The Professor

DALIA Why did I agree to this? I let out an exasperated sigh as I stared at the gyrating mass of bodies writhing together on the dance floor under the flashing lights in the club. I could barely hear myself think over the remix of The Weeknd’s song blasting from the speakers and the hooting and hollering of the people packed into the confined space. It seemed like everyone was having the time of their lives… everyone except me. Our school’s semester was starting on Monday – three days from now – and since today was our last free weekday, my friends decided it would be a great idea for us to check out a new club that opened not too far from school. Clubs were not my scene and I only chose to follow them because they had managed to convince me that it would be fun, but I had had zero fun since I got here. Where the hell is Weston? Tamika and Norma were currently dancing with each other on the dance floor, but Weston had disappeared a while ago and wasn’t replying my messages. I had thought about going to find him, but the girls several feet away kept eyeing my seat and his and that made me choose to wait. I clicked my tongue and unlocked my phone, about to text him again, before I finally spotted him making his way over. “Dude.” “What would you do without me?” he asked, plopping down next to me, and I raised a brow. He then held up his phone, showing me the messages I had sent to him, asking where he was and telling him to come back. “I’d be happy,” I replied and the corner of his mouth quirked up as he moved his phone away. “Where were you?” “Mom called. I went outside to take it.” “Oh,” I muttered before he leaned closer to stare at my face and I tilted my head to the side. “...What?” “You’re bored.” “No shit.” His eyes darted to the dance floor and when he returned his attention to me, he waggled his eyebrows. “Wanna dance with me? We could do the chika dance,” he said and my brows snapped together before I let out a laugh. “Absolutely not.” “Come on. It’d be fun,” he added, a smile playing on his lips as he stood up, but I quickly pulled him back to the couch before he could do anything. “Sit down,” I replied, still laughing, and his shoulders sagged dramatically while I got to my feet. “Don’t go anywhere. I’m going to get a drink from the bar.” “They don’t have juice boxes there,” he said and I rolled my eyes before heading towards the bar, choosing to ignore him. “Don’t get anything alcoholic, young lady. Get me a cosmopolitan though!” he called out and I flipped him the bird. “I love you!” Ugh. I glanced over my shoulder, scrunching my face up at him before he blew me a kiss, and I shook my head sideways. I didn’t have to try hard to get the bartender’s attention when I got to the bar because there were only a couple of people there, and after calling out the drinks I wanted to the bartender, my phone buzzed with a message from Chloe, my sister. FBI: Helloooo :) I looked away from the phone’s screen, choosing to ignore the message, but the phone buzzed again. And again. And again. “Tsk.” I didn’t need to check to know that the following messages were from her. Me: Leave me alone. FBI: No :) Where are you? Me: When do you mind your business? :) When she began to type her response, I kept my phone on silent and kept it in my pocket, deciding to call her after I got back to the apartment. I then returned my attention to the bartender who just started making the drinks I ordered. “Sazerac,” a voice next to me said and I unconsciously glanced at the person out of the corner of my eye before my lips parted slightly. Oh. He was the most wildly handsome man I had ever seen. His dark brown hair was thick and curly and I had the sudden urge to run my hands through it to see if it was as soft as it looked. His brows were sooty and his lips were dangerously lush while his features were chiseled and well de- Wait, what am I doing?! Heat rushed to my face as my eyes snapped back to his to find him staring at me, looking a bit intrigued. Ah! My heart raced a little like I was a little kid caught taking candy as his eyes trailed over me. I then quickly moved my attention from him to where I’d left Weston just to see Tamika cheering Weston on as he dropped into a squat and stood back up while running his hands up his legs. What the hell? “Oh my God,” I muttered, biting back laughter as they began to perform a silly dance, before I accidentally slid my gaze back to the man next to me and paused when I saw that he hadn’t looked away from me. I could have immediately looked away like I did before, but I faltered because of his eyes. They reminded me of being at the beach and gazing out to where the blue of the ocean blended into the blue of the sky. “I-” “Anderson!” a man cut me off as he appeared beside my staring buddy, clapping his hand onto his shoulder, and we both looked away from each other – him turning to face his friend while I faced the bartender, my face getting warm again. “Took you long enough.” “Sorry, dad delayed me,” the newcomer replied while I paid the bartender after she placed the drinks I ordered on the counter. I then picked up the drinks before beginning to head back to Weston, and as I walked past my staring buddy, I decided to keep my eyes fixed on the glasses in my hand because I didn’t want to make him think I was weird by staring at him a third time without saying anything. It was only after I’d taken a few steps past him that I finally looked up, my eyes zeroing in on where I’d left Weston, and I came to a stop when I saw the girls that had been eyeing our seats earlier sitting there instead of him and Tamika. What the- I quickly scanned the area around, trying to find them, but they were nowhere to be seen. What the heck?! I explicitly told him not to go anywhere! “Dalia!” a familiar voice called out and I faced the direction it had come from to see Norma walking towards me with a wide smile on her face. “Where’s Weston?” “I saw him heading out,” she replied and I clicked my tongue. “Is that his?” She gestured at one of the drinks in my hand and I nodded before giving it to her because she obviously wanted it. “You’re such a darling,” she added and I rolled my eyes while she drank from the glass. “When are we leaving? We’ve been here for a while now.” A line appeared between her brows and she glanced at the watch on her wrist. “We’ve only been here for like fifteen minutes. Are you bored?” “Yes.” “Wanna dance with me?” “No,” I stated firmly and she pouted before slightly raising her brows in amusement. She then grabbed my hand which was holding my drink and took a swig from it. “Hey!” “Your friend is approaching.” “Wh-” “Wink at me if you need help.” “What?” I asked, confusion evident in my voice, while she turned around and quickly headed away. I furrowed my brows at her retreating figure and brought my glass to my lips as I began to look around for the friend she mentioned. Someone from school? “You look awfully pensive,” came a voice from right behind me, startling me and almost making me choke on my drink. I descended into a coughing fit and glanced over my shoulder to see the man from the bar standing behind me with slightly wide eyes and a drink in his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he added, dropping his glass on the counter next to us, and held his hands out like he was trying to figure out a way to help me, but didn’t know exactly what to do, before I managed to get the coughing under control and dropped his glass on the counter. “Are you okay?” I blinked away the tears in my eyes as I cleared my throat before giving me a nod, letting my lips curve into a smile. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Uh, what did you say?” I asked and he slightly raised his brows before realization washed over his face after a couple of seconds. “I said you look awfully pensive,” he repeated and my smile widened because of his deep voice, one that gave an air of solid confidence and was so very easy on the ears. “Oh, yeah. Not my scene,” I replied, setting my glass next to his on the counter as I gestured at our surroundings, and he tipped his head to the side. “Really?” “Being here isn’t my idea of fun.” “So why’s this beautiful woman here when she doesn’t want to be?” Another smile instantly overtook my face while it grew warm at the fact that he called me beautiful and I pressed my lips together, trailing the rim of my almost empty glass with my finger. “My friends wanted to check this place out because it’s new and they convinced me to come along.” “Ah… So if clubs aren’t your scene, what is?” “My bedroom.” “Hear. Hear,” he said, raising his glass to that before drinking from it, and I raised a brow. “You don’t want to be here either, do you?” “Is that obvious?” I hmmed and leaned against the counter as I took the opportunity to appraise his looks again. “Not exactly,” I replied and the corner of his mouth turned up before he glanced at my glass. “You’re running low. Can I buy you a drink?” I flashed him a smile, nodding in response, before he signaled at the bartender to come over and held his hand out toward me. “I’m Noah.” I slipped mine into it and his warm palm enfolded mine, sending shivers running down my spine. “Dalia.” “Nice to meet you,” he replied before he finally let go of my hand and I picked up my glass to take a sip from it while he watched me. “Likewise.” As he ordered another cosmopolitan for me when the bartender came to our side of the bar, Norma slowly walked past us, throwing me a grin, and I shot her a ‘get lost’ look. Her grin grew wider and I returned my attention to Noah just as he finished talking to the bartender who had started to make the drink. “So what brought this gorgeous man to this place?” I asked and he grinned so wide it was contagious before his tongue darted out to wet his lips, drawing my gaze to them. And for a moment, I wondered what it’d be like to kiss him… I wanted to kiss him. “I just came here to support my friend’s new business,” he replied, gesturing at our surroundings, and it took me a couple of seconds to realize that the club belonged to his friend. “Oh.” “Good thing I didn’t change my mind about coming,” he added, smiling at me in a way that made my skin tingle, and the corner of my mouth quirked up. He had a way with words. “Do you want to go to the game room?” “...There’s a game room?” I asked and he nodded while the bartender placed my drink on the counter. “It’s less noisy and less crowded than here.” That was enough to get me sold on the idea and I picked up the drink he bought me before gesturing for him to guide me there. “Lead the way.”