Who? N/L (Professor!verse)
Lessons.
"No, you're doing it wrong." Lita said, forcefully tucking a stray curl behind her chef's cap – the only outward sign she was very close to losing her patience.
Taking a calm breath, Lita O'Malley rallied the remainder of her tolerance. This was the seventh week of a semester long intensive cooking class. While not Le Cordon Bleu, the course sought to bring hobbyists and others not employed in the culinary arts together to enhance their skills.
Although pastries were her specialty, Chef Lita O'Malley had a reputation throughout the region of whipping any troubled kitchen into shape. It was those skills that had provided the opportunity for her current job. When a local and highly successful restaurateur had approached her for teaching position, she jumped at the chance to stay in one city for a few months – to settle into an apartment, to start a garden, to make permanent friends who did not work every weekend night, to start a relationship...
Using the expansive kitchens of a nearby luxury hotel, Lita had, for the most part, truly enjoyed teaching. Starting with the basics, they worked through different recipes and techniques creating sauces, souffles, and other delicious dishes. Overall, the twenty students were a delight. They were of varying ages and backgrounds, but mainly professionals related to some study or function of the nearby university.
All except one.
His name was Nathan. He was, apparently, a tenured professor of Astronomy. However, Lita had a difficult time believing someone with so much education could barely toast bread, let alone make a decent Béarnaise sauce. And yet, she could see he was trying.
"I should just quit, shouldn't I?"
Lita hesitated. She hated admitting that it was impossible to teach someone, but Nathan was struggling to cook an omelet. Still, she found herself charmed by him. His long hair and grubby wardrobe told her there was most likely no romantic partner in his life...but would she be crossing a line by dating one of her students? Was the attraction one sided? After years in kitchens and trendy restaurants, Lita had fallen for one too many men who had turned out to be gay or already taken. Her entire ability to gauge interest had been completely thrown off.
"Look for me after class – we'll get this right, I promise." Lita turned her attention back to the other class members.
Approximately one hour later, Nathan shuffled in her direction.
Lita finished washing out a bowl and asked simply, "Can I ask why you joined this course?"
"I...you won't believe me."
Placing a damp towel on her shoulder, she said, "Try me."
"First, I need you to give me an honest answer. Am I going to make it as a chef?"
She hesitated, but unfailing honesty was one of her trademark personality traits. As much as it pained her to say so, she replied, "Not really. I think you should stick to the world of Astronomy."
He looked crestfallen for a moment and jammed his hands in his back pockets. Then, with his familiar smile returning, he asked, "Want to know a secret?"
Looking up, she noticed his dark brown eyes twinkling and responded, "Sure?"
"I never signed up for this course. I was here for a conference and saw you in the lobby...and more or less followed you in."
Lita thought back to the first day, in the chaos and craziness of introductions, she had left her papers in the car and had never completed a formal check for the participants. While she knew she should be angry, or even a bit worried, part of her was touched by this soft spoken professor. Over the weeks, he'd had culinary failure after cooking disaster and yet, he continued to come to the class.
"I know I can't make you dinner, but can I take you out?"
She considered, before smiling and answering, "That would be...nice."
AN: Enjoy the three day weekend for me!