He can't stop himself from reaching across the table. Whether or not Eli lets him lay his hand on one of his is completely up to him. James won't try to force it. But seeing him near to tears again hurts too much to ignore. James wanted to comfort him, to hold him if he could but... Well, they're sitting on opposite sides of the table so that's out of the question.
"It's not that simple," he urged. Why? Well, because he really wasn't in a good frame of mind. And also, he didn't want Eli to think that way. So cynical. But that's what James had implied, wasn't it?
"Firstly, I can't have you transferred. I would have to explain why it needed to be done and that doesn't bode well for either of us. Secondly, it's not just about reputation." He paused them, looking somewhat dejected. "Yes that's part of it. There are rules against teachers having affairs with their students for reasons. You can't imagine how gossip flies in the staff room."
James looked down at his plate, taking his glasses off so he could rub the bridge of his nose.
"My wife -- ex-wife -- was a student of mine when I used to teach at university." So, hopefully, Eli would understand his hesitance better. "It's frowned upon for professors to have relationships with their students, but there are no rules against it. She was about your age when we met. You can imagine how it looked: older man taking advantage of barely grown woman. We saw each other for a few years and got married the minute we found out she was pregnant."
So, yes reputation was part of his concern. When he first started teaching high school, the rumors abounded. Did the university force him out? Was this his first affair with a student? At least then he wasn't so much older that it looked criminal. Twenty years later, though? What would people think if he got involved with an 18-year-old now? One of his own students, no less!
"I'm trying to protect us both. If" oh, and he really stressed that if, "something happened between us and anyone found out... They would look back and see you'd been my student for several years. And then the questions would start. What happened when, who initiated it. I don't want to put you through that."
no subject
"It's not that simple," he urged. Why? Well, because he really wasn't in a good frame of mind. And also, he didn't want Eli to think that way. So cynical. But that's what James had implied, wasn't it?
"Firstly, I can't have you transferred. I would have to explain why it needed to be done and that doesn't bode well for either of us. Secondly, it's not just about reputation." He paused them, looking somewhat dejected. "Yes that's part of it. There are rules against teachers having affairs with their students for reasons. You can't imagine how gossip flies in the staff room."
James looked down at his plate, taking his glasses off so he could rub the bridge of his nose.
"My wife -- ex-wife -- was a student of mine when I used to teach at university." So, hopefully, Eli would understand his hesitance better. "It's frowned upon for professors to have relationships with their students, but there are no rules against it. She was about your age when we met. You can imagine how it looked: older man taking advantage of barely grown woman. We saw each other for a few years and got married the minute we found out she was pregnant."
So, yes reputation was part of his concern. When he first started teaching high school, the rumors abounded. Did the university force him out? Was this his first affair with a student? At least then he wasn't so much older that it looked criminal. Twenty years later, though? What would people think if he got involved with an 18-year-old now? One of his own students, no less!
"I'm trying to protect us both. If" oh, and he really stressed that if, "something happened between us and anyone found out... They would look back and see you'd been my student for several years. And then the questions would start. What happened when, who initiated it. I don't want to put you through that."