One Night With My Alpha Professor by Eve Above Story

Chap*** Audrey

A month passed, and the days were a blur. Senior year was no joke-constant essays, projects, and exams, each one more difficult and time-consuming than the last. I watched myself and my friends slowly crumble, already yearning for the end of

the semester.

But each week, I had something that would drive me along.

Every Friday night at ten PM, like clockwork, I would slip away to meet Edwin in our hidden room in the basement.

Often we would spend the entire night making love, our bodies moving together in a dance we were quickly perfecting as the weeks went on. There were always movies and games and books and snacks to enjoy, but we mostly just enjoyed each other, memorizing every part of one another.

Still, it wasn't all fun and games. As our weekly meetings went on, I began to grow restless; Edwin wasn't any closer to handling the Fiona situation, and thus we never had the chance to leave our little basement room.

I wanted more. I wanted to be able to walk down the street together, hand-in-hand. I wanted to spend the night in his apartment, ruffled sheets and the smell of old books. I had fallen in love with him. I hadn't said it out loud yet, but I knew it

was true.

We still had the matter of our differences in status at Grayspring of course, but... It could be handled. I had done my research, and there were procedures we could do through, papers that just needed to be signed if we wanted to be together. I wasn't taking any of Edwin's classes this semester, and I wasn't TA'ing for him.

It could work.

But whenever I broached the subject, his response was always the same: "Soon, Audrey. Be patient."

Yeah, well... My patience was wearing thin.

More than that, though, the guilt of lying to my friends was eating away at me. Especially to Tina, who kept giving me suspicious looks every time I slipped out of my dorm on a Friday night, dressed like I was going to the club.

"Another Tinder date?" she would ask, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah," I would lie, hating myself a little more each time. "Just a casual thing."

The gifts from Edwin didn't help. He had started bringing me expensive, high-quality fabrics for my sewing projects from his personal sewing room-little treats to make me smile, he said, even though I told him he didn't have to.

He had started doing it after I had begun pestering him about Fiona. I knew he was trying to butter me up, but it worked

anyway.

noticed, however, I had to

over a length of fine silk that probably cost more than a month's worth of cafeteria lunches. "This is

of disappointment on her face, though, was almost worse than if She had

***

was talking about the big festival and bar crawl downtown. There would

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always attended together. And this year, our entire group would be together. I had already started working on my costume weeks ahead. That Friday, after Edwin and I had finished another intense round of

is next weekend," I started,

playing with my hair. "What

look at him. "I'm making a Little Red

and a mask. I

felt my heart sink before he even spoke. “Audrey, you know

around my bare chest. "But it's Halloween. Everyone will be in costume.

keep our meetings to this room," he said firmly,

this.

clothes. Edwin watched me, propping himself up on

"It's late."

"Audrey..

I tugged my jeans back on. "I'm just tired of having to keep this a secret all the time,"

his eyes scanning my body. His next words made me freeze. "Is that what this is

my voice suddenly too meek for my liking.

ran a hand through his hair, looking uncomfortable.

punch to the gut. Tears p**ed at the backs of my eyes, and I knew I had to get out-away from here-before

to go," I

too late. I was already

back more tears, a rare text came through: "I'll explain everything next week. I promise. 09:29 Thu,

****

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a quick, cold response: "I'm going to the Halloween festival next Friday, so I'll be busy.

this was to him? H**king up? Did he even see the same future

stood in front of my mirror, tugging annoyedly at the too-thick crinoline beneath my heavy velvet skirt. Everything

the costume off

heart into this costume, even going so far as to hand-embroider little flowers and whorls along the bodice of