Looking up, I laugh lightly. “You had an hour to come up with a line, and that was it? Kinda disappointed, Leo.”
He bites his lip, nods, and tosses his backpack over his shoulder. “Do you want to go out for coffee this weekend?”
My eyes widen, and I scoff. That was the fastest anyone’s ever asked me out outside of a bar setting. “My, my, aren’t we cocky?”
“I’d say I’m confident and yeah, maybe a bit cocky.” We both laugh. “I’m not going to waste any time beating around the bush with a girl who has a smile and eyes like you.” He throws in a wink, and I hiss through my teeth, shaking my head. “Too much?”
“A little.” More like I cringed a little, but the guy looksnervous. It’s obvious he’s waiting for a reply, and I go with my gut, as I always do. “Listen?—”
“Nothing good comes after that.” He laughs humorlessly.
“You’re very attractive, but this lecture is work for me. It’d be inappropriate and distracting to go out with someone in this class and the lab. Are you in the lab?” Leo nods. Not everyone in the lecture room is part of the lab, but Leo’s connection to it tells me he is a culinary arts major. I shrug, knowing it’s the right thing to do.
Leo sighs. “How about I ask you again once you’re done with whatever it is you’re working on here?”
Biting my lip and trying to hide my smile, I fail miserably.
That one damn butterfly.
“Fine. After my job’s done.”
Leo chuckles, but both of our smiles fade as Professor Hayes’s voice interrupts. “Ms. Haywood, a word?”
Rolling my eyes at Leo, I head over to Grayson’s desk. “Yes, Professor Hayes?”
“Did you enjoy the lecture?” His voice is as stern as it usually is around me, and his gaze remains on the bag where he’s putting his things away.
“Very much,” I say honestly. “I took some great notes and already have some questions lined up to ask you next week.”
He nods, closes his bag, and places both hands on his desk. “Did you enjoy it more than Leo’s attempt at asking you on a date?” His cold stare meets mine as I stiffen. “I don’t think it’d be appropriate for you to go out on a date with one of my students. It could distract you from the task at hand.”
The audacity of this damn man.
He’s talking to me as if I’m a child who doesn’t understand the risks of doing just that. If he was trying to remind me of our age difference, he failed miserably because he sounds like a jealous man-child who has no right or reason to be.
“Not that my personal life is any of your concern, but that will not be an issue, as I already said no.” I lift my chin and takea few steps toward the door. “And I suggest you pay attention to the student falling asleep in your classroom or the one on her phone instead of the one next to me who was being studious the entire time.” Opening the door of the now empty classroom, I look at him from head to toe. He’s standing with one hand leaning on the desk, the other clenched into a fist, and his jaw set as always. “I’ll see you next week, Professor.” With that, I walk out, leaving with nothing but anger at Professor Grayson Adam Hayes.
Chapter Fourteen
EMMA
Walking into Simone’s, I take a quick peek at the tables to see if the other writers are here. I don’t see anyone, meaning they’re probably late.
“May I help you, miss?”
Turning my head to the hostess, I smile and ask her if there’s a reservation under Samantha’s name at eight thirty.
She slides her finger around the touchscreen computer, and I wait, tapping my white stiletto heels, anxious that she won’t find it.
“Here it is. She has a table booked for seven at eight thirty. You’re the first to arrive, but I can seat you while you wait.”
I tilt my head to the side. First one here, and I’m five minutes late. Maybe they got held up at the paper.
“Sure, that’d be great.”
The hostess takes a stack of menus and leads me to the right side of the restaurant, where a round table sits near the booths. A man—who I’m assuming is the waiter—approaches and pulls out my chair. I nod in thanks, hang my purse on the corner of the chair, and tuck my dress under me as I sit down. The hostess hands me the food and drink menu while placing the other ones around the table.
“Your waiter will return soon to take your drink order.”
