“I’m never going to pass this class,” I heard a girl behind me say.
“I know, right? How the hell are we supposed to pay attention? I think I only wrote half the notes down because I was too busy staring at him,” another girl replied with a giggle.
I laughed to myself. At least I wasn’t the only one who was going to find the class to be difficult.
I stood from my seat and grabbed my bag, leaving all my stuff at the table. I made my way out of the room to find a bathroom and a vending machine. I’d had a big cup of coffee that morning, but I didn’t eat anything. I could feel the hunger pain in my stomach, and I didn’t want it to start growling in class.
After using the restroom, I found a vending machine down the hall and got a candy bar to snack on and a Coke to drink. I was the kind of person to snack on candy any chance I got. It was my weakness. When I was little, Melanie would bribe me into doing her chores just by giving me candy.
Thinking of my sister, I pulled out my phone and sent her a text. I knew she’d be busy at work, but her phone was always by her side.
Me: My professor is the son of your boss.
I was taken aback when he’d said it in class, but John Cline was my sister’s boss. I knew he had a son, but I had no idea who he was or what he looked like.
Mel: Mason? I totally forgot he was a teacher. You lucky bitch.
I laughed out loud at her reply. Mason, huh? I liked that name. Mason Cline.
Me: I guess that’s his name. And no, I’m not a lucky bitch. Do you have any idea how hard it will be to focus in class?
Mel: Oh, I bet. I have to get back to work, but do me a favor and don’t Google him. lol
I rolled my eyes. She did that shit on purpose. She knows I won’t be able to resist looking now. Finishing off my candy bar, I looked at the time. I had three minutes left before I needed to get to class. I placed my Coke inside my purse and Googled as I walked back. The screen loaded with pictures and I stopped in my tracks.
Holy hell, the man is gorgeous.
“Ms. Blake, will you be joining us for the rest of the class?” I heard from behind me.
I gasped in surprise, too focused on what I was looking at, and dropped my phone as I turned to see Professor Cline standing behind me. He leaned down and grabbed my phone before I was even able to move. I could feel my face flame with embarrassment as he looked at the screen with a smirk. I wished I could just magically disappear. Then I heard my phone vibrate in his hand. He glanced up at me, still wearing the smirk, and handed over the phone.
“You have one minute, Ms. Blake,” he said as he walked off.
I looked down at my phone to see what he was smirking at and wished I could die right then.
Mel: Make sure you scroll through all the pics. There is a pic of his penis, or so they say. It’s WOWZER!!!! Now go try and focus in class. Love you! lol
Taking a deep breath, I fast-walked to the room and made it in just as he was about to close the door. There was only a small space for me to squeeze through and instead of moving out of the way, he stayed where he was. My shoulder brushed past his chest and I could feel just how firm he was with that slight touch. And whatever cologne or body wash he used had my senses on high-alert. It was like pheromones mating with an aphrodisiac. My face was already hot with embarrassment, but in that instant my body was on fire.
“Case law,” he stated as I took my seat, “is the concept of one judge making a decision which is then referenced in other courts by other judges. This serves as the cornerstone of the common law of the legal system, which is used in America, but originated in England.” He paced as he looked around the room. “Judges have some degree of authority in not only interpreting the law, but also, in effect, creating the law where there are gaps or inconsistency within the written codified law created by the legislature.”
My plan was to avoid eye contact for the rest of the class, but his voice and presence demanded my attention. I couldn’t look away from him as he spoke.
He went over different cases and scenarios and asked us all questions. He made me feel confident that I would get the best out of his teaching. He explained everything clearly and if you answered wrong, he told you why. I knew some professors weren’t like that from what Melanie had told me. Some would tell you to look up why your answer was incorrect. Others would humiliate you in front of the entire class. I hoped I didn’t have to deal with any of that.
During his questioning, he took his jacket off and I swear I heard a collective sigh from all the girls in the room. I hoped I’d be able to focus on his teaching more than his body and good looks.