Alex

"No! 'Course not…" Then I stopped, realizing it was foolish. Charm could see through every fib that slipped past my lips.

"What happened to Mr Roughster, then?" she asked around a yawn, temporarily digressing from the pressing topic at hand.

"Peter? Oh, we broke up, remember? Nevermind him. Tell me what I'm supposed to do about Alex!"

"OK, OK. Hmm. How does she look like?"

"Tall, dark, muscled. Pretty flat. Gorgeous, short hair. Eyebrow piercing." Charm's bark of laughter had me grinning.

"I know that voice, babe. You're totally sunk. I need to meet this girl. Damn," she said.

"Oh, Charm. Should I go? She's my student, you know, and I can get into trouble."

"Candy Anne Summers, you're a freaking basket case. Of course you should go! There's nothing wrong with dating your student. Unless it's the fact that she's a girl…"

"No, not that. You know I couldn't care more about that. It's just that I can barely think coherently whenever I'm near her. Do you know how hard I've tried to avoid her over the past two years? I run when I hear her voice. It's that bad. Stop laughing, you tramp!" I hissed.

"Sorry," Charm sobered. "You should hear what you sound like. Goodness, Cee, just go for the date. You won't forgive yourself if you don't explore this attraction. I know you well enough to say that. I want you to go for this date, 'kay?"

I nodded. Charm had a point there. She always had a point. That was why I'd called her.

"So… when's the big night?" she asked, and I heard her munching on something. MnMs, I guessed, knowing her weakness.

"Next Friday," I said absently, my mind awhirl with discomforting thoughts.

"Holy… really?" Charm cussed loudly. My attention snapped back to the conversation.

"Yeah. Why?"

"V-day eve, idiot. Where's your head been?"

My eyes grew wide as I heard Charm go on about the possibilities of the reasons why Alex could have asked me out on a date on the eve of Valentine's.

"Well, one thing's for sure," Charm said, still munching.

"What?" I scooted back on the couch and folded my legs, Indian-style.

"You're gonna have to kiss her."

That didn't come as a shock to me at all, since I'd already expected that. Come on, we were dealing with Alex here.

"It's tradition," Charm went on. "To kiss in the first minute of Valentine's day. Clever girl, this Alex. How old did you say she was again?"

"Nineteen this year, why? Thinking of giving her a shot?" I asked, teasingly.

"Hell, no. I don't wanna be clobbered over the head with a rock. Besides, I have a little kitty waiting for me back in the room."

"Of course," I said as I rolled my eyes. Some people never changed.

Charm sighed.

"I would fly down there to dress you, but I'm full on Friday. I pushed all my Saturday appointments over to the weekdays. Sorry, babe. But don't wear anything with starch! Maybe that low-slung black slacks of yours with the off-shoulder red top. Or the thin-strap yellow dress that we bought at Saks…"

"You really have a mental list of my wardrobe, don't you?" I asked with a laugh.

"Yeah. Anyway, just don't wear something teacher-y. If you want the relationship to develop, you need to treat her like a friend, not like her superior. Got that?"

"Got it, thanks, Charm. Do you have to get off so soon?" I could tell she was going to say goodbye already.

"If I don't get off now, you're gonna have a bomb to pay when the phone bill comes in. But, really. I'm excited for you, Cee. Have fun, 'kay? Wish I were there with you."

I could readily imagine Charm dragging her lean fingers through shaggy, dark hair as she said that.

"I know. Me, too. I miss you."

"Miss you, too, babe. Oh, and um, if you sleep with her, we'll have a tell-all session once you get back."

"Bitch," I said into the phone. "No way!"

"Fine, fine. Twenty questions?"

"Make it ten."

"Deal."

"All right. I'll see you… next month?"

"Yeah. That's about right. You're picking me up from the airport, right? I'll murder you if you're late."

Charm laughed. "That's what you always say."

There was a pause. "Cee, does Alex know that you're leaving at the end of the month?"

Uh-oh. "I don't think so."

"You might want to speak with her about that… and think about what you want from your relationship."

Our relationship? "OK." My voice was small and squeaky, just like a little girl's. I cleared my throat. "Yeah, I will. Thanks, babe."

"No problem. Take care. I'll hang up now."

"Yeah. Goodnight."

*

I fussed through the whole week. The only excuse I had was nerves. There was nothing to do at home, for I was officially off work. The contract was done and over with, and the only reason I was staying till the end of the month was to wait for the A level results to be released. I wanted to know how my students had done.

The date had me tied up in knots. I wanted it, I had realized. I wanted it with Alex, but I was scared. Going out with a girl was a big leap for me, especially a girl who was my ex-student. If you were a teacher, you'd understand how difficult it was for one to cross the line between a student and yourself, for there would always be this air of formality around the both of you. All these thoughts were confusing the hell out of me, and I'd called Charm a few more times before she started warning me not to, for everytime I called, I'd asked her the same questions – 'what if it doesn't go well?' or 'what if I'm not what she'd expected?' Yeah, she got tired of hearing that as well.

On the afternoon of the big day, I raided my closet for the black slacks and red top that Charm had told me to wear. They were pretty old, but they still looked as good as new. I tried them on, just in case, and was pretty satisfied with the way the slacks hugged my hips. I'd always been a girl with too much of ass, and the black slacks hid the extra pounds efficiently. The outfit, coupled with red heels, made me look and feel unteacherish.

I carefully took the garments off and ironed them, placing them carefully on their hangers before heading for the shower. I'd promised myself not to panic, and that was exactly what I was doing now. Not panicking. I was going to take a nice, hour-long bath, do my hair and get all dolled up before seven.

I was not going to panic.

Keeping true to my word, I got out of the tub just shy of five in the evening. I toweled myself off before slipping underwear and the clothes that I'd picked over my body. I stared at myself in the mirror for a couple of minutes before deciding to blow my hair out so that it hung in glossy tendrils over my shoulders. That done, I applied a thin layer of foundation powder to cover up the light sprinkle of freckles on my nose, and a coat of eyeliner. A tinge of pink blush and gloss and I was ready with little less than an hour to spare.

Knowing that I might start worrying again if I thought about the next couple of hours, I started going through the closet, looking for a suitable purse or clutch that would go with the outfit. Fifteen minutes passed, and in the end, I decided to forgo the purse and slipped a couple of bills and a credit card into my pocket.

By six thirty, I was as ready as ever to leave. I sat on the couch impatiently, flicking through the channels and biting my glossy lips. At six forty five, I switched the TV off and decided to go down to the lobby to wait for her.

*

I heard a thunderous roar the moment I stepped into the lobby. The doorman, Mullah, looked startled by it as well. He looked through the glass doors inquisitively just as I walked past him. Our eyes focused instantly on the large bike parked on the street. I swallowed audibly.

Alex pulled the helmet from her head and threw her leg over the monstrous machine, looking sexy as hell in her tight-fitting black jeans and jacket. Under the jacket, she wore a red tank top that hugged her slender curves. She smiled when she caught sight of me, and jogged over to where I was.

"Miss S," she said, in lieu of greeting. "You look hot. "Knowing that Mullah was eavesdropping on our conversation, I took Alex by the hand and started moving towards her bike, blushing fierce enough to match the red of my blouse.

"Alex. You're looking good, too," I said with a smile. "Other than the fact that we're gonna look like a cheesy Valentine's couple…" I trailed off, pointing to her red tank and my red blouse.

She laughed. It made me tingle.

"It's 'kay. If anyone asks, I'll just say that the cheesy teacher forced me to wear it," she replied impishly, and I realized that she was holding my hand now. The heat from her palm was sinful, but I needed to get a couple of things straight first.

"Alex, wait," I said as we got to her bike. "What are we doing?"

She didn't bother to pretend that she didn't know what I meant. Her eyes had a serious light in them when she turned towards me.

"What do you want to be doing, Miss S?"

Getting that tank off you. "I don't know, Alex. I don't even know you."

Her lips tilted at the corners. "That's why people go on dates, Miss S. So that they'll get to know each other better." She paused. "Honestly, though? I don't know what I want from this, either. Tell you what? We'll just go with the flow, all right?"

There was sincerity in her voice and a smile on her lips. It was all that I needed. "That sounds perfect," I replied, and she handed a helmet to me. I watched her climb onto the bike before I followed suit, placing my hands on my thighs.

"You gotta death wish or something?" Alex called from behind her helmet. I shook my head. "Then put your arms around me!"

I did. Just as she started the bike, I called her name. She nodded, turning her head slightly.

"You can call me Candy."

I thought I saw a smile, but it was hidden behind a layer of plastic, so I couldn't be too sure.

*

"Soo… where are we?" I asked when Alex pulled the bike up in front of a row of shop-houses. The place looked rustic, and definitely Asian.

"You know, girls usually ask me that before they get on my bike," Alex returned, unstrapping the helmet. I rolled my eyes and got off the bike as gracefully as possible.

"Fine," she relented, withdrawing the keys from the bike. "We're at my favorite Peranakan restaurant. It's this quaint little place around the corner. I made reservations for us."

She adjusted her tank as she got off the bike, leading the way to the place. We walked side by side, and damn if I had to stifle the stupid grin that threatened to cross my lips. It felt good walking like this, with her by my side, the smell of her cologne surrounding us.

I laid my hand on the underside of her arm just as we took the steps up to the restaurant, and felt her muscles tense beneath the gentle touch. But still, she acknowledged it with a smile in my direction.

"Alex," she said simply to the beautiful woman at the entrance, who smiled and led us across the room. My brows crossed when we exited the main room and entered a dark walkway, which was lit only by a small, electric lamp that hung from the ceiling. There was a flight of steep stairs, and the woman ascended it before us. I felt Alex's hand on my hips, steadying me as I carefully climbed the wooden death-traps.

There was a small table set up in the middle of the none-too-wide balcony. It was covered in a burgundy table cloth and on top of it sat an array of flowers and a lit candle. I smiled when I saw it; my heart completely turned to mush. Then I turned to Alex, and all the bones in my body melted.

She stood, her silhouette tall and sexy against the cityscape, looking down at me with longing in her eyes. Her hands, as usual, were shoved deep in her pockets. She looked apprehensive, as though she wasn't sure if I would like the place she had chosen. I reached up and patted her cheek, smoothing the hair that fell to one side.

"It's beautiful, Alex," I murmured, and jolted a little when her hand reached up to cover mine. Without saying anything, she led me to the table and pulled the chair away from the table for me to sit.

"Impressive," I commented as I sat, and her husky laugh was response enough.

The menus were placed in front of us, and we took our time looking through the dishes. In the end, I chose the Laksa, a blend of coconut milk and soup with vermicelli, and Alex ordered stir-fried noodles.

"How do you even know about this place? The view really is… breath-taking," I asked once the waitress had cleared our menus.

"I used to live near this place," Alex replied, turning her head to stare out at the remarkable display of concrete in front of us. "That was a few years back."

"Where do you live now?" I asked, reaching out for the glass of water and taking a sip.

"About a fifteen minute drive away from you."

"Speaking of," I interjected, "How did you know where I lived?"

"It wasn't difficult to find out," she said with a cheeky smirk that make my heart beat double-time.

"What have you been doing for these past few months? Oh, yeah! Did you finish the book you told me about a while back?"

"I did, yes," Alex said, leaning forward just as I did. Her eyes met mine in the dim lighting of the balcony, and for the sake of my life, I couldn't look away. The dark orbs held me captive until she said: "You're really too beautiful."

I blushed and averted my eyes. No one had ever affected me so much with words before. The frank appreciation in her gaze made me feel so cherished that it was… amazing.

"Thank you," I murmured, reaching for my glass again.

"Why did you come out with me today, Candy?" she asked, and I started. It was the first time that she'd called me by my name, and the act was definitely intimate.

"Well, you didn't really give me a choice," I replied and she raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't? You could've called and cancelled, you know. I was half-expecting you to do that," she admitted.

It was time to come clean. "I came out today because I wanted to. You sound like an interesting person to be with, Alex."

"Interesting, huh?"

"Yeah. And hot," I confessed with a smile. After her calling me beautiful, I needed to say something, right?

A slight noise from behind us told me that the food was here. The steaming plates were set before us, and we dug in.

It was easy to converse with her. We talked about everything, from the book she'd finished to the university that I'd lectured in back home. Her responses were always original, and they made me laugh. But even though the conversation was light, the look in her eyes wasn't reciprocal. There was always this intensity about her gaze that made me quiver whenever I caught it. It spoke of her attraction to me, and I wondered if I had the same blazing look in my eyes.

Our empty plates were taken away a while later, and a small bowl was placed before us. I raised an eyebrow at this and asked Alex what it was. In the bowl was a chunky, icy concoction, laced with green, noodle-like short ends. I used the small spoon to stir the mixture around, and a sweet smell drifted from it. It smelled like dessert, but I was still doubtful. The overall color of the contents in the bowl was a muddy brown; not very appealing.

"Just try it," Alex said, nodding towards my bowl.

OK, I thought, raising one of the green things to my mouth. Here it goes.

"You sure it's edible?" I clarified, and shrugged when Alex nodded. It wouldn't be the first time I'd tried something weird.

The first taste of it was sweet, almost bordering on too-sweet. There was condensed milk in there, together with some sort of rice-made ingredient. I bit into an extremely juicy morsel of something I couldn't recognize, and nodded at Alex, who then dipped her spoon into her bowl.

"What is it?" I asked again after I'd downed the second spoonful of it. I'd just closed my lips over the third when Alex said: "Lizard's tail."

I searched her face for any indication that was lying. There was none. The first thing that hit me was that I had a part of a lizard in my mouth. A lizard. A goddamn green lizard. As the fact registered in my mind, the gag reflex arose and I picked up the napkin on my lap, ready as hell to spit everything onto the cloth.

"Hey, hey, don't do that. It's not lizard. I was kidding!" Alex's arm snaked around the table to grab my hand. Damn if she wasn't laughing. My eyes narrowed at her as I swallowed the contents in my mouth before I bundled the napkin in my hands and threw it at her. She caught it with a guffaw, leaning back in her seat. Her face was flushed, and I could see the rosy glow of her skin under the candlelight.

"Not funny, Alex," I chided, looking around the table for anything else to throw at her. "That was gross."

"Yeah. But the look on your face. Fuck, that was priceless." Another bout of laughter. I could've strangled her. In fact, I rose to do just that. But she got up from her seat as well, and towered over my five-foot-six frame. I had to admire that the fact that she dwarfed me, even when I was in heels, made me feel vulnerable.

It was an awkward position, with her standing sideways and me trying to squeeze into the space between the table and her chair, but when I looked up, the laughter had faded from her eyes. She was looking at me as though she wanted to... eat me.

I didn't back away. But my knees started to feel weak, and I raised a hand to the table to steady myself. Her eyes bore into mine before they moved down to my lips. I wondered if they looked as pouty and heavy as they felt.

"I was coming over to strangle you, actually," I said throatily, trying to shake myself off of her penetrating gaze.

"You can do anything you want to me, Candy."

Oh. My. God. My nerve endings were sizzling. Why did she have to be so sexy? At that moment, I would have allowed Alex to do anything to me as long as she kissed me first. The moment was so tense, with me waiting for her to make the first move, that I was immensely shocked when she pulled away and cleared her throat.

"I was planning on taking you to a concert, actually," she said, running a hand through her hair, as though we didn't have a 'moment' just a couple of seconds ago. It took a longer time for me to snap out of it, and I stared at her dumbly for a minute or two.

"O-OK. Who's in town?" I asked when I had my voice back.

"I doubt you know them, but they're a great group. One of my favorites. They have a one-night-only concert at a club nearby. You wanna give it a shot or do something else?"

"No, no. Let's go for the concert. I'd like to see what kind of music you're into." I smiled, trying to dissolve the sexual tension that was still around us.

"OK. All right, then."

The waitress came back up and cleared the mostly-uneaten bowls as we got ready to leave. But before that, Alex asked me to wait and fished her cell phone out of her pocket. Handing the phone to the waitress, she asked her to take a couple of shots of us against the background of the city. "For memory's sake," she said.

She was, without doubt, the sexiest and most entertaining date I'd ever had. Gentlemanly, too, I added in my mind, remembering how she'd climbed down the stairs before I did so that she could offer me a hand down the steep steps. She probably remembered the first time we'd met.

I protested when she insisted on paying for both of us, but it was no use. She paid up anyway, making me mumble beneath my breath, about stubborn females. We strolled to her bike, saying nothing, just reveling in the comfortable silence between us, when halfway there, she reached for my hand. A blush stole up my cheeks as she did and I fervently hoped that the fall of hair across my cheeks hid it from her.