Second Rendezvous

What? He was the new lecturer here? This must be kidding!

I tried to cover my face so that he wouldn't notice and recognize me. However, his gaze kept falling on me, making me uncomfortable.

There was nothing else I could do but run away from this place, but it couldn't happen right now since my best friend was sitting beside me.

"You see? He's the man I wanted to introduce you to, Clara. Look at him... he's so handsome and sexy, right? Perfect for you." my best friend nudged me with her elbow, looked at me, and then Doctor John Armando. "You guys are very compatible."

"No, we're not. We're not compatible. Forget about you and your boyfriend's plan because I have no interest in that man," I replied in a half-whisper. However, I lied. Who wouldn't want to be a companion to a man like him?

"Hmm... really? But I see your face is flushed right now. Does that mean you're being-"

I got up, didn't wait for my best friend to finish her sentence, hurried to grab my bag, and left the room. Even when the lecturer who had spent the night with me called out, I no longer cared.

I had to get out of this place as soon as possible.

I quickened, even though I knew the man would never catch up. I had trouble finding my car in the parking lot, so I had to work extra hard to remember exactly where I had parked it.

Having just turned around, someone was already standing behind me and nearly knocked me over.

"Clara? What are you doing here? Don't you have any classes scheduled?" the man in front of me asked. Stupidly, I replied with a shake. "Well then, that's good. Come with me! I have something for you."

He pulled my hand towards his car, which was parked not far from where I was standing. He took something from the dashboard and handed it to me—a box.

"What's this?"

"Open it when you get home." The man smiled with a mischievous leer and waved goodbye. Before long, his car sped away from the campus parking lot, and I was still stunned on the spot, looking at the object in my hand.

What made him give me a gift? And his attitude, why was it so indifferent? Whereas he would usually kindly invite me to drop by his apartment.

This man wasn't Doctor John Armando. He was another man I've known for the past few years. He was one of the many men who were quite close to me and the one who always revolved around me. However, it seemed that this story was not about this man or any other man but Doctor John Armando. Because right after this other man's departure, he was already in front of me.

"You're the girl," Doctor Armando said, looking at me quizzically. This meant he recognized me from the cafeteria earlier.

"Yeah ... we met in the cafeteria, and you didn't seem to recognize me," I replied.

"Oh, that's..." Again, Doctor Armando laughed, which was a treat for my ears. "Oh, sorry, one second. I have a phone call."

He was then busy with the flat object he had placed in his ear while I waited like a fool for him to finish talking to someone. The caller must be very special to make him smile like that.

I decided to end the conversation with Doctor Armando and turned to leave. Other things seemed more important. A message from my best friend made my forehead furrow.

[Go to class immediately. Important!]

I hurriedly left to head to class, and when I got there, several students gathered as if they were crowding around something. I was stunned when I managed to break through the crowd. My best friend was there, lying unconscious.

"What happened to her?" I asked, rushing towards her. "Jenna! Wake up, Jenna! You guys help me get her to the car!"

A man, one of the students, prepared to carry Jenna, but he didn't because of the arrival of another man who quickly picked her up and rushed her to the car.

I didn't have time to process the incident because I was worried about Jenna's condition. I just followed the man's lead and got into the car, which he quickly drove to the hospital.

***

I waited anxiously, pacing back and forth as I didn't hear from the doctor examining Jenna's condition inside. My heart kept beating irregularly. Never once had I seen Jenna so weak and pale. Did she not finish her lunch earlier?

"What happened to her?" asked a man who had just appeared. "Is she okay?"

"I-I don't know, Doc. I was planning to go home first, but Jenna sent me a message while I was in the parking lot. And when I arrived at where she was, she was already like this." I started to feel claustrophobic and was unable to support my legs until they almost sagged to the floor. However, a pair of arms swiftly supported me.

"I got you! Come on, sit here," he said, wrapping an arm around me and guiding me to sit on a bench not far from where we were. He handed me a water bottle and ensured I drank it.

I accepted and took a sip, and then when I finally lifted my face, our eyes met. "Thanks, Doc."

I tried to avoid Doctor Armando's gaze, which seemed to show sympathy for me. Of course, he must have known that I was Jenna's best friend. He was Jenna's boyfriend's best friend. It was complicated, but that's how it was.

"Why are you here, John?" asked Jenna's boyfriend, whose expression was complicated for me to read.

"I'm dropping off Jenna, my student. And... your student, too, if I'm not mistaken."

The man in the neat white coat nodded and glanced at the room where Jenna was being treated. He looked so in love with Jenna, which often made me jealous. I wanted someone to love me that much, too.

"You're so pale. You'd better go home and rest. Don't let yourself get sick thinking about your best friend. Come on, I'll take you home." Doctor Armando suddenly stood before me and was about to grab me to take me back home as he said.

"No, Doc. I'll stay here until Jenna regains consciousness." I refused.

"I'll ensure you're the first to get the news when she wakes up. Come on. Don't be stubborn."

This time, I couldn't argue. The look on his face and his orders were so stern that it was hard for me to resist. I just followed his wide stride to the car.

"Please just take me back to campus. I left my car there."

"How could you drive alone?"

Why does he care? I'm just the girl he slept with that night, a student and a stranger.

Please don't pay attention to me like that, John Armando, because I might cling to you.

"I'm fine, Doc. I'm just a little shocked. Please. I have a lot of things to do. Without a vehicle, it will be very inconvenient," I argued. He sighed, but a moment later, he nodded in agreement, and here we were—in the campus parking lot.

Doctor Armando slowed the car down, and after thanking him, I quickly got out and sped home after discovering the whereabouts of my car.

I was momentarily stunned when I realized I'd forgotten something when I arrived home. I reached into my bag but couldn't find what was supposed to be there.

Where was it? Did I forget it in class? Or in the car...?

Crap!