extreme close-up

In my Torts class, I sit in a raised row that the professor can approach and converse at eye level with those of us in the row.

Prof. Torts usually stays near the podium. However, he occasionally takes a walk, sometimes ending up directly in front of me, his face only a foot or so from mine and his arm leaning against my desk.

I find this disconcerting, even thought I like Prof. Torts. He can't see my laptop screen, but I still feel his eyes boring into mine, and I get terribly flustered.

Usually when he's that close I start IMing my friends, trying to appear like I'm writing down every word that's spoken so I don't have to look up at him. My friends are helpful and distract me.

Today, however, my helpful friend almost blew my cover.

Me: OMG. He's like a foot away.
Helpful friend: Reach over and give him a big smooch.

I turned bright red and immediately covered my mouth with my hand, biting on my cheek in an effort not to laugh out loud.

Me: That was NOT helpful.
HF: Just look into his eyes and THEN give him a smooch. That usually does the trick.
Me: You are so dead.

By now I was choking back a snort, the incongruity of the situation proving to be far too much for me. My friend C., sitting next to me and able to read the IM exchange on my screen, was grinning. A few rows away, I heard my friend cough suspiciously.

Luckily Prof. Torts moved away, barely preserving our masquerade as Serious Law Students for the duration of the class.