Chapter 4
F IRST DAY OF SCHOOL didn’t really change, whether you were a student or a teacher. As long as you were the new kid on the block, the day was always likely to be one of the worst days in that person’s life – as well as the most awkward.
It felt like all eyes were on her, as if the students and faculty of Christopoulos University sensed her being out of place. Their stares added to her nervousness, making her blind to the place’s beauty. And it was even more beautiful than the brochures and the YouTube videos had led her to believe. The roads were all wide and paved, lined with colorful flowers and towering trees. The school buildings were a mixture of modern glass and steel structures and vintage-inspired brick buildings. The place definitely deserved its reputation as one of the prettiest school campuses in the whole world.
If only Mandy was here with her, this would have been perfect.
At least she wasn’t really alone , Mairi comforted herself. Damen had told her he had already gained permission from school authorities to have three bodyguards following her around incognito. Those guys wouldn’t let anything happen—-
No sooner as the thought occurred to her did she accidentally step on something slippery on the ground. Mairi screamed. A second later, she was falling, and she tried to reduce the impact by putting her arms out.
When her hands slammed against the ground, pain shot up from her wrist.
A second later, her bodyguards came flying out from nowhere, rushing to her aid.
A crowd started to gather around them.
“Did you see that?”
“Sheesh, she just fell. It’s not like she was run over by a car or something.”
“What’s up with those bodyguards?”
“Who is she?”
“Oh my God, it’s her – the wife of that Greek billionaire, the one who wrote The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire. ”
“You know, the manual on how to get a Greek billionaire to fall for you.”
“No way, that’s really her? She’s so... ordinary .”
“I bet if we wait around, we’ll catch a glimpse of Damen Leventis.”
More words swirled around her as Mairi allowed her guards to help her up. “Thanks,” she mumbled. Not looking at them, she said under her breath, “Is it okay if you guys...pull back? I don’t want to attract more attention as it is.”
Silence.
“I know your orders, and I’m not telling you to stop following me. Just...go back into hiding, and I know you’re going to report this to my husband. Just tell him I said not to come here. Tell him I’m begging. ”
As she debated what else to say to make it clear that her last condition was non-negotiable, Mairi heard someone ask, “May I be of assistance?”
The voice was cultured but accented. Not something like Greek but European as well.
She peeked through the tiny space between the shoulders of her bodyguards and reddened when the speaker smiled, having caught her speaking.
He was young, more impeccably dressed compared to most kids his age. Tall, with black hair and olive skin, the guy was most likely Italian. Or Sicilian. It was either of the two, she was sure.
She gazed up at her guards pleadingly. Don’t make this more awkward for me, you guys.
This was met with reluctant expressions, but finally, the one in the middle – probably the leader of the team – nodded and without a word, they fell back. A moment later, they were gone.
“They’re good at disappearing, aren’t they?” the younger man murmured.
Mairi was startled at the words. “Umm, yes.” She moved a little, and it was enough to have pain shooting up from her sprained wrist.
“You’re hurt.” When Mairi looked up, concern had darkened the stranger’s gaze. “Let me take you to the clinic.”
“Oh, umm...” Mairi knew she was acting like an idiot, but she was truly at a loss on what was the right thing to do.
“If it makes you comfortable, I’m Leon. Full scholarship student here in CU.” He pulled out his wallet and showed his ID, which confirmed everything he had said.
She relaxed. “Sorry. I’m just nervous, it’s my first day. As a schoolteacher,” she added. “And please, if you could just point me to where the clinic is—-”
“Allow me to accompany you, Professor.”
She blinked at the title. None of her students in GAYL, the exclusive all-girls academy she used to teach English in, had called her that. Then, her students liked to call her Ms. Yay. The memory made her smile.
“Professor?” Her younger companion peered down at her face with a curious smile.
Her smile widened. “Sorry. I was just thinking about my older students. They...didn’t call me ‘Professor’.” As they fell into step, Mairi following the student, she explained, “They called me Ms. Yay.”
“ Miss Yay? ” He was a little incredulous and still bemused.
Mairi almost giggled at the younger man’s surprise. “It’s sort of an expression, and they thought it was funny.”
Following him into one of the smaller buildings on the campus, she continued, “Like how, when I’m happy, I’d say, ‘ yay, me ’. And then when something good happens for another person, I’d say, ‘ yay, you ’ and...” She stopped, realizing she had been babbling.
“Well, I guess it’s my turn to say ‘yay me’,” Leon said as he opened the door to the clinic for her.
“It is?” she stammered.
Leon nodded. “Mm hmm...”
She had a feeling she shouldn’t ask, but she asked anyway, “Because?” She had barely finished speaking when Leon suddenly took her hand.
Before she could even protest, he was already pulling her inside the clinic. Her eyes flew to where he was holding her, his grip firm, his fingers incredibly warm.
He stopped moving just as her gaze flew back to his face.
His extremely handsome face, which she only noticed now.
She looked around anxiously, nervous that there’d be someone else. But it was thankfully empty. “Please l-let go.” She tried tugging her hand away, not wanting to take any risks, but the grip on her hand didn’t change.
“Let me tell you first why I’m happy, Ms. Yay.” His husky voice made her even more nervous.
“Yay me...” Leon said, “because I met you.” He released her hand, slowly, almost reluctantly.
“Yay me...because I’ve found a woman I want and...” His lips curved in a mocking smile as he saw the gold band shining on her ring finger. “I don’t let anything stop me from taking what I want.”
Her jaw dropped.
Was this really happening, Mairi wondered dizzily.
In front of her, the younger man took a step away. “Until we meet again, Miss Yay.”
And then he was walking away, leaving her staring after him.
Did that just happen?
In front of her, Leon suddenly stopped, spun back, and before she could react, he stalked back towards her.
His lips touched hers.
Mairi froze.
When Leon pulled back, he was smiling wickedly. “Sorry, Ms. Yay. I just couldn’t resist.”