Page 16 of Academically Yours

Angelina just scoffed. “I think it’s more likely that I’ll fall into bed with my enemy than you getting married just like that.” She snapped her fingers.

Gabbi frowned at her, and I wondered what was going on in her head. I knew she wanted to find her person just as much as Charlotte did, even if she didn’t say it. Angelina always said she was too busy for a relationship, but Gabbi had slowly given up on online dating after a few failed relationships. “Anyway.” Gabbi finally changed the subject. “I think we’re all vastly overdue for a girl’s night. Should we make plans soon?”

“Ooooh, yeah, drinks would be fun,” I agreed. “Just not a night where I’m on duty. Maybe a Monday?”

“I have a dance thing for my kids this Monday, but maybe the next one?” Charlotte loved those girls she taught so much–you could see it on her face.

“Good with me,” Angelina nodded.

After we all agreed on drinks, we settled back into our book conversation, and after we had all finished our drinks and said our goodbyes, we were off, back to our normal—if not boring—lives.

~ ~ ~

As it happened, on Monday morning I was typing away at the coffee shop, working on a paper for class, when in walked the one and only Professor Matthew Harper. Again. If seeing him for the last week had been a shock, it was even more so seeing him again. I was sure it was a coincidence; but why did it make my heart flutter a little to see him here?

I watched him go up to the counter and order his coffee while I sat, quietly, sipping on my caramel mocha.

Figuring what the hell, I went over to say hi as he waited for his order. “Hi, Professor Harper,” I smiled at him.

“Oh. Noelle.” He gave me a little nod. “Hello. How’s it going today?”

“Good.” I gestured to my table, wondering if it was too forward to invite him to sit with me again.

I couldn’t explain it, but I felt comfortable around him, and I liked talking to him. Yeah—this beautiful, tall, blonde man, who I seemed to run into everywhere I went on campus—I had to admit that he fascinated me. “I’m sitting over there if you want to join me.”

“Hmm,” he mused, looking down at me. “Do you want me to join you, Noelle?” His beautiful blue eyes lit up and I had to wonder—was he teasing me? Or was he flirting with me?

I nodded and flushed a little. “If you want.” And then I remembered exactly what he said to me last time, about how much more there was to him under the surface. And I wanted to know it. God, I wanted to know everything about him. What he liked, what he disliked… I couldn’t help but wonder and be curious—it was just in my nature. That was all.

He peered at me curiously and then smirked. “Go sit down. I’ll come and join you.”

I left with a nod and was only slightly relieved when he slid into the chair across from me a few moments later. “How was your weekend?”

“Good. I just stayed at home and worked on grading. The weather was awful this weekend.”

I nodded along. Were we seriously going to make small talk about the weather right now, of all things? “It really was.” I frowned, and then thought, screw it, because who cared if I had an actual conversation with him instead of us talking about the rain?

“And how was yours?” he asked as I took another sip of my coffee.

“Oh.” I tried to think of what I had done after leaving my best friends on Saturday. “It was good, I guess. I got to see my best friends.”

“That’s always nice. I’m beginning to think mine are ignoring me,” he said, and I laughed.

“Ignoring you?” I scoffed. “Who could ever?”

He gave me a small laugh, and then returned his attention to his coffee. “I think they’re all too busy for me. I’m sure our plans will pan out soon.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, sure that his friends would come through soon. How could they not? Though, then again, I had never seen him with anyone else. He seemed like a loner. I couldn’t imagine him smiling and laughing with anyone—which only made me want to see it more.

My phone buzzed on the table, and I looked down and saw that my mom was calling me. I cursed internally. I knew I had to stop putting her off and talk to her, but there was a part of me that just didn’t want to. I wasn’t sure I could take her advice on my life right now. As confused as I was about what I wanted, about my dreams… I just wasn’t ready to talk to her about it again.

“What?” he asked, peering at me as if I was making a weird face. Oh—maybe I was.

“Hmm?” I said, realizing I had been staring at him for maybe a beat too long. “Oh. Nothing. Just thinking.”

Matthew tilted his head towards me as he took another sip of his coffee. “Do you do that a lot?”

“What?”