Teach Me To Love

Chapter 4

Besides love, finding a seat to sit between hundreds of students in the lunchroom was Suzanne's hardest task. Allison Woodland, one of her best friend, stood next to her working just as hard, as their eyes scanned the area like hawks on the hunt.

"Anne, do you think we should go get our eyes checked?" Allison asked suddenly.

"What is wrong with you? I just want to eat. I don't know about you, but my eyes are perfectly fine," Suzanne said.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you. There is a table with only Thomas in the middle of the room and we didn't see it before. For heavens sake, it's in the middle!" Allison exclaimed.

Sure enough when Suzanne looked to the middle of the room, she caught sight of the almost vacant table. Instinctively she raised three fingers up to her eyes to see if they were blurred, in case the doctor had forgotten to mention something wrong with her eyes too.

"Did you know Thomas liked you since freshman year?" Allison inquired.

"I can't remember that, did I like him as well?"

"You never did, but things are different for you now," Allison said wisely. "You know apart from his looks, Thomas is intelligent, athletic, funny and a true gentleman," Allison enlightened.

"That's nice, but I can't imagine being with him," Suzanne related honestly as they made their way towards the table, with their lunch in tow. Thomas lived up to his reputation as a true gentleman and stood to greet them. "Allison," he acknowledged.

Allison smiled at him. "Hey, Tom."

"Suzanne," he acknowledged her as well and his gaze held hers almost hopefully.

"Thomas," Suzanne greeted and smiled politely, then she sat and stared at the burger and fries before her with hearts in her eyes, when the scent drifted upward. Her stomach growled in anticipation and she began to devour the delicacy only moments later, ignoring Thomas and Allison's conversation unless they requested her input.

"Oh, no. He's staring at you!" Allison burst out, then she let out a groan.

"Who is?" Suzanne asked clueless.

"Lenard Valentin," Allison informed. Thomas's face changed from open to annoyed at the name, while Suzanne's facial expression displayed her lack of recognition.

"Wait, you don't rem--know who Lenard Valentin is? Just don't turn around now," Allison advised.

Having it being brought to her attention by Allison, Suzanne could feel an unrelenting burning gaze behind her head, silently commanding her to turn around. It took much willpower on her part to disobey it and suppress the urge to cast a quick glance at the offender.

"Why is he looking at me like that?" Suzanne whispered.

"Let's just hope its not for the reason he usually looks at girls like that," Allison said, with her face grim.

"And what is that?" Suzanne asked.

"It means that he just found his flavor of the week," Allison responded.

"Oh," Suzanne said, in surprise at the discovery and without a glimpse at his face, she mentally placed a red 'X' next to anyone named Lenard Valentin. Hoping with everything in her she would remember that he was danger for her. There was no way she would ever date him, not after her new found knowledge.

Allison took a sharp intake of breath which brought Suzanne out of her reverie. Only moments later a hand lightly tapped on Suzanne's shoulder and lingered much longer than necessary. Unexpected heat began to spread through her body at the simple touch and Suzanne turned around quickly to find out who those hands belonged to.

Her eyes met dark ones focused solely on her face. Their swirling depths drank her in with an intensity that almost made her forget the simple art of breathing. The fine male specimen before her, was the same one she could recall ogling at earlier and he looked so much better up close.

"Can I have a word with you outside?" he asked.

"Who are you?" Suzanne inquired slowly, as her eyes examined him in admiration.

Their was no hiding the shock on his face at the question. "You don't know who I am?"

He spoke once more and Suzanne listened to the baritone of his voice. It was husky and unbelievably sexy; a sound she could get used to hearing all day. She blinked rapidly when she realized that he was waiting for her answer.

"Do you believe I would have you asked if I did?" Suzanne threw back thoughtlessly.

"Fiery aren't you, sweetheart. I am Lenard Valentin, now can I speak with you outside?" he asked once more.

Lenard Valentin? Suzanne's mood changed the second she heard the name and she narrowed her eyes at him. She was definitely not going anywhere alone with him.

"No," she said and waved her right arm at him dismissively.

"Really?" Lenard asked dumbfounded.

"Did you not hear me the first time?"

"You really don't know who I am do you?" Lenard reiterated.

"I have heard about you and I am not interested," Suzanne said curtly.

Lenard laughed shortly. "You don't know what I want to talk to you about, sweetheart."

"With your reputation I bet I am on the right train of thoughts. I just made your job easier by giving you my answer beforehand," Suzanne said.

Lenard smiled at Suzanne, not one of dismay of his obvious rejection, but one full of light and challenge. Suzanne watched entranced, as his face transformed from sculpted beauty to living perfection.

"Well this is interesting - a challenge. You should know though, I am not one to give up easily. No, I don't give up at all. See you soon, sweetheart." Lenard said, then he turned and strolled away.

"Who does he think he is?" Suzanne asked in annoyance as she watched him depart.

"A player looking for a roll in the hay with someone new," Allison pointed out the obvious.

Suzanne returned to her lunch and pushed the food around her plate, angry that someone who looked that good had to be a womanizer. There was only so much her lunch could take, until the fries decided to escape her torture by rolling out of the plate. She was left with a whiff of purely masculine scent in the air and her mind conjured up all the words she would spew out at Lenard Valentin, if he ever came to speak with her again.