Violet turned away from Deon's smiling eyes and looked up at Professor Matthew. "Professor," she stood.
"Emilia, Violet." Professor Matthew greeted them both with a nod. "Emilia, are you here for your paper?"
"Yes sir, Francis said you called for me."
He acknowledged her statement with a nod, going through a few files on his desk before handing her one of them.
"Thank you sir." the young woman stood up, showing off her curves, making Violet raise an eyebrow and think 'Wow.' Collecting the file and moving to the door, she looked back at Deon, giving him a smile and waving goodbye.
'Oh.' Violet smiled, seeing that the lady was interested in Deon. Wiping off her smile when Professor Matthew called her name, she got up, moving to sit in the chair Emilia was previously in. "Professor I'm sorry."
"And why did you come late?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I slept in, I have no excuses, it won't happen again." she bowed her head in apology.
Professor Matthew nodded, "You look better today," he smiled.
Violet checkled, "Because I slept in."
Professor Matthew grinned. "How cheeky." Then he gestured to the stack of papers on his table. "You'll be helping me input second year student scores in a sheet, arrange it in excel and mail it to me during the weekend."
Deon who had his laptop in front of him, typed away, organising a few work documents, only looking up to raise an eyebrow at his brother. Professor Matthew returned the gesture but instead of clarifying, Deon went back his work. Professor took his books and made his way to the lecture hall he was due in.
Violet sat down, getting to work on imputing the scores, the only sound in the room being that of papers rustling as she went through the sheets, and Deon's fingers coming in contact with the keyboard. As Deon went through the account books of the Castor Automobile, he'd find that his eyes traveled to Violet to see how she was doing, once he was sure she wasn't looking tired, he'd concentrate on his work.
After an hour, they'd both finished and stood at the same time. Turning to Deon, Violet said "Oh you are through as well?"
Deon closed his laptop, turning to her "Yes."
"Are you heading home?"
Deon's lips curved up. "You want a ride?"
"Hehe." she showed off her teeth.
Watching the way her beautiful face lit up innocently, he felt his pulse race and the urge to tease her rushed in. "You know nothing good comes freely right?"
"Eh..." She grinned. "Sometimes it does."
Deon cocked his head to the side, walking to the door. "Why are you so confident that I won't do anything to you? Sleeping in my car, eating food I get for you."
"Call it a hunch, I don't think you're the kind of guy that would take advantage of a sleeping girl." Violet walked out of the room. "Besides, I was really tired, can you let me off already?" she pouted.
Deon briefly stared at her bottom lip before looking away with a smirk. "Be more aware." He locked the door behind him.
"Yes sir." she saluted. "So..." She trailed off as they walked down the hallway to the car park.
"Yes, I'm heading home."
"Ah." her face lit up again and she clapped. "Can I get a ride?" She grinned.
"Sure."
"Thank you." she made a sound similar to a giggle. "Here." She moved closer to him, taking his laptop from his hands. "I'll help you keep it in the backseat."
"Oh you're so helpful." He shook his head sarcastically.
"Yes sir, I get that a lot." She matched his tone cheerfully.
Deon entered the driver's side of the car and let out a little chuckle once he was in. Violet also got in, placing the laptop carefully in the back. As he put the car in reverse, her phone vibrated. Taking it out of her bag, she checked the messages to see Lucy's text which read, "On the way to your house."
"Okay," she texted back, placing the phone back in her bag.
Throughout the car ride, they didn't speak and it didn't feel awkward, perhaps because the radio was on, perhaps not. The only time any of them spoke was when Deon's phone rang and he slowed down to pick the call. When he was done, he started the car and proceeded to his house which wasn't all too far from hers. It was in the next junction.
"I need to grab a few things from my place, I'll be right out." He said, stopping the car at one of the apartment buildings in the area.
"Okay, I can just walk to my house, it's not far from-"
"Stay in the car, this won't take long." Deon instructed.
"Yes sir." Violet immediately obeyed, retracting her fingers which were reaching for the door.
***
Deon went into the building, going up the elevator to his apartment, grabbing a file from the dining table and heading back down.
"Sorry for the wait." he offered, starting the car
"It wasn't a long one." she accepted. "How do you enjoy your job?" she inquired, turning to him as he drove down to her street.
"Small talk?" he looked at her briefly with a smile.
"Not really, I'm curious. My brother is thinking about going into the same field, he graduated this year."
"Oh. My job is alright, it's mostly me solving problems either before or after they arrive."
"You must have good communication and people skills then." she looked at him in awe.
"I try."
"You must've forgotten it at your house when we first met then."
Deon smiled turning to look at her as they got closer to her house. Staring back at him was a smiling Violet with her eyebrows raised, challenging him to disagree.
Chuckling, he replied "Did I apologize for that?"
"If you don't remember it then it probably never happened." she smiled sweetly.
Deon turned back to the road, stopping the car in front of her house. "Here we are," he hid a smile, letting his eyes wander past the fence to the door of her house. his mood suddenly became more serious once he realized that her door was slightly open.
"Are you expecting someone to come visiting you?"
"Yes a friend, why?" Violet's eyebrows furrowed, confused at the purpose of the question.
"Does this friend have your housekey?"
"No why?"
"Stay in the car." He instructed for the second time today, getting out of the car and making his way into the house.
Violet frowned, getting out of the car as well.
"Hey stay inside the–"
"It's my house, I have to know what's going on." She started to move past him but he blocked her.
"Okay, but be careful."
"Why do you care?"
"Matthew would never let me live it down if you get hurt on my watch." He turned back, walking up the porch steps. "Besides what could you do with such thin arms?"
Violet looked down at her arms before making a face at the back of his head.
"Who are you?" Violet heard Deon ask as he stood in her doorway. Walking faster, she reached the door and poked her head through the space between the door and Deon.
"Oh. Gideon Sanders?" A bewildered voice came from far into the living room.
On hearing the familiar voice, Violet smiled, squeezing herself from between Deon and the door so she could get into the living room.
"False alarm." she grinned at Deon. "This is my brother, Bart." She pointed at the tall twenty three year old who had stumbles on his chin, looking like the male version of her but with darker eyes and shorter hair.
Bart still looking bewildered, walked towards them and Violet opened her arms to greet him but he shoved her aside, moving to stand in front of Deon. Violet, recovering from the push, turned around and smacked her brother over the head. That seemed to snap him out of the trance as he grabbed her and put her in a headlock, smiling as he ignored her protests.
"Hello sir, I'm Bartholomew." he stretched out his free hand.
"You know him? Hey let me out right now or I'll bite you." Violet yelled, trying to get out of the headlock. "You're ruining my hair."
"Hello, I'm Deon." he replied, taking Bart's outstretched hand.
"W-Ow!" Bart yelped when his sister pinched his arm, letting her go.
Violet breathed heavily, fixing her hair as she glared at her brother. "Thank you for coming in." she smiled at Deon, removing hair from her mouth.
Deon nodded, thinking she looked cute with her hair everywhere. "No problem, I'll get going now." he turned, leaving the house. Violet followed behind him, poking her head through the door and waving at him with a grin as he drove away. Deon smiled at her reflection in his rearview mirror, just as he turned, he saw a familiar face walking towards Violet's house, along with other people he didn't recognise. "Hmm," he tapped on the steering wheel once before making his way to the office.
***
"Yaaa." Violet turned to her brother once Deon was out of sight. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming. You scar– What is wrong with you? Why are you smiling creepily?"
Bart, who was still smiling, shook his head to dismiss her question. "I approve." He gave her a thumbs up.
Violet scrunched up her nose, closing the door behind her. "You approve what?"
"Of your boyfriend. You made a good choice, surprisingly too."
"Idiot." Violet rolled her eyes walking past him.
"Oh you don't want the stuff I got you, okay then."
Violet did a u-turn, appearing in front of her brother in the next second. "Brother." She bowed respectfully. "Welcome home."
Bart laughed, parting her on the head but before he could say anything, a knock sounded through the door.
"Are you expecting someone?"
"Just Lucy."
Bart turned to open the door and his eyebrows shot up for a second just as Lucy hugged him.
"Bart!" She exclaimed, placing her arms around him.
Bart smiled, still looking behind her. "Hey Luce. Who are your friends?"
Violet's eyebrows also furrowed on hearing the question, confused.
"This is my boyfriend Adam and his friend Cole."
Violet's eyebrows further furrowed, confused as to why Lucy would come to her house with her boyfriend and a guy she didn't know except for the blind date.
Bart briefly glanced at his sister with an eyebrow raised to which she mouthed the words; "I'm confused as well."
"Well come in." Bart opened the door wider.
They all introduced themselves and while all this was going on, Violet took Lucy aside, asking why she would bring a stranger to her house.
"He wanted to see you, he said he really likes you." Lucy giggled.
"That doesn't mean you should bring him to my house. What is wrong with you?"Violet said through gritted teeth, holding back her anger.
"Lighten up." Lucy giggled, moving back to the living room.
Violet took deep breaths, trying to calm her anger before heading back to the living room. Ignoring Lucy gesturing for her to sit beside Cole, she sat beside her brother. Bart, knowing his sister, knew that she was mad even through her smile. He patted her back as she sat down.
"How have you been?" Adam, Lucy's boyfriend asked with a smile.
"Fine, you?" Violet responded.
"Fine too, you don't hang out with us." He shook his head.
"Ah, you know, lectures and all."
"I hear you've met my friend, Cole." he nodded at Cole who smiled at her.
"Of course, Lucy set us up."
At this, Bart turned to her with a raised eyebrow, as if saying 'What? You're cheating on Deon?' To which Violet gave him a flat look and he chuckled.
"Hi Cole," she waved.
"Hi." He smiled back, looking and her and not taking his eyes off.
"Bart, you didn't invite me for your graduation." Lucy whined from where she sat beside her boyfriend.
"Oh heheh..." Bart scratched his head.
*
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