her on the table. She worked
with fierce concentration, oblivious to the swirl of commotion around her. The
Student Center was always a busy place, with people bustling in and out,
chatting loudly and carrying coffee. The young woman was wholesome-looking yet
refined. There was something so familiar about the curve of her cheek… Robert
reached for the door, and she turned toward him and smiled. His heart leapt in
his chest. Isabel . She was even
prettier than he’d recalled her being on the lawn. And his memory should still
be sharp. That was only four hours ago.
Blue
eyes met his and twinkled. “I was beginning to think you’d stood me up,” she
said in a soft Southern twang that made the back of his neck flash hot. Isabel
and her family had moved here from Atlanta when she was just ten. She’d never
fully lost the accent. Even as a kid, Robert had found the sweet cadence of her
words intoxicating. He took a seat across from her in the booth, noting he
still wasn’t immune to her charms. “I’m a man of my word,” he assured her,
settling his own backpack in place. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long?”
“Just
a few minutes. But that’s okay. Been checking my new class schedule.”
“For
the fall?”
“Summer
session, actually.”
“No
kidding? I’ll be here too.”
Their
eyes locked for a heated moment.
Even
though it was so long ago, the memory of their first kiss seemed like yesterday.
Robert bringing his ineffectual mouth to hers. Of all things, wearing braces! He’d
been so inept, she’d nearly bitten his tongue. Not that he’d blamed her
entirely. Even then, he knew he’d probably deserved it, as awkward in his
approach as he was.
“It’s
a little warm out for coffee,” she said. “I think I’ll grab a soda. Can I get
one for you?”
“Uh,
yeah. I mean, no.” He felt his temperature spike again and wondered if there
was something wrong with the AC in here. Robert shifted on the bench, extracting
his wallet. “I’ll get both of ours. My treat.”
She
reached in her backpack and handed him her perma-refill tumbler. “I’ve got the
enviro-friendly cup. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Very
ecological of you,” he said, taking it from her.
He
quickly cleared his throat, thinking he must look like an idiot. Flustered by
some ridiculous reverie more than a decade old. “I’ve got to tell you, Isabel,
you look terrific. How long has it been?”
“Oh
gosh, has to have been at least…sixteen years!” She studied him a moment, then
delicately arched an eyebrow. “And I mean it quite sincerely when I say you
look fantastic too. Totally…buff.”
“How
was your class?” he asked, hearing his voice grow froggy.
She
pinned him in place with pretty blue eyes. “Revealing. And yours?”
He
stood so quickly, his knees knocked the table. “Uh, no, I wasn’t in class,” he
said, starting to walk away.
“Really?”
He
nearly stumbled over his own feet walking backward. “Let’s just say I had a debt
to repay.” If Isabel hadn’t been in that studio, why was she eyeing him so
suspiciously? Like she could see right through him, or at the very least clear
down to his skin.
“Are
you okay?” she asked as he nearly collided with another student.
He
shot her a tight smile. “Fine. Just fine. Diet drink should help.”
Isabel
watched him walk away, thinking a man with his physique didn’t need to worry about diet anything . And she should know.
She’d just studied him in incredible detail. He headed for the drink dispenser,
glancing over his shoulder with a tense smile. Why was he on edge all of a
sudden? He’d seemed just fine when they’d run into each other outdoors. Could
it be he’d seen her sitting in the art studio? Practically drooling in the far
recesses of the class? Isabel noted Robert had jammed her cup below the ice
dispenser, but his eyes were still glued on hers. She watched wide-eyed as ice
spewed forth and began to tumble over the rim of the
with fierce concentration, oblivious to the swirl of commotion around her. The
Student Center was always a busy place, with people bustling in and out,
chatting loudly and carrying coffee. The young woman was wholesome-looking yet
refined. There was something so familiar about the curve of her cheek… Robert
reached for the door, and she turned toward him and smiled. His heart leapt in
his chest. Isabel . She was even
prettier than he’d recalled her being on the lawn. And his memory should still
be sharp. That was only four hours ago.
Blue
eyes met his and twinkled. “I was beginning to think you’d stood me up,” she
said in a soft Southern twang that made the back of his neck flash hot. Isabel
and her family had moved here from Atlanta when she was just ten. She’d never
fully lost the accent. Even as a kid, Robert had found the sweet cadence of her
words intoxicating. He took a seat across from her in the booth, noting he
still wasn’t immune to her charms. “I’m a man of my word,” he assured her,
settling his own backpack in place. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long?”
“Just
a few minutes. But that’s okay. Been checking my new class schedule.”
“For
the fall?”
“Summer
session, actually.”
“No
kidding? I’ll be here too.”
Their
eyes locked for a heated moment.
Even
though it was so long ago, the memory of their first kiss seemed like yesterday.
Robert bringing his ineffectual mouth to hers. Of all things, wearing braces! He’d
been so inept, she’d nearly bitten his tongue. Not that he’d blamed her
entirely. Even then, he knew he’d probably deserved it, as awkward in his
approach as he was.
“It’s
a little warm out for coffee,” she said. “I think I’ll grab a soda. Can I get
one for you?”
“Uh,
yeah. I mean, no.” He felt his temperature spike again and wondered if there
was something wrong with the AC in here. Robert shifted on the bench, extracting
his wallet. “I’ll get both of ours. My treat.”
She
reached in her backpack and handed him her perma-refill tumbler. “I’ve got the
enviro-friendly cup. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Very
ecological of you,” he said, taking it from her.
He
quickly cleared his throat, thinking he must look like an idiot. Flustered by
some ridiculous reverie more than a decade old. “I’ve got to tell you, Isabel,
you look terrific. How long has it been?”
“Oh
gosh, has to have been at least…sixteen years!” She studied him a moment, then
delicately arched an eyebrow. “And I mean it quite sincerely when I say you
look fantastic too. Totally…buff.”
“How
was your class?” he asked, hearing his voice grow froggy.
She
pinned him in place with pretty blue eyes. “Revealing. And yours?”
He
stood so quickly, his knees knocked the table. “Uh, no, I wasn’t in class,” he
said, starting to walk away.
“Really?”
He
nearly stumbled over his own feet walking backward. “Let’s just say I had a debt
to repay.” If Isabel hadn’t been in that studio, why was she eyeing him so
suspiciously? Like she could see right through him, or at the very least clear
down to his skin.
“Are
you okay?” she asked as he nearly collided with another student.
He
shot her a tight smile. “Fine. Just fine. Diet drink should help.”
Isabel
watched him walk away, thinking a man with his physique didn’t need to worry about diet anything . And she should know.
She’d just studied him in incredible detail. He headed for the drink dispenser,
glancing over his shoulder with a tense smile. Why was he on edge all of a
sudden? He’d seemed just fine when they’d run into each other outdoors. Could
it be he’d seen her sitting in the art studio? Practically drooling in the far
recesses of the class? Isabel noted Robert had jammed her cup below the ice
dispenser, but his eyes were still glued on hers. She watched wide-eyed as ice
spewed forth and began to tumble over the rim of the
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