บท 2: Chapter Two.
The words buzzed in her ears, her eyes widened in shock. "You're the professor? How is that possible? I thought the Professor was Professor Dylan!"
Oliver walked back into the class, leaving Kayla standing there, speechless. He stepped onto the podium, and addressed the students, "Hello, everyone. Professor Dylan Lilac, my mentor allowed me to lecture this special practical cybersecurity class. My name is Oliver. Oliver Wilde." Murmurings broke out amongst the students and Kayla knew she had messed up.
"I have two very important rules: One, no side talks or interruptions when I am speaking and two, which is the most important is, never, I repeat never come late to this class." He glanced at Kayla. On stage, he exuded a refined and imposing aura but in Kayla's heart every one of his actions spelled out, 'arrogance'.
From his slow pace in speaking to his carefully curated style white cotton turtle-neck, layered with an azure-colored wintered coat, black pantsuit, and black leather shoes- to his gelled back icy platinum black hair.
To rub salt in her wounds, he slammed the door in her face.
With a black face, these events haunted her bitterly till she reached Louisa's presentation in her department. Until she finished the presentation, and both friends stepped outside, her face refused to brighten.
"Guess who I blabbed to today?" She asked after Louisa had bought her favorite ice cream.
"Who?"
"Guess," she urged impatiently.
"Channing Tatum."
"Fuck no. Oliver Wilde." Maybe it would have been better if it were Channing Tatum.
"Oliver Wilde. Oliver Wilde." Louisa rummaged through her memory. "Wait! Oliver Wilde as in the owner of that big tech company?"
"Yes. Even worse, he's the best friend of Rory's husband, Daniel Froster." Daniel Froster was the richest and most powerful businessman in their country and everyone feared him and his friends. 'The Big Six', they called them.
"Shit!"
"Shit is right."
"Where did you even run into him?"
"I didn't run into him, Lou. He's the professor for the class I'm taking." She publicized and Lou's jaw dropped.
"Yikes! So what is he like in person? And why did you run your mouth at him, if he knew his identity?"
"One, he is an asshole because he didn't let me into the class, because I was late! Two, I didn't have time to place his face!"
"Right," Louisa gave her the side-eye. "Maybe it was because you were too busy ogling him."
"I was not!"
"Sure." She licked her ice cream. Kayla wanted to murder her best friend and she wouldn't show any remorse.
"When I left you this morning, you still had time to spare so how did you end up arriving late?"
"There was a long line at the boba cafe and other shenanigans happened." She didn't want to remember.
"Why did you have to buy the boba tea?"
"Because I need my boba tea just like you need your dark romance audiobooks every morning!"
"Okay, okay. Don't yell at me." Louisa placated her seeing her veins were popping on her forehead, which showed she was getting agitated.
"Five more angry bouts and you'll go into cardiac arrest."
"Hogwash."
"What's the color of shame? I think it's yellow, so you can add it to your hair." Currently, Kayla's wavy auburn hair has strands of green, pink, red, and blue. Just like how gold jewelry was scattered on her neck, wrists, and fingers.
"If you don't shut up I'll curse you."
"Whatever you say, Voldemort," Louisa scoffed before eating the last bite of ice cream.
"Your poem today was very beautiful." She complimented Louisa's poem after a few minutes of silently strolling around campus.
"Thank you. What was your favorite line?"
"Oooh. Lemme think...," she stared at the sky, biting her lips. "Oh, I got it! 'If pretty was a person she'd um fall down and cry, because she wouldn't know how to worship you and the best part is you didn't try'. What's yours?" Even though she was angry she still paid attention to her words, after all, nothing was more important than her best friends.
"'I'm in love with you, because you outshine every flower in the room, even when you haven't bloomed'." Her voice was so melodious to the ears.
"Awww. Your boyfriend would be so lucky to have you!" She hooked her arm in hers.
"I can't wait to fall in love." She sighed, softly. "Speaking of love, didn't you have a crush on Oliver when you guys met years back at our high school?"
"It was because I was blind and foolishly young." Her cheeks reddened.
"You know, it's a good thing you didn't choose law like Blaire."
"Why?"
"Because you can't lie to save your life."
"Louisa!" She huffed and the culprit ran away from her, turning back to stick out her tongue.
Kayla jogged after, shouting, "If I catch you, I'll murder you!"
Everything that happened today even the incident with Oliver drowned out of Kayla's mind as she submerged into the hot tub scented with lavender and milk, with 'Side to Side' by Ariana playing in the background.
"Kay! Rory said she invited other people to hang out with us at the restaurant!" Louisa's voice echoed in the bathroom and Kay muttered something in response, feeling too relaxed in the water.
Louisa said something else but Kay had dived her head into the water. Then, a pair of whiskey eyes flashed in her mind, and out of shock, she sat up abruptly, breathing heavily. She splashed water on her face to get his face out of her mind. His face soured her originally good mood, so if she saw him again she would smash his head repeatedly on the ground to make him pay for what he did to her. Yes. She nodded satisfied. That was what she would do.
***
For the dinner, Kayla wore a black sleeveless gown that hugged her figure, highlighting her curves, and stopped just below covering her private part. She paired it with her usual gold jewelry and black high-heeled boots. Her protruding eyes were lined with a black mascara and it was even more apparent with her hair in a high ponytail. She applied red lipstick looked into her vanity mirror and studied her face. "I look so pretty," she giggled.
She grabbed her black purse and left the room, where Louisa was waiting for her.
"My oh my, whose boyfriend are you planning to steal with this look?" Louisa teased, playfully.
"I could say the same about you." Her best friend rarely dressed like this. She dawned a form-fitting, strapless white dress, with a structured bodice with a corset-like design, emphasizing the shape of her waist and chest. It ended a few inches below her knee, and let her midnight blue hair, under the golden lights of their apartment, shine and cascade down her back, framing a round face. Unlike Kayla, her lips were colored a dark pink, matching her heels.
"Are you forgetting anything?"
"No. You?"
"No. Let's go!"
"Don't forget that we are: stupidly smart and obnoxiously rich!" They said the latter part together.
Tanned, long legs stepped out of the Mercedes first, and Kayla emerged making everyone's head turn towards her. Behind her was Louisa who had a similar reception.
"Rory!"
"Kay!"
"Blaire!"
"Louisa!" Four girls shrieked when they saw each other in the lobby of the restaurant.
"You look absolutely gorgeous. Drop-dead gorgeous!" Rory exclaimed after they broke out of their group hug. Rory wore a silver stain sleeveless gown that was simple but Aurora could make rags look like a heaven-made dress. Her sapphire eyes shone under the lights.
Blaire wore a red mini-gown that was backless revealing a smooth back teasing people of her curvy lower back.
"What are we doing standing here? Let's go in!" Blaire told them, ushering them in.
"The boys are already here," Rory informed them.
"The boys?" Kay furrowed her brows.
"Yeah. The boys. She invited the Big Six and David too." Louisa replied. "I told you when you were in the bathroom.
If she invited the big six that means she invited Oliver. However, they had entered the room so it was too late.
"No, no, no, no. Why did you invite them!?" Kayla whined, stomping her foot on the floor. She would have to see him. Why was today not in her favor?
"What's wrong?" Rory asked concern.
"You have such a kind heart Rory, but don't listen to Kay, she's just having a tantrum," Louisa rolled her eyes.
"How can you say that, after what he did?" She stared at her best friend in disbelief.
"Well you can't bomb them in the room, might as well go in." Blaire suggested before strolling in.
After taking deep breaths and cursing Oliver and his future wife, she shook her head and slapped her cheeks, "You got this!"
Coincidentally Oliver looked up at the same time Kayla walked in and he was stunned. He drank every single thing about her from head to toe. Under his gaze, Kayla felt naked, but she didn't dare break eye contact with him afraid of showing him that she was weak. He still wore the same clothes as this morning.
"Why are you standing there, Kay? Come sit!" Rory waved her over and only then did she look away but Oliver's whiskey eyes followed her, remembering who she was: Rory's best friend.
The private room had a long dining table that could seat all of them. Unfortunately, she sat directly opposite Oliver.
"David, long time no see. You've been MIA for a while and you've suddenly grown a beard." Louisa smiled at him.
"A beard that makes him look ten times bangable than when he was in high school," Kayla added, gazing at him flirtatiously but it was obvious she was just trying to make him uncomfortable.
"So you want to fuck him?" Oliver asked with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Yes." She flashed him her signature smile revealing her pearly white skin.
"I'm not surprised, knowing you, you would sleep with anything with a pulse." Her answer made the temperature around him drop.
"Then you must be dead," she retorted and Rory almost choked on her wine with the others snickering.
"Whatever is in this drink is working on Oliver already." Tyler laughed.
"You humor me, Kayla. Touching you is equivalent to me burning myself with hellfire." Now, Kayla was offended. Was she ugly? This asshole. But her name on his lips was so soothing to hear. If he said it wrongly, it would be a curse to anyone who heard it.
"You are the most egotistical, narcissistic, hubristic person I have ever met!"
"Hubristic. That's a big word, are you sure you know the meaning?"
"Don't worry, I'll explain it in smaller words—wouldn't want you to strain anything." She said it so sincerely and kindly that anyone would think she cared. Everyone was entertained and surprised by their banter.
Oliver was always cool-headed and calm, so this was new. Any woman who could make Oliver act like this was definitely a hero in their eyes, especially after what he has been through in the past.
He gritted his teeth. "With the two brain cells you have, how can you make me strain anything? So thank you for your concern, but you need it more." She gripped her wine glass so tight that it was shocking it didn't shatter. Her veins were straining on her forehead.
"Your girlfriend must be so happy she took home the winner of 'Asshole of the Century'.
"I think you should be careful how you speak to me since I am your professor." The threat was clear and Kayla gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"
"I most definitely would."
Her hazel eyes were fixed on his, as she deadpanned, "Fuck you."
"I'm sure you would love to, feisty." Louisa was the one who choked on her food this time.
The group looked between the two glaring at each other. If looks could kill, they would both have died a hundred times over, taking everything within a five mile radius with them.
"How are you, Rory after everything that happened?" David asked breaking the tension. She had gone through a lot from being kidnapped, losing her child, finding her family and all.
"I'm fine, David. Thank you for asking. What about you? Like Loui said you've been radio silent."
"I've just been busy, that's all." His response made Blaire chuckle.
"Is something funny, Blaire?" He arched his head to stare at her and for a moment he was taken aback at how beautiful she looked.
"Nothing, don't mind me. It's your thing for you to disappear and never look back." Blaire and David have been enemies since high school because of their complicated relationship, so they were used to it.
"Wow, Rory I didn't know you packed assholes into this dinner." Kayla chimed in.
"Did I miss something during this dinner? Why is everyone at each other's throats?" Siao couldn't help but inquire.
"If you all can't behave like mature adults, I suggest you leave," Daniel warned them coldly. His wife arranged this dinner to catch up with her friends and this was definitely hurting her.
"I'm so sorry, Ror. I'll be on my best behavior from now on." Kayla promised and Rory nodded. Apart from some passive-aggressive actions, dinner was a success.
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