The next morning, I rang the doorbell with my heart in my mouth. I didn’t want to see Xavier again—or rather, I didn’t want to hear his insults.
“Good morning, Lola.” He opened the door and ushered me in with a gracious smile.
I looked at him in confusion. What was going on here? Why was he being nice?
“Morning, Xavier,” I replied slowly and uncertainly.
I looked around the entryway as I walked in, taking in his house with extreme curiosity. It wasn’t as I’d expected it to be. It seemed homey, with the small wooden console to the right and a coat stand next to it. There were letters on the console and some newspapers, all in a mess.
“Excuse the mess.” Xavier smiled as he noticed that I was looking at the console.
“Maid off today?”
“I don’t have a maid.”
“Oh.” I was surprised again. “What about a housekeeper?”
“No housekeeper.” He ushered me to follow him down the hallway, and I was disappointed that I couldn’t peek into any of the rooms because the doors were shut.
“You look surprised?” He smiled at me and I nodded. “This is my home, and I prefer for it to be just me. I have enough people trying to take care of me back in my country. While I’m in London, I like to live like a normal person.”
“Uh, okay.” I tried not to laugh. I had no idea what he was talking about. Like a normal person? Wow. He really did think he was something, didn’t he?
“Thank you for being on time. I find many people your age don’t seem to know how to read a clock.”
“Yeah, well, it’s my first day. I didn’t want to be late.”
“You look very chirpy this morning.”
“Chirpy?” I couldn’t resist giving him a look.
“Chirpy. Fresh. Beautiful.”
“Oh. Thanks.” I looked down and blushed.
“And this is my office.” He paused outside of a room with an open door. “I hope you don’t mind, but we’ll be working in the same room.”
“That’s fine.” Why was he being so nice?
“Have a seat and tell me about yourself.”
“What?” I yawned. “Oh, sorry about that.”
His eyes narrowed as he surveyed my face. “Late night?”
“No, not really. Not any later than usual.”
“On a date?” he asked casually.
“No.” I tried not to roll my eyes. “Sebastian hasn’t asked me out as yet.”
“Funny.” He sat back in his chair and just studied my face. “You’re a very funny girl, Lolita.”
“Like I told you, it’s Lola, and I’m not going to be doing stand up anytime soon.”
“So you like my brother?”
“Is this really how we’re going to start? Is that any of your business?” I leaned forward and stared him directly in the eyes. “I’m here to be your assistant, not your patient.”
“I like my assistants to be my friends.”
“I don’t really see that in the cards.” I lifted my nose up in the air and looked down at him. “For one, you’re my professor, and for two, you’re a pompous ass.” I bit my lower lip as I realized what I had just said. Fuck, I was going to get fired.
“You’re still mad at me because we slept together.” He stood up and walked over to me. “Stand up.”
“Huh?”
“Stand up.” He grabbed my hands and pulled me up.
I stumbled slightly and fell against him. His arms held me against him for a few seconds before letting go of me.
“What are you doing?” I gasped as he started unbuttoning his shirt.
“You are annoyed and upset because we had sex and I’ve seen you naked. You do not know how to act now because you are immature and unsure.”
“Not at all.” I glared at him as my heart raced. I could see the hair on his chest as he kept on unbuttoning his shirt, and I felt heat rising up from my belly.
“Are you scared to see me naked?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t care,” I mumbled. Please dear God, do not take your shirt off. I’m not sure if I will be able to keep my hands off you.
“Liar,” he whispered. “You want me as badly as I want you.”
“You’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” I muttered as he stepped towards me, and he paused at my words and laughed.
“I’m a wolf?” He looked at me and ran a finger down my cheek. “Why do you say that, Lola?”
“Because you’re crazy. I come here this morning and you’re sweet as can be, and now you’re trying to get into my pants. And I’ve only been here for a few minutes.”
“I wanted to make sure when I greeted you that you were comfortable. Once I saw you were comfortable, I decided to get everything out in the open.”
“Get what out into the open, Professor?”
His eyes narrowed at my words, and he stepped back. I watched as he slowly did his shirt up and he gave me a short smile. “As you wish. I will not bring it up again.”
“I’m not a prostitute, you know,” I muttered, slightly disappointed that he had retreated so quickly.
“Of course I know that.” He walked back to his desk and sat down. “You’re just a young girl sowing her oats.”
“I’m not sowing any oats.”
“You’re in the habit of one-night stands?”
“It’s not like that,” I mumbled under my breath. “It is what it is. I made a decision. We had sex. Neither of us complained. Let’s just move on.” It doesn’t matter that I think about you every night.
“You didn’t look like you had moved on in class yesterday.”
“Narcissus,” I said quietly.
“What?” He frowned and looked slightly off-kilter at my change of topic.
“Narcissus,” I said again. “It’s a painting by Caravaggio, done in 1597. It illustrates the Greek myth of Narcissus.”
“What’s the myth?” His eyes stared into mine with a challenge.
“Narcissus was a man who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water.” I paused and gave him a pointed look. “I think it’s a fitting painting for a narcissist.”
“Is that your favorite painting?”
“No. No, it’s not. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it was yours.”
“I see.” He gave me a wide smile and chuckled. “I suppose you bring up this painting to tell me that I am the only one who has been dwelling on our night together. Because I’m the best lover you’ve ever had.”
“Yes, you are dwelling on it,” I mumbled as my face flushed. “And you’re not the best lover I’ve ever had.”
“I don’t believe you. You cannot have forgotten how you cried out my name as our bodies exploded in passion together.”
“It’s like I said, Xavier, you’re a narcissist.”
“Max will be here in a few hours. Perhaps you would like to spend some quality time with him instead?” He sat back angrily.
“Who?”
“Tell me you haven’t forgotten the man you seduced at the museum already.”
“Oh, Max.” I sighed. “I didn’t seduce him at all. You know he was trying to hook up with Anna. Why do you keep trying to make it seem like I was the one who was going to hook up with him?”
“It took little for him to convince you to go back to the room. Just a few drinks, I believe.”
“Whatever, asshole.” I shook my head. “I’m not going to talk about this anymore. You know I only went to accompany Anna. I only had one drink that night.”
“Fine. What painting have you chosen to discuss in class today?”