Meet Me by Dawn (By Dawn series book 1) ✓

Chapter 9

"Can you fix it?" she asked.

"Yes, I will fix it now," he sighed. She lowered her shoulders, and then, to my surprise, turned fully towards me. She reminded me of an animal remembering there was one more prey left to slaughter. She lifted her sunglasses and eyed my car, then a smile spread on her full lips.

"The name is Dana Mikaelson. I'm the moody bitch you'll hate in a few," she grinned, giving me a wave as she walked past me and looked at the car.

"Emilia Dandelion, and I like moody bitches," I replied with a humorless laugh.

"I like you," she pointed at me, "and your car, damn." Dana took a step back and rounded it, pointing a finger, she said, "You have a scratch... right there."

"I'm well aware," I muttered. "Some douche ran his keys along it at one of my stops in Dark Falls. He tried to chat me up at a gas station. You've got to love rejected men, don't you?"

"What in the bloody murderous," she gasped, horrified. "You should have punched him."

"I did," I said, showing my bruised knuckles, which earned me another approving look from the moody bitch.

"Remind me not to get on either of your bad sides," Atticus drawled as he stepped up to my shoulder, catching my hand in his and studying the blue marks. A strange flicker went through my body at the unexpected touch. Dana only smirked from where she stood, eyeing us as if she were plotting one of our demises, or both.

"Are you joining us for dinner on Friday, Emilia?" Dana was the one who asked. I glanced at Atticus. He was now with his back to us, fixing her car, while we hung back, leaning on the front of my car.

"No, she refuses to date me," Atticus said loud enough for everyone to hear. I let out a laugh.

"Are you not a student?" Dana frowned, looking me up and down.

"Yes, I am," I replied, questioning.

"Literature," Atticus added, then Dana burst out laughing.

"First year?" she asked. I nodded. Another laugh escaped her lips. Atticus glanced over his shoulder, grinning, and we looked at each other as if we had some big secret. I knew their little friend Henry Salvatore would be my professor for the first two semesters, but I didn't understand the humor.

"What?" I asked.

"Please join us for dinner this Friday. If you don't want to date Atticus, please come as my new friend," Dana said, tugging at my arm. It was one week before the semester began, a good time to get a good look at my mysterious, possibly dangerous professor.

"What time?"

"At six, and I will pick you up," Atticus mumbled nonchalantly as he switched tools, giving me a boyish grin. Alright then, I was going to dinner.

"It's settled," Dana said, pleased. "He is going to have a fit."

"Most definitely," Atticus replied as he gathered some tools from the wall, then strode back to Dana's car with such precision.

"Who?" I asked.

"Professor Salvatore," Dana drawled. "The guy doesn't fraternize even if his life depends on it."

"Really?" I muttered, looking at the heavily dark forest that surrounded the lot. "I'll try to get on his good side then."

Dana laughed. "Don't get your hopes up. He's moodier and broodier than me, and he 'hmmms' a lot," she said, probably doing an imitation of the man. I could handle broody and moody; I had handled much worse in my line of work, even coworkers who acted like nightmares – some were just plain sadists, in the best way possible, that is.