CHAPTER 20: CHAPTER TWENTY

"I’m home," Rhea shouted from the entrance, not expecting silence, but not expecting Tia to barrel out of her room like a bullet either.

Tia dashed into the living room, "So? Spill. What happened in his office?" Tia’s voice was already thick with curiosity before she even sat fully on the couch, her eyes wide like a kitten begging for candies.

"Spill what?" Rhea asked lazily falling on the same couch.

"You know? What happened while you were with him, at his office? Was he creepy and all?" Tia’s voice dropped to a whisper as she offered a devious smile.

Rhea’s chuckle turned into a soft laugh as she fell into Tia’s lap, stretching her leg on the couch. "Surprisingly nothing happened. It was just... so much work." She turned to her side facing the TV. "He simply gave me the whole mountain of essays to review."

"Nothing happened? Nothing?" Tia asked in disbelief, since that was the only thing she heard, her voice laced with disappointment from the lack of drama.

"Why does it feel like you want something to happen?" Rhea asked eyeing her for a moment.

"No. Not like that, you know how he has always been. That weird vibe he gives. But something always did happen whenever you were over there." Tia explained her hand running through Rhea’s hair. " Then again, I guess he actually did change after you told him off."

"I guess!" Rhea let out a small sigh as she sat up pulling her knees up on the cushion, arms wrapped around them. "But...It was... weird actually. I mean, I fell asleep in his office. Can you believe that?"

Tia’s jaw dropped. "You did what? And. In. His office?"

Rhea nodded slowly. "Yeah. I was working on the essays, and the next thing I knew, I had dozed off, only to wake up, with his jacket over me."

"Shut. Up." Tia leaned forward, eyes dancing. "So wait, you woke up in this Gothic-rich lecturer’s den, wearing his jacket like some tragic romance heroine?"

Rhea rolled her eyes, cheeks heating from Tia’s cheeky statement. "It wasn’t like that. He wasn’t even there when I woke up. He was in the bathroom, after he came out, I grabbed my things and... I left. Nothing happened."

Tia tilted her head. "But you fell asleep there, in his presence, under his gaze. That’s the part that’s messing with me. You that is, paranoid about couches, let alone Zeenare’s leather throne." A surprise scoff escaped Tia’s lips.

"Exactly! That’s what’s weird." Rhea rubbed her eyes. "I don’t know... I must have been extremely exhausted. The essays were many, and my brain probably fried itself...so."

Tia stared at her like she’d grown a second head. "Or maybe you felt safe. Maybe he’s not creeping you out anymore."

"Safe? That can never happen," Rhea muttered quickly, before standing up, making her way to her room.

"But it could. You’re already sleeping in his office." Tia trailed after her.

*

The loud chatter of students echoed through the cafeteria, every square table has either six or three students, and it smells of fruit beverage, coffee and food. The air moves as if it were measured — it is neither warm nor cold.

Rhea and Tia are at the end of the room, chatting idly, sitting towards the side of the window, a pastry in Tia’s hand, while a shawarma in Rhea’s.

"Why does Tiffany keep pointing at you, and sending daggers in your direction with those fish-like eyes of hers?" Tia, who was sitting opposite Rhea and directly facing Tiffany, who was in the middle row, asked.

"I don’t know." Rhea’s brows furrowed, as she shook her head, turning to Tiffany’s direction.

But instead of killing objects. Tiffany gave her a polite smile.

"Mm, Tiffany and I don’t talk much so I don’t know why she should be doing that." Rhea turned back to Tia.

" Well since we’re done eating, why don’t we go assist in the club? Because I know I’m not going there, a week before my exams."

"I hope they do something fun this time." Both of the girls laughed as their minds flashed back to the previous year’s performance. "Why’d a legal drama club be doing Romeo and Juliet. Shouldn’t that be left for the actual drama club?

They continued laughing as they headed for the legal drama club.

"Hey, what’s up, club president?" Tia greeted with a bright smile as she made her way towards a black guy with glasses, dirty blonde hair low cut, same colour lashes, and brown cat-like eyes.

"You guys are early." He said looking away from the chart in his hand.

"We came to help. What are we working on?" Rhea asked with a serious look.

"We are performing a small play." He glanced at Rhea his gaze lingering.

"Hmm, President, why are you looking at me like that?" Rhea asked with an awkward smile.

He placed his pen on his chin, tapping on it. "You’ll fit the female lead we are looking for." He ticked a spot in the chart. "Now we’ll be looking for our male lead."

Without a word, Luke slid his hands between Tia’s and Rhea’s arms. "Morning, you two," he said, flashing his usual easy grin.

"Someone’s cheery," Tia teased.

"Why wouldn’t I be?" Luke shot a quick glance at Rhea. "I get to be beside my two favourite women."

"But I haven’t even auditioned for the role. What if I don’t perform well?" Rhea turned to the club president.

"I thought you said you were here to help."

Rhea said nothing.

"Well, this is you helping. Also Luke here is a good actor, and he is nominated as the ML as of now." He ticked another spot.

Luke glanced at everyone with a lost expression.

"Luke, do me a favour by helping Rhea fit in her role. These are the lines, rehearse them together. And Tia come with me you have a different task." He said handing them two sheets, before turning to the other workers settling the electronics.

"Ok, what is going on?" Luke asked.

Rhea filled him.

"That’s a piece of cake, I can help you perfect your lines."

Luke and Rhea moved to the far end of the room away from the noise and moving workers.

Luke help Rhea say the lines in the right tone and expression.

"No, not like that. Come here." Luke said as he stood from his squatting position, standing behind Rhea.

His hand slid to her waist, resting on her tummy, his other hand trailed her skin slowly, stretching her arms out. His body was pressed against her, inches apart.

Okay, that is strange. Why is my breath heavy?

"You do it like this." He said, his breath prickling against her skin, sending a tinkling sensation down her spine.

Rhea’s breath hitched, as her chest heaved.

"Then you move backwards and curtsey, while I bow. I’ll then take your hand and step forward."

"Okay."

Rhea gave him her hand and stepped forward, tilted her head upwards, and met Luke’s intense gaze, looking right down at her. She quickly lowered her head but Luke gently lifted her head upwards by her chin.

"Look at me, Rhea," he said in a raspy voice. As he leaned in, his lips inches from hers. "Then we’d kiss." He added, his eyes holding a hunger to them.

Rhea froze, her heart pounding like a war drum, her face bright red and burning up.

K...k...kiss? Was that in the script?

She couldn’t utter a thing, just gazing at Luke, who was leaning in on her.

"Wait, Luke." She managed, placing her hands on his chest.

"Don’t worry, Rhea, I’m not going to kiss you without your consent." He said in a soft breathy voice, leaning down, his lips at the right side of her ear, his hand firmly around her waist, the other at her shoulders.

As Luke stepped back and excused himself. Rhea’s heart and head were spiralling. She couldn’t fathom the rate at which she had been shaken up by Luke.

After the last bell rang, indicating the end of that day’s work. Rhea gathered her things. Possibly running away from Luke’s strange intensity.

What is happening with Luke? And why am I hot? I almost peed my pants when he was leaning in. For some reason, I don’t want him to see me when I leave.

She had thought it out; if she couldn’t sneak out and he wanted to tag along, she was going to use the pile of essays awaiting her in Zeenare’s office as an excuse.

But before she left Luke and Tia weren’t in the hall.