27. EMBARRASSMENT

The bus lurched to a stop at the next station, jolting Alina from her thoughts. She had been chatting animatedly with Emma about the upcoming literature event, her excitement evident in the way she gesticulated with her hands. However, as the bus doors opened, a chill breeze swept through, and Alina felt an odd sensation—like she was being watched.

She tried to ignore it, focusing on adjusting her scarf and the notebook in her bag. But the feeling persisted, nagging at her until she finally looked up. Her eyes met the gaze of a stranger sitting a few rows ahead. The stranger was a woman with an enigmatic smile and piercing eyes that seemed to hold a million secrets. Alina’s first instinct was to search her memory for any clue about who this person might be, but nothing came to mind. It was as if the stranger was a mystery wrapped in a riddle.

Hazel, sitting beside Caelan, had noticed the brief exchange and couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. The way Alina was squinting and tilting her head as if trying to decipher a cryptic message was nothing short of comical. Hazel composed herself with great effort, but the corners of her mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Alina’s gaze drifted back to Caelan, and her eyes went wide. She did a double take, blinking rapidly as if trying to clear her vision. There, seated next to the mysterious woman, was none other than Caelan—an unexpected sight that nearly knocked the wind out of her. Her mind raced with questions. Why was Caelan on the bus? And why was he sitting so comfortably with a stranger?

Emma, noticing Alina’s sudden shift in focus, leaned closer. “What’s up?” she asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and concern.

Alina leaned over and whispered excitedly in Emma’s ear. “Did you know that Caelan boarded the bus yesterday too? Even though he has a fleet of cars?”

Emma’s eyes widened, her surprise evident. “Seriously? Caelan, the billionaire? Why would he take the bus?”

“Exactly!” Alina responded, her voice tinged with disbelief. “And look at him now, sitting next to a beautiful lady. I guess she must be his… well, who knows?”

Emma’s eyes grew even wider. “Are you telling me that the Caelan, the infamous bachelor billionaire, is here, on this bus, with a mysterious woman?”

Alina nodded vigorously, her enthusiasm evident. “Yes, exactly! And it’s so strange. I thought he’d never be caught dead on public transport, let alone with someone we don’t know.”

Emma’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she turned to observe the pair. “Well, if he’s here, maybe there’s a juicy story behind it. Could this be a scandal in the making? A secret romance?”

Alina grinned shifting her scarf as itched, catching Emma’s infectious excitement. “It definitely looks like something out of a gossip column. I mean, Caelan’s known for being so elusive and private. Seeing him here, on the bus, with someone he clearly has some sort of connection with, it’s like a scene straight out of a drama.”

As the bus began to move again, Alina and Emma continued to watch discreetly, their imaginations running wild. They speculated about the possible relationship between Caelan and the mysterious woman, weaving elaborate stories of romance, intrigue, and scandal. The bus ride turned into an impromptu gossip session, with the two friends exchanging theories and laughing over the outrageous possibilities.

Hazel, still trying to maintain her composure, could barely keep a straight face as she overheard snippets of their conversation. She glanced at Caelan, who seemed oblivious to the commotion, absorbed in a conversation with the mysterious woman. Hazel caught his eye and gave him a knowing look, silently communicating her amusement. Caelan raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing at his lips, clearly intrigued by the fuss being made over him.

Eventually, Alina and Emma’s curiosity got the better of them, and they decided to move closer to where Caelan and the mysterious woman were sitting. They made their way over, trying to appear nonchalant, though their excitement was evident in their overly casual demeanor.

As they approached, Hazel noticed them and gave them a friendly nod. “Hey, ladies,” she said with a playful grin. “Seems like you’ve found something interesting.”

Alina blushed, caught off guard by the direct approach. “Oh, um, hi. We were just admiring the view.”

Hazel’s grin widened. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. Caelan and I were just having a fascinating conversation. But I suppose you already know who he is.”

Alina nodded, her cheeks still flushed. “Yes, we were just talking about how unusual it is to see him on the bus.”

Caelan looked up from his conversation, his eyes meeting Alina’s with a mix of amusement and curiosity. “I didn’t realize I was such a subject of interest,” he said with a chuckle.

Alina felt her face grow even warmer. “Oh, it’s not like that. We were just surprised, that’s all.”

Caelan raised an eyebrow. “Surprised by what, exactly?”

Emma jumped in, her tone light and teasing. “Surprised that a billionaire would take the bus and be seen with a lovely lady. It’s not something you see every day.”

The mysterious woman next to Caelan smiled, clearly enjoying the banter. “I guess we’re making quite an impression,” she mumbled with a laugh.

Alina and Emma exchanged glances, their earlier excitement tempered by the sudden heat of embarrassment. Thinning their lips they rushed back to their seats.

The bus stopped suddenly making jerk backward. Alina stumbled on her steps and landed on Caelan's. Something poked her inner thigh making her eyes widen as she hastily stumbled up with Emma helping and chanted rhythm of sorry as if it was rain.

Emma gently hit her hard making her cheeks turn more red with embarrassment.

"It's fine girl." Hazel laughed making them rush back finally.

As they finally sat down on the seat. The bus stopped making them realize it stopped on the entrance of their university.

"Wait," Alina spread her arms out making them all stop and raise their eyebrows at her.

"Haha, you all are bound to protect me from embarrassment and I have just realised and today's list of embarrassment is fulfilled. So please, cover me and save me further from the embarrassment." She ranted out making them huff aloud.

"Why would we eve do that?" Jason muttered making her crinkle her face into the features of cry.

"Please, I will treat you all with Ice-crèame." She sighed making them cheer and walk with her on the aisle as if Aleena was been protected from an assassin.

Caelan noticed Alina hiding in her group and ignoring looking at him while climbed down the bus and hurried into the university.

"Where did you find her?" Hazel asked barely controlling her smile as she saw whole commotion with her eyes stuck on Alina.

Where as, Alina was too embarrassed to even wave bye at them and rushed into university stumbling on her feet.