Chapter 7 DADDY’S GAL

• M E R E D I T H
• It has been a week since I have been adjusting to Diether’s presence on campus and how his presence actually distracts me most times of the day ,especially in the classes but I try not to succumb to it because well, I do not want him to know that I know and I remember. I try so hard every single day to get by my day because seeing him lecture in class and how great he is at it and how he actually freaking looks great at it makes me hate myself for not even manning up to what I had done.
• Every nook and cranny of my body obviously wants him but my mind is telling me not to want him because it was tremendously wrong in all sorts of ways. He was a freaking teacher, my college professor and I were one of his students, and wanting him in such a sexual way would ruin his reputation and my reputation if people in the university would know what actually happened the night before class started.
• I am utterly sure that I was not the only female in the university who is attracted to him because to be honest, a lot of female students flirt with him and even women from other departments are talking and gossiping about how hot he is and how handsome he is, because well, damn, he is. SAU never had such a handsome teacher, not as hot as he is and how he always has this way of teaching which makes you want to learn more and prove to him that you are actually learning in his classes. It has been only a week, and damn he is already the campus heartthrob.
• I spent most of my afternoon in the university's art room, which any art student could use if they so desired. I am glad it was empty today unlike other days which are packed at times. I typically come here to paint or sketch whenever I want some alone time, and to be completely honest, I have always found that painting is therapeutic for me and how it helps to calm me when my mind is racing with ideas. Today at three in the afternoon, Diether will be teaching our class on a different subject which Professor Historia also teaches and we will be spending some time painting in this space.
• Hell, I am going to go through another hell.
• I have seen him around earlier in the day talking to other female students, and despite the fact that he seems approachable thanks to his neat appearance and student-friendly approach, I really did not want to be close to him because I did not want to experience that uncomfortable sexual tension once more. It was best to keep my distance from him and to make him believe that whatever had happened that evening inside The Pink Flamingo and whatever I had stupidly started had made me appear to be someone entirely different from the girl she had met that night and that there was much more to me than that.
• Although I am already sure that he already has that impression carved in the back of his mind, that is something I do not want to keep bothering myself about.
• “What a lovely portrait.”
• I screamed in absolute surprise as I flinched and spun around in a split second out of fear.
• “I am sorry if I have frightened you.” He said immediately.
• “Jesus! You could have said something.” I exclaimed as I exhaled out heavily. “Were you planning to kill me with a heart attack?”
• “I apologize, it was not my intention.” He responded as I stared at Diether’s lovely blue eyes as his height was towering over me while his eyes darted at the sketchpad in front of me while he added, “Wow, look at that. You have a very wonderful talent.” His eyes slowly traveled to mine and smiled subtly at me.
• “Uh, thanks.” I looked away from him and tried to continue my sketch.
• “I did not mean to be intrusive.”
• “Trust me, you were not even though you almost killed me with the heart attack.”
• “I am sorry.”
• “What are you doing here, sir?” I asked as I tried to act normal and not bothered about his presence even though I was nowhere near being not bothered.
• “I am going to have a class in a bit and I wanted to get ready before it starts.” He answered.
• I quickly looked back at him, “Oh then that means I should leave you alone for you to prepare.”
• “Oh, no, do not worry.” He smiled softly, see? There goes that student-friendly charisma which is exuding from him. “You can stay behind since my class is in an hour, I will just be over there.” He gestured to the teacher’s desk before turning back at me, “You can continue doing your thing.”
• I answered him with a nod as we seemingly froze in time and we were just staring at each other’s eyes. Instantly, I peeled myself away from it and stared back at my sketch. “Thank you professor.” I told him as I continued sketching while trying to ignore the fact that we are in the same classroom.
• I hear him walking away from me but as soon as I take a glance from him as I hear him ask, “Who inspired you to be an art major, Miss Wright?”
• “I guess my mother and those artists that she introduced me to when I was young.” I answered as I focused my attention on my pad.
• “Was Gauguin one of them?”
• I blinked for a few seconds as I was brought back to that night when we had an argument about Van Gogh and Gauguin. “Well, no, I found out about Gauguin on my own. She inspired me with Sandro Botticelli,” I got a reaction from him with his eyebrows which I assumed that he was caught off guard and was surprised hearing it. “And Filippo Brunelleschi. Although Gauguin is still an inspiration to all young people, he is one of my favorites.”
• “Everyone of them are. I just did not see you as a Brunelleschi fan” He answered.
• “How come?”
• “From your sketch, I assumed you were one of the Caravaggio’s.”
• “Well his paintings always had biblical stories with a bloody drama in it. Kind of dark to actually see it.”
• There was silence for a while before he finally asked, “Can I ask you a favor, Miss Wright?”
• I slowly travelled my attention back to him and asked, “Sure thing, what is it Mr. DeLoughrey?”
• “Would it be alright if we do not talk about our encounter at The Pink Flamingo to anyone?” He questioned me with his soft looking eyes.
• “Well, is that so bad to recall about?” I asked and stupidly asked that even though I know he knows what happened from that night of lust.
• “No, not bad, but I just do not want others assuming things so would you please not let anyone know that you have met prior to the first day of class?”
• “Well, yes, of course.”
• “Good, I honestly do not want other people to know because if they found out then they would assume that I am favoring you just because of that night.”
• That night. I swallowed hard as soon as he said those words because it brings me back to what we did in that sinful hallway.
• “Whatever happened that night to you and me, it would be better if we never talk about it again. It would be better if it would remain as it is.” He added and looked at me with his stern looking eyes. “I am your professor and you are my student, so it is best to keep it that way.”
• I stared at him and he was also doing the same thing and then, once again, there was silence.
• Absolute deafening silence.
• “Of course, sir.” I answered him and looked away immediately as I turned my attention back to the sketchpad and continued to sketch. “How long are you staying here professor?” I asked, trying to make the atmosphere between us less awkward.
• “Three months till Mrs. Historia comes back.”
• Three months in agony for me. I thought to myself.
• “Have you ever taught before?” I kept the conversation flowing.
• “Yes. This is not the first. Are you worried that I will not qualify as a professor?”
• “No,” I answered as I looked back at him and found him still looking at me, “I think you have great capabilities of being an instructor.” I smiled at him.
• “Thank you, Miss Wright. I hope I meet your expectations.”
• “Well you surely did.” I muttered to myself before my phone rang and it was dad. “Excuse me, sir.” I caved in and answered his call, “Hey daddy.”
• As soon as I was reminded that I had used the word "daddy" in front of Diether, my eyes grew wide. He was looking back at me in a different way than before as soon as I turned to face him, but I turned away and mentally scolded myself for having flashbacks of what had happened to us that night.
• “Hey sport, you remember that order you had last time?”
• “Yeah, did it already come?”
• “Yes, are you planning on repainting your car? White?”
• “No, I was thinking maybe I could add some white on it.”
• “Well it is your car. Are you planning on having it over this weekend at the shop?”
• “Probably dad, do not worry, I can do it alone.”
• “I know you can, alright, well, your package is safe here waiting for you.”
• “Thanks daddy.” I bit my inner cheek immediately as soon as I called him out as daddy again. I had no issues calling my dad, daddy, because he is evidently my father. It is just that calling my father daddy in front of the guy I called daddy in a flirtatious way is not really the right time for this daddy thing. “Alright bye, love you.” I ended the call immediately and I absolutely did not even want to look back at Diether but I cursed at myself instantly because my eyes are traveling back at him and there I catch him staring back at me with those storied eyes which never even blinked for a few seconds.
• “Daddy’s gal.” He commented and smiled softly.
• “Yeah, daddy’s gal.” I answered and smiled at him.
• “Show daddy what that mouth can do.”
• I looked away from him as I tried to shake those words out of my head but my stupid self began to torment me as soon as I asked absentmindedly without thinking about it, “You do know that a lot of female students here are attracted to you.”
• He blinked at me, “I am aware, yes, but why are you not?”
• “Excuse me?”
• “I have noticed that all women in this university seem to be attracted to me, I hope that did not sound too boastful,” He answered as he tilted his head to the side, “But why is it that you do not come off that way?”
• “Maybe because you are not attractive to me.”
• “Well that was not what you showed me from that night.”
• I felt my breathing hitch as soon as I knew that he was talking about that night.
• “Let us cut to the chase, I know you remember everything from that night at The Pink Flamingo, Meredith.” His words cut me off from what I was thinking.