Chapter 113 Do You Like Mature Ones?
Sebastian had just wrapped up his class and hustled over from the teaching building, still clutching his textbooks.
Betty piped up, "Darren and Camilla just had a quick math-off. Loser’s gotta treat everyone. We're trying to figure out what to eat tonight."
Sebastian scanned the group and saw Camilla grinning, with everyone else buzzing with excitement.
Looked like all the walls had come down, and she was really part of the crew now.
Sebastian couldn't help but grin. "Alright, let's wrap things up early and wait for Darren to treat us."
"Huh?" Betty looked confused. "Sebastian, I didn't even say who lost. How'd you know Darren's treating?"
Sebastian smirked. "Isn't it always Darren who loses?"
Betty laughed. "Yep, you got it."
"Hey Doris, you coming?" Betty asked offhandedly.
Doris shook her head. "Nah, I'm good."
That night, they ended up at a roadside food stall.
Even though Betty was the loudest about the treat, she picked a spot with Darren in mind.
Darren's family wasn't loaded; his folks were farmers who'd blown their savings to get him through his PhD.
Lately, Darren's money situation had gotten a bit better since he joined the research group, but he still sent cash home every month, so he wasn't exactly rolling in it.
The roadside stall was cheap and tasty, making it the best bang for their buck.
It wasn't as fancy as the restaurant Sebastian had picked last time, but it was lively, and everyone was stoked with the meal.
On the way back, Sebastian kept his eyes on the road, hands steady on the wheel, with Camilla riding shotgun.
He only had to glance sideways to catch Camilla's eyes, which were sparkling with excitement.
Sebastian chuckled. "You that happy?"
Camilla replied, "Yeah, super happy. When Betty left, she said 'see you tomorrow' to me, and Hector, who guards his quick calculation notes like treasure, just handed them over. I'm really happy today."
Camilla knew all too well about the subtle distance everyone kept from her, even if she never brought it up.
They were adults, so they weren't obvious about it, but she could still feel the invisible wall. But today, Camilla felt that gap had closed a bit.
At the intersection, the light turned red, and Sebastian hit the brakes. He turned to see Camilla's bright, beautiful eyes, and without thinking, he reached out and patted her head.
"Yeah, I saw it all. You're awesome." Sebastian's touch was gentle, no pressure or dominance.
He smiled and his voice were low, like a soothing cello concerto.
Camilla suddenly looked up and met Sebastian's gaze.
Her breath hitched, and she turned her head awkwardly, avoiding his eyes, then touched her flushed ear.
Sebastian realized the gesture was a bit too intimate, calmly pulled his hand back, and kept his face neutral.
It seemed like a simple pat on the back from a professor to a student.
But only Sebastian knew that the tingling sensation still lingered in his palm, hard to shake off.
The car behind them honked a few times.
Camilla softly reminded, "The light's green, Sebastian."
"Sorry, didn't notice." Sebastian snapped back to reality, released the brake, and kept driving.
At that moment, Camilla suddenly stared at him and said, "Sebastian, why's your face red?"
Sebastian was blushing, no joke.From normal, to a blush on his cheeks, to a deep red that spread to his ears, the whole thing took less than ten seconds, and Camilla saw it all, making it hard not to be surprised.
Sebastian mumbled, "Maybe it's too stuffy in here."
Camilla quickly rolled down her window. "Better now?"
"Yeah, thanks."
After dropping her off, Sebastian remembered an experiment that still needed results and headed back to the lab.
Camilla flopped onto the couch, her excitement fading, leaving her feeling totally relaxed, almost melting into the cushions.
Closing her eyes, she couldn't help but replay the scene in the car.
The details seemed magnified tenfold. She remembered Sebastian's well-defined hand gently patting her head, giving her a sense of being cared for and encouraged.
She thought, 'Maybe it wasn't just my imagination? Sebastian was really encouraging me. But that's all.'
Camilla lay on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.
The previous tenant had left the place a mess, with smoke stains and mud splatters.
Even though Camilla had tried to fix it, whether with wallpaper or lighting, the bad marks still existed and couldn't be erased.
They might not be noticeable. But once one got close, observed carefully, or turned the lights up, all the ugliness would be revealed.
She thought, 'Rather than letting people see the unpleasant side and be disliked, it's better to keep a distance from the start. Not getting too close means not seeing too clearly.'
Then Camilla sighed in relief and touched her chest. Good, her heartbeat had returned to normal.
She got up and headed to the bathroom. 'A shower and a good night's sleep, and whatever comes tomorrow can be dealt with then! If not tomorrow, then the day after, and if not then, the day after that. One day at a time. Yeah, that's good!'
Another busy week flew by.
On Sunday, Camilla had a day off.
She felt a bit guilty for not returning Juniper's call last time, and since Juniper was also off, they planned to catch a movie together.
Camilla picked the one with the best reviews.
As soon as they sat down, they saw familiar faces from the comedy world. Even someone like Camilla, who didn't follow the entertainment industry, could name the main actors.
Juniper had recently become obsessed with a young star's looks, and coincidentally, he had a cameo in the movie as a handsome killer, which she was super excited about.
Camilla bought a bucket of popcorn and two sodas, and they laughed while watching.
The movie was great, with plenty of laughs, but Juniper was bummed that the handsome killer she had been looking forward to only appeared for two seconds. "When they said cameo, they really meant it. Just a quick shot and he was gone."
Camilla replied, "Even though it was only two seconds, he was still pretty handsome."
Juniper perked up. "Aren't you not into celebrities? Could it be that this young star caught your eye? I spent a lot of money to get his contact info. Want it? I'll give it to you."
"No, he's too young. Not my type." Camilla replied casually, seeing Juniper's teasing expression.
Juniper sensed something. "Too young, huh? So, what do you like? Mature?"
Camilla was taken aback and pushed Juniper's face away as she got closer. "Nope."
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