Four

Lenora

The popular restaurant at Eldridge, FoodHub, buzzed with students from all corners of the campus, and even some of our lecturers came here to eat.

Loud laughter filled the air, and knives scraped against plates when I walked in. This place was always packed because the food was great compared to other restaurants.

My mind was still reeling from the unexpected encounter with CJ.

CJ of all people was my new professor. What a damn coincidence. The coincidence that I feared would destroy me totally because how in the world was I going to compose myself?

All my suppressed desires and longing feelings for him now clashed, and my skin prickled pleasurably, making my breathing harsh and uneven.

How the hell was I supposed to deal with this?

CJ had all the girls' attention, and to my utter disappointment, I was stupidly jealous. All my months of pep talks and mantras flew out the window.

He got over his surprise at seeing me almost immediately and became stiff and remote like a public monument, acting like I wasn't in the class.

Ron and his friends sat at a table near the large glass windows, and I approached them, hoping this didn't end in a disaster.

I joined them, and after Ron planted a quick kiss on my lips, he headed to the line at the counter for my food. 

His friends kept chatting about stuff I wasn't interested in, giving me the chance for my mind to wander.

An image of CJ imprinted in my mind. He was ruggedly handsome and tall, commanding attention. And his hair that I'd wanted to run my fingers through, thick and dark, framed his handsome face and light hazel eyes.

I knew that so many girls my age would be disgusted with the fact that I was crushing on someone almost twenty years my senior, but I couldn't help it.

 And to be fair, CJ was more attractive than many guys my age. Ron didn't even come close.

Mariselle had a lot of explaining to do because we spoke every day, yet she didn't have the decency to inform me that her dad was transferring to my university. I didn't blame her, though, because she had no idea of my feelings for her dad, and even if she told me, I'd have to come up with a cogent excuse to change my faculty.

"Hey babe, is everything okay? You're not eating," Ron asked, concerned.

"I am," I forced a smile. "Just not hungry."

"Are you sure? You seem a little off. Is something bothering you? Someone I need to punch?"

If only you knew, I said to myself, but shook my head in response. "Just a long day, that's all."

"Ron, why don't you invite Lenora to our frat party? She never attends," Tony said, biting into his burger and slurping his milkshake loudly.

I tucked my hair behind my ear. The frat house was my least favorite place to go, and I'd rather stay indoors, read the darkest erotic books and watch my favorite crime shows than attend their parties.

"You heard Tony," Ron said to me, smiling. "You should come; it'll be fun, I promise. Every other person is always with their girlfriends, except me. I just suck, like a rejected child."

"Ron, you know I have a project to work on, and I need to catch up on my readings. Plus, there's a test we have next week and..."

"Come on, Lenora, loosen up a little," Tony said playfully. "We're all in college, and some of us even have more serious courses than yours."

What the hell? Tony was so annoying and thought my course of study was as simple as ABC. I hated how they were so convinced that my major was 'just a joke' and was the exact opposite of what a serious student should be studying.

Trying not to let my annoyance show, I managed a fake smile. "As simple as you think my course of study is, everyone has priorities, right?"

Tony scoffed, treating me like my brain wasn't a functioning unit with all its faculties intact.

I glared at him, not willing to engage him in conversation, and continued to eat.

Ron drew me closer, kissing my cheek. "Just this once, baby. It won't hurt to take a break and have some fun."

"Fine," I gave in hesitantly, tired of the back and forth. "I'll come."

Ron looked ahead of us and sat still, his face morphing into a frown. "Isn't that your roommate coming our way? Did you invite her?"

"Hell no," I responded, wondering what Jovita was up to.

"Oh, there you are," she stood in front of me.

Jovita's face was like a bucket of mud but got compensated with a terrific body. I was the school queen in middle school while she came in second place. My face card wasn't perfect, but it was a hundred times better than Jovita's.

 That fashion contest was the beginning of years of rivalry and envy between us, which lasted throughout our entire high school.

My heart rate spiked as she leaned close, glaring at me with so much hate.

"Super miss squeaky clean. Where the fuck did you keep my papers?"

I winced at the loudness of her voice. "Keep your voice down. What papers are you talking about?"

"And if I don't?" She roared like a tiger, her voice a few octaves higher, and she angled her body unto our table. "I kept some papers on the center table, and I'm sure in the bid to prove that you're neater than me, you trashed them."

Goodness gracious, this girl was getting on my last nerves. I wasn't a clean freak. I left my bed messy sometimes. But compared to Jovita, I was tidy.

She was like an untamable toddler, running around everywhere, leaving chaos wherever she went.

"Jovita, calm down. You sound like a wild animal. There's no need to shout," I tried to keep my voice level. "I'm not deaf, and we can talk about this calmly. The trash bin is still there, you can search for any papers you're looking for. And if it was that important, why didn't you keep it safe?"

Jovita loved to argue like a sparring fish in a tank. She spoke flawlessly and fiercely, using my weakness of stuttering while angry against me.

"How is that your business? You're so exasperating, Lenora."

I turned to Ron, looking expectantly and hoping that this time he'll put Jovita in her place and speak for me. But my baby boy remained silent, and I imagined his response to be, "It's not my place to interfere."

"Jovita, can you leave? I'll talk to you later."

"No, I won't. Your father didn't build this place. You think you're so perfect, don't you? But you're not. All you do is eat like a hippo."

Tony and Adam covered their mouths, stifling their laughter, and once again, Ron didn't correct them. Some people were silently watching this confrontation unfold, and I hated it so much.

Jovita smirked triumphantly, hurling curse words at me but stopped when someone stopped in front of our table.

 I raised my head and my mouth gagged open like a stove lid. My heart raced, almost threatening to explode at the sight of CJ.

CJ was here...

CJ was here...

A vague sensual energy passed between us. No matter how I tried to play it cool, I couldn't deny that he was disturbing me in any way.

He turned in a whiplike motion to face Jovita, his gaze slamming into hers.

"Young woman, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. There's no need to air your differences and dirty linen in public. It's not a good look for anyone, especially you."

Jovita's mouth opened like a well, taken aback by CJ's intervention.

Oh my gosh! I felt like hugging CJ. The authority he exuded was something that was only in two percent of humans. And this was the perfect time for him to step in.

"Who is this man? He looks like some god or something," Tony whispered to Adam.

I was so happy, but I kept my composure, not wanting to show too much emotion while CJ's gaze met mine. The way he stared at my face and hung on my boobs stoked a gently growing fire in my body.

I was in trouble.