Promising student and avid reader, Zahra Calimeris, attends a book club where she meets Romero Vitale; A judicious professor and bibliophilic aesthete.
book 1 | ongoing
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"YOU DIRTY LITTLE bitch," Adanya greeted me as I walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning to you too, Adanya," I replied, my fingers in my hair, undoing my braid from the night before.
Adanya was seated at the marble island, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. She stood up, her ebony curls bouncing with the swift movement.
"Care to explain this?" she said, waving a white envelope at me.
"You know it's a crime to read other people's mail, right?" I teased, trying to deflect her attention from the letter.
"Don't try to change the subject," she countered, her tone determined. "But, speaking of subjects, have you heard about the new law professor? I only caught a glimpse of him in the faculty office, but I overheard some girls talking about his family's ties to a multi-million-dollar company..."
I nodded, politely listening as she continued her enthusiastic musings. Meanwhile, I moved to grab the glass of iced coffee she had brought me. Her love language was providing with me the energy burst I needed to keep up with her this early in the morning.
"Now, back to you, my sweet little Zahra," she said, her smirk sly but playful. She was waving the letter again. "Are you fucking him?"
I choked on my sip of coffee. "What? No" I exclaimed.
"You're not?" She looked slightly disappointed. "Then why is he sending you letters to meet with him?"
"It's nothing," I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "He just wants me to accompany him to some events."
"And you agreed because..." she trailed off, still skeptical.
"I owe him," I admitted.
"You owe him," she repeated, her tone serious. "You're not being forced to do something, are you?"
"We have to go, we're going to be late," I said, avoiding the topic.
"Zahra," Adanya persisted. "I need to know what's going on. What kind of arrangement are you referring to?"
"Just a few events I agreed to accompany this man to," I said, trying to keep my tone light. "That's all. Don't worry about it."
"Is this about the book club you were excited about?"
"Kind of," I said.
Adanya studied me for a few seconds, looking for signs that I might be lying.
"I'm not convinced," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I know you too well. You're hiding something from me. What did you do to owe him?"
I sighed, knowing I couldn't avoid the topic anymore. "It's just a favor, okay? He helped me with my car and I agreed to repay the favor by going to these events with him. I'm not in any trouble, Ad. Trust me."
