It was just another day in the lecture hall, but for Estelle, it felt anything but ordinary. Sitting in her usual seat beside Mia, her mind was far from the case study they were supposed to be analyzing. It wasn’t her fault, really. How was she supposed to focus when Celeste was standing at the front of the room, commanding the attention of every student with her sharp gaze and authoritative presence?
Mia, of course, had picked up on Estelle’s distraction almost immediately.
“Earth to Estelle,” Mia whispered, nudging her with an elbow. “You’re zoning out again. Or should I say… zoning in on someone?”
Estelle blinked, her face heating as she turned to Mia. “What? No, I’m listening!”
Mia snorted, rolling her eyes. “Sure you are. You’ve been staring at her for the last ten minutes like she’s the only person in the room. Not that I blame you—Thorne’s hot. But, girl, you’ve got it bad.”
Estelle’s blush deepened, but she tried to play it cool. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mia wiggled her eyebrows, leaning in closer with a conspiratorial grin. “Oh, come on. Everyone knows you’ve been working directly with her at the firm, and now you’re practically drooling over her in class. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. Does she know she’s got you this distracted?”
Estelle tried to stifle a smile, but she couldn’t help it. Mia wasn’t wrong—Celeste had a way of occupying her thoughts no matter where they were. And it didn’t help that Celeste occasionally glanced her way during the lecture, her eyes lingering just long enough to make Estelle’s heart race.
“Stop it,” Estelle muttered, nudging Mia back. “I’m trying to pay attention.”
Mia giggled, clearly not buying it. “Oh, right. Paying attention to Professor Thorne’s notes or her legs?”
Estelle shot her a look, her face burning. “You’re terrible.”
“And you’re hopeless,” Mia teased. “Seriously, though, if you’re this distracted in class, how do you even get work done when it’s just the two of you at the firm? Or is that when you really get distracted?”
Estelle groaned softly, burying her face in her hands. “Mia, please.”
But Mia was relentless, grinning wickedly as she continued. “Hey, I’m just saying, if you need me to cover for you while you two sneak off for a little… private meeting, you know where to find me.”
Before Estelle could respond, she felt the weight of a familiar gaze on her. She glanced up, her breath catching in her throat as she locked eyes with Celeste, who was standing at the front of the lecture hall. Celeste’s eyes were sharp, but there was a subtle hint of amusement in them, as if she knew exactly what Mia had been teasing Estelle about.
Celeste paused mid-sentence, her gaze lingering on Estelle for just a beat too long, and Estelle swore she saw a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. It was quick, subtle, but unmistakable. The look sent a thrill of excitement through Estelle’s body, making it even harder to focus on anything but Celeste.
She quickly glanced back at Mia, who had also noticed the moment.
“Did you see that?” Mia whispered, her eyes wide with amusement. “Oh my God, she totally just looked at you like she’s got you wrapped around her finger.”
Estelle’s heart pounded, her mind spinning. Was she that obvious? Or was Celeste just that good at keeping her off balance?
“Shut up,” Estelle hissed under her breath, though a smile was already pulling at her lips. “You’re going to get me in trouble.”
Mia stifled a laugh. “Girl, if you’re not already in trouble with her, I’d be surprised. I mean, look at her. She’s practically teasing you with every glance.”
Estelle tried to regain her composure, but it was hard to focus on the lecture when all she could think about was the tension between her and Celeste. Celeste was effortlessly commanding, her voice strong and steady as she explained the finer points of contract law. But every time her eyes flicked toward Estelle, it sent a rush of heat through her, leaving her flushed and flustered.
“Do you think anyone else notices?” Estelle whispered to Mia, suddenly paranoid that everyone in the room could see right through her.
Mia leaned back in her seat, smirking. “Not unless they’re paying as much attention to you as you’re paying to her. And trust me, nobody is that obsessed.”
Estelle groaned inwardly, her mind racing. It was like Celeste was playing with her, teasing her just enough to make her squirm, but not enough to cross any lines—at least, not in public.
Suddenly, Celeste’s voice cut through the room, and Estelle’s breath hitched as she realized she was being called on.
“Miss Brooks,” Celeste said, her tone even but with a slight edge of amusement. “Could you summarize the key points of the last case we discussed?”
Estelle’s mind went blank for a moment. She had been too distracted to fully absorb what had been covered, and now Celeste was calling her out—clearly knowing she hadn’t been paying attention.
She quickly scrambled for an answer, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Uh, yes, it’s about… um, breach of contract and… reasonable expectation of performance…”
Celeste raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a smirk. “Correct, but next time, try to focus on more than just the surface details, Miss Brooks. I expect you to dig a little deeper.”
The way she said “dig a little deeper” sent a shiver down Estelle’s spine, and she knew Celeste was fully aware of how flustered she was. It was a challenge—one laced with that familiar possessiveness that always lingered beneath the surface when they were together.
Mia, of course, couldn’t resist leaning in again. “Oh, she’s definitely messing with you,” she whispered, grinning. “You’re going to combust by the end of this lecture.”
Estelle shot her a look, but she couldn’t deny that Mia was right. Celeste was teasing her, and it was working. Every glance, every word, felt like a game—one that only the two of them were playing.
By the time the lecture ended, Estelle’s mind was a jumble of nerves and excitement. She gathered her things, trying not to look at Celeste as the students filed out of the lecture hall. But before she could make a quick exit, Mia grabbed her arm.
“So, what’s the plan now?” Mia asked with a mischievous grin. “You going to run off and have a meeting with Professor Thorne?”
Estelle rolled her eyes, though her heart was still racing. “Stop it, Mia.”
Mia laughed, throwing her arm around Estelle’s shoulders as they walked out. “Hey, I’m just saying, if I had a hot professor who looked at me like that, I wouldn’t be able to focus either. You’re doomed, girl.”
Estelle couldn’t help but laugh, despite the fact that Mia wasn’t entirely wrong. As they headed down the hallway, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Celeste’s teasing wasn’t over—not by a long shot.
And as much as Estelle tried to focus on her work, she knew that Celeste had gotten under her skin. Deep down, she didn’t mind being distracted—not when the distraction was Celeste Thorne.
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