Nathaly
I agreed to spend my free minutes with Daniel outside the bar. Usually, before he came to work here, when my break started, I would go out for a breath, but always in solitude, and if he hadn't offered me to go out for a moment, anyway, I would have done it. Tonight's brief company wasn't bad, but it was a bit awkward. I was always characterized by being a person who socializes a lot with people, but with Daniel I did not feel so safe, not because I distrusted him, but because I had such beautiful and particular eyes that they ate me. I looked at him and I was more eager to know about him.
"Why don't you like to be called Dan?" I asked, remembering that on the trip in his car he told me not to call him that.
"It's personal," he replied. It was the third time I'd gotten away with it.
Daniel was a very mysterious boy. That he told me that it was something personal made me more eager to know why. Yes, I know, I was very curious when she referred to him, it is that I was a lover of mystery.
"It's the third time you've said that since we met," I smiled.
Daniel lit a cigarette.
"And it's probably not the last. You are quite curious."
I shrugged. I didn't know if he had said it normally or with some discomfort.
"And why don't you like to be called Nat?"
"Because my name is only Nathaly, not Nat. I really don't know why I don't like to be abbreviated the name, I guess it has to do with the taunts of my classmates in elementary school. They made fun of any stupidity, and that included making fun of me, maybe it's a kind of trauma. There are not many people who call themselves just that. Also, Nathaly seems cuter, more cute, tender to me. It goes with me."
"Do you think you're tender?"
"I think I'm tender, sweet, but I have my hidden side."
"That's interesting. What is your hidden side?"
"I don't think you want to know," I replied.
He didn't have a hidden side, or at least he didn't hide something serious as Daniel surely was thinking. My personality was exactly as I had just told him: tender. But I had my complicated side, like everyone else. When they made me angry, I was really angry and able to make you feel really bad because it allowed my mouth to formulate any word in order to hurt my attacker.
Daniel just looked at me.
A moment later, a call interrupted the silence that formed between us.
"What's wrong? You're kidding? What do you want me to do, Marco? I'm at work," he asked. It didn't take long for Daniel to pucker his eyebrows in discomfort.
Something changed in Daniel's expression. He went from serious to super serious.
"You know I don't do this anymore," he recalled.
What wasn't he doing anymore?
I watched my partner carefully, judging by his expression, I could deduce that something was not right and that this call was something annoying and worrying for Daniel. He could see indecision in his eyes. Daniel noticed my gaze on him and moved away from me a little, lowering his voice.
"I'll go. Send me the address", he ended up agreeing.
I 'm going?
He turned to see me. I kept looking at him curiously.
"Is everything okay?" I asked for education.
"All right," he replied, giving a very light smile that ended in failure.
No, something was not right, he was worried.
"I need you to tell the boss that I have had to leave suddenly, that I will then make up for the lost hours."
What? The boss would grab them with me if Daniel left. He would end up scolding me for having suggested hiring a guy who gets out in the middle of work and doesn't give good explanations as to why. My boss was that idiotic.
"What? No, the boss is demanding, he won't like you to leave", I refused.
Daniel received a message and quickly read it, upset.
Sighed.
"It's important," he said annoyed.
God...
"Please, Nathaly, tell him that I have had to leave and then I will call him to apologize," he grimaced.
I was going to say no, but Daniel bought me with those eyes. I ended up accepting.
"Okay."
"Thank you. I owe you one, Nat," he smiled, pulling some keys out of his trouser pocket.
"Nat".
I regretted helping him as soon as he misstated my name.
"My name is Nathaly," I raised my voice.
I saw him walk away quickly. I wondered what was so important that Daniel should leave work.
"Idiot," I murmured.
A couple of people left the bar somewhat drunk. I knew I had to go back to work as soon as my alarm went off. Letting out a long sigh, I got inside the bar and went to the bar, where several people were waiting to be served.
On Monday morning I woke up earlier than usual, wanting to go to college. It was heavy to study, but a very good side is that I saw Dakota and Melissa. Our friendly relationship was little, not long ago we had known each other, because we entered the university recently, but from the first moment the three of us got along very well. During breaks and lunch we would spend it laughing and planning weekend afternoons, because in the evenings my hands were tied with work.
I met with my friends a while before my class started and told them about how mysterious my job's new security guard was to me. I wondered how Daniel was doing. After a while I was forced to finish the talk, because my philosophy class with Professor Stefan had just started and was already late. When I got to class, I noticed that everyone was sitting and the teacher was already explaining.
What a shame.
Everyone watched me come in. I looked at Professor Stefan.
"I'm sorry," I apologized, bringing a slight smile on his part.
I took a seat in the first empty place I found in the front row, so I could get a better picture of the board and hear better. While the teacher was talking, I was writing down what I thought was most important about the class. From time to time I had a hard time finishing writing the sentences, Stefan was quick to speak and explain and I was very aware of retaining the information he gave us. At the end of class I realized the mess I had in my notebook. I asked several of my classmates if they could lend me their notes about the class, but most were the same way and didn't trust them to score the important points well. That's why, arming myself with courage, I waited for all my classmates to come out to talk to the teacher.
My teacher watched me straight in the eye and I remembered once again how weird our encounter the other day was.
"Yes?"
"I know I shouldn't ask you this, but could you review my notes? I think I've written anything," I asked, embarrassed.
"I speak very quickly in class, don't I?" He smiled sideways, taking my notebook.
"A little bit," I smiled, kind. If I told him that I was very bothered by his teaching, he would surely take me out of the classroom immediately.
"Don't treat me about you, you make me feel old."
"It's the custom," I replied, as he read and wrote down some things in my notebook. I couldn't see what I was writing. I was probably crossing it all out.
"You have beautiful handwriting," he said.
"Thank you," I smiled again."
"Ten. Your notes were pretty good," he closed my notebook and held it out to me.
"Thank you very much. What a relief."
"I've added a couple of important things that were missing, but you already had enough scored. I hope you can use it," he said later, and I didn't understand what he meant by that.
Professor Stefan noticed my gesture of confusion, but he didn't say anything to me, he just gave me a smile.
"Thank you, Professor. Good day", I walked away from him to walk to the door.
"Everyone tells me Stefan, don't be the exception. Good day, Nathaly," he replied.
I smiled at him one last time and left the classroom in a hurry. My next class was starting soon. I opened my notebook on the right sheet to see Stefan's notes and noticed that at the top was a phone number. I stopped in my tracks.
Was the professor flirting with me?