Trish's POV
Weekend passed like that and before I knew it, it was already Monday and I was at campus. I really felt down the whole time and couldn't stop thinking about the stupid big debt I got myself.
I was still lost in thought when one of the teachers came in and said that our Economics teacher is facing some difficulties and can't make it to school. Bet he got some big debts to pay too. So we were receiving a substitute teacher. Why couldn't they just give us a day off?! I stopped paying attention as I was drawing something and then there was that voice.
" Hello everyone, I'm Tristan Delavega, your substitute for the next couple of days."
My pen dropped. Was I hearing things! It can't be that guy from the cafe, he couldn't possibly be a lecturer. I tried convincing myself as I slowly looked up and yap- it was him,Mr. Hottie and he was looking straight at me. Did the universe hate me that much, how could the person I owe money be my teacher. He would literally target me every chance he gets. This is way too much of a coincidence, how could he be here just right after our encounter. He probably hunted me down and is here for his money.
"Why's the substitute looking at you like that?" Wendy asked.
"What,huh-he's not. You're seeing wrong." I mumbled and bent down to pick my pen.
I feel him moving to the podium but his eyes are definitely still on me. Can't he cut it out, he's giving people the wrong idea.
"Yeah, he's definitely looking at you." Wendy said. "He's not."
I glanced at him when he was not looking and gosh, that face! It should be illegal for anyone to look that good. Well, like they say, looks aren't everything, now look at this guy, gorgeous on the outside but straight up ugly on the inside! I mean who asks a college student for half a million and who stalks them to make sure they don't run off. Ugh, the more I think of it, the more I hate this man. He just turned from my dream guy to my worst nightmare but why does he still look so good. I felt disgusted with myself for still thinking that so I might have used a lot of force to dismantle the face I was just drawing. What got into me to draw him.
" Trish" "Trish" "Trish" Wendy was persistently calling me as I was scribbling on that face.
"What?" I unconsciously sounded louder than I had to that the whole class looked at me.
"Mr. Delavega asked you a question." Wendy whispered. "Huh!"
"Miss Cruz, you seem to have your thoughts everywhere but this class." He said and smirked.
"Trish, how does he know your name?" both Brian and Wendy turned to me. "How am I supposed to know?!"
"Miss Cruz, as your thoughts were busy wondering, us who are actually in here, in the class were talking about scarcity. So we were wondering if you could tell us anything about scarcity?" Mr. Delavega said. Hmph, the attacking's started but I'm not an easy target.
"Scarcity in economics is the fundamental economic problem that arises because people have unlimited wants like new expensive suits yet they already have more than they count but limited resources just like a college student. It's the idea that we can't have everything we want for example expensive new suits because resources are limited and by that I mean not everyone can have half a million at disposal. This means we have to make choices about how to use the little that we have and yet some other people just don't give you the chance to have a choice." I made my answer very personal.
"Excellent. You clearly understood this concept but forgot to apply the account of accountability. For example if a person is going on in their own business and some clumsy person bumps into them completely covering their suit with coffee, isn't it only right for this person to be accountable and pay for the suit." Mr. Delavega wasn't letting it slide.
"Yeah but only if she can afford it and if the man is not some multi millionaire who owns a tonne of suits and probably wouldn't wear what she buys." I said.
" So tell me this Cruz do you want him to let her go without her being accountable for her mistake." He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That's not what I'm saying."
"Glad you understand, so back to the lesson-" he said completely dismissing me.
"Are you sure you don't know each other?"Wendy asked and I gave her an angry stare.
I don't know how the rest of the class went cause I stopped listening as I was busy cursing him in my mind.
All of my lectures for the day had ended so I was busy looking for Wendy and Brian when I walked past a group of people who are talking about the so-called Mr.Hot substitute and they said something like he was Mr. Delavega,the CEO of the Delavega group and I almost stumbled over nothing because how on earth could I owe such a wealthy man money. I heard Wendy calling me from a far and I saw her making her way to me with Brian. We were heading out of campus when we saw Mr. Delavega leaning against his car and looking so hot doing it. He looked like he was waiting for someone and when he saw us he stood up straight and walked up to us." Miss.Cruz, may I talk to you please, alone?" he said to me.
In my mind I was thinking that he wants the money now and behind me were Brian and Wendy waiting for an explanation which I couldn't give them now so I decided to go with him. I told them that I'd see them tomorrow and they should go on without me. I turned back to Mr.Delavega and asked him "what do you want." He looked at me and said,"Get in."
I said ,"Excuse me I'm not going anywhere with you." but he ignored me and opened the passenger door showing me that he was serious and wasn't taking no for an answer so I opened the back seat door and as I was about to get in, he asked,"what are you doing?"
"I'm getting in."I said. He closed the back seat door and said,"I ain't your driver so there's no way I'm letting you sit in the back and me at the front." I mumbled some words he couldn't hear and got in then he closed the door came in and started the car.
Tristan's POV
After meeting Trish I couldn't stop thinking about her so I asked Greg to look for some information about her and he gave me some files which I took home. Before I could even open the files I had a knock at my door and on opening it was Trevor .
"What do you want?" I asked.
"I just wanted to eat your cooking." he said "Can't you cook?" " Yeah but not as well as you. Please, it's only for tonight." He said pushing himself in.
He walked straight to the couch and saw the files and before I could stop him he opened them." Look what we've got here !" He read the info.
"She's pretty,she my sister-in-law?!" he said.I coughed sarcastically and snutched the files from him.
"It's none of your business."I said but he continued to tease me. I simply made him his food and kicked him out.Once he left I opened the file and read through. I noticed that she studies at the college I've taught before and she's majoring in economics which I specialize in. I only used to take lectures when it was a do or die situation but now I'm going to take one. This oughta be interesting.
It was Monday and according to Trish's schedule she has economics today but we might have a little problem with that lecturer but it's nothing I can't handle. I asked Greg to give that economics teacher a huge some of money he couldn't refuse to go for a vacation with his family and to tell the administration that something came up and he had to go and deal with it but he had already found a substitute teacher which is me. A lot of people may say I'm cunning and devious but it doesn't matter because I must get what I want by any means possible. I entered the class and the first thing I saw was Trish's beautiful face focused on something before she looked my way and was obviously shocked to see me,she looked really cute though.She completely mesmerized me that I couldn't keep my eyes off her. I started the lecture but my eyes kept on darting towards her but she seemed not to be paying attention so I asked her a question and surprisingly she answered well too well in fact. After the lecture,I was waiting around in my car till Trish's lectures were done since I'm not teaching any other class but hers. Once it was evening I waited by the school gate for her to come by so I could talk to her but then she came in with her friends including that little man who for some reason I just don't like. He's way too close to my girl. Luckily she dismissed them so I had her all to myself.
It was awkwardly silent in the car with none of us talking so I decided to be the bigger person and start a conversation before she thought I was boring. I asked how the lessons for the day were and she just answered with they were okay then silence again. I continued driving and since I made a little research on the routes to Trish's, apartment I took the turn to the longer route because I wanted to spend more time with her.
"Why are you driving that way, I told you to keep going straight." she said.
"Isn't it still the way to your house?" I said. "It is but it's much longer than the other one." she answered.
" Well then that means you should get comfortable because the ride is going to be long." I said with a smirk. She kept quiet and looked at me slightly angry but I secretly grinned at that. I drove like for about 20 more minutes and it was already night and I felt that I couldn't take it anymore I really needed to talk to her and hear her sweet voice so I stopped the car at the roadside. I thought of a good idea to get her nearer to me. I turned to her.
" Look the reason I wanted to talk to you was to ask you if you if you had found a possible solution to help getting the money." I said .Upon hearing this she snapped," How could you ask such a question so soon. I just offended you in the weekend, it's been literally two days and you expect me to come up with the money! I'm still studying for crying out loud and I have needs to meet-" she was still going on and on but at that moment I stopped listening all I was doing was just seeing her lips moving. The lips that I so badly wanted to capture. It was as if time had stopped and it was just the two of us in the universe. I kept on staring at those pink juicy lips that were moving nonstop until she tapped me and called out," Mr.Delavega, are you even listening to me cuz it feels like you didn't hear what I just said.I can repeat that if that's the case." She started again and I stopped her from talking by placing my finger on her lips to shush her. She kept on looking at my finger then my face,my finger then my face indicating for me to take my hands off her lips. I removed my finger .
" I'm sorry. I just wanted to tell you that I can offer you a job in my company after you graduate. We really pay a high salary and we'll be needing your services." I said
" And you expect me to believe that! Cause that's not how things work, I spilled coffee on your suit and I owe you half a million dollars and then now you want to offer me a job?! Do I look like a fool to you?" she burst out.
"Come on, Trish that's not what I'm saying." I said. " Then what are you saying cuz I don't get you. You can't offer me a job right after I owe you that much money you could literally just excuse me from that debt you know since we both know you don't need my money nor my suit." she said.
" Well, if you have a better way of getting the money please share cause like I said in the class, you'll have to be accountable for your mistake."I said and she went quiet.
" I won't add anything to that but just think about my offer." I said.
"What's the job about?"she asked. " It's being my personal assistant." "Assistant! How could I tell that you don't want me to be your personal maid instead of personal assistant." she said.
" I need a PA not a maid and I can assure you I have enough maids so I wouldn't want any other. So just think about it and change that corrupt way you think about me. I'm not that bad." I said and started the car.
" So what does your PA do?" she asked.
"You just help me with my office work and sometimes my personal affairs meaning you won't be doing any cleaning and stuff-" " But-"she was about to interrupt me again but I didn't let her. "How about you first think about it then we'll talk when you've decided". I drove the rest of the journey to her apartment and left once he was in.
Trish's POV
After Mr.Delavega dropped me at my apartment I just wanted to forget all about that conversation so I turned on my phone to check on some updates in the entertainment circle and hope to go sleep but I found many missed calls and messages from Wendy and Brian. I called them back on a group call and Wendy started on point without beating around the bush,"Trish, do you know our new hot substitute teacher personally or wait-wait- is he your boyfriend? " Eww, no way I could never fall in love with that guy even if he's the last man on earth I will never no matter what circumstances." I answered.
" Then who is he to you?" Brian asked.
"He is just some nobody that I accidentally spilled coffee on but wants me to pay him half a million dollars for replacement and shows up wherever I am, trying to remind me that I owe him money and now he just offered me a job at his company as his personal assistant,like can you believe it!" I said irritated.
"Whoa,whoa, slow down. What do you mean you owe him half a million." Brian said.
"Ugh, forget that. Did you just say he offered you a job at the Delavega group, like thee Delavega!?" Wendy said.
"Yeah but I'm going to turn it down." I said. "What- what do you mean turn it down!? Are you crazy?! Opportunities like that come once and if you turn it down where on earth are you gonna get the money to pay that debt. Come on, use your brain,honey." Wendy screamed out.
"Yeah,Trish what are you thinking huh? You won't be able to come up with that kind of money even if you sold yourself. Besides this is thee Delavega group of companies we're talking about here that even the cleaners earn more money than you can ever earn even if you work your butt off for 5 months, in just a month. With that kind of salary you will be able to pay him within a year since you have to pay rent and buy other necessities I say you take it for your own good."Brian said. "Yes, you should take it."
"Guys,I know the offer and the salary are quite tempting but I just can't stand that guy whenever I see that cute innocent but devious face of his my blood starts to boil and whenever he wants to act nice I just can't help but think of him as a hypocrite and plus you never know that he may mistreat me or he just wants to keep an eye on me to make sure that I will not just run off after the graduation as the saying goes 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer'" I told them.
"Now you're just exaggerating even if what you said is true, you are smart and sharp-minded that you can't fall into his traps. In other words, deal with him before he deals with you. I say you should take the job but be cautious around him and let him fall into his own traps." Wendy said.
"Yeah take the job and show him that you can't be pushed around." Brian said.
"I'll think about it but mostly I think I will take it. I guess I'll just take the job, show him who's boss over my life, get my salary and shove the money in his face then I'll have nothing to do with him anymore." I said
"That's my girl .Okay guys I got to go." Wendy said." Catch ya later." Brian and I said.
"I guess I got to go to but Trish think about it coz we aren't forcing you into anything." Brian said. "Yeah, I know ".
"Okay,bye." He hang up.
I fell on my bed thinking about it, should I take it or not.