Her First Love

Ch 2

“That was you trying to flirt, was more like harassment. How are you a professor with that kind of attitude?” snapped Susan. 

“Ok, seems like I made the wrong impression, how about I make up for my behavior,” said Zack with remorse. 

“How about you go back to your friends and we never speak again?” 

“Hmm, you must really hate me. Most girls don’t turn me down. Honestly, this is a first for me. Now I really want to make it up to you” Zack said sincerely. 

“And like I said, you go back and we never meet.” 

Susan hated guys like him, who were too arrogant to think any girl would turn them down. Well, this should be a lesson for him then. 

Susan walked back to the bar only to be questioned by Robbie. 

“Spill, who was he and why are you smiling?” 

“He was a guy who thought he could touch me and get away with it” Susan replied while cleaning the glasses. 

“What did he say, looked like you guys were in a heated argument, standing so close to each other?” 

“Nothing much, he said his friends dared him to flirt with me because apparently, he liked how I broke up the fight earlier.” before adding begrudgingly “he also said sorry for offending me.”  

Robbie smirked before saying “you are badass but you're also a lonely badass. You can’t keep turning every guy down, Susan. Maybe you have already met your man but because of your pickiness, you turned him down. I say if he was genuine then you should go talk to him. For all we know, he might be the one, so go” Robbie pushed Susan out behind the bar to go talk to Zack. 

If Susan was honest Robbie was right, Zack had apologized, not many guys had the decency to say sorry. He had complimented her badass attitude and he had even offered to make it up to her. She thought about his blue eyes and blonde surfer hair while walking out to his table only to find it empty. Once again she had let the guy walk away. Susan knew he worked at the campus so she was hopeful she might see him again, but not sure when. It was hard to imagine him in a professor’s role, he was more of a model than an educator. While she was just a plain average mixed heritage girl, with a 5ft height and round hips. Whenever she ate too much, it all seemed to go down to her belly but her working day and night at The Beat kept her in shape. She wasn’t a model but she wasn’t overweight either, somewhere in the middle, just average with her brown Asian American eyes and black hair. 

Slowly, the party slowed down as the last people walked out the door, leaving her employees to clean up the whole mess. It was past 4 so she decided to skip work tomorrow, before leaving for home. She was too tired from working this whole week without any break. Leaving the cleaning to her night employees, Susan walked out the front door. As she walked to her apartment next block over, she noticed a figure sitting on the sidewalk half-asleep facing the road.

The clacking of her shoes on the pavement seemed to wake him up because he turned around and gazed at her. Susan was surprised to find Zack sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. He couldn’t have been waiting for her, was he? Susan took a defensive position, ready to fight him when he walked towards her with his arms raised as if surrendering himself to her mercy. 

“Wow, wow, slow down, not here to hurt you. Was feeling a little light-headed so decided to sit for a while but then fell asleep. Promise, I am not here to stalk you. You know, you still haven’t told me your name.” said Zack slightly swaying.  

“And I never will” replied Susan haughtily but taking pity on him, she told him to go inside the club. 

“They will help you get some water and you can doze off there till the morning. Roland usually stays till the morning before Fiona gets in. I will walk with you to tell them.” 

They walked back to the club only to be greeted by Roland walking out. 

“Hey, listen I won’t be able to stay tonight, my wife wants me to come home. I will do the paperwork tomorrow, I'm just gonna close up. Why are you here back and who is this guy?” 

“Oh, no worries, you go take care of your wife. I was walking by when I saw him outside the club sleeping. He is too drunk to go home, I was thinking he can stay here while you're here. But you're leaving, so I will stay and sleep here.” the previous owner had been smart to construct a bedroom on top of the club. Susan avoided sleeping here but sometimes it came in handy. Roland used the room mostly but even Susan had some clothes here, just in case. 

“Ok, see you tomorrow then, good night,” Roland bid his farewell before jogging out to his car leaving Susan to maneuver Zack upstairs in his stupor. Susan managed to land him squarely on the couch after lifting his body through two flights of stairs. The room was decorated in neutral colors with a twin bed on one side, a couch on the other side, one closet for all emergency clothes for most of the employees, and a bathroom. No decorations adorned the walls because this was not meant to be lived in permanently. 

Watching Zack sleep on the couch, Susan began to worry about him catching a cold, so she draped him in two extra blankets before getting ready for bed.

It was a fitful sleep but eventually, Susan drifted off just as the sun was poking through the horizon. She had two hours before Fiona came in but she wasn't worried. Mornings were usually slow till about 9 when everybody was bustling to get orders in with the breakfast rush.