Journalists

Chapter 8

I'm really proud of this chapter. Enjoy!

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"Thank you," Nola smiles at the waiter as he pours two glasses of water for her and Colin. She glances at Colin who rudely dismisses the waiter with his hand as if he owned the place and the people in it.

Nola sighs and looks at the menu, wondering what to get. The elevator ride and the taxi ride had been quiet with Colin mostly staring at his phone. They hadn't said a single word to each other except for Nola telling Colin that he could pick the place where they'd eat.

She sets down the menu before looking around at the classy restaurant. She felt a bit out of place in her jeans and striped v-neck shirt. Colin was dressed similarly but he gave off a powerful and confident aura that made it seem like he belonged despite his casual attire.

"Are we going to sit in silence for the next hour?" Nola questions, leaning back in her chair as she sets her gaze on Colin.

"Of course not," Colin replies, looking over his menu rather than looking at her. "What are you going to eat?"

"A salad," Nola answers, sighing softly at the boring conversation they were having.

"Seriously? You're one of those girls?" Colin scoffs, looking at her in disbelief. "I didn't take you for one of those girls who only eats salads instead of a proper meal."

Nola raises his eyebrows as she looks at him. "I can literally only afford water and a salad here, especially if I want to leave a tip. Also, I don't see anything wrong with a girl or even a guy ordering a salad."

"Of course you wouldn't," he says. Colin looks back at his menu for a few more moments before setting it down. The waiter comes over to their table and takes their order before walking off, allowing them to continue to sit and stare at each other.

"Did you actually want to talk about my articles?" Nola asks after two minutes of complete silence.

"Yes, I did. I read them on the way here. I'm surprised," Colin admits, resting his hands on the table as he looked straight at her.

Nola couldn't help but slouch a little, feeling almost inferior in his presence. She also felt a bit vulnerable and exposed since Colin head read articles and learned of her personal life.

Sensing that she wasn't going to speak anytime soon, Colin continued to talk. "You've had three relationships. You aren't a virgin."

Nola looks at Colin, her eyes widening a little. "Those were the most surprising parts for you? Not that I lost my virginity to my best friend? Or that I turned my best friend with benefits back into just my best friend? Why?"

"I didn't really see you as the type of girl to have relationships or lose their virginity before marriage," Colin shrugs a little.

"Again, why? Because I'm so uptight?" Nola raises an eyebrow as she looks at him.

"Well, yes. But also because of your religion," Colin says with no restraint. "You're a Hindu, right? From India? Everyone there believes in arranged marriages and no sex unless you're making babies."

Nola's jaw drops at his words. "Excuse me?" She asks angrily, her eyes narrowing at him after she processes what he had the audacity to say to her. "What the hell do you know about Hinduism or India? I can't believe you actually said that to my face."

"Are you offended?" Colin asks, looking at her in surprise. He'd never seen her angry before, just annoyed.

"You're using stereotypes to judge me! You clearly don't even see me as a person because of my skin color. You think that because I'm brown and my parents are from India, I can't be like you and have relationships and sex. Did you read those stereotypes in a fucking textbook?" She asks angrily, now attracting attention from other people who were trying to eat their lunch.