Chapter 4: Stay Behind, Miss

I swallowed and pressed my thighs together tightly, shocked at the tingle that went through me.

When Professor Bennett made it to the front of the lecture hall, he glanced through the room. I could feel each student stiffen as he settled his gaze on them. Finally, his gaze fell on me and I couldn’t help but avert my eyes to the top of my desk.

A chill went through me. It could have been my imagination but it felt like he stared at me for a second or two longer than he had at the others.

“Welcome to Shakespearean Ethics and Morality,” he finally said in a musically deep voice, and I let out a breath of relief.

He couldn’t be that mysterious man in Neon Dreams. Yes, they had similar eyes, but it was very dark that night and I was drunk. Whatever little that I remembered might not be true.

“In this course, we will be reading various texts by the famous playwright and discuss themes that arise regarding the various dilemmas and debates that are found in each narrative.”

There was no way I very likely had sex with my professor. Nope, it couldn’t be. I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus on what he was saying.

“Shakespeare’s mastery of the English language is often considered his greatest strength. It is my hope that by the end of this course, you all will have gotten just a little closer to understanding this beautiful language in a way that would please the famous playwright.”

Okay, he didn’t just have a musical voice. He had a rich, sophisticated way of speaking that was mesmerizing to listen to. As the class went on, the more he talked about Shakespeare and his works, the more I was intrigued by his lesson. It was easy to tell that a lot of care went into the syllabus for the semester and that Professor Bennett truly cared about what he was teaching.

However, I was momentarily distracted when those two girls in front of me started whispering in low voices again.

“Oh my god, he’s so hot!”

“I know!”

“I’m just surprised that he teaches literature. Isn’t he from THE Bennett family? I would think business would be more his thing,” the first girl said.

I had little idea of who the Bennett family was, but it sounded like they were big in the business world.

“Oh, don’t you worry! He went to Harvard and has a MBA degree, but his second major was in literature.”

“Then why didn’t he teach business courses here instead?”

“I heard his mother was very invested in the arts, especially literature. That’s why he chooses to teach this class even though he’s more than qualified to teach business.”

“Really? Ugh! Why does that somehow make him even hotter?”

I snapped back to what Professor Bennett was saying when his voice took on a more intense, but still musical quality.

“I’m sure you are all well aware of the reputation that my courses hold.” He paused as if wanting to let that sink in before he continued in a harsher voice. “I’m here to assure you that they are true. This course will be rigorous, so you’d best be prepared to put in the necessary time and effort to pass. Now in terms of grading…”

I felt several students shift nervously in their seats, and I also perked up my ears.

“...I like to think that my class is pretty straightforward,” Professor Bennett continued, “In addition to the six plays that you will be reading, there will also be a midterm, a final, two essays, and a final project, which requires you all to get into small groups and put on a Shakespeare play of your own that includes references to some of his most famous plays.”

“I hate essays! I heard that he eats essays for breakfast,” one student complained.

“Yeah,” another agreed instantly. “It’s impossible to get an A from what I heard from my friend’s older sister.”

I grimaced at the conversation but made my decision. Whether he was the man in Neon Dreams or not, I was determined to do well. I couldn’t allow one course to drag down my GPA and ruin the hard work I put in for the past three years, especially when I was very sure that I would really enjoy what would be taught in this class.

Even if that meant I would be spending most of my studying time on this elective.

“We’re nearing the end of our first class session,” Professor Bennett announced. “Are there any questions?”

He was met by silence.

“Do not hesitate to ask,” Professor Bennett cautioned. “‘The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.’”

I felt a blush of pleasure burn across my cheeks. He recited Shakespeare beautifully. I knew the line well. It was a famous one from “As You Like It.”

Professor Bennett raised one of his perfect eyebrows and his lips formed a slightly crooked smile. My heart skipped a beat, and I was more than sure I wasn’t the only female in the room who reacted this way.

“Very well,” he said with a careless shrug. “If there are no questions, then I suppose we have time for a pop quiz. Now, today is a lucky day for you, because anyone who answers my questions right will get 3 points added to their finals.”

An audible stir finally rose up throughout the classroom. Even I muttered something under my breath. How could there be a pop quiz on the very first day of class? However, the 3 points sound extremely tempting.

Professor Bennett pretended not to notice our displeasure. “First question: From what play is the line I just recited?”

I looked around, but not a single person raised their hand. I swallowed thickly before raising mine barely above my head.

He called on a dark-haired boy in the front row, who scratched the tip of his nose. “Um. I don’t know. Hamlet?”

Professor Bennett shook his head with clear disappointment. “That is incorrect, I’m afraid. Next question: What is the name of the mischievous fairy in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’?”

I looked around, but no one else raised their hand. I lifted mine a bit higher, my elbow going above my ear, but my arm bent slightly so it wasn’t as high as it could go.

He called on a girl with straight black hair in the third row. She grimaced. “I don’t know, Professor.”

“Okay,” Professor Bennett said in a flat voice. “Last question: Which of Shakespeare’s plays is a comedy centered around twins, Viola and Sebastian?”

I cringed, sinking slightly in my seat and lowering my hand since I actually didn’t know the answer to that one.

His dark green eyes landed on me.

No, no, no. Please, don’t ask me.

“Would you like to answer this one, Miss? I noticed you had your hand up earlier.”

My eyes rounded, but my words seemed to get caught in my throat. I felt the eyes of the other hundred or so kids in the room. He did that intentionally, I swore!

“Well?” he prompted.

I bit my lip before muttering reluctantly. “I don’t know.”

Shame colored my face further, but I felt like I had to offer some kind of information so I rushed to say something. “But I know the answers to the first two questions. The quote you mentioned earlier is from ‘As You Like It.’ From Act Five, Scene One to be exact. The name of the mischievous fairy is Puck. That play is actually one of Shakespeare’s most beloved, even though it’s not as popular as Romeo and Juliet…” I bit my lip when he put a hand up to stop me.

“That is quite enough,” he interrupted in a low, scolding voice that had me sinking further in my

chair. He narrowed his bright green eyes at me. “You will learn quickly that I expect direct answers to the questions asked of you, not answers to questions that I did not ask.”

I swallowed and nodded my head, averting my eyes. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.” It was silent for several seconds.

When I dared to look up again, I found that the professor was staring at me with an intense, but unreadable expression.

“That concludes our class for today,” he said stiffly, “You are dismissed.”

Then his gaze settled right on me.

I shivered as the other students quickly packed up and filed out. Professor Bennett didn’t look away from me as they left one by one.

“Except for you. I’d like a quick word with you if you’d kindly stay behind, miss.”