FEISTY

CHAPTER FOUR: SECOND ENCOUNTER

Lindiweh sprinted down the street, her bag bouncing against her back. Two days. Just two days left until the interview, and she was already running behind schedule.

“Great. Just great,” she muttered under her breath, dodging a puddle as she neared the campus gates. The morning rush of students surrounded her—laughter, conversations, the occasional call from a lecturer reminding someone about an assignment.

She was too focused on reaching her first class when—

Thud!

She crashed straight into someone, her books slipping from her arms.

“For the love of—” she started, but then she looked up.

A familiar smirk. Sharp features. Dark, neatly styled hair. Deep brown eyes watching her with amusement.

Him.

Her stomach did an unexpected flip. Of all people to bump into again.

“You,” she blurted out, her voice laced with frustration.

His smirk widened. “Me.”

Lindiweh scowled, quickly crouching to gather her books. “Do you try to be in my way, or is this just a weird coincidence?”

He bent down, picking up one of her books and handing it to her. “I could ask you the same thing.”

She snatched it from his grip, standing up. “Well, unlike some people, I don’t have time for whatever this is. I have a class to get to.”

“Busy as always,” he mused, his gaze lingering on her. “Must be important.”

“Very,” she shot back, adjusting her bag.

He gave a slow nod, as if considering something. Then, with that same infuriating smirk, he said, “Good luck with it, Feisty.”

Lindiweh stiffened.

That nickname.

He remembered.

Before she could come up with a response, he stepped aside, giving her a mock salute. “Try not to run into anyone else today.”

And just like that, he disappeared into the crowd, leaving her standing there, her heart pounding for reasons she didn’t want to acknowledge.

Annie suddenly appeared beside her, grinning. “Okay, at this point, I’m convinced he’s following you.”

Lindiweh groaned. “Not you too.”

Annie laughed as they hurried toward class, but Lindiweh’s mind was already somewhere else. Or rather—on him.

Lindiweh tried to shake off the encounter, but her brain refused to let it go. Why does he keep showing up? she thought as she settled into her seat, attempting to focus on her lecturer’s voice.

But she couldn’t.

Not when the words Feisty kept echoing in her mind.

Not when she could still see the smirk he had given her, like he knew he was getting under her skin.

Annie nudged her with her elbow. “You’re staring at your notebook like it just insulted you.”

Lindiweh snapped out of it, quickly flipping a page. “I’m fine.”

Annie didn’t look convinced. “You sure? Because if I didn’t know better, I’d say someone is distracting you.”

Lindiweh exhaled sharply. “Can we not?”

Annie grinned but let it go—for now.

The lecture dragged on, but Lindiweh barely absorbed any of it. Two days until the interview. That was what mattered. Not some cocky guy who thought he was charming.

Focus.

When class ended, she barely had time to gather her things before Annie grabbed her arm. “Come on, we’re getting coffee.”

“I don’t have time for coffee.”

“Lindi, you’re going to explode if you don’t take a second to breathe.”

Lindiweh groaned but let Annie drag her to the campus café. The moment they stepped inside, the rich aroma of coffee filled the air. She inhaled deeply, feeling a fraction of the tension ease from her shoulders.

But the relief was short-lived.

Because when she looked up, her breath caught.

Sitting at a table near the window, casually sipping a coffee like he had all the time in the world—was him.

He hadn’t seen her yet.

Annie followed her gaze and let out a low whistle. “Ohhh, this just got interesting.”

“No, it didn’t,” Lindiweh muttered, already turning toward the counter. Avoid. Ignore. Pretend he doesn’t exist.

But just as she was about to step forward—

“Feisty.”

Her stomach twisted. Slowly, she turned, meeting his gaze.

There it was again. That infuriating smirk.

“You stalking me now?” she shot back, crossing her arms.

He chuckled. “I think the universe just likes throwing us at each other.”

Annie, completely entertained, leaned closer to Lindiweh. “You should at least get his name this time.”

Lindiweh stiffened. She didn’t want to ask. Didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

But curiosity was gnawing at her.

Before she could think better of it, she blurted, “Do you ever introduce yourself, or do you just exist to annoy me?”

He leaned back in his chair, considering her for a moment. Then, with a lazy grin, he said, “I like the mystery.”

Lindiweh narrowed her eyes. “Well, I don’t.”

He chuckled but didn’t answer. Instead, he lifted his cup in a mock toast. “Enjoy your coffee, Feisty.”

And just like before, he left her standing there, heart racing with irritation—and something she didn’t want to name.

Annie nudged her. “You’re so doomed.”

Lindiweh let out a long breath. Two days. She had two days to keep her focus.

But something told her it wasn’t going to be that easy.

The moment the mysterious guy left the café, Lindiweh let out a slow, frustrated exhale.

Annie smirked. “Admit it. He’s getting to you.”

Lindiweh shot her a look. “He’s annoying. That’s all.”

Annie raised an eyebrow. “Right. And that’s why you’re still standing here, looking like you just saw a ghost.”

Lindiweh huffed and grabbed her coffee, determined to shake off the encounter. She couldn’t afford distractions—not now.

But as they stepped out of the café and into the crisp afternoon air, a chill ran down her spine. Something felt… off.

She glanced over her shoulder.

The street was bustling with students, nothing unusual. Yet, for some reason, she felt like someone was watching her.

She shook it off. Focus, Lindi. You’re just on edge.

But as she and Annie made their way across campus, she couldn't ignore the strange feeling clinging to her skin.

The moment Lindiweh stepped into her small apartment, she tossed her bag onto the couch and let out a deep sigh.

Annie, who had followed her inside, flopped onto a chair. “Alright, let’s talk about strategy.”

Lindiweh ran a hand through her hair. “I still feel like I need to prepare more. This interview—this company—it’s everything I’ve been working for.”

Annie nodded. “Which is why we’re going to make sure you walk in there and absolutely own it.”

Lindiweh sank onto the couch, rubbing her temples. “Two days. Just two days.”

Annie leaned forward. “Which means no distractions.”

Lindiweh still. Distractions.

Like a certain mysterious guy whose smirk was burned into her mind.

Annie seemed to read her thoughts because she tilted her head. “Wait… are you actually thinking about him right now?”

“No!” Lindiweh said a little too quickly.

Annie grinned. “Oh, you are so doomed.”

Lindiweh groaned, grabbing a pillow and smacking Annie with it. But as they laughed, a shadow of unease lingered in her mind.

Something about today felt different.

Something was coming.

And she had no idea what.

"You need to be perfect for this interview, Lin," Annie insisted. "This isn't just any job—this is your dream job!"

Lindiweh sighed, rubbing her temples. "I know, Annie. That’s why I need to prepare, not panic."

Annie flopped onto the bed beside her and snatched a piece of chicken from the plate Lindiweh had prepared. "Okay, let’s practice again. I’ll be the interviewer."

Lindiweh rolled her eyes but sat up straight. "Alright, hit me with a question."

Annie cleared her throat dramatically. "Miss Lindiweh, why do you think you're the best candidate for this position?"

Lindiweh smirked. "Because I'm passionate, hardworking, and I don't take no for an answer."

Annie raised an eyebrow. "Feisty as always."

Lindiweh’s breath hitched at the word. Feisty. The same thing that mysterious guy had called her. The memory of his deep brown eyes flashed in her mind, and she quickly pushed it aside. Now wasn’t the time to get distracted.

Before Annie could throw another question at her, Lindiweh’s phone buzzed. She grabbed it, frowning at the unknown number. Hesitantly, she answered.

"Hello?"

There was a brief silence before a smooth, familiar voice filled the line. "So, Feisty, are you ready for your big day?"

Lindiweh’s heart skipped a beat. "Who is this?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

A low chuckle came through the phone. "Let’s just say…I’m someone who enjoys watching you fight for what you want."

Her grip on the phone tightened. "You again?"

"Me again."

Lindiweh glanced at Annie, who was staring curiously. She quickly put the call on speaker.

"How did you get my number?" Lindiweh demanded.

"I have my ways," he said cryptically. "Just wanted to say…good luck, Feisty."

And then the call ended.

Lindiweh stared at her phone, her pulse racing. Annie’s eyes were wide with excitement. "Who the hell was that?"

Lindiweh exhaled sharply. "I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.”

Lindiweh placed her phone down, her mind racing. This guy—whoever he was—was playing a game, and she wasn’t sure she liked being the pawn.

"Okay, that was intense," Annie said, leaning closer. "Who is he? Some secret admirer? A stalker? A spy?"

Lindiweh scoffed. "A spy? Really?"

"Hey, you never know!" Annie grinned. "But seriously, Lin, are you sure you don’t recognize his voice?"

Lindiweh hesitated. Something about it was familiar, but she couldn’t place it. "I don’t know, but if he calls again, I’ll make him talk."

Annie smirked. "Or you could just ask him out. Seems like he’s interested."

Lindiweh threw a pillow at her. "I have an interview to ace, Annie, not time for some mystery romance."

Annie laughed but then turned serious. "You should be careful, though. What if he’s trouble?"

Lindiweh considered that. It was odd—first the encounter on the way to her presentation, then seeing him again today, and now this phone call. Was it all a coincidence? Or was he watching her?

She shook off the thought and focused on what mattered. "Forget him for now. Let’s go over my answers again."

Annie nodded, and they spent the next hour practicing, fine-tuning Lindiweh’s responses.

By the time Annie left, it was late. Lindiweh lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep refused to come. The mystery man had unsettled her.

Her phone buzzed again.

This time, it was a text.

Unknown Number: Sweet dreams, Feisty.

Lindiweh sat up abruptly, her heartbeat loud in her ears.

This was getting serious.

The next morning…

The alarm blared at 6 AM. Lindiweh groaned and dragged herself out of bed. Today was another long day at school, and with her interview only a day away, she needed to stay focused.

After grabbing coffee, she threw on a fitted blouse and jeans, then rushed out. The city was already alive with honking cars and street vendors calling out their morning deals.

As she hurried toward the bus stop, she bumped into someone—hard.

Strong hands grabbed her arms, steadying her.

"Whoa, Feisty. You really need to stop running into me."

Her stomach flipped.

She looked up, and there he was.

The same dark eyes. The same confident smirk.

The mysterious guy.

Lindiweh stepped back, folding her arms. "You again?"

He grinned. "Me again."

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

He chuckled. "Relax, Feisty. Just making sure you don’t trip before your big day."

She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, a sleek black car pulled up beside them. The driver rolled down the window.

"Sir, we’re going to be late."

Lindiweh frowned. Sir?

The mysterious guy turned to her, his smirk never fading. "See you around, Feisty."

Then he got into the car and was gone.

Lindiweh stood frozen, a strange feeling creeping over her.

Who was he?

And why did it feel like he was someone important?

To be continued...