Persuasive Mind

Chapter 1

"Miss in the blue shirt in the fourth row, could you please explain the economic concept of scarcity and limited resources?"

Awkward silence stretched for several seconds when all eyes landed on Emma until her friend finally pinched her arm to get some attention.

"That's what I thought."
With a satisfied look one end of his lips curved slightly up as he continued his speech without giving her a second glance the entire rest of his lecture. Emma stared at the man who seemed to enjoy her embarrassment just a little bit too much.

Fine, she may have dozed off for a few minutes and didn't listen to him but was it really necessary to expose her like that? Once she started paying attention after her faux-pas she realized that he used a very decisive tone, seemingly not used to hear much, if any contradiction. He must be the new guest lecturer everyone talked so excitedly about, she thought. Didn't Clara gush about him for half an hour just a week ago?

A successful and intelligent businessman with looks that were just interesting enough. In the UK, his home country, he's supposed to be quite famous. All of this was of no apparent appeal to Emma. Whoever was so petty to still mock his students and make a fool out of them was not worthy and she didn't want to waste too many thoughts about him anymore.

She audibly sighed when the 90-minute long lecture was over at last. While she couldn't wait to get out of that suffocating auditorium her friend Clara slowed down and focused on a spot out of Emma's vision.

"It won't take too long, I promise", and with that she grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the front of the room, the opposite direction of the exit - much to Emma's disdain. Only then did she realize she was standing right in front of him. For a quarter of a second he stared intensely in her eyes but just as abruptly as the black cold appeared, it stopped again.

"Excuse me Mr. Arcy, do you have a moment to...", Clara began her question when he already interrupted her. "I have an appointment. If it's important, write an email. My apologies."
Swiftly he took his black coat and leather bag and rushed out, not another single glance in her direction.

Emma wasn't sure if she started to imagine things or if he had truly given her a look of absolute disgust a minute before. Maybe she needed more sleep like her mother would always suggest. A lot more sleep, apparently.