Chapter Four

I was nervous, wringing my arms in front of me and straightening my white shirt all over again.

I woke up early today and got ready for my first class. My hair was held up in a neat bun, and I was wearing a neatly straightened white shirt with form fitting jeans paired with black flats and a black handbag.

I looked good on the outside,but inside was a different matter all together. I was a nervous wreck, my stomach was all tied up and in knots, and...yeah, it wasn't pretty.

I was just standing in front of the double doors of the lecture hall,hoping I can rewind and be back in bed. I just didn't know what to expect. Everything was so different from things at home, and I didn't know what to expect.

I'd never had a panic attack before, but I was certainly seconds away from one now, and even though it was a little chilly, it seemed I was going to break into a sweat. I wasn't even sure I was breathing right at that point.

I turned, ready to bolt and go take care of my nerves before opening doors but stopped short, staring into blue...blue?

I looked up.

I probably shouldn't have.

Looking back at me impatiently was none other than Jason Clove himself. His bright brown eyes were... angry? He saw my confusion and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaling. When he opened his eyes, they seemed less angry, I guess.

Without a word, he suddenly held my hand in his and pushed the door open with his free hand before I could object, and then I was being dragged inside.

I pictured my first time in the class in different ways, and this was not one of them, at all.

But I guess this was slightly better than the rest of them, because I was so shocked by Jason's actions that the my earlier panic had abated considerably. Infact, I wasn't even looking at anything or anyone in the lecture room. M eyes and focus were trained on Jason as he dragged me through the class and sat me down after some time. Then without a word, he turned and left. His long strides eating up the distance till the doors closed behind him.

I think the sound of the doors closing is what brought me back to earth, but I immediately snapped back, and upon taking in the large room along with the few people mostly girls stating at me, my cheeks flooded with colour, I'm sure even the tips of my ears were red.

I immediately turned to my bag for an escape. I took out my laptop and pulled out the notes and course outline for the course, frantically looking through.

Luckily the lecturer had sent the course outline and notes for the class beforehand, so I just picked up from where I left off.

Ten minutes in, I lifted my head and realized the class was fuller than when I first entered. I looked round and realized that he sat me down in the middle of the class, but more towards the back than front.

Another blush turned my face red.

This is exactly the position I liked back in school, I didn't want to sit at the back cus I wanted to pay attention, and that was impossible with all the noise at the back, and I didn't want to sit in front because I liked to read even in class, and I couldn't do that when there was a teacher right in my face. So the perfect spot was always in the middle a little towards the back.

Was it just a lucky guess, or did he know that much about me?

There was ten more minutes to go before the class officially started and the lecturer came in, but the doors opened again and the lecturer came strolling in. Short, stout and old, jolly too. I sighed.

The perfect person to teach Introduction to Economics.

~~~

After school, I rushed to take a shower and wear comfortable clothes, then I took some money and headed out to the bookshop to work.

To say Mr. Potter was elated was an understatement. He was so happy to see me, and after leaving me with a list of people who would come by to pick up some books, he left. Said he had a back ache and needed to rest, and that I should check out when I'm ready to leave and take the key with me. That would be my key.

The man was old and just needed someone to run the shop and take care of things in his absence. He was also offering good money, so why weren't more people interested in the job?

Now while I couldn't come up with a good enough answer, could definitely clean up the place.

As cosy and warm as it was, it was beginning to look a lot more like Howl's Moving Castle before Sofie cleaned up a storm...looked like I'd be taking her role, then.

~~~

I was hungry, that was the only thing I could feel, pangs of hunger.

I hadn't eaten all day, and the two hours I'd spent cleaning up wasn't helping my situation at all. Even though I wasn't done cleaning, I knew I had break and go eat before I collapsed unto the pile of books on the floor.

But I didn't immediately.

I pressed on for another twenty minutes before my stomach started growing furiously and I was hunched over and clutching my stomach in pain. I immediately rushed from the back of the shop where I was arranging books on history in Alphabetical order and towards the front desk where my belongings were. But when I got there, there was a man standing there, I could only see his back because he was facing the desk and hunched over something, but he wore a big black coat over his tailored three piece suit I was sure, he screamed of money, even from here.

As if sensing my presence, he turned towards me. I gasped.

He was handsome!

Wavy jet black hair that was shorter at the sides and for some reason seemed familiar, enchanting dark brown eyes that held surprise, an angular face, chiseled jaw with a short stubble, full pink lips that looked so soft and were slightly parted as if to speak. He looked like he was somewhere in his thirties, all big and mature and...wealthy.

I was right about his clothes, his shoes, his watch, him...he reeked of wealth, seriously.

I was about to speak when my stomach beat me to it with a defeaning growl. My face went up in flames. I wished the ground will open up and swallow me or something, I covered my face with my hands instead.

"I'm so sorry" I spoke into my hands sheepishly.

I expected him to ignore me or say something or maybe even just walk out or something, but instead he laughed, and not in a mocking way.

"I think you should go eat, the work will wait, but your stomach seems to have run out of patience."

I looked up at him, even though not meeting his eyes and nodded.

"I'm so sorry, that was..."

"That was nothing that warrants an apology, now you can go find something to eat. I'll surely be here when you return." I wanted to argue with that, but my stomach didn't let me, instead growling at me again. I hastily picked up my purse and made my way outside.

Even embarrassment couldn't reduce this hunger.

I rushed into a diner not too far from the bookshop, and thank God that there weren't many people there. I ordered my food and hastily sat down by the window. By the time my ham burger and fries made it to me, I was sure my stomach was ready to burst out of me and storm into the kitchen.

I was too hungry to savour the taste, so I just scoffed it down but it was delicious, and by the time I was done, the world was a much happier and brighter place.

It was when I was leaving, sipping my coke that I noticed the shiny black Mercedes Benz sitting infront of the bookstore, and of course I only saw it now that my stomach was no longer at war with me. I was reminded of the gorgeous man who was currently in the bookstore,the same man I just completely embarrassed myself Infront of.

Shoot me now.

I neared the bookstorewith a face that I already knew was red from how furiously I was blushing, and by the time I opened the doors, I knew that this encounter would go down in history, I internally groaned at how embarrassed I was, that was until I stepped through and the doors were shut behind me. He was right there like he said he would be.

The only term to describe this,

Locked in.