"I hope this goes better then the organic lab," one girl said.

 "If the instructor is actually prepared for the lab and knows what's going on, it would be an improvement," another said, and the group laughed.

 The people closest to the door began to move closer and began to enter the room.  They quickly filed in and found seats at the lab tables, each person choosing a spot marked with a set of handouts.  Tonya hesitated as she entered the room, and mentally prepared herself for the scents that would be present.  Having a super sensitive nose was a real draw back at times, and she was quite used to the consequences.  She had almost passed out from sensory overload when she had entered her first Chemistry class in high school. 

Finding a spot, Tonya began to read the handouts and missed the reentrance of the lab instructor.  The sound of chalk on the blackboard failed to interrupt her reading, but when the TA began to speak, he had her full attention.  She whipped around so fast that she almost hit her lab partner with her braid.  Her jaw dropped and she stared at the man before her. 

She wet her suddenly dry lips and swallowed hard, her pulse quickening as the man spoke.  Tonya tried to think of a time when she had been it the presence of such a breathtakingly handsome man, but her head seemed to be filled with molasses.  He was wearing tight Wranglers, a UTH t-shirt with a white lab coat.  Safety glasses gracefully balanced on his nose to complete his wardrobe.
"Welcome to Biochemistry 522," he said, "We are just doing check-in today, and there will be no lab on Thursday.  Labs will begin next Tuesday and we will be working on Experiment one." 

The TA scanned the room as he spoke and quickly noticed the look on Tonya's face.  He smiled and winked, causing the flustered girl to flush.  Her look was mirrored on some of other girls' faces, but he ignored them.  Turning to indicate the board and the writing on it, he continued.

"My name is Zarbon Chan, and yes I am from Australia.  This is my first year teaching, so I am bound to make mistakes, but hang with me and we'll get through this," he smiled warmly at the class and several of the girls gasped.  "I don't have on office, so my office hours are by appointment only," Zarbon smirked as some of the girls moaned in disappointment.  "This is my phone number and email.  I can be reached at almost anytime of day, but please refrain from calling after midnight or before six am; my girlfriend would appreciate it."  Several more groans of despair and Tonya desperately tried not to blush.

"I don't want to grade a bunch of questions, so you don't have to do them.  But I do want you to draw up a flow chart for each experiment and bring it to class.  It will be turned in instead of the questions," Zarbon informed the class.
"I knew it," Tonya grumbled as they began to check their drawers, "This is going it be fun."

"Do you know what he means by a flowchart?" her partner asked.

"Yeah," Tonya answered opening her pack and pulling out an old lab.  She showed it to her friend.

"Are you sure?" another girl asked. 

Tonya nodded.  "He's made me draw one for every lab I've done," she groused.

"You know him?" a girl Tonya didn't know asked breathlessly.

"Uh...yeah," Tonya admitted slowly.

"Having problems girls?" Zarbon asked barely hiding a smile as he loomed over them.

"No, sir," they squeaked and hurried back to their respective drawers.

Tonya stood her ground, partly because she was already at her station and partly because she wasn't sure she could move away.

Zarbon smirked down at her.  "Are you done checking your drawer?" he asked.

"Umm..." Tonya blinked and tore her gaze from those tempting lips, "No, not yet."

"Maybe you should work on that," he suggested before moving down the row.
She took her time and soon everyone else had left.  Locking her drawer, she picked up her pack and turned to leave.  A smile graced her lips as she noticed Zarbon watching her, his arms folding as he leaned against a table.

"Ready to leave?" he asked.

"Yes."

"May I walk you home?"

"Alright, and on the way you can explain why you're my lab TA."

Zarbon chuckled and took her pack. "That wasn't intentional, but I'm glad it happened.  But before I explain, may I ask what you were thinking about while I was talking?"

Tonya blushed deeply and coughed a little.  "Just that you look good in glasses and a lab coat."

"Thank you," he said and kissed her cheek as they walked out the door and into the sunset.