Page 28 of Crown Jewels
Thankfully, the administrations building wasn’t too far into campus, so I didn’t have to put up with too many lookie lous. I was also thankful for the professor booking this meeting on a Saturday when there were less people walking around.
The receptions area was empty, so I walked past the desk, and headed down the hall to my art history teacher’s office. Since I’d never needed his help, I’d never been to his office before, but I knew where it was. All of his students did. He had directions hung up in the classroom.
I could hear music coming from the other side of the door, and was hesitant to knock. Maybe he was busy? He might’ve had another meeting before me, and I didn’t want to interrupt.
After waiting for a few minutes, and not hearing any voices talking, I raised my hand and rapped on the door.
“Come in.” Professor Winston called from the other side.
I did as was told and walked in.
The first thing I noticed was how different his office was from the others I’d been in. Most professors had what my brother would call stuffy, high priced education interior.
Some kind of dark wood desk, with matching bookshelves, polished and clean hardwood floors, and a rug for decoration. The air always smelled like books and cedar, and they always sat in a leather chair that creaked when they moved.
Occasionally there would be some extra touch. Some kind of couch or loveseat, a musical instrument, or art. They all variedin different ways, but they were all cold and formal. As a place of business should be. That was what I expected here.
However, the room I walked into was oddly inviting. The standard things were here. Desk, chair, and bookshelves. But nothing about it was cold or formal. The rug was so soft my feet sunk when I stepped on it.
The loveseat in the right corner was light blue and so pillowy it looked more comfortable than my bed, and there were lit candles on a table in the corner, sending the sweet scent of vanilla in the air.
It was strange and made me feel oddly uncomfortable, despite it’s warm atmosphere. This place was closer to a small apartment than it was an office.
I looked over at Professor Winston, who was standing by a small bar on the other end of the room, pouring himself a glass of what appeared to be scotch or whiskey.
He waved over his shoulder at me, “Close the door and have a seat.”
After pushing the door shut, I looked around for a place to sit. There were no chairs on the other side of his desk, just the loveseat. That wasn’t normal, mind you Professor Winston wasn’t a typical professor.
He taught class in jeans, and half his students called him by his first name. So, it would stand to reason that his work space would be as easy going as he was.
“Would you like a drink?”
“No thanks.” I shook my head and took a seat on the right side of the loveseat, which was as comfortable as it looked.
“You’re always polite Emma,” he said while placing the topper back on a crystal decanter. “I like that about you.”
“Manners are important.” Sometimes manners were all someone had.
“Manners are also a way for someone to hide behind politeness.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so I said nothing.
He tipped his head and rolled his light eyes over me. “I haven’t figured out what you’re hiding yet.”
“I’m not hiding anything. I was being polite.” Was there something wrong with that?
“Ah, I see.” He leaned back against the bar and kicked his ankle over the other. “And what has politeness ever got you?”
“Well, it…” What had it got me?
None of our foster parents adopted us despite how well behaved I was. Any friends I did have walked all over me, and my father only called when he needed money. So I guess it got me nothing, but…
“That doesn’t mean I should be rude.”
“There’s a difference between being rude and standing up for yourself. When’s the last time you went after something you wanted?”
Was this a test? Did he want me to tell him why I thought I was here? A timid TA wouldn’t be very effective. If I wanted it, then I needed to show him I could be assertive.
