Trophy Daughter

31 - Just two best friends

FINE i'll update

(SHORT, but need to give something LOL) 

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Nikhil was laughing at me. Not on the outside of course, but I noticed that sparkle of amusement in his eye whenever his gaze caught mine. Why was he so flirty today? Was it because I washed my hair with an overly expensive shampoo?

I blew the whistle for the two men to start throwing punches, and Nikhil immediately went into 'action' mode, deftly twisting around a jab aimed towards his face. The sparring match went on in a flurry of kicks and punches, near-misses almost stopping my heart. If there was one thing the world could count on, it was the fact that Nikhil had an animosity inside him. An animosity that guaranteed fear in whoever his opponents were. An animosity that was exciting for anyone who enjoyed rough- Nevermind. 

It hit four minutes and I blew the whistle again, signalling with my hands to stop the fight. I threw a towel at each of the boys, wondering why my face immediately got hot when Nikhil met my eyes. He stalked right over, seemingly impervious to the avoidance on my face, and leaned over the ropes to stare at me.

"You free tonight?" 

Surpise shocked my eyebrows up. I narrowed my gaze at him, wondering what ploy he had possibly masterminded. 

"We don't have Russian tutoring until tomorrow?"

He held back a sigh and climbed over the ropes, patting his chest down before softening his voice. 

"We aren't going to be tutoring Circe." 

My eyes widened. He wanted a DATE? A DATE? With the mightiest effort I had ever exerted, I stopped myself from jumping up and down. A date with Destructo, hottest storm given life, a Russian monster of a man-

"Circe. " He interrupted my thought stream. 

"A date. Do you want to go on a date?"

I swear this was the most he had ever said within 5 minutes to me. I opened an imaginary book in front of me, scanning through the non-existent appointments before nodding. 

"Sure. I can make it at six. No promises for any earlier." 

He scoffed and then leaned closer to me, a look that I did NOT trust in his beautiful eyes.

"Then I'll just have to take your whole night." 

He walked away then, leaving me standing next to the ring like some sort of Gobsmacked fish. And I knew he did it on purpose, since with every step he flexed a bit more than usual, his shoulders glistening with sweat in the gym's white lights.

Maybe I should wash my hair more often. 

I snapped myself out of my stupor and checked the time. It was four pm, which meant I had two hours to get ready. Or, one hour to procrastinate and then another hour to panic about what to wear. 

What were we even going to do? I grabbed my coat and immediately walked back to the dorm, dropping a quick text to Maria that I had left even though she was probably much to busy right now to reply. I ran up to my room once I got into the house, throwing open my wardrobe and feeling despair bottom out my stomach. 

There was nothing to wear. Only a mass of sweatpants, hoodies, and cargo shorts that I never wore because they made my legs look stumpy. Tears came to my eyes, as they usually do when I felt a never ending pain from no cute clothes. I pulled random clothes out and decided to buck up and wear an all black outfit, with a turtleneck, vinyl pants, boots and an electric green fur coat. The coat was an impulse buy, since I had a thing for neon coloured coats. 

Girly-girly I couldn't do (well, I wanted to but had bought nothing pink in eight years), but an emaciated international spy? I could do that. Sickly girl from the 1800s was my brand. I pulled out a face mask that Maria had bought me, and washed my face before putting it on. 

I put on a podcast and started brushing my hair, pausing when I felt butterflies in my stomach. Butterflies? What was I, 12? 

But then I thought about Nikhil. His gentle hands, his hard gaze, his constant attention, and realised. 

I liked him. 

Like, Liked him, liked him. There was honestly nothing about him that I disliked, nothing about him that I downright hated - and that was a first for me and men. 

I groaned, rolling back onto my bed and lying flat. Liking a man was so not who I was. Enjoying a man, yes, but feeling that lovey-dovey feeling when they looked into your eyes? No way. 

But apparently yes way. 

I took off the face mask and rubbed it in, then took a quick shower before coming back into my room and sitting amongst all the clothes I hadn't bothered to clean up.

If I was going to like a man, at least Nikky would be the best choice. 

I smiled to myself, and let the feelings of warmth run over me. It was a different kind of warmth, something that I wasn't used to. But excitement bubbled over and I let out a little squeal. Nikky and me! Who'da thunk? 

"Circe?" Nikhil's voice came through my door and it took a Godforsaken effort to not throw it open. I instead opened it with a casual flourish, not even attempting to quash my already too-large smile. 

He stood, towering as usual, and I raked my eyes up and down him. Nikhil could dress. And we even matched! He wore a tight black turtlneck, black jeans and a pair of boots that I had never seen before. But it was his face, usually so stern, that got me. 

"Hi Nikky." 

Was my voice really that breathless? 

He took his time perusing my outfit before licking his lips. I felt a hot rush of heat run through me, and I shuddered. God. 

"Let's go, Circe. Tonight it's just you and me." 

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