September 13, 2016

"Your mother is here..."

That was how my evening started.

Today I had decided I would focus on my studies. One, because my first test of the semester would take place next week. And two, because apparently some of the faculty members had a sort of happy hour and this time it was Cecilia's turn to host the damn thing.

I was annoyed by that situation. Not that I minded the gathering in itself, but more so the fact it had to happen at her place, and therefore the building I also live in. I was therefore forced to be trapped inside my own apartment.

I did not want to risk running into any of my professors and ending up in an awkward encounter. So, I decided to stay in my apartment for the rest of the day in order to make things easier on me, but mostly for Cecilia—I knew she was a nerve-wreck thinking about that possibility, but she did not want to say anything and end up hurting my feelings.

"Are you sure you are okay with this?" She asked me earlier today once we were left alone at the mediation center.

"I promise you, Cee. I'm cool with this. Have fun, okay?" I squeezed her hand for good measure before letting it go. The door was locked but still I felt uncomfortable being too intimate with her around campus.

Usually, we would just wait until we got to our building before discussing anything more personal, but today had to be an exception since we would not be seeing each other after that.

"Also, I want you to have fun with your friends while I study tonight, because a week from now I will be the one going out with my friends while you get stuck at home with tests to score." I gave her an evil smile and in return she rolled her eyes at me.

"Like hell you will." I almost laughed at her stubbornness but figured it was best not to.

"Oh really? You're planning on having me around while you grade those tests?" The more time we spent together, the more I felt like some of her sassiness was rubbing off on me.

I walked back to my desk to gather my things but was surprised to feel a pair of arms sneaking around my waist.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I want to have my very sexy and incredibly young neighbor around to distract me while I work?" She whispered close to my ear.

I could feel the hot breath hitting the side of my right cheek getting my body to involuntarily react to her by pressing itself against her.

"There oughta be some sort of rule against me being around those papers." I said turning around so I could give her a peck before taking her arms from around me. "You are getting reckless."

She pulled her arms up in mocking surrender. I soon learned she actually liked being scolded by me for breaking our sort of unwritten rules—maybe when it was her on the receiving end it did not make her think as much about the age gap, who knows?

"They didn't think to create a specific topic in the by-law to prevent professors from grading their students' papers around other students who they happen to be sleeping with. Shocker, right?" I liked when she would get sassy like that, it turned me on, but unfortunately tonight I would just have to accept to go to bed feeling hot and bothered—maybe not.

"You're something else. Have fun tonight." I said unlocking the door, "Not too much though." I winked at her before getting out of her mediation room.

It never even crossed my mind I would end up at Cecilia's apartment tonight. But uneventful just did not seem to be the word to describe my year, so why would tonight be any different?

I was almost done revisiting my notes when my phone buzzed, I had half a mind to not check it before I was done, but then decided it was best to have a look just to see who it was.

"Your mother is here..."

I almost dropped my phone when I saw Cecilia's message. The first thought to cross my mind was that my mother would put two and two together.

I had just recently taken Evelyn's advice and told my mother I might show up dating an older woman. And there she was, in Cecilia's apartment, figuring out the professor and I were neighbors and I purposely refrained from telling my own mother about it.

I was too nervous to talk about it through text, so instead I called her.

"Just a second." I could hear the background noise getting fainter, until there was close to none, "We're good." Cecilia said letting me know I could talk.

"What the fuck is my mother doing there? I thought you said it would only be a few other professors from our center." I was freaking out about the possibility of my mother going batshit crazy on Cecilia—my mother was all nice and lovely to people, but that was just until they messed with me.

"First of, you need to calm down." She was seriously more worried about me than herself, and I had a feeling she did not quite grasp just how freaked out I was.

"Woman, you don't get it, if she figures it out on her own, she might just make a scene in front of everyone." But she was not letting herself get there, and I commended her for that.

"She and Evelyn got here together, so I'm assuming she invited your mother." I could basically feel my eyes popping out of my head. Nicely done, Eve.

"You sure she's your best friend?" I was calmer enough to see the comic plot twist of that situation, thanks to the professor on the other line.

"Don't worry, I'm already planning my revenge." I could hear a faint chuckle on the other side of the line—in that moment I knew we would be fine.

"One moment, babe." I felt my phone vibrate and decided to check who it was, just to see my mother's name popping on my screen.

"It's my mom, I gotta go and pretend to be surprised about you living in the same building I do." The sarcasm was basically dropping out of my mouth with each word.

"Wait!" she stopped me before I could hang up, "Don't go shamelessly lying to your mother, she'll know. Just tell her you knew but never thought to comment on it. Say we are acquaintances or something like it." I agreed with her and then hung up so I could answer my mother on the other line.

"Hey mom! what's up?" That did not sound like me at all, but I was close to shitting myself.

"Your voice is too pitchy... What did you do wrong?" I wondered at which point mothers got the fucking spider senses.

"Nothing. I got too many energy drinks in me. I was studying." And I was back in the game, "Anyways, why'd you call?"

"You're always so eager to talk to me, aren't you?" to be fair, my mother was at my sort of girlfriend's place—we had not put a label on it, yet—, and she either had no idea about it or she had figured it out already.

"Sorry, mom. Where are you? I can barely hear you with all that noise." Smooth... Right?

"Do you remember you Family Law professor? It turns out she lives at your building. I'm at a gathering at her place at this very moment." Anyone else might had thought that woman was clueless, but I knew my mother's high-pitched tone too well to know it was filled with sarcasm.

"Oh yeah, Professor Bailey. I know, we've actually crossed paths a few times around the building." I was really hoping that would be it, but then again, this is my life I am writing about.

"Great, you remember her. I talked to her and asked if she would mind if you just came over for a few to see your dear old mother, you know, since you've been ignoring me." First, I was not ignoring my mother, at least not anymore.

Second, there was no way in between me hanging up with Cecilia and answering her call that the conversation between the two of them she was implying to had truly happened.

"Mom, I'm studying, and I wouldn't know how to even dress to go to my former professor's apartment." I mean, I was not completely lying, lately half the time I was there I had very minimum or nothing at all on.

"Nonsense. Just dress something presentable and fix your hair, I'll see you in five." And she hung up on me. The nerves of that woman, like I could look decent in just under five minutes—actually, I could.

I put on the same outfit from the day Cecilia and I first kissed, I figured if I was going to suffer a filicide, I might as well make the best of it.

I knew if my mother was suspicious, she would be watching Cecilia to see if I would call to warn her, so instead I messaged her so called best friend, "tell Cecilia not to freak out, but my mother is making me go there, thank you very fucking much btw."

When I got to her floor, I was surprised to see the door was open and there was way over 20 people in that apartment, and all I could think was how pissed would the landlord be.

The first one I saw entering the apartment got me irked, it was fucking Felix Fisher himself. I was not pissed by the fact he was there, but rather because Cecilia did not tell me shit about him being invited in the first place.

As a matter of fact, she told me it would be a sort of only women thing, not that for me it made a difference. Apart from his presence there, I did not care two shits about any of the old men lurking around—sorry Nero.

I guess she knew exactly what was going on inside my head because as soon as our eyes met, she looked guilty.

She mouthed an apology towards me, it was the best she would be able to do at that moment considering the situation. Especially because my mother was right behind her coming in my direction and pulling Cecilia along.

"Cecilia, dear, I hope you don't mind. I asked my daughter to come over just for a few so she could see her mother's face and maybe then remember she has one." She was on fire tonight.

"Not at all. She's welcome to stay for as long as she wants." Cecilia was taking the whole thing so graciously I was shocked to be honest. "Remi, I'll get something for you to drink. Make yourself at home."

"Well, it seems we will have more than enough time to get you two to know each other better. Although, it feels like you've done it already if you are on a first name basis." She said after Cecilia was out of earshot—It should be normal for my neighbor to know my first name, right?

"Gosh mom, don't make too much of it. Her ex-girlfriend was my doctor." The fact I had to use Miranda to cover something up should be an indication of how badly I was doing at this whole covering up thing.

"You're telling me your much older neighbor who also happens to have been your professor is no longer with her girlfriend. Said girlfriend, who happens to no longer be your doctor as well. Am I correct to assume those facts are corelated?" Damn, I was not expecting her to go in that direction.

"Mom, don't be crazy. What are you even implying?" I knew she already knew, but I was trying to hold on to the last thread of hope I had left.

"Remi. Don't treat me like I am stupid. I saw the photo of the two of you together." The fucking photo Cecilia had put on the wall beside the front door a couple days ago of the both of us completely mudded and yet laughing at each other—Nay had sneakily taken it the last time Cecilia and I went mudding, we never even knew she was there until she sent me the photo.

I could not help but close my eyes as I let my shoulders fall in defeat. I had been caught and by none other than my own mother.

"Here you go. I hope you two got to talk." Cecilia came back handing me a glass while oblivious to the conversation I had just had with my mother.

"She knows." Was all I said as I took a big sip of my sprite with pomegranate—realizing that was what had taken her a fucking eternity to come back.

"You told her?" She was completely ignoring my mother as she turned to me with a shocked face.

"Don't blame me, I was the careful one out of the two of us. You were the one to pack your place of faculties while not caring about our picture being on the wall." I pointed to the wall just for the both of us to see it was empty.

"I placed it in that drawer." My mother said taking us by surprise as she pointed to the first drawer of the end table.

"Now, you two listen to me, this is not over. The three of us, we will talk about this relationship of yours, just not right here, not right now." I almost wanted to laugh of how scared Cecilia seemed of my mother.

"She's not my girlfr..." before Cecilia could even fathom to end her sentence my mother interrupted her with her index finger almost at Cecilia's nose bridge.

"Oh, do not end that sentence the way you were going to. My daughter broke up with an exceptionally fine young lady her own age, to be with you, so you better rethink that sentence." Damn, mother, way to go! I actually liked her input, especially after what came next.

"All I meant by that was the fact I haven't asked her yet. But you're right, we are in a committed relationship and I should have led with that." By the end of that sentence, I was happily surprised by Cecilia's declaration and sort of confirmation we were serious.

"That's better. Now I'm going to go back to my boyfriend and you two can figure out how to call each other from now on. This conversation isn't over though." My mother really tried to play it cool, what the fuck?

"You've a boyfriend and you never thought of mentioning it?" Who was I to talk? And yet I did.

She gave me a look that basically resumed what I was thinking and then pointed with her head to Nero who was chatting a little farther away from us, with Evelyn and a couple other professors.

"Thanks for the heads up, mom." I said sarcastically and once again she gave me the look.

"You should really just quit while you're winning. I've seen that look and it basically means next time you open your mouth you will regret it. Trust me, I know. You might be her daughter, but I was her student once upon a time." Cecilia said pulling her hand firmly but softly around my wrist to get me to shut up.

"Your girlfriend just might end up teaching you a thing or two after all." The pun in that one was just too much for me not to crackle a timid smile.

My mother was almost past me when she stopped to look what was inside my glass.

"Good to know you're not getting her drunk before getting her in your bed." It was Cecilia's turn to blush as my mother kept staring at her with a stern look on her face for a good two seconds before turning back at me.

"And Remi, if I were you, I would stay. That man child by the door has clearly gotten a thing for our dear host." Like my mother would have to tell me.

Once we were alone—or at least as alone as you could feel in a two-bedroom apartment packed with people—, Cecilia sneakily started pulling me to her room.

"I guess I am not unemployed just yet." She said closing the door behind her before leaning against it.

"You're good, babe. We both are." I said pulling my free arm around her waist to bring her closer to me for a kiss. It lasted for a while before I decided she was calm enough for me to be pissed about fuckboy being at her place—not that he really was one, his presence was just too irking at the time.

"I'm pissed at you though." I said pulling away from her and crossing my arms." I did not even have to explain myself before she started apologizing.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to study if you knew he was here, I didn't want to get you overthinking when you could be properly studying." She had a point, and I could see she was being sincere—I do not think I would have overthought his presence there though.

"I get that you did it with the best of intentions, but you should know, I would've been okay with it. I trust you, you told me not to worry about him, so I don't." that got me a very much passionate kiss.

I swear, if I had at least a drop of alcohol in me, I would have just ignored the fact we were separated by only a wood door from her colleagues. Unfortunately, I was very much sober and in full capacity to discern right from very, very wrong.

"We should get back out there. People will notice you aren't there. And I'm gonna leave, because let's face it, this is uncomfortable as hell for me. Half these people were my professors, and the other half has seen me in dippers." She scrunched her face at that, but agreed, nonetheless.

"I'll walk you out." Cecilia said guiding me through her guests with a hand on my lower back—she just loved that back cleavage. I knew what she was doing, she was risking exactly one person seeing us act intimate to one another, Professor Fisher.

"Oh, Remi, right?" He said stopping us by the door, and his eyes soon feel to Cecilia's hand. "I d-didn't know I-I'd see y-you here." And the stuttering was back as easy as that.

"Just passed to say hello." I answered back with a smile on my face. "I'll give this back to you later, okay?" I said to Cecilia while tapping on the glass with my finger.

"Sure thing, love." Have I mentioned how much I love that pet name?

She shamelessly pulled fisher's arm up so she could see the time on his watch before telling me she would see me later and to top it off she threw me a wink, just because she could.

I walked inside the elevator thinking how confused poor Felix Fisher must have felt when he realized he had basically confessed his feelings to his love interest's girlfriend.

I decided I would end my night how it had started—at least until Cecilia get the last of her guests to leave so she can come up to my place.

"So... girlfriend huh?"

Remi

I honestly feel a little bad about how much we made Felix uncomfortable that year. But then again, we gave him a lot to thank us for in the year after that one.