CHAPTER THIRTY- SIX

NICK WALKER ©

The moment the woman Enzo called Vanya locked her blue eyes on me, I felt scared.

Her gaze moved from my head down to my feet before she folded her arms and gave me a questioning look.

“And who is this?” she asked and I quickly bowed my head politely.

“I'm…” Enzo cut me off before I could finish.

He spoke in a language that wasn't English, though it sounded familiar like he had spoken them before.

The two of them exchanged words I couldn't understand before silence settled between them, and she turned back to me.

She said something that I was sure was about me, making Enzo glance in my direction.

“He's just my student,” Enzo said and the woman scoffed.

I nervously bit my lip as they continued talking about me in each other's language. After a moment, Enzo let out a sigh and turned to me.

“Why don't you come back later?” he said and I nodded quietly.

“I'll take my leave, sir,” I said softly and headed for the door.

The two men standing at the entrance stepped aside to let me pass.

As soon as I left the office, the door shut behind me.

I paused and stared at it for a moment as too many thoughts rushed through my mind.

Who was she?

Enzo seemed quite close to her. She understood his language so well, and the way they looked at each other made me so curious.

“Close to her.” The words lingered in my head and I found myself nibbling on my lower lip again.

“Hello, love.” I remembered the words she had said the moment she walked in.

Or were they former lovers?

If they were, then what about Professor Douglas?

Too many thoughts ran through my head as I made my way back to the library.

“Where were you?” Avery asked the moment I returned to the library.

“Professor Grayson's office,” I replied before she could start asking questions. “He needed help sorting out some paperwork.”

“Do you like Grayson?” Avery suddenly asked without looking up from her book, and I froze.

“What on earth are you talking about?” I asked with a scoff.

“It's just a question, Nick,” she said, finally lifting her eyes from her book.

“Where is that question even coming from?” I asked with a nervous laugh, quickly looking away.

What the hell was she talking about?

Like Enzo?

“Enzo, of all people. He's a man, remember?” I said and she nodded slowly.

“I see,” she replied and went back to the book in her hands.

For some reason I couldn't explain, my chest tightened at her words.

I quickly looked back down at my own book and tried to focus on reading.

∆∆

~ FIVE STAR CLUB AND BAR ~

There weren't many people in the bar, but I could still hear the loud music coming from the club. It always felt different here.

The quiet made it easier for my mind to wander. My thoughts kept drifting back to everything that had happened, and I couldn't wrap my head around them anymore.

I found myself wondering about the woman, Vanya. She had even arrived with two men behind her.

Was she someone important?

Maybe she was famous.

Or maybe she was someone well-known from Enzo's country.

Enzo.

I sighed as I remembered what Avery had said back at the library.

Why would she think I liked him?

I didn't even know what it truly meant to like someone. I'd never liked anyone before.

“Argh,” I groaned and rubbed my face.

When I looked up, the woman, Vanya, was sitting on a bar stool right in front of me and I nearly jumped.

When did she get here?

I quickly glanced around, trying to figure out how long she had been sitting there.

“Look who it is. I was wondering why you looked familiar,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

“Good evening,” I replied, bowing my head slightly.

“What would you care to drink tonight?” I asked and she answered with a scoff.

“What exactly is your relationship with Vadim...” She stopped herself and sighed.

“I meant Lorenzo,” she corrected and I frowned.

Enzo was Vadim?

“Uh… he's my lecturer…” She cut me off before I could finish.

“Boring. I already know that,” she said, sounding uninterested. “I mean your relationship with him.”

“Huh? There's… there's nothing,” I stammered.

She waved her hand to cut me off again.

“I want your best mix of cocktails,” she said instead.

I nodded slowly, feeling a little pressure from the way she was talking to me. Or maybe it was more like an interrogation.

Maybe she was truly Enzo’s lover, trying to figure out what was going on between him and me.

“Are you getting my drink, or are you going to stand there thinking all day?” she asked.

“Sorry. Give me a few minutes,” I said.

I picked up an hurricane glass and started polishing it, then filled it with crushed ice.

I poured the hurricane ingredients into the cocktail shaker filled with ice and shook it hard until the outside was frosty.

“You're quite good at this. Since when have you been doing it?” she asked and I let out a small, nervous laugh.

“Why would Kyle even hire a minor to work in a place like this?” she asked again.

I looked up at her for a second but didn't answer.

Instead, I returned my focus on the drink.

I strained the mixture carefully into a curved hurricane glass filled with crushed ice.

I topped it off by sliding a fresh orange wheel and a preserved Maraschino cherry on the rim of the glass. Then I slid the glass over to her.

“Here it is,” I said.

She looked at me for a moment before taking it.

She took a small sip, then another and nodded slowly.

“This is great,” she said and I gave a small bow, unsure how to respond.

My mind drifted as I watched her.

Where was Enzo anyway?

Wasn't he supposed to be here with her?

Or was he with Mr. Kyle in his office?

“Are you looking for Lorenzo?” she asked, and I turned to her.

Huh? How does she even know that?

“He's busy at the club. There are so many women all over him,” she said as she sipped from her glass.

“I couldn't stay and watch, so I had to leave,” she added and I felt a tight pressure in my chest at her words.

Sharp cramps followed as I pictured Enzo surrounded by women touching him.

“How could he still have the nerve to touch other women after…” I thought, then stopped myself and sighed.

He was the kind of man every woman wanted.

So who was I in all of this?

Not that I cared.

At least, that's what I told myself.

“No way… you're jealous,” she said, placing her glass down and leaning closer to the bar.

“Jealous? What… what are you talking about?” I asked, suddenly stammering.

“Oh, come on. You and I both know what I'm talking about,” she said and I went quiet.

I didn't have an answer for that.

“Vanya.” I heard Enzo's voice and turned toward him.

The moment our eyes met, my heart jumped.

I quickly looked away and forced myself to act busy, just to avoid holding his gaze.

“You're here finally. I was just talking to the kid about how jealou…”

She stopped mid-sentence when I cut in.

“What would you like, Mr Grayson?” I said quickly, turning to him and he raised a brow at me.

“Mr Grayson?” he repeated and I sighed under my breath.

Of course that sounded wrong.

What the hell is wrong with me?