Taleela's POV: I feel accomplished. Seeing him looking helplessly dazed gives me a satisfaction I can not explain. I revel in the way he watches me move my body. Have you ever overdone things just because someone who catches your fancy is around and watching? Yes, that's how I am acting right now. I wouldn't strip this way for a regular. Note that he doesn't catch my fancy. He's attractive, I must admit, but he's not my type. And he's a regular, too. I just enjoy tormenting him. The music gets to the interlude, and immediately, I drop to the floor, stretching out like a python. I am straight, as straight as the pole I dance on, and slowly, I begin to lift my head, starting from my hair. Both of my hands travel up the bare skin of my midriff till I can not feel my back against the cold floor again. I sit on my behind and split expertly, aware that he is drawing in deep breaths and wondering where he met me from. When I stand to my feet, I shimmy towards wher
CHAPTER 8 KAL'S POV; "Are you okay?" I ask her as soon as we're out of the crowd. Bells, who is looking a bit indisposed, nods quickly. "Yes, I am. You don't have to worry about me." I guide her towards the counter where the drinks are sitting. My hands are on her elbows, but she immediately moves away, out of contact with my hand. I notice the change in her body language and shrug. She's doing an excellent job at masking her discomfort. When she takes her seat, I pull the next bar stool beside her and slide into it. "Want a drink?" I ask, even though I already asked her to join me for a drink or two. Turning to look at me, she nods and smiles stiffly. "Yes, sure." "Two shots of bloody Mary mix," I say to the bartender, who nods and quickly whips up two shots of the drink. He slides it expertly towards us and gives me a thumbs up when I tell him thank you. "Thanks, Kal," Bells says, and quickly drinks up her glass of Bloody Mary. Once she is done, she dr
CHAPTER 9Taleela's POV; When I get home, it's almost three o'clock in the morning. The streets are empty except for the lights pouring out of the street lights down on the tarred roads. Our street is safe and passable anytime, so I am not scared as I walk down the avenue toward our apartment building. A cat scurries under a car, and I smile, knowing how much I would want a cat right now if not for Susan's allergy to furry objects. And as for Susan, she's probably with her newfound interest because she's not going to return home tonight. I wish her luck, though. I pray that Achilles doesn't break her heart as other dudes do. Then, I remembered a day last year. We were about to write our final exams for the sophomore. Susan was in love with her new explorer boyfriend she met at the club one night. He was everything she needed and wanted in an ideal guy. Handsome, tall, dark-skinned, charismatic, naughty, a friendly and good guy in one combo, sweet and romantic, m
Taleela's POV: "This is a nice dress, yeah?" Susan asks, twirling around in front of her mirror. I sigh and slap my forehead. "Of course it is!" I nearly yell in frustration. "This dress looks nice on you, girl. You're not the one doing the fashion show." Susan begins to sulk, and I roll my eyes. I know how crazy she is about Linda, but she needs to cut herself a fucking slack, damn. She's dressed in a short flaxen dress with a shallow back. A plunging neckline that suits her tiny breasts and cups it firmly. Her dark hair, tied in a ponytail, flops about as she moves towards her shoe rack to get one of her sneakers. Susan is a sucker for sneakers, and every footwear is a sneaker. I don't think she has heels or sandals gracing her minimalist shoe rack. When she returns to where I am sitting, she's wearing a black pair of Nike Air Force. I nod. "You picked out something nice for once," I say to her, and she rewards me with a glare. I raise my hand in surrender while
Kal's POV: It's late in the morning, and I am working on my desktop, wanting to beat the time and my schedule. I know I am meant to slow down, but I don't want to. I am not someone to be lax when there is a lot of work to do. In fact, I like to overwork myself. There's this satisfaction that comes with it. So, I type away aggressively on my keyboard. I am stopped by the constant ringing of my phone, which was beside my laptop, and which I had decided to ignore. But when it keeps ringing, I have no option but to pick. I pick up my cutting-edge phone to check the caller, and when I see it's my Aunt, I groan and lift my phone off the desk. "Hello, Aunty." I greet her as soon as I pick up. "How are you doing?" "Karanos!" She exclaims in her loud soprano. I wince and shut my eyes, waiting to hear why she called. "How's everyone?" I say. She must have forgotten in her excitement that I asked about her wellbeing. I am not surprised, though. She's such a ball of so much
Taleela's POVThe college grounds are bustling with activities, and as I walk through the gates with Susan skipping by my side like a little school girl, I am hit by the sheerness of everyone's dress-up. It seems like the whole university's participating in the fashion week because I do not understand why everyone is fucking dressed like there's a dinner party or a clubhouse close by."Ouch, I feel it!" Susan exclaims beside me, and I honestly want to gag at her enthusiasm. "The whole school is in it today!""Relax, Susan," I say to my friend. "Today will be over as soon as it begins.""But, it's going to be fun, so I am happy." She says in reply."Hi, Taleela."Susan and I twist our heads in the same direction. We both frown when we see who's it.Susan immediately moves close to me and whispers. "I thought you both weren't on good terms? How come he's greeting you?"I shrug. "I honestly have no idea. Let's just stand and hear what he has to say."In no time, a tall dude is standing
Kal's POV: I am still in the car, trying to lock my doors which have suddenly decided to be dormant. I make a mental note to take it to the mechanic once I am free with whatever I am doing. Achilles, sounding impatient calls from where he is standing behind the car. "Dude, what the hell is keeping you in there? It's about time we left the lot." I call back in an irritated voice and that's mainly because my lock is giving me issues. "Chill, man. I am trying to lock my doors. Stop sounding whiny like a kid who hasn't seen their mother in days. It's just Susanne you're meeting." "It's Susan, not Susanne." Achilles sounds like he is rolling his eyes. "Whatever." I mutter under my breath. Just then, I hear a click. "You just had to." I unlock it again before opening the passenger door and stepping out into the open air. Today is quite chilly and I can feel it at the entrance of my nostrils. I shut my door and use the remote control to lock my car door. "So, who are we w
Taleela's POV; I know that Susan has told him that I'll be returning to the bleachers which is partially true. So, I make a beeline for the faculty's digital library, hoping he doesn't follow after me. I just have a hunch that he is following after me, I can feel it in my bones and honestly, I am quite nervous. That kind of feeling you get when you're trying to hide from someone. Exciting and scary at the same time. I bump into a few of my course mates who remind me that classes have been cancelled. And smiling at them like I have no idea, I keep making my entrance into the faculty building. The library is at the top floor and without thinking twice, I make for the steps. There are chances that I would bump into Kal in this elevator. I know it's just me being nervous and all. He might not even be following after all. But, I take the steps anyway. The whole faculty is empty, save for a few people loitering about; girls trying to get their makeup and outfit rearranged