Damaged Beyond Repair by Kashmira Kamat (KittyKash) (best short books to read TXT) 📗

Chapter 22 - Rowan Pov

 I took a deep breath and counted to ten.

No. Rowan, it's not helping.

I had put up the cool guy facade in front of Alana and even agreed to go out with her friends; I'd be kidding myself if I said I wasn't shit nervous. It was all because I wanted to please her and when I'd seen her happy slash excited face, I couldn't turn that offer down.

I'm not a loner and definitely not an introvert but I'd been teaching these kids for a while now and facing them outside of university without a professor tag on my collar was almost like walking around stripped naked. I knew for a fact that if I'd discussed with Alana, she'd be kind enough to go with the FLOW and go with the FLOW for me equated not hanging out with her friends.

  I'd taken my time to dress up, gone all the way and spent an hour switching t-shirts. I wanted to look great, even younger because making a good impression topped my list of agendas for the day; I wanted them to know that we were meant to be. Alana was riding in Chez's car and since girls spent more time to get all dolled up, they were going to be late which was good for me. I parked the Rover across the street and waited as I turned on the air-conditioner.

"Daddy, Where are we?" Minnie asked me from the back seat.

"We're going to eat pizza with Alana's friends."

Minnie beamed at me at the mention of Alana's name, "Bunny iz comin?"

I nodded. In the short span of time that I'd known Alana, I was glad Minnie had come to like her so much.  Just when I was ready to kill the engine, I noticed a black Dodge charger pull into the parking lot. Fuck, I didn't even know what Chez drove. As soon as I saw the beefy guy's head blob out of the car, I stepped out of mine, picked up Minnie and made my way towards the restaurant entrance.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Alana, she wore a red slim fit lace dress, a little too short for my liking and DAMN the low cut was pulling the wrong strings, my insides were curling into balls. That clothing company should be shut down for even making woman wear such a thing. She looked too hot and I had to dwell on the idea of hauling her ass on my shoulder and making a run towards my car.

Get it under control, Rowan.

She smiled at me nervously; probably uncomfortable with the way my eyes lingered on her dress for too long. I'm pretty darn sure Nina talked her into wearing it; I had to put up with it without making a scene which I'm a pro at. Nina and Chez were busy eye-torturing me, I get it. It was either they hadn't seen me in a t-shirt before or I looked like an old hag. I was rooting for the former.

"Hey, what's up? Long time no see."

What the fuck am I saying? Do kids these days say 'what's up' anymore?

Chez broke from the trance and offered me a hand shake, "Sir, it is so nice of you to join us for dinner."

"Don't be so formal, Chez; I'm no longer your professor so you can call me Rowan." Chez gave my hand a tight squeeze, almost sucking the life out of it. The paranoia was beginning to sink in.

"Rowan." He nodded uncertainly.

I turned to Nina, "Hi Gorgeous."

"Sir."

That was an impulse; she was clearly still intimidated by me. I wouldn't blame her for that, considering the amount of times she'd been deep fried in my office, she was being a sport, "Call me Rowan, I insist."

When we were done with short introductions, we made our way inside the restaurant which was packed because of the weekend. I placed my hand on Alana's small back as I led her in, "You look beautiful."

She looked up to me, and smiled shyly "Thanks Rowan."

I inched closer to her ear and whispered, "Don't you think you should have worn something longer?"

Her face fell as she looked away, "I thought you'd like it."

Do that again, Rowan. Just screw it! Make a damn scene and watch her cry, that's what you always do.

I let out a sigh, "No baby, you're looking wonderful, I mean..." I was trying to stitch the piece together, "I love the dress but I'm jealous about how much it's catching the eye."

She nodded.

"Table for four." I told the guy and he led us to a secluded spot near the window. The fancy round lights were suspended from the ceiling creating the best romantic atmosphere. We took our seats while I put Minnie in the high kid chair.

I watched Alana's dress inch upward as she settled down.

Maybe it was time I stopped paying attention to her dress.

Things were getting pretty awkward, but I took it upon myself to make conversation, "Are you coping fine with Ms O'Hara, Nina?"

She sat straighter, and strutted, "Uh-yeah. I uh-- mean, you taught far better than her. She's practically on my case most of the time."

I smiled, "Give her some time, she isn't that bad."

That was another full stop to one conversation, I had nothing in common with them, for instance, I didn't go to university with them nor did I have any job which pretty much closed all the discussion topics.

Chez decided to ask a question, I knew the guy hated me with his guts but he was trying, "Rowan, I've always wondered if you were an ex-Carmel student. Were you?"

"I never went to Carmel as a student, I'm a Stanford alumnus. I chose to take up the job in C.U just because it was close to my apartment, that way I can come home and take care of my daughter."

Chez's eyes lit up, Nina's jaw dropped on the floor. They were not expecting me to turn out to be a family man.

"But since I heard you'd dated a student in C.U way before Alana, it occurred to me that maybe you'd be an ex-student."

I had little to NO tolerance for games and Chez was playing dirty, so far the ball was in his court.

"Who are you talking about?" I shot back at him, "there were three."

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