I press a hand to my forehead. The corner of his lips curlsup in a crooked grin. “Trust me, as fun as it is, bumping into you was not my idea of a good time today.”
“I see you have changed,” he says, gazing up and down.
“Of course, I did. You expected me to remain in those clothes all day?” I scowl at him.
“No, I was just observing, Firecracker.” He chuckles as I fume at the nickname.
“Don’t call me that,” I whisper-yell, giving apologetic looks to people who are now noticing us. I huff in annoyance, glaring at him. “What? Now, get out of my way.” His lopsided smile is almost irritating. The sight of his perfectly white teeth and jawline is pissing me off. But I’d be lying if I said he isn’t attractive, which obviously makes him even more annoying.
“Oh, come on. I know I am late, and I apologize for that, but since you’re here, let’s discuss that assignment,” he pleads.
My eyes widen in surprise. “You’re Daniel?”
“Yup, the one and only.” He grins arrogantly. His eyes roam over my face, a mix of curiosity and something else I can’t quite pinpoint. “You didn’t know me?” he asks, amusement evident in his eyes.
I raise an eyebrow at his question, feeling a pang of annoyance. What does he mean by that? “Of course, I didn’t know you,” I say with a defiant note in my voice. “Who do you think you are? Some kind of celebrity that everyone is supposed to be aware of?” I roll my eyes.
He lets out a soft chuckle, seemingly unbothered by my bluntness. Instead, he takes another step closer to me, closing the distance between us. My breath catches slightly, but I refuse to back down. I can feel the heat radiating off of his body now, and damn it, he smells good.
“Well, I happen to be the new captain of our basketballteam,” he says casually, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “You’ve probably heard of me.”
I roll my eyes.Typical. Another arrogant athlete who thinks the world revolves around him. “How original of you to assume that!” I comment. He chuckles again. He seems to find our conversation amusing, and it’s driving me up the wall. He leans casually against one of the tables, his arms crossed over his chest, and I am annoyed to note that his loose T-shirt does nothing to hide his muscular physique.
“You have a sharp tongue,” he observes, his eyes glittering with amusement. “Did anyone ever tell you that?”
“Yeah, several times actually, smartass,” I retort, folding my arms across my chest. No way I am letting him get the upper hand.
He tilts his head to the side, studying me with a keen interest. It makes me feel like a specimen under a microscope. His gaze feels too intense, almost invasive. After a moment of silence, he speaks again.
“Did someone also mention you’re cute when you’re angry?” He smiles softly. I feel my cheeks heating up at his words.Cute? Me? Pfft.I quickly regain my composure though, trying to seem unaffected.
“If you think I am cute when I am angry, get ready, because I am about to become gorgeous,” I retort. He grins widely at my snarky comment.
“I highly doubt that because you look gorgeous right now,” he replies smoothly.
His unwavering confidence only seems to rile me up more. I scoff at his compliment, crossing my arms defensively across my chest. “Oh, please, save the cheesy lines for someone who cares, pretty boy,” I snap, but even as the words leave my lips, I can feel my heart rate picking up. Why does he have this effect on me? Probably because of his annoyingly handsome face.
“You think I am pretty?” A smirk graces his features as he sees my reaction, clearly enjoying the effect he’s having on me. His ego must be soaring through the roof right now. I take a deep breath, trying to keep my heart rate in check. I wouldn’t be surprised if I am shaking with anger.God, he infuriates me.
I roll my eyes at his comment, trying to appear completely unfazed. “Oh yes, I am forgetting that I’m talking to the captain of the basketball team, the most sought-after guy on campus. How silly of me for not expecting some light flirting as part of your daily routine.” I take a deep breath, steadying my words. “And just because you’re good-looking doesn’t mean your charms work on me.”
“Ah! You’re calling me good-looking and charming; that’s a double win, I guess.” He winks.
He opens his mouth to say something again, but I walk to the other side of the table, pulling out a chair and taking a seat.Distance. I need a bit of distance.“Now, can we focus on this assignment?”
“Oh, right. The assignment,” he says, feigning disappointment. “But I was just starting to enjoy our little banter.”
He sits across from me, his eyes still sparkling with mischief. I roll my eyes again, feeling a mixture of annoyance and something else I can’t quite identify. I take out my notes from today’s lecture. “Okay, so we’re still not sure about the guidelines. Professor Brown will be emailing them to us by the end of this week.”
“Alright, before that…” He puts his hand in his pocket. I can’t help but notice his muscular arms are on display. Wait, why am I noticing that? I quickly shake my head to snap out of it.Focus, Anya.
“Here.” He holds out a twenty dollar bill. I frown.
I blink at the twenty dollar bill in his hand, confused. “Are you paying me to do the assignment on my own?” I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms. He probably thinks he can buy his way out. Honestly, I am okay with it. He chuckles, his eyes glittering with amusement.
“No, it’s for dry cleaning. I spilled coffee on you, so it’s fair if I pay for it.” Oh, so he does remember.
“No, thanks. It’s okay. I just said it in the heat of the moment,” I reply.
