"So how was your day?"
"My day was good, fixed some problems at work, most of them so yeah, it was a good day."
"Oh yeah, what exactly do you do for companies, my brother said you're a consultant but he was being too much of a fan boy to be taken seriously."
Deon chuckled, stopping at a red light. "Well, I fix problems, money problems, employee problems and also offer advice."
"The employees having problems or being the problem?"
"It depends, mostly the latter. I get paid by the employer not the employee, so."
"And if you're good at your job then the employees may be in trouble."
Deon smiled. "I try not to be awful, it's mostly if the employees are doing something wrong that they have to worry."
"Mostly... well, it's a job that has to be done so." Violet shrugged. "You can't please everyone."
"How about you? Trying to please your friends?" he pressed on the accelerator when the light turned green.
"Me? Is that what it looked like?" She removed one sneaker and placed her left feet on the seat. "Do you mind?"
Deon chuckled. "You already did it and you could say I'm used to it now so I don't mind."
Violet smiled, placing her chin on the knee that was high up. "I'm really not trying to please them, besides, only Clyde and Olivia are my friends. The others are more of just friends of friends.
It seems as though you guys are paired up quite well, like couples." Deon started his inquiry as he'd been a little... well in his words, 'curious', when he saw the guy from the date before with her. I
"Nah, me and Co–the good-looking guy that sat on the other end are not like that, the others are though. I mean, we did go on a blind date last month but it didn't work out, he was...strange."
Deon snorted, recalling the date he'd unintentionally eavesdropped on. "Yes he was something."
Violet turned to him. "Huh? What does that mean?
"Ah nothing." Deon said quickly, cussing under his breath.
"Yaa." Her face paled, remembering that he'd appeared that day just a few blocks from the restaurant. "No way." her eyes grew wide. "Were you..."
Deon gave her a guilty smile.
"Ah." She covered her face with her hands. "How embarrassing."
Deon chuckled in amusement. "It wasn't that bad."
Raising her head, she gave him a flat look. "Which part? The ex girlfriend story time part or the you need to add weight part?" Snorting, she continued. "Well, I guess you would be amused by the latter, your type is..." she trailed off with a huff.
"Who on earth told you that I have a type?" He sighed, shaking his head.
"My brother did, he attended the same school as you, he said you were very popular and you had a specific type."
Deon stared at her, his lips twitching before looking back at the road. "Your brother did huh?" Deon grinned, half of him wanting to defend himself and the other half not, just because it was amusing. But then, what was the truth anyway?
"Yeah, my brother..." she trailed off, remembering again that she hadn't heard from him. "I stay friends with them because even though I like to be alone most times, it does get lonely. I grew up being very close to my siblings, we did everything together, and fought a lot too, well Zion, my sister and Bart did." She smiled, placing her chin on her knee again. "They were all I needed till they left for university, then I didn't have friends for the two final years of highschool, didn't feel it much till the first few months in uni. Blah blah."
"What's the blah blah." Deon smiled.
"I met Lucy, knew Clyde from class then realized they knew each other and then, that's the blah blah." She chuckled. "Anyway, I don't have any other friends, my sister is getting married soon so she's all about her boyfriend, my brother has some issues going on and he's getting into the workforce too so you know." She turned to him. "You understand right? You and Professor are so close so I guess you must've been close growing up."
"Hmm." Deon hummed, turning into The Grey Area and after a minute of silence, he said. "Matthew and I weren't close growing up."
"Oh?" Violet chewed on her bottom lip. "Is it because of the age difference?"
Deon stopped in front of her house, a reminiscent smile on his face as he turned to her. "No it wasn't."
"Hmm." Violet sighed, nodding. "I guess we all have back stories. Just as she started to undo her seatbelt, her stomach grumbled.
"Are you hungry?"
"No," then it grumbled again. "Yes, but I may start to enjoy eating with you and then greet dependent in some sort of way. You know, wanting to eat dinner with you more often," she grinned. "Then I'll become a nuisance."
"What do you mean start to enjoy? You don't already enjoy eating with me?" Deon teased, raising an eyebrow. although he understood perfectly well what she meant, he couldn't help but tease her to keep her with him and little longer.
"I do!" She said immediately without missing a beat. "I mean... who wouldn't right? Heheh." she chuckled nervously, fiddling with the seatbelt, annoyed that she answered too fast.
Deon cocked his head to the side, and gave her a sweet smile. Violet's heart skipped a beat as she stared at him, her facial muscles loosening as she looked at him like she was seeing him for the first time. 'I like him.' She thought to herself as her heartbeat sped up.
Deon noticed the change in her expression and the urge to kiss her settled within him, making his breath come up short. Deon stayed in place, fighting the urge to kiss her, knowing he shouldn't, not right now, not today, not tomorrow.
"We have to be careful now, these next few months will determine whether you, me and Bart will be safe." Fredrick's voice rang in his head.
Clearing his throat, he simply said while looking away from her. "I enjoy being with you too and I won't ever see you as a nuisance so stop thinking about things like that."
"Okay." Violet said in a soft tone. "I'll have noodles tonight, thank you for today."
"You're welcome," he smiled, not wanting to push as he had a few thoughts to sort out himself.
"Bye." Violet waved as soon as she exited the car.
Deon waited for her to enter and lockup behind her before driving away. On getting inside his apartment, he settled into the couch, rubbing his forehead with his index finger and thumb.
***
FRIDAY
By the end of the week, Violet and the rest of her friends we're still maintaining radio silence. Even in their shared class when she had smiled at Lucy, Lucy only ignored her and Clyde didn't even show up for class. But Violet was not so bothered, the only person that had been on her mind for the past few days was Gideon Sanders. She'd thought about him a lot during the few days they were apart and every thought made her smile. Turning into Professor Matthew's office with a pile of papers in her hand, Violet greeted him with a smiled.
"Good afternoon Profe-ssor" she drew out the last one when she saw Deon sitting opposite his brother with a smile aimed at her. Taking in the fact that he was clad in jeans and T-shirt with some strands of dark hair falling over his eyebrows, she blurted out the thought that filled her head. "You look good," On realising her mistake when Deon chuckled and his brother raised an eyebrow, she added. "You look good too Professor, I guess everybody looks good today. Heheh." She chuckled, placing the papers on the table.
"Hello Violet." Professor Matthew smiled, shoving his worries aside.
"Professor." Violet smiled. "Everyone wants to know when you'll be organising your first test."
"Hmm." He tapped his chin, can you make a list of the topics we've treated so far?"
"Okay, I will." She started to turn to the sofa when he gestured for her to sit in the chair beside Deon. "Right." Violet sat, taking a pen and paper from her bag and writing the topics down.
Professor Matthew and Deon locked eyes for a brief moment before Deon looked away. The weight of the conversation they'd had just before Violet entered weighing on him.
"Here." Violet handed the paper over to the Professor who took it, gave it a quick glance and nodded.
"Next two weeks then."
"Yes sir." As Violet stood to go, Deon spoke.
"Are you doing anything now?"
"No, I'm done for the day," Violet paused.
"Can you..."
"Violet can you give us a minute, Gideon will be right out." Professor Matthew gave her a smile before staring at his brother with an unhappy look.
"Yes sure," she pressed her lips together, knowing that while it wasn't tension between the brothers, it wasn't their usual happiness, it was something almost sad she saw in her Professor's eyes. However, as Violet wasn't one to intrude, she refrained from asking questions and walked out of the room.
About nine minutes later, Violet had gotten tired of waiting and walked towards the car park, spotting Deon's car, she walked towards it and stopped at the driver seat window. Violet tucked some strands of hair behind her left ear and let the hair on the right fall across her cheeks. As usual, violet sanders looked pretty, her full lips and pretty eyes accentuated her beauty well. Violet tucked her shirt into her thigh length shorts, bending forward to look at her lips so as to make sure they weren't dry.
"You look good."
Violet whipped her head to the side so fast that she lost her balance and fell on her butt. "Oww." She groaned, frowning. "Geez, you shouldn't creep up on people."
Deon smiled, leaning up against his car. "I didn't creep up on you, you were just too engrossed in making sure you looked good to notice," he stretched out a hand.
Violet ignored his outstretched hand, standing by herself. "How annoying."
"I think you're more embarrassed than annoyed though." Deon bit back a smile.
"And you saying it makes me feel less embarrassed." Violet scrunched up her nose at him before rolling her eyes.
"No stress, you look beautiful, you always do."
Violet's frown disappeared and her face grew warm. Shuffling her feet awkwardly, she looked to the left, not wanting to meet his eyes. "Thanks," she mumbled.
When Deon saw that she wouldn't meet his eyes and was fiddling with her bag, he decided to give her an opening. "Maybe not always, someday you look like a ghost, an overworked ghost."
Violet snapped out of the feel good moment and glared at Deon. "And some days you look like..." She trailed off, frowning, trying to come up with a picture of him where he looked bad and all she saw in her head was his handsome face. Scowling, she bit her lips. "Whatever, I justed to say hi, let's just go home." she sighed, knowing she'd lost the battle.
Deon grinned, not able to hold back the teasing when she looked so cute in her embarrassed state. "I never said I was going home."
Violet stared at him for a second and when he didn't budge, her jaw dropped. "But you said, 'are you doing anything now?' back in Professor's office."
Deon shook his head, maintaining a straight face. "I was just curious."
Violet almost teared up in frustration. "I don't like you." She frowned.
Deon paused and looked away with a sigh, after a few seconds, he looked back at her, his lips stretching slightly. "But I like you Violet Woodsen, and I like you a lot."
*
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