CH 15
1352 Words
Hector hesitated for a moment before speaking up, “Mr. Dixon, to be honest, Miss Cecilia and I do have something very important to discuss.”
Raising an eyebrow, Charles Dixon, with his handsome features, casually settled into the sofa, his demeanor relaxed as he pressed on, “What’s so important?”
“It’s just a private matter,” Hector stammered, searching for an excuse.
“Go on, what kind of private matter? If Teacher Cooper can help, there’s no reason I can’t…” he replied, maintaining his elegant composure.
“…”
Hector fell silent, completely at a loss for words. Was he really going to ask the renowned Young Master Dixon to personally help him with such a delicate issue?
Moments later, Davina Gray helped Sloan into the back seat and then assisted the slightly drunk Cecilia Cooper into the front passenger seat.
As she accidentally caught a glimpse of the man’s striking and aristocratic profile, her heart raced like a startled deer, and her gaze flickered nervously.
“Address?” he asked, turning to Davina Gray in the back seat.
“Happy Community,” she quickly responded, snapping back to reality. The black Range Rover roared to life, and the car fell into a heavy silence, filled only with the mingled sounds of their breathing.
Cecilia Cooper felt a pounding headache, as if her head might explode. Her stomach churned, and with her eyes closed, she weakly said, "Can you crack the window open a bit...?"
"Teacher Cooper was so bold when drinking, yet now you seem so fragile?"
Charles Dixon's voice was low and laced with a hint of mockery as he turned the steering wheel to the right, navigating the curve.
Leaning against the car window, Cecilia raised her hand to massage her painfully throbbing temples. "I was drinking while Mr. Dixon was already at the bar. Were you just there to watch the show?"
Raising an eyebrow, Charles remained silent, focused on driving.
He and Hudson had just arrived at the bar and had seen her in a lively discussion with Hector. They were indeed there to enjoy the spectacle.
"Thanks for not leaving me to suffer, Mr. Dixon," she said, shaking her head with a touch of sarcasm.
A slight smirk appeared on Charles's lips, but he said nothing, his eyes deep and mysterious like the ocean.
In the backseat, Davina Gray listened to their exchange, feeling completely out of place. She couldn't find a way to interject and could only remain silent.
But when did Cecilia and Charles become acquainted?
As Davina Gray caught another glimpse of the man's perfectly sculpted profile, her heart raced, and her thoughts became a whirlwind.
Moments later, the car stopped outside the Happy Community building. Davina helped Sloan upstairs before heading back down to get Cecilia Cooper.
"Regardless, I want to thank Mr. Dixon for tonight," Cecilia said, unbuckling her seatbelt.
Turning around, Charles Dixon squinted at her. "Why do I feel like Teacher Cooper's gratitude is a bit insincere?"
"That's just Mr. Dixon's misunderstanding. I truly appreciate it, from the bottom of my heart!"
"Did I only save you when you were at your wits' end?"
Cecilia shook her head, sincerity in her eyes. "No, Mr. Dixon and I aren't close. Even if you hadn't stepped in, it would have been understandable."
With a smirk, Charles rested one arm on the steering wheel, his gaze rich like fine wine. His voice was slow and smooth. "Teacher Cooper is quite charming when she speaks with such conviction..."
Indeed, there was something captivating about her. With her back straight and a serious expression, Cecilia's fair cheeks flushed a rosy hue, her pink lips moving slightly as she spoke, drawing attention effortlessly...
"So, Mr. Dixon, are you completely captivated at the moment?"
Cecilia Cooper asked with a teasing tone, laughing softly. "You really are quite the jokester, Mr. Dixon, and your jokes are absurd!"
Just as her words fell, a deep voice interrupted her, "Don’t believe me? Want me to show you?"
Show her? Show her what? Cecilia frowned, struggling to understand his words.
Leaning forward, Charles Dixon's large hand cradled the back of her head, and his lips captured hers in a sudden kiss.
Her legs felt weak, and she froze in place for a moment. But as reality hit her, she bit down hard on his lip. Taking advantage of his surprise, she quickly jumped out of the car.
Standing outside the window, she glared at him, gritting her teeth as she said, "Mr. Dixon, please don’t tease teachers like that again!"
With her body still shaky and her head spinning, she hurried away, while Charles raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips.
Why shouldn’t he tease teachers? There was something quite delightful about it...
Ah, her lips still tasted just as sweet as before...
Having had too much to drink, Cecilia collapsed onto her bed and fell into a deep sleep, completely unconscious in no time.
She had truly reached her limit; after holding herself together for so long, the moment she let her guard down, she simply crumpled.
The next morning.
Cecilia Cooper slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the light. She groggily reached for her phone to check the time, but as soon as she moved, a warm wave surged through her body.
Instantly alert, she hurriedly opened the bedside drawer to grab a sanitary pad and walked into the bathroom. As she pulled down her underwear, she noticed the blood was a bit lighter in color than usual, not the deep red she expected.
After changing into the pad, she frowned. Her period usually arrived around the 4th or 5th of each month—why was it a whole week early this time?
But then again, menstrual cycles could be unpredictable, so she brushed it off without giving it too much thought.
She had definitely overindulged in alcohol last night; her head throbbed painfully, as if it had been pricked by needles.
Fortunately, it was Sunday, so she didn’t have to go to work and could catch up on some much-needed sleep.
As she lay in bed, the events of the previous night suddenly flashed in her mind—him pinning her down, kissing her with reckless abandon...
Her cheeks flushed slightly as Cecilia let out a soft sigh. He really was so bold, just pressing himself against her and kissing her like that!
Can a teacher really be so casual about flirting?
She decided it was best to keep her distance from such dangerous men in the future...
Just then, her phone rang. It was a call from Davina Gray.
“Cecilia, could you help me call Mr. Dixon? I’d like to invite him to lunch.”
Sitting up, Cecilia poured herself a glass of warm water. "I already thanked him yesterday."
"After all, Mr. Dixon helped us out a lot. Just saying thank you feels a bit insincere. How about this: I'll call a restaurant, and you can handle the rest. Let’s just agree to take him out for dinner this afternoon. I’ll hang up now!"
Before she could respond, the other end of the line had already disconnected, leaving Cecilia feeling a bit of a headache.
She didn’t really want to make the call, but she couldn’t ignore Davina's request either.
Out of courtesy and reason, he had helped them significantly, so treating him to dinner was the least she could do.
After thinking it over, she decided to go ahead and call. She didn’t like being in anyone's debt…
After getting Cullen Dixon's phone number, she took a moment to think about what to say before dialing. A moment later, the call connected.
Gathering her courage, she spoke directly, "Thank you so much for what happened last night, Mr. Dixon. I wanted to invite you to dinner today, but I know you’re a busy man with a lot on your plate, so you probably don’t have time—"
However, before she could finish her sentence, his deep voice interrupted her, "I have time. Where are we eating?"
- Writer
