Her Professor, His Obsession

ARIA

"I'm the villain," he said with a smug smile, his eyes moving through the edge of the book in his hand. "And I don't regret it."

The class went silent for a moment.

Even the air in the room felt heavier, like we had all simultaneously forgotten how to breathe.

There he was, standing at the front of the lecture hall, tall and neatly dressed in a black dress shirt, his sleeves were rolled up.

His voice... he had the kind of voice that could easily silence a crowd... low, smooth, and just rough enough to sound dangerous when he wanted to.

But he didn't seem dangerous. Not really.

He seemed... gracious. Like a demi god.

Professor Damon Carter.

The man i was with last night.

He was newly hired after the sad news of our previous literature professor.

He was just a guest lecturer, but the whole class has been talking about just how brilliant professor Carter is.

All I could think of was last night.

"He is sooo sexy" Laura said nudging me.

"He is our professor, take your eyes off him you slut" I teased her, pretending i had just met him for the first time.

He snapped the book shut and leaned against the desk.

"Literature has always been obsessed with heroes" he started, "But me? I'm more interested in the ones we are told to hate" he smiled.

"Why" a male student asked from among the students.

"The flawed ones, the broken ones, the ones who choose the darker path, not because they're evil... " he paused, curving his lips, "... but because the world made them that way."

The way he moved his lips made me remember where those same lips were yesterday... on my...

I shifted slightly in my seat before that thought completed in my head. I forgot about the pen in my hand and the book on my desk.

I'd never been so unsettled by a professor before. Not even the ones who shouted at the top of their voices.

And that was because of what happened between us last night. I was so done for.

He didn't raise his voice. I mean he didn't need to. His confidence alone was top notch.

"Your first assignment is simple," he continued. "Pick a character that's mostly seen as a villain, and defend them. Justify their actions. Make me believe you."

Some part of the class groaned while others wispered in excitement.

I stared at the blank page in front of me, pretending to write something down.

I could feel his eyes scanning the class.

And for a brief second, I swore that i felt his eyes on me.

"Psttt" Laura called out in a low tone "he's staring at you"

"No he's not" I scoffed and my eyes landed on his.

He quickly redirected his gaze and returned to his desk, collected his notes then added,

"Office hours are posted online. If you want to argue about your grades, come prepared."