"No, that's not why I came to see you!" I took a few steps forward as if I would sound more convincing if I stood closer to him. "I know my personal issue is not an excuse. I understand my reports are still very raw and I now probably lost my chance for revision. But I did work really, really hard for this under these...circumstances," I rattled off faster than my brain could process. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Calm down, Jen. I opened my eyes and looked up at him again. "Please, sir. To show how serious I am with this, I'm willing to pay for my mistake if you allow me."

Mr. Andrew tilted his head. "Pay me?"

"I mean, if there is anything I could do-" I gasped. Did I sound like I was offering myself to him? Dammit. "I mean...that was not what I meant."

"You meant what you didn't mean?"

"No. What I was trying to say is, if you need help with laboratory work, or with the assessment center, or something of the sort, I would be willing to be a volunteer."

He clicks his tongue. "Ah. I see."

"All I ask is that if you couldn't fit me in your schedules for revisions, at least consider this as my final submission. I shall deserve whatever grade I will get." As long as it's not an F.

He didn't directly respond. Instead, he pursed his lips while keeping his gaze on me, investigating me. I had no idea what to make of it until I heard him sigh. "Fine. Let's see what I can do."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you!" I almost jumped like a child getting her favorite candy.

He glanced at his watch and sat up straight. "If that's all, I need to go."

I carefully placed my papers on his table, swiftly roaming my eyes over his desk. A few textbooks and some files were next to his keyboard, and a small wooden box was sitting in the corner of his desk. It looked almost like a tea box, but why would he keep his tea collections in his office when he could grab what he needed from a pantry? Perhaps it was a box to keep his belongings, like a photo of his loved one? Was he married? Did he have kids?

"Can you put your email on your paperwork? I don't think I can squeeze in any appointment for you until Wednesday. Discussing the work online is an option." Mr. Andrew's voice pulled me from my train of thought. He propped himself up, towering over me, and grabbed a black blazer from his chair backrest. As he slipped his arms into its sleeves, a mix of woody smell, citrus, and his aftershave permeated the office air. "And, you need to be fast."

"Yes, sir." I rummaged through my bag to find my pen before quickly jotting down my email address. "And Mr. Andrew," I called when he was standing by the door, waiting for me. "I'm sorry for the coffee accident."

"I thought you would never apologize for that."