Chapter 16: The Nightclub

Barbara Brown's POV

I was miserable when Brad excused himself from my company. I think he did not like my company as I was not being the best version of myself when he was around. I don't want him to know that he made me nervous around him.

I was teaching my lab when he excused to go out on his own around campus. I arched my eyebrow at him before he assured me that he knows the way. I shrugged at him before I went back to the department.

I was walking around the lab as I helped the students to identify the mineral and how to distinguish them from each other. They have their lab manual and how they have to fill it up before sending it to me for scoring.

I never believe in scoring but if that was the system that will help students to learn even more, then I think it was not that bad. I recalled that I enjoyed my time in the lab when I would ask my TA, Roxanne, about life and I think it was nice. I enjoyed the lab more than I should as I was close to the faculty.

I was looking around when a student asked me about the Pyrite sample. I told him that it was what we called in the past as faux gold because it has the same luster as gold in the light but it will never worth more than it was.

I smiled at him before I moved to the other students that were trying to understand the concept of mineralogy. I sat with them at the table and asked them questions so that they can understand better their lab manual, more than just memorizing them.

The students thanked me when I was cleaning up the samples to be put into their places. It was 6 PM right now and I was done for the day. It was the last class before the exam for the lab. I will be gone during that time for approximately 3 weeks or less, depending on my discovery and how I wanted my proposal to be like.

"Hey you," Adam's voice was filling in the lab's quietness as I glanced over my shoulder as he was making his way toward me.

"Hey," I said as I was smiling at him. I was packing up the samples as I was closing the drawers and the cupboard that I need to put the samples back and locked it.

You never know when the students loved to get their hands handsome gems.

Adam settled himself on the wall as he was looking at me. I can sense his stare before he was amused that I was trying to ignore his presence. Well, I don't.

"So, why are you here and not in your lab?" I asked him as he chuckled at me. He shook his head before he went to my table with his hands in his pockets.

"You do realize we have the same lab timetable right?" He asked as I smacked my forehead with my palm. If you must now, Adam taught optical mineralogy at the same time as my lab started and ended. It was a lab that looked at mineral but under a microscope. Now, how exciting was that?

"Haha, very funny," I said as I was cleaning my table before I was putting off my labs and stuff in the right order.

"So, if you're not too busy, I suggest for a fun out tonight," he said as he was looking at me ardently. I arched my eyebrow at him.

"Okay, spill it. What was on your mind?"

"What makes you think I have something on my mind when I asked you to go out at night?" Adam asked before I rolled my eyes at him.

"Adam, you're my best friend since I got into the Master's program here and now I have continued my Ph.D. here as well, I must say that I know everything about you then you let on," I said as I was arching my eyebrow at him. He sighed before he rubbed his face.

"Fine, I just talk with Carol and she asked me to review my proposal for funding. She said I need to be more…convincing," he said before I put my hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry. Next time you will nail it," I said as I smiled at him. He smiled.

"I hope so. Now about that night out…" he said as he was smirking at me. I laughed before I agreed to go out with him and others. He asked some of his friends as well to join us. And I was not complaining since I grew up with 3 brothers, I was comfortable around them.

Well, that was out of the statement. I was wild when I was with guy friends because they did not restrict me to do what I wanted. And what I wanted when I was in a bar? It was to get drunk. I know, I was a lame excuse for a woman to be surrounding with guys when she was drunk.

But I have Adam and I trusted him to take care of me.

I was on my 5th mug of beer. I don't know why I cannot think of anything else but beer right now. I might have for something more of feminine style but no, I have to go with beer.

"Yeah, motherfucker!" I shouted around them as they laughed and we were clinking our drinks together. I drank it before I set it aside and wiped my mouth.

"I need to take care of something," I said as I went out of the table to the restroom before there was a line in front of the bathroom. I was in line when the idea struck me. I fished for my phone before I was calling someone that I shouldn't. Yup, you guessed it right.

It's Brandon Cornwall.

I waited for him to answer as I was trying to control my balance in front of the bathroom that was crowded.

"Hello?" His sultry voice penetrated me. I was missing his voice but right now, I felt anger inside me was bursting out.

"You piece of shit!" I shouted as some of the females were looking at me with a glare or an amusement when I was talking on the phone.

"Excuse me?" He asked as I can sense that he was trying to control his anger as well.

Or maybe it was me.

"Barbara, where are you?" He asked. I scoffed at him.

"Oh, you think you're all high and mighty. No, you don't. You might marry me on paper but you will never, under any circumstance, to own my body, mind, and soul. You are the worst of the worst, Mr. Cornwall," I said as I can feel that my anger was off from my chest. I can breathe.

Finally.

"Barbara Brown, I demand you where are you?" He gritted his teeth as he was talking at me and the way that he said my full name, it made me giddy and right now, I was giggling like a schoolgirl.

Maybe I was mad after all.

"Barbara!" He asked as he was barking on the phone. Then my giddiness was gone and replaced with anger.

"Will you cut it out? You always ask this and that, demand this and that. Right now, I'm sick of it and I will go away from you. Goodbye sir," I said as I slammed my phone to hang upon him. Served him right and looks like it was my turn for the bathroom.

After some time spending in the bathroom of doing something that my body asked me to do, I went back to the table as I saw some of the guys took off already. But I saw that Adam was waiting for me and I was smiling with relief. I don't think I wanted anyone else to care for me when I was drunk.

"Well, took you long enough," he mused as I rolled my eyes at him.

"It was a long line. Unlike men," I retorted before I was sitting on my usual spot before the guys were talking about their projects. I heard about them before I gave some suggestions on how to improve them.

But sometimes, they made jokes and I laughed out loud, especially when Adam made them.

I heard my phone was ringing and when I looked at the number, I grimaced. It was that douche bag but I hung up on him before I heard the joke and laughed out loud. I was looking at Adam when he was touching my bare arm because of the dress that I wore. It was a short black dress but for some, it might be revealing.

Like I cared.

These guys never took me as a woman and I was thankful for that as they don't linger on my body when I was wearing the dress.

Until someone was standing in front of me and my friends with his voice filled with venom.

"Well, fancy seeing you here, wife,"

I looked up to see who it was and it was Brandon Cornwall. Shit! I must have angered him for him to even show up here. I have to get going.

"Let's go," I whispered to Adam before Brad was tugging my hand.

"You will come with me," he hissed before I was standing and Adam was blocking him from taking me away from the table.

"Look, buddy, leave her alone," he said before Brad did something unexpected. He punched the guy as Adam staggered back onto his chair. I gasped before Brad dragged me out of the club as he took my handbag and we were walking toward his car.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I was trying to get away from him. He turned to look at me. Okay, more like glaring at me.

"What I should have done the first time I saw you," Brad barked before he pushed me onto the passenger seat and he went to the driver seat before we sped off from the nightclub.