Chapter 06

Jordan stood in her closet, her body wrapped in just the towel. She was debating with herself about what to wear. Her mother had invited Adrian and Aaron to their home for lunch today. Jordan’s happiness and nervousness battled over the roof. She was happy to see Adrian outside the school, especially her home. She had no idea why she felt nervous. Well, she had issues, but, that didn’t matter at this moment.

The last night’s phone call with Riley crosses Jordan’s mind. Her dearest friend said to Jordan to wear short clothes and seduce him. Riley was aware of Jordan’s attraction to Adrian and she was on board to support her friend’s first love to be.

Jordan wished she was daring like Riley. She doesn’t give two shits about these things. If she wants to do it, she does it. End of the story.

Jordan ended up wearing a black skirt and a printed crop top. She tied her hair up to show off her beautiful neck and applied light makeup. After getting ready, she felt super guilty for (un)consciously wearing short skirt and revealing sensual parts of her body to seduce her math teacher. God! I might go to hell for even thinking dirty about Adrian, she thought.

She went downstairs when she heard the doorbell. She noticed Harley opening the door and Lily came running from the kitchen as soon as she heard the doorbell ring. When the door was opened, Lily ran and hugged Aaron. He couldn’t control his giggling as he hugged her back.

“Lily did you forget! Stranger! Danger!” Harley said, eyes still on Adrian.

“He’s no stranger, he’s Mr. Marcel, right Aaro!” she said with her angelic baby voice.

“YES!” he said giggling at Harley.

Jordan hits Harley’s head and says to get inside, while she welcomed Adrian and Aaron.

As they walked inside, Adrian and Jordan couldn’t help but check out each other. Adrian looked cool to Jordan. He had wore blue jeans and a black hoodie. Hair styled very well and his smile was mesmerizing. Aaron looked super cute and cool too, just like his papa. Aaron looks just like Adrian and she was sure he’s gonna break so many hearts in the future.

Jordan’s black skirt and ponytail that showed off her sculpted collar bones, made her feel divine to Adrian. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

He followed her inside the house, looking around. It was well organized, simple and pretty. While Adrian walked behind Jordan, he couln’t miss her ponytail that dangled right and left and her scent filled his nostrils.

Aaron got busy playing with Lily. He started discovering her toys and Harley showed his robots and remote control cars. Aaron was beyond astonished. Harley is truly a cool brother, Adrian thought. Perhaps, Adrian should resolve with him whatever he has against him. It’s not like they fought or anything. The guy seemed to just not like Adrian’s very existence.

Mrs. Bright came out of the kitchen and they exchanged greetings. She is a nice lady as far as Adrian knew her. He hands her the cookies that they had brought before going to their home. She thanked him and said she is very happy to have them at her home.

Mrs. Bright returned to the kitchen to complete the rest of their lunch. Harley was entertaining Lily and Aaron by mimicking the cartoons. So, it was just Adrian and Jordan.

“Can you show me around the house?” he asked her. She nods her head as yes and leads him for the house tour. After seeing the most unprohibited rooms, they came to her room. It was pretty and neat. She had a study table in her room and there were mostly school books and just a novel. My very own love story. He picked up the book and glanced at the cover.

“Is it yours?” He asked her still looking at the cover.

“Actually, no. That’s Riley’s,” she said sweetly.

“The feisty Italian?” he asked as he raised his brows.

She chuckled, gosh she looked so cute, Adrian thought. “Yeah, the feisty Italian.”

It seems like Riley and Adrian are having a silent beef since that day when he called her you miss, next to Ms. Bright. She didn’t like it one bit. She is kinda famous in school because of her Italian background. Everyone in school thinks her family has some kind of connection with the Italian mafia.

“What kind of book is this?”

“A high school romance!”

“Do you have a boyfriend?” he asked her absentmindedly.

“No,”

“What about Mr. Whitaker?”

“What?-” she looked into his eyes. “No no, he’s just a friend and I have never had a boyfriend till now.” She mentally cursed herself for slipping out that details. Was it necessary!

Adrian felt a strange relief and he had no idea why. Is he really attracted toward his student? Or is it just attraction or is there anything more? He wanted to know what was it that he felt for her. He even considered the possibility of confessing to her about it. Even if he confessed to her, would she accept him for who he is? And what would he expect from her after telling to her about his attraction to her? These train long questions kept eating him inside his head.

Immersed in his thoughts, he blurted out, “Would you like to go out with me?”

She was caught off guard. Jordan thought she should start reading the dictionary to find a better word than shocked, appalled, dismayed, or blown out of the water, to describe her feeling at this very moment.

“What?” she asked him, perplexed by his words. He just stared at her, no words exiting his mouth.

“Jordan and Adrian, the lunch is ready,” Elena shouts from the kitchen. Jordan replies, “Coming.” And she rushed down towards the dining room. Adrian followed her, feeling stupid. He was beyond embarrassed.

When they got to the dining room, the kids were already seated. Elena was setting the table and Jordan started helping her. Aaron sat next to Lily and Harley sat their opposite side. Adrian sat next to Harley, only to get a stare from him. Elena comes out from the kitchen and settled in her seat.

“So, Harley, you know this man, he is Jordan’s new maths teacher,” Elena said pointed at Adrian.

“Ok,” he said without giving much thought to it. They wait for his reaction. And then the realization hit him hard. And he looked at Adrian and swallowed the lump in his throat. His eyes were complicated, Adrian couldn’t figure out what it was. He just nods and gets up and sits next to Elena. Such a mama’s boy, Adrian thought.

Jordan was still trying to compose her mind when she saw Adrian getting back at Harley. And she moved to sit down next to Adrian, the only empty seat because Harley had got up and sat next to Elena. She nudged Adrian’s arm and said to him not to discomfort her brother.

They started having their lunch. It tasted delicious. It’s nice to just eat without having to cook. Don’t get it wrong, Adrian likes cooking. But it is nice when someone else does the cooking work and all you have to do is just eat.

The adults ate in silence while the kids ate making sounds as they eat and there was an unofficial race. Few times, Adrian glanced at Jordan. She was eating in silence, listening to the kids’ chattering. It was dessert time, Elena placed the cookies Adrian had brought along with some ice cream. It was a feast for Aaron and Lily.

Adrian decided to break the silence, “How are your studies, Harley?”

“It is going well.”

“You want me to help with maths or anything?” He tilts his head in confusion, stuffing ice cream into his mouth, shakes his head a no-no. Adrian was enjoying Harley’s discomfort. Jordan nudges his arm and he turned to her, she whispers while pleading, “Don’t do that to him.”

Words couldn’t get out of Adrian’s mouth. He was struck by her touch on his arm. She wasn’t suggesting anything. But, the touch made him feel something. He just nodded at her and got back to his ice cream. Aaron and Lily were done eating and were sprawled out on the couch.

“Is it his nap time?” Jordan asked Adrian and gets a nod in return. She carried Aaron and Lily to bed. Adrian, Jordan, and Elena chatted for some time and then Harley got to play his video game and Adrian joined him. Perhaps, this was a way for them to bond.

Harley sat on one edge of the couch and Adrian on the other and they began their game.

“Dude, What have I done to you?” Adrian asked Harley softly.

“Nothing.”

“Then why do you hate me?”

“I don’t.”

“What?-” he looked away from the screen, “I don’t hate you. I just don’t like my sister getting hurt. Even if we aren’t biological, she is my sister and I love her.”

Adrian was about to ask him why they aren’t biological but was interrupted by Jordan. She came and sat in between Adrian and Harley. Oh Boy, she sat so close to Adrian. How was he supposed to control himself from doing or saying anything stupid to her! Again!

“I thought you don’t like him, Harley,” she said. He alternated looking at Adrian and the screen.

“We’re fine now,” Adrian said to her. She didn’t expect him to reply on behalf of her brother.

 She just nodded and got comfortable on the couch, her shoulders brushed against Adrian’s shoulder. She looked at him and he did too. Gosh, I want to hold her in my arms and probably even kiss her. Would I be a pedophile, if I court her? Adrian thought.

Jordan badly wanted some private time with Adrian. She wanted to make sure what she heard from him earlier was right. She didn’t want to let go of her feelings without trying. It was her first time feeling this for someone.

Luckily, Harley got up to get some water.

Then, she turned her body towards Adrian, “You said something earlier.”

“I said a lot of things,” He said casually. She couldn’t control the scoff that left from her mouth.

“You know what I am talking about,” she hissed at him. He purposely ignored her and had his eyes only on the screen in front of him. Because he didn’t know he would have to face this, so soon.

“Fine,” she got up and went to her room.

Sometime later, Adrian and Aaron left to their home.

Jordan couln’t sleep at night. She constantly thought about Adrian. How she felt him being in her room. How a shiver ran through her spine when their skin touched while they sat on the couch. She tossed and turned on her bed. The thought of updating to Riley about her day came to her mind. She got her phone from her study table and opened Riley’s message thread and sent her the text.

J: Adrian had come home earlier.

Rey: Oh!! Adrian huh.

J: Listen!!

Rey: Say na!

J: I don’t know if he meant it or not but he blurted out if I wanted to go out with him.

Rey: So you are a couple now?

J: No!

Rey: Why is that? Didn’t you want that?

J: I did and I still do. I was in too much shock to reply to him when he asked me. Before I could reply mom called us for lunch and then when I tried to talk to him about it later, he ignored me.

Rey: Seriously?

J: Do you think he got second thoughts?

Rey: Tomorrow morning I’ll barge into the staff room and question him

J: You are not doing that!

Rey: Oh Yea! I’m definitely doing it.

Jordan had no idea what tomorrow had in stock for her.