Chapter Four
826 Words
In the quiet hush of the morning, Ava remained sound asleep, oblivious to the world as Emily quietly got dressed and left for her classes.
The night before had unfolded into the early morning hours, with Ava and Emily engaging in a marathon of conversation after returning from the bar. The desire to unravel the layers of their lives had kept them immersed in dialogue, forging a bridge of connection within the shared space of their university room.
Their late-night conversation had set the stage for a burgeoning friendship, a narrative that promised to unfold with each passing day within the walls of their shared living space.
As Emily briskly made her way to her finance class, the anticipation of the first lecture filled her with a sense of purpose. She took a seat, preparing for the academic engagement ahead, when her eyes were drawn to an unexpected sight – the bouncer from the bar, seated just a few rows away.
A shared moment of surprise unfolded as their eyes met, and to Emily's amazement, he offered a warm smile in recognition.
As Professor Wellington entered the lecture hall, his presence interrupted Emily's contemplation, redirecting her focus to the academic setting.
The shuffle of papers and the hushed whispers subsided as the professor took the podium and began introducing the finance course.
Emily's attention shifted from the surprising encounter with the bouncer to the professor as he started writing on a white board behind him.
The lecture ended an hour later and Professor Wellington excused himself from the hall while the new students gathered their books and tablets.
"Hi," Emily looked up to the bouncer who was now standing in front of her seat.
"Hi," she replied.
"I saw you yesterday," he reminded her. "At the bar."
"How could I forget?" Emily replied. "Our knight in shining armour that saved us from drunk Chad who wanted to sit with us even when we didn't want his company."
"There are quite a lot of guys like Chad in places like that," he replied. "The name is Alex, Alex Nolan."
"Emily Ross," Emily took his outstretched hand in hers. It was surprisingly soft for a man who moonlighted as a bouncer. "So freshman at the university by day and bouncer by night. You're a local I presume?"
"No," Alex replied. "New Yorker. I came in a few weeks to get my things ready and found out they needed a bouncer at the bar after the last one quit. Could do with the extra cash."
"That's quite interesting," Emily got to her feet and started leaving the hall.
Alex followed closely. "So do you mind if we talked a bit?"
"About what?"
"I'll like to get to know you Emily Ross," Alex said. Emily's heart missed a beat. She didn't know how to react. "You seem like a very interesting person to know."
"How do you mean?"
"I don't know how to place it," Alex replied as they walked. "But there was something about you that caught my attention throughout your stay at the bar last night and even after you left. I didn't expect to see you so soon."
"Neither did I," Emily replied. "We could talk later. Give me you number and I'll call you."
Alex tore a piece of paper from his notepad and scribbled his phone number on it. He handed it to her.
"Hope to see you later," he said.
"We'll have another lecture tomorrow," Emily replied. "We'll be seeing a lot of each other."
Alex smiled at her. A brief wave accompanied his departure, and with purposeful steps, he walked away towards the direction of the male hostels.
Ava was just waking up when Emily rushed into the room.
"Guess who I just saw now?" Emily asked Ava.
"The bouncer at the bar last night."
"How did you know?"
"It's obvious," Ava replied. "He's the only person who know in common and with the excitement written all over your face, the only person I know who can do cause that."
"You're right," Emily nodded.
"So what happened?"
"He's a student here," Emily replied. "We're in the same course. I saw him in the lecture hall today and he said he wanted to get to know me better. Even gave me his number."
"Ok," Ava waved her over to sit beside her. "Start from the beginning, start downloading your encounter with the bouncer."
Filled with excitement, Emily poured out the details of her encounter with Alex to Ava, who was now wide-awake and listening intently.
"So when are you going to call him?"
"I don't know," Emily said. "I wanted to tell you first."
"You like him?"
"I think I do," Emily replied slowly. "I definitely like him."
"Then call him and set up your first date," Ava said.
"Right now?"
"No better time than the present," Ava said.
"Alright," Emily said as she took out phone and punched the numbers on the screen.
- Writer
