Chapter 56
**Sara**
Jessica emerged from the kitchen, balancing a tray laden with teacups and a steaming teapot. "Who wants tea? I've got Earl Grey, chamomile, and some weird herbal thing Emily bought that smells like wet socks."
"Hey!" Emily protested. "It's a traditional Chinese blend. It's supposed to promote longevity."
"Well, it's killing my sense of smell," Jessica muttered as she set the tray on the coffee table.
Mrs. Anderson leaned forward, inspecting the teapot with interest. "Oh, is this the set we got you for Christmas, dear?"
Jessica nodded, carefully pouring tea into the delicate cups. "Yes, Mom. It's perfect for when I want to pretend I'm a proper adult."
I snorted, quickly covering it with a cough when Mrs. Anderson shot me a look.
"So, Sara," Mr. Anderson began as Jessica handed him a cup of Earl Grey. "How are you finding Professor Blackwood's class? I hear he's quite the addition to the faculty."
I nearly choked on my tea. Of course, Mr. Anderson would ask about the one professor I desperately tried not to think about. "Oh, um, it's... challenging," I managed to splutter out.
Jessica swooped into my rescue. "Dad, you know Sara. She's probably already charmed the professor with her brilliant mind."
If only she knew how accurate that statement was. I smiled, hoping my face wasn't as red as it felt. "Oh, I don't know about that. Professor Blackwood is pretty... intimidating."
Emily raised an eyebrow at me. "Intimidating? From what I've heard, he's more like a walking Calvin Klein ad."
"Emily!" Jessica hissed, glancing at her parents.
Mr. Anderson chuckled. "Now, there's nothing wrong with appreciating a well-dressed professor. In my day, we had a few that could've given James Bond a run for his money."
Mrs. Anderson playfully swatted her husband's arm. "Oh, dear, stop it. You'll give the girls ideas."
Too late for that, I thought, taking a large gulp of my tea to hide my expression.
Jessica, clearly sensing my discomfort, changed the subject. "So, Mom, Dad, how long are you in town for?"
As the Andersons launched into a detailed itinerary of their visit, I breathed a small sigh of relief. Crisis averted, for now. I caught Emily's eye, and she gave me a knowing smirk. Great. Was I really that transparent?
I sipped my tea, half-listening to Mrs. Anderson's enthusiastic description of a new art exhibit they planned to visit. My mind wandered back to Tom and our complicated situation. How would I make it through the semester without combusting from sheer awkwardness?
"Sara? Earth to Sara!" Jessica's voice snapped me back to reality.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just... thinking about an assignment," I lied, hoping my face didn't betray me.
"Always the studious one. I would like to know if you want to join us for dinner tomorrow night. Mom and Dad are treating us to that new Italian place downtown."
"Oh, um, that sounds lovely, but I actually have a... study group thing," I said, mentally kicking myself for the lame excuse.
Mrs. Anderson looked disappointed. "That's a shame, dear. Perhaps another time?"
I nodded, forcing a smile. "Definitely. Raincheck?"
As the conversation drifted to other topics, I caught Emily giving me a curious look. I knew I'd have to devise a better excuse later, but I was glad to be out of the spotlight for now.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of polite conversation and too many cups of tea. When Mr. and Mrs. Anderson said their goodbyes, my bladder was ready to revolt.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Jessica sighed dramatically and flopped onto the couch. "Well, that was exhausting. Who knew tea could be so intense?"
Emily snorted. "Speak for yourself. I was thoroughly entertained watching Sara try not to spontaneously combust whenever Professor Hottie was mentioned."
"What? I don't know what you're talking about," I sputtered, my face growing hot. I tried to maintain an air of innocence, but Emily's knowing smirk told me I wasn't fooling anyone.
"Oh, come on, Sara. I know all about your one-night stand with Professor Hottie. Spill the tea, girl!"
My jaw dropped. I whipped my head around to glare at Jessica, who suddenly seemed interested in examining her fingernails. "Are you telling everyone about this?" I hissed, my voice a mix of anger and disbelief.
Jessica had the decency to look sheepish. "Not everyone," she mumbled. "Just Emily."
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "Great. Just great. I thought Emily had vacated. When did she even come back?"
Emily chimed in, "I'm planning to vacate soon, actually. Just waiting to land a job first. But don't change the subject! We're talking about you and your steamy professor encounter."
I felt my face burning as Emily's words hung in the air. "Steamy professor encounter? It wasn't... I mean, it's not..." I stammered, trying to find the right words to downplay the situation.
Jessica jumped in. "Oh, come on, Sara. You can't fool us. You liked it, didn't you? I bet you're still thinking about that full night with him."
I gasped, shooting Jessica a look that could curdle milk. "I am not! That's a complete lie!" I protested, my voice rising an octave. "In fact, I'm trying to find a new boyfriend. A nice, normal, non-professor boyfriend."
Emily raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Alright, alright. I promise I won't discuss Tom with anyone else. But come on, Sara, you've got to give us something. What was it like? Is he as dreamy up close as he is from the back of the lecture hall?"
I groaned, burying my face in a throw pillow. "Can we please not do this? I'm trying very hard not to think about Tom... I mean, Professor Blackwood. I just want to focus on finding a nice, uncomplicated relationship with someone who isn't, you know, grading my papers."
Jessica snorted. "Good luck with that. Finding a decent guy in this city is like finding a unicorn in a haystack."
I lifted my head from the pillow, giving her a half-hearted glare. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Jess. Really appreciate it."
Emily patted my knee sympathetically. "Hey, you never know. Maybe your Prince Charming is just around the corner. Or maybe he's hiding in the library, waiting for you to reach for the same book in a cliché rom-com moment."
"Yeah, right. With my luck, I'd knock over an entire shelf and give the poor guy a concussion."
As we all giggled at the thought, I wondered if I would find someone new. Someone who could make me forget about Tom and all the complicated feelings that came with our brief encounter.
"You know what?" I said, sitting up straighter. "Maybe I will find someone. Someone great. Someone who doesn't make me want to hide under my desk whenever I see them in class."
Jessica raised her teacup in a mock toast. "That's the spirit! To Sara's future non-professor boyfriend!"
Emily and I joined in the toast, our laughter filling the apartment. As I sipped my now-cold tea, I felt hope and uncertainty. Would I really find someone new? Or was I just kidding myself?
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