Damaged Beyond Repair (Student/ Teacher) ✔️

Chapter 22- Rowan

     I took a deep breath and counted to ten.

No. Rowan, it's not helping.

I had put up the cool guy facade in front of Alana and even agreed to go out with her friends; I'd be kidding myself if I said I wasn't shit nervous. It was all because I wanted to please her and when I'd seen her happy slash excited face, I couldn't turn that offer down.

I'm not a loner and definitely not an introvert but I'd been teaching these kids for a while now and facing them outside of university without a professor tag on my collar was almost like walking around stripped naked. I knew for a fact that if I'd discussed with Alana, she'd be kind enough to go with the FLOW and go with the FLOW for me equated not hanging out with her friends.

  I'd taken my time to dress up, gone all the way and spent an hour switching t-shirts. I wanted to look great, even younger because making a good impression topped my list of agendas for the day; I wanted them to know that we were meant to be. Alana was riding in Chez's car and since girls spent more time to get all dolled up, they were going to be late which was good for me. I parked the Rover across the street and waited as I turned on the air-conditioner.

"Daddy, Where are we?" Minnie asked me from the back seat.

"We're going to eat pizza with Alana's friends."

Minnie beamed at me at the mention of Alana's name, "Bunny iz comin?"

I nodded. In the short span of time that I'd known Alana, I was glad Minnie had come to like her so much.  Just when I was ready to kill the engine, I noticed a black Dodge charger pull into the parking lot. Fuck, I didn't even know what Chez drove. As soon as I saw the beefy guy's head blob out of the car, I stepped out of mine, picked up Minnie and made my way towards the restaurant entrance.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Alana, she wore a red slim fit lace dress, a little too short for my liking and DAMN the low cut was pulling the wrong strings, my insides were curling into balls. That clothing company should be shut down for even making woman wear such a thing. She looked too hot and I had to dwell on the idea of hauling her ass on my shoulder and making a run towards my car.

Get it under control, Rowan.

She smiled at me nervously; probably uncomfortable with the way my eyes lingered on her dress for too long. I'm pretty darn sure Nina talked her into wearing it; I had to put up with it without making a scene which I'm a pro at. Nina and Chez were busy eye-torturing me, I get it. It was either they hadn't seen me in a t-shirt before or I looked like an old hag. I was rooting for the former.

"Hey, what's up? Long time no see."

What the fuck am I saying? Do kids these days say 'what's up' anymore?

Chez broke from the trance and offered me a hand shake, "Sir, it is so nice of you to join us for dinner."

"Don't be so formal, Chez; I'm no longer your professor so you can call me Rowan." Chez gave my hand a tight squeeze, almost sucking the life out of it. The paranoia was beginning to sink in.

"Rowan." He nodded uncertainly.

I turned to Nina, "Hi Gorgeous."

"Sir."

That was an impulse; she was clearly still intimidated by me. I wouldn't blame her for that, considering the amount of times she'd been deep fried in my office, she was being a sport, "Call me Rowan, I insist."

When we were done with short introductions, we made our way inside the restaurant which was packed because of the weekend. I placed my hand on Alana's small back as I led her in, "You look beautiful."