The Mathematician (Book 1)

16. Naked Truth

His tired eyes smiled up at me, and with a simple hand-movement, he opened his drawer. "In that case, I guess you better get started." Pulling up the seventh and last assignment, he laid it down on his desk and pushed it slowly towards me. "Best of luck."

I breathed out deeply, but then sucked in a fresh breath and grabbed the folder. I could do this. I would do this.

"Thank you," I looked up at Harry and smiled softly. I hoped he could hear the sincerity behind my words. Because short of letting the actual tears fall, this was the best I could show it. "Really. Thank you."

He gave a slow nod, merely smiling at me. But I knew, he understood.

And that's why with a grin, I spun on my foot and ran up to my room to get cracking on the last assignment.

My last week.

~~~

I bit my lip as I walked down the stairs, holding on to the rails for once. With the heels I was wearing, one could break an ankle just leaning on the wrong hip.

The last couple of days, I had been working hard on the last assignment, which turned out to be a real bitch. I had even spent one night screaming into my pillow in frustration as I had been trying to wrap my head around what he was trying to teach me. I wasn't giving up, but it was proving to test my limits, though.

But this morning, I was feeling frisky and giddy, and I knew exactly why as I walked up to Harry's study, a mischievous smirk on my lips.

Something had occurred to me this morning, as I had come out of the shower and gone through my clothes to find an outfit for the day. It was then I had stumbled upon something that had made my naughty side wake up(not to be mistaken with my dirty side). It was that same something that had inspired the idea I was currently going through with, which was why with a last wry lip, I bit it down and then knocked on his door for the first time in weeks.

Hearing his call to enter, I twisted the door knob and stepped in, expecting the same I was used to; Harry sitting behind his desk. And that he did.

I wasn't even angry when he didn't look up. For once, this was how I needed it. He was staring into a book on his desk, hand resting in his chin with his glasses sitting sloped on his nose as he read. He turned a page and seemed to be tiredly reading whatever had caught his morning interest.

But his interest was hopefully about to be challenged.

"Good morning," I chirped enthusiastically, walking in and closing the door behind me. "Slept well?"

His reply was a somewhat coherent grunt, just as he sipped his cup of tea, keeping his eyes on his text. "What can I do for you, Cassandra?"

I guess we'll see, I silently thought and felt my smirk come back as I walked up besides him and joined him by his desk. He still didn't lift his eyes as I placed a hand on his shoulder and rubbed a tense muscle. "Not much... well, actually, there was one thing I was wondering."

Finally, after what seemed like forever, he finally spun his head towards me and looked up. I took a step back and couldn't help but let out a laugh as his eyes then fell to me and watched the way his jaw locked tightly in reaction.

Oh, girls just really loved to have fun.

Smirking slowly as he looked me up and down with a purse of his lips, I placed my hands on my hips and lifted a brow. "So? What do you think?"

His eyes finally lifted to mine, after using a whole moment to stare at my outfit. Then, with a bored voice, he drawled; "I think you are enjoying yourself tremendously right now."