Not a single muscle moved, except for the one controlling his eyebrow. That muscle lifted. “There’s an empty seat on the other side of you.”
I opened my mouth.
“Don’t tell me. That one’s taken too,” he cut in before I could say precisely that.
Gnawing at my lower lip, I contemplated the best approach to handle him. “Yeah, by my invisible friends Get Lost and Can’t Take a Hint.”
Sterling chuckled. “How did I know you would be funny.”
Despite he and I being acquainted, we knew next to nothing about each other and yet had shared some intimate moments.
Fuck me.
This wasn’t going to work.
“Fine, I’ll move,” I huffed, snapping the laptop closed and preparing to stand up.
The professor chose that moment to stride into class, her classic black heels clapping over the floors.
How many times would the f-bomb run through my head today?
Sinking back into my chair, I glared at Sterling. The bastard smirked at me, looking like a very pleased cat after a meal. I half expected him to start licking his paws.
The professor’s briefcase dropped to the floor with a clatter, jolting my attention to the front. Silence fell over the classroom auditorium. She wore a very practical black pencil skirt that came past her knees with a matching blazer and a white button-up underneath. No jewelry. Auburn hair swept away from her face into a neat but not tight low bun, a few loose pieces framing her face. She wore natural makeup, nothing bold or distracting—simple and professional, like her attire. A pair of sleek glasses sat on the bridge of her nose.
Shoulders back and spine straight, the professor faced the class. She had impeccable posture, reminding me of a New York businesswoman. Tough. All business. Classy. Ambitious. And wealthy.
“Good morning. This is Introduction to Marketing. I assume if you’re sitting in this room, you’re supposed to be here. If you’re not, you know where the door is.” Her voice carried beautifully, even to the back of the room where I sat. It was as if her voice had been made to give speeches. She waited for a few beats to see if anyone needed to leave.
A chair squeaked a few rows in front of me, followed by a shuffling of feet. The guy was clearly rattled and fumbled with his stuff as he rushed out of his seat into the aisle, walking briskly toward the exit.
“Never fails,” the professor commented once he left. “There’s always one every semester.” She smiled, clasping her hands in front of her. “Now that that’s settled, I am Professor Davis.”
Settling into my chair, I did my best to forget Sterling beside me and focus on the professor as she went over the syllabus. Since I couldn’t log on to my KU portal and follow along, I just listened, but I did notice that Sterling came to class about as prepared as I had—less so, even.
Why did I care?
I didn’t.
It wasn’t my problem if he failed the class. Sterling could handle his own shit. I needed to worry about myself. And that was all.
Then explain why the fuck my eyes shifted to my right even after I told them not to.
I snuck another peek at him, curious if he listened as the professor moved on to providing a little detail about herself. Relaxed and utterly still, I wondered if he had fallen asleep.
Elbow propped on the armrest, the side of his cheek rested on the knuckles of his curled hand, head bent at an angle toward me. He wasn’t asleep, but he also wasn’t paying attention to the professor. No, his eyes were watching me.
I shifted in my seat. “Stop it,” I hissed lowly, my lips barely moving.
He remained reclined. “Stop what, Splash?”
He knew damn well what. I faced forward, keeping my voice low. “Don’t pretend to not be a dick.” Although I wasn’t looking at him, I sensed the twisting of his lips.
Despite being aware of Sterling, I still managed to get sucked into the lecture. Professor Davis had a presence that demanded everyone in the room focus on her. I found her interesting and wanted to know more about her.
An hour or so went by when my phone buzzed in my hand. I’d been so engrossed in the lecture that I had completely forgotten about my frantic text to Micah.
The quiet hum drew Sterling’s gaze, and he glanced at my phone before those amber eyes lifted to my face. Switching armrests, he leaned close to my ear, his arm brushing against mine, and whispered, “Boyfriend?”