Miss Arden {wlw-professorxstudent}

Chapter 6

KALINA'S POV:
Right in front of the café, there was my brother, staring me down with the look he gave me when I ate the last of his cereal and he had to settle for mum's bio, sugar free one.

"Hi, Arin, sorry I'm a bit late. I met someone", I pointed behind me as Miss Arden gave him a little wave. He gave a small smile and waved back.

"Miss Arden, this is Arin, Arin, this is Miss Arden, my English literature professor", I pointed uselessly between them as I tried to make this less awkward.

Miss Arden held out her hand for him to shake and he did so. He looked at me a bit dumbfounded.

After introductions were finally finished, we took a seat at one of the tables further in the back.

Miss Arden pulled my chair out for me and as I blushed and took a seat, Arin wiggled his eyebrows at me. I had to snort.

She sat down opposite me and started looking through the menu. I already knew what Arin and I were getting. A chicken curry sandwich. See, I did not forget.

Miss Arden looked at us.

"Well, what are you two getting?", she asked with a raise of her eyebrow. She really needed to stop doing that if she expected an intelligible conversation with me. Before I could say anything though, Arin had started babbling.

"Oh, our grandfather kept pestering little Kalina over here to try this damn chicken curry sandwich they sold and, well, we promised", he grinned as he seemed so very proud of himself for calling me little.

I just rolled my eyes at him. I promise you, I would have ripped his head off but I was trying to make a good impression on Miss Beautiful.

"Well, I guess I'll get that too then", she smiled her pretty little smile and I really got the urge to pinch her cheeks.

After we finished our sandwiches, which we all agreed had to have been the best things we ever touched, and after Arin stopped asking Miss Arden the most absurd questions about her private life and I had to risk my head to safe her from them (no, literally, he threatened me with a knife when I forbid him from asking her any more), I noticed that I had yet to learn her first name.

I mean I was in no place to know but when you have some sort of afternoon lunch with my nerd brother and I, it would be nice to know your name.

"Sooo, Miss Arden", I looked at her expectantly and she already knew I was about to ask something stupid. When she did not object I continued.

"What's your name?", there was no point trying to conceal my intent. So, I just straight up asked.

"You know my name, Kalina", my brows furrowed at that until I realised she meant her last name which obviously I did know.

"No, no, no, I mean your real name, your first name", for a long time she sat and said nothing.

It was clear I had crossed a boundary in her head. I could see the wheels turning, debating whether she should tell me or not. I came up with a million apologies to make this right if she decided I had gone too far for her comfort.

But she seemed to have come to the realisation that it was just a name. Nothing we were doing was all that unprofessional of her, if we ignored the having lunch with my brother and I part.

"Katherine", she uttered at last.

"Katherine", I liked how it sounded. It had a ring to it.

She looked at me then. All kind and relieved. And I realised this must have been hard for her. I did not know why this woman had such problems trying to trust me but it bothered me.