"Dismal
work on the essays, remember if you want to go on the trip at the end
of the year you have to be at the top of the class"
Stated
professor Salmalin at the end of class on Thursday. Crap thought
Daine I really need to pass this class. As she was making to leave
she was called over to the front of the room by Salmalin, as he
cleaned up some papers she took the opportunity to examine him
realizing she hadn't once in the three years he had taught her! He
was tall, VERY tall, with coal black hair pulled back in a ponytail,
dark eyes, and a good tan, Daine could see how he had become an
object of attention for a majority of the women at the college, staff
and student alike. He was the youngest of the professors about
twenty-eight.
"Professor?"
Daine stated when she realized that he was focusing on one of the
papers that he had been cleaning up. He looked up startled "Oh
yes of course, I wanted to compliment you on your paper, it was very
good."
He flashed a smile exposing white teeth. "Keep up
the good work and you'll be going to South America in no time!"
Daine looked up "South America."
He paled "oops,
um, that's where we're going this year but, um, none of the students
are supposed to know until last quarter, so just don't tell anyone
okay?" He gave a nervous smile. "Sure thing professor."
Walking
down a street after work Daine was thinking about the trip to South
America. It would be amazing to go there to study the wildlife! Then
she remembered the side cost of the trip and her spirits fell, she
would never be able to afford it. Daine gave a depressed sigh and
decided to take a shortcut home, halfway through the alleyway she was
slammed against a wall and felt a knife pressed against her throat.
"
Ah, Verilidaine it's such a lovely name I don't see why you don't use
it"
Said a male voice.
"What do you want?" She
asked through clenched teeth.
"The money, of course"
"you'll
have it by the end of the month"
"you have a
week"
"you'll have the money"
"Right, just
making sure were on the same page"
With that he ran off into
the city.
Daine stood in the same place for several minutes before
heading home.
Numair Salmalin left his office after another late night of work and had begun walking to the bus station, he of course had a car but preferred to walk most of the time; he began thinking of his career. Numair of course liked his job, very much, but the students were rather much to deal with at times. Their rich, privileged lives in which they were never told they couldn't have something. He knew for a fact that most of them picked animal behavior because they thought it would be a very easy major in which they could breeze through and then go to Miami to live in a condo off their parents money. Well they're in for a rude awakening when their parents' stop giving them money, if they stop; Numair thought as he boarded the bus. One student had seemed genuinely interested though, miss Sarrasri, no doubt telling all her friends about the destination of that years trip at some party right now, then again she did seem different maybe he was being too hard on her. He sat contemplating this as he reached his stop and got off the bus to walk the rest of the way home.
Daine
was rubbing her neck gently, as it was now quite sore, when she heard
a knock on the door. She went to answer the door and was greeted by
the gruff appearances of her Landlord.
"Rent"
"Not
due till tomorrow"
"will you have it?"
"of
course"
He gave her a disbelieving look "I will ok?"
She
said as she slams the door and goes to change her clothes for her
next job.
"At least I hope I will"
Several
hours later after Daine had closed the coffee shop she worked at she
went to get her paycheck from her boss, Ouna. "Hey, your working
yourself to death take a vacation"
"I can't I have
rent"
"Look I know for a fact that you work two jobs
that much more than enough to pay rent" Ouna stated "Well I
have other expenses"
"Like What?"
"Never
mind"
"Well hate to break it to you but I'm closing this
place down"
"What?" Daine dropped the silverware
she was picking up and immediately started to clean them up off the
floor.
"Why"
"I have a ranch a little ways out
of the city I've decided to devote myself to that"
"When?"
"End
of the week, Friday"
"Friday? I'll never find a new job
by then!" She sat down on one of the chairs.
"Well,
listen you know that fancy restaurant called Dimmillo's? Well they
have an opening for a waitress position and I've recommended you,
my cousins the head chef"
"Oh my god, thank you SO much.
I'll need to set up an interview"
"Already done, you
start Monday" Ouna flashed a smile.
"Thank you so much
but, um, why?"
"You're my best employee, and your going
through a difficult time, it's the least I could do. Now go home and
get some sleep"
Daine gave Ouna a quick hug and then ran off
to get some studying in before bed.
MONDAY
"Professor,
so lovely to see you" Said the flirtatious voice of Varice
Kingsford, school nurse, Numair looked up and smiled.
"Hello
Varice, anything new happening?"
"No not really"
"Oh
well if you would excuse me I have a class to teach"
"Oh
I see I'll just leave you to it then." She said looking rather
hurt and disappointed.
"Varice? Go to dinner with me on
Friday"
"I'd love too"
She then left as his
class came into the room.
FRIDAY
After
a week at Dimmillo's Daine was extremely sure that the new job would
work out. As she was finishing cleaning one table Maura, a fellow
waitress, came up to her.
"Hey could you handle table
3-A"
"Sure"
Daine got her order pad and a pair
of menus and walked around the corner too table 3-A to see, who else
but, Numair Salmalin and Varice Kingsford.
okay
that was a long one. Pretty much more stuff getting set up for the
rest of the story.
My thanks too-
A Travelling Mord-Sith: I'm glad you liked it!
Jeweled Rose: I hope this was better!
beckythorn: Thanks for the review, one modern setting story I really like is "safari" ! I havn't run into too many others i like.
Tortalls Wildchild: I hope this was easier to read!
Narm's Briton: I tried to put this in the past tense I actually redid most of this chapter so i hope I didn't mess it up.
fell4adeadguy: Yeah I don't have a spellcheck on my computer and my spelling isn't very good so there might be some mistakes in this chap. You dont sound like a know-it-all.
Wild Magelet- Well the attitude thing was going to change right off orriganly but i decided to drag it out a little.
Monkey202: thank you!