Page 36 of The Outcast
Lowering my voice, I whispered, “We have an audience.”
Shiva looked over and shrugged. “I don’t mind showing the world that I like you. They’re just jealous that we have such good chemistry.”
“I doubt Banni could ever get jealous, but just for the record, I’m flattered by your offer, and I’m impressed with your flirting. You’re good!”
“Of course, I’m good. I’m Shiva, named after one of the most powerful gods in the world,” he said with a charming grin.
“Is that so? I didn’t know that. What was special about Shiva?” I asked and tried to ignore the prickling feeling of Keith ogling me.
“Shiva was the god of the gods. The one that other gods sprung out of. He was so powerful that he could destroy everything by opening his third eye.”
“Wow, and here you are building classrooms and shower rooms when you could blow everything up,” I joked.
“I said I was named after him, not that I was Shiva, although I am incredibly bright, strong, and handsome, don’t you think?” Shiva and I laughed together.
“There’s nothing wrong with a high level of confidence. I’m sure that will benefit you in Old Europe.”
A loud whistling sound made us both look up. Indiana and Aubri stood in what had become the square and were gesturing for everyone to gather.
“We’re two weeks in and you’re all still here. Well done!” Aubri began. “We’ve pushed you hard these past weeks, but today is your day off. In twenty minutes, we want all buildings to be closed and your butts on board one of the two drones.”
“Are we going to France?” Beowulf asked with excitement, flashing a grin that revealed his missing right canine.
Indiana, who had arrived with Aubri this morning, answered. “Not yet. We’re giving you a break from the outdoor living. Tonight, you’ll be spending a night in Karensville, which is the closest town. It’s a small inn, but there’s a whorehouse with sex-bots and a bar for those of you who want to get a drink or two. If you’re not interested in either, there’s a warm shower and a decent bed to sleep in. Take the chance to relax and get a break. We know that some of you aren’t used to being around people much and that two weeks like this are overwhelming and stressful.”
Aubri nodded. “We instructors will take some time to evaluate these first two weeks and when we return here tomorrow afternoon, we’ll have reconfigured the teams.”
“Can I please not be on the same team as Christopher this time? He farts all night,” Aristotle joked and received a punch to his shoulder from Christopher, who laughed.
I was happy to go to the inn in Karensville and enjoy a night by myself. The first thing I did when I checked into my room was take a long bath and eat the chocolate that was in the refreshment box on the table.
When there was a knock on my door, I assumed it was Aubri, Indiana, or Banni and so I opened without checking first.
Keith stood outside.
“Oh, hey.” My body tensed up with internal warning flags. Keith was the best candidate we had when it came to the practical part of the job, but ever since that flirting exercise yesterday, he’d looked at me funny.
“How are you liking your alone time?” he asked.
“It’s good.” From holding the door wide open, I closed it a little. “What can I do for you?”
As Keith smiled, I noticed that he had trimmed his red beard and combed his hair to one side. “Many things, I think.”
The hairs on my neck stood up from the look in his eyes. It was like he was watching a tasty steak before taking a bite. “Look, I’m your instructor and this is inappropriate. You need to leave, Keith.”
Frown lines formed on his forehead and his jaw tensed, but in the end, he took a small step back and walked away.
Closing my door, I leaned against it and let out a sigh of relief. Maybe the women in France would adore Keith, but I sure as hell didn’t find him attractive.
When I met with Indiana, Aubri, and Banni for dinner, I told them about Keith’s visit.
“He stares at you constantly,” Banni said. “I’ve kept an eye on him and he’s the exact type that we don’t need.”
“But he’s our best student,” Aubri defended him.
“That may be, but he has no social skills and I fear that he’ll fall head over heels in love with some poor woman and not respect her rejection.”
“He respected Sparrow’s rejection today. She told him to go away and he did,” Aubri argued.
