Chapter Text
Naomi rushed into Starbucks and crashed into the man standing at the front of the line. It didn’t matter, she was about to be late to Econ but she desperately needed some coffee.
She had fallen asleep during Political Science and the teacher had been less then amused to have to wake her up from her snoring. So embarrassing.
“Watch where you’re going young la-“ The man turned around and a furious red blush crept up her neck as she realized who it was.
Professor Esteban Flores. Her heart fluttering at a rapid tattoo, Naomi felt more awake than ever.
“Pro-Professor?” Naomi gulped, looking down, willing her heart to stop beating so loudly and the blood to stop throbbing in her ears.
“Miss Turner.” Esteban had a similar flustered look as he stroke his mustache, his eyes glancing everywhere else in the room.
A student bumping into her professor at Starbucks, nothing new. Nothing unusual. But for it to be him?
Her professor and dance teacher and the starring role of all her dreams since their eletricfying one on one salsa lesson last weekend.
Naomi felt her knees get a little weak at the thought of it.
How the music pounded as they moved in perfect rythmn, nose to nose, heat rising into a sizzling kiss. Fireworks burst behind her eyelids. He was such a good kisser. The way he wrestled her tongue forcefully as if there was nothing else he wanted and that just made her want to pull him closer. Make the kiss never end.
Then that silky smooth voice interrupted her mental reverie with a stiff, “Have a good day, Miss Turner.”
Her heart plummeted.
Once they had pulled away from their incredible kiss, he had pushed out of the doors and had been avoiding her since. She understood why. The scandal of a teacher dating a student would ruin him, and she supposed she wouldn’t look that good either considering their sizable age difference. Yet she couldn’t deny how much she liked him.
She enjoyed engaging him in banter and how he always bit right back at her when she was being sassy. She liked the adorable, red faced expression of frustration he had when she made a particular witty insult. She liked how he put his passion in verything he did. Everything. The kissing included....
“Esteban?” She called out and he froze in his tracks at the doorway.
He slowly turned to face her, glancing furtively to see if anyone was actually listening to their “scandalous” conversation.
“Miss Turner.” He replied a emphasis on the Miss.
“Right, Professor.” She played along; Her heart returning to its rapid beat that was reminiscent of the salsa music they had danced to as she plowed forward with what she wanted to say. “I know what happened... before was awkward. But.. I? I still like talking to you. I don’t like this distance between us. Besides people will be more suspicious by our avoidance than if we’re not arguing... And I-“
An unusual flush of red spread across the older man’s cheeks, “I can’t deny that I have been missing your company too.” Esteban whispered, looking more to his shoes than at her face, “But if we continue to converse. I fear I..My feelings? I might not..” he glanced up at her with those soulful brown eyes and it took all of Naomi’s willpower not to grab him into another soul searing kiss.
He said he missed her company! It was the best news she could ever hear!
“Maybe we should see what happens? You know, like you said you used to be quiet a risk taker back in your youth. Not that you’re old. You’re pretty.. handsome at this age too.” Naomi bit her lip to keep from giggling inappropriately at the way he smirked at her sort-of-compliment.
He waggled his eyebrows before turning solemn again, “I was a risk taker.” Naomi’s heart dipped low again, “But I think I’d be willing to return to my old ways if it was you I was risking beside.”
Naomi couldn’t conceal the smile that brightened her face and in turn, cause Esteban’s lips to unconsciously turn up too in a smile genuineness that was so rarely seen in the formal professor.
“You know if you ever..want to..like if you have nothing else to do.. can I stop by your studio? For more...lessons?” Naomi suggested with a wink that implied so much more.
“I would like that. ” Esteban said, giving her a curt bow before sweeping out of Starbucks to his next class.
Naomi watched him walk away with a satisfied smile on her face. She had no idea what was going to come from this, but she couldn’t wait to experience it.