The next lesson and safety first

The weeks leading up to the next tutorial were **** filled with awkward looks and avoidance. It got to the point that you were having trouble focusing on anthropology, giving you all the more reason to attend the tutorial. To your surprise, however, you were not on the schedule for the next one. When you asked her why during the break of the 2-hour lecture, she whispered to you:

"I don't think we should be alone again."

"Why? I said I'm sorry and I know it was a mistake" you replied.

"I know. But that's not it" Sophie said.

"Then what is it?" you wanted to know.

"I liked it and I like you. It's best if we keep our distance" she explained.

You were dumbstruck and couldn't reply for a moment. Then your fellow students came filing in from the hall and any further conversation was forestalled. Shooting you an apologetic look, Sophie asked everyone to sit down again so the lecture could continue.

You went back to her at the end of the lecture.

"Look, disregarding what happened, you and I both know I'm not doing well on this subject. I need that tutorial" you told her.

"That is true. But I can't be alone with you. God knows I might just...jump your bones or something" she said. A shiver shot down your spine. You felt much the same and hearing her say this made you so happy that you forgot all about Alison, who had already been on the verge of losing out to Sophie anyway. She hadn't talked to you in months, so why bother thinking about her?

"Well, can't we talk in the cafeteria?" you suggested.

"That...sounds safe enough" Sophie said. She looked at you and found nothing suspicious, apparently, as she nodded. "Yes, that sounds fine. When is your next free period?" she asked.

"Now" you said.

"Alright. I'll meet you there" she said. You nodded and left the study hall. Content that you'd at least gotten her to agree to doing another tutorial, you headed for the cafeteria where you bought lunch, at 2PM, why not, and found a spot near the door where Sophie would see you when she came in.

"Hi" you said as she joined you 10 minutes later.

"Hello John" she said. She gave you a slight smile. "This is better" she said. You nodded your agreement. If you did what you had pulled last time in full view of the other students, Sophie might lose her job. You didn't want her to go through that so you kept it together, no matter how tempting those full lips were.

"Does that clear things up a little?" she asked at the end of your lunch. You nodded.

"Yeah, it does a little" you replied before eating a spoonful of yoghurt.

"So, have you considered what sub-discipline you will pick to wrote about?" Sophie asked, referring to the question she'd asked at the end of the lecture just past.

"I like all of them" you said. "But if I had to pick one, I'd go for either archaeology or cultural anthropology."

"Oh.." Sophie said. "This is ... awkward."

"What? Why?" you wanted to know.

"If you'd gone for either of the other two, you would not have had me as your tutor" she said. That meant...

"You tutor both archaeology and cultural anthropology students" you concluded.

"Yes" she said, her face pale.

"Look...we should be adults about this" you said, taking a deep breath. You were elated to see more of her.

"We should, but I don't know if we can" Sophie admitted. "Or, rather, if I can."

"Why?" you asked. Sophie looked around before replying in a quiet voice:

"Because I'm feeling something for you I haven't felt for my husband in over two decades."