“That’s…pretty much the same background I came from,” he said. “And a lot of why I believe urban development needs to be reformed.”
“Yeah, that’s why I loved the syllabus this semester,” I said, my voice rising with enthusiasm. “It deals with exactly the issues I’ve been wanting to work on since even before I applied for this program—sustainability and accessibility. It’s like you said, we’re working with people. Actual human beings, and yet so many development companies treat local communities like a problem they need to somehow maneuver around.”
His lips twitched. “That’s why you chose Muller & Co. It’s not just the mentorship program or the project success rate, is it?”
“No,” I admitted. “Their focus on litigation and giving back is kind of what sealed the deal for me. And the fact that one of the areas they developed for the better was the one I grew up in. I want to pay that forward…if I’m good enough to even place with them.”
He opened his mouth to reply when a new voice cut in.
“Well, this looks nice and cozy.”
My eyes darted up to see two strangers standing next to our table. I’d been so engrossed in my conversation with Professor Blackwell that I didn’t notice them approaching us.
And looking at them now, it was a miracle I hadn’t.
The man who’d spoken was older. Despite being maybe ten years their senior, he was no less handsome than the other two men. Silver-streaked black hair and a well-trimmed beard complemented warm, golden brown eyes. He was taller than the others as well, with a build that had to be at least somewhatdecent if he was able to make a goddamn cardigan look that good.
The second stranger stood a bit behind him, and looked to be around Blackwell’s age. He was dressed in a gray Henley shirt and slacks, a slightly smarter look that mirrored his shorter, styled brown hair. Whereas the professor’s nose was elegantly straight, the newcomer sported a slight aquiline bump that was just noticeable enough to be attractive.
The tiny scars on Blackwell’s face hinted at a rougher past than his current profession might suggest but on this stranger, the suggestion of chaos was in the intensity of his eyes—electric blue beneath heavy dark brows.
Was there some kind of hot guy convention going on that I wasn’t aware of?
The first stranger’s mouth curled into a smirk. “Well, are you going to introduce us?”
Professor Blackwell rolled his eyes. “Miss Price, this is Ronan Locke and Oren Reed . Colleagues of mine.”
“You wound me with your detachment,” said the one I took to be Ronan, his sardonic reply almost reminding me of Mads. “We’re friends of Mr. Blackwell, here. Contrary to his aloof introduction.”
“This is June Price,” Blackwell continued, ignoring his friend. “Mystudent.”
There was a momentary pause at the intentional way he’d stressed the word. Almost as though it was a statement in and of itself, an invisible demarcation line that the other two were supposed to acknowledge.
And in that brief pause, I realized something. If they were his colleagues, did that mean that…
“Are the two of you professors as well?” I blurted out, unable to stop myself from asking the question.
Locke nodded. “I work predominantly with PhD students and Oren teaches Engineering and Ecology.”
Oddly enough, my second major of choice. My eyes must’ve gone wide because an amused smile played on his mouth.
“We didn’t mean to interrupt. Seems like Lucas isn’t the only one who decided on getting coffee here today,” Professor Reed said.
“Miss Price chose the place,” Blackwell explained.
“She has good taste. They do make the best coffee,” Professor Locke added.
I didn’t like how the three of them were almost talking around me, like I wasn’t there to answer for myself. But I also wasn’t sure where to interject. If they’d been regular guys, I would’ve spoken up.
But these were three professors, and ones who worked at the university I was attending no less. If I thought that speaking to Professor Blackwell earlier had loosened some propriety, I wasn’t sure how to conduct myself with the addition of Oren and Ronan.
I nodded at the three men and grabbed my bag from beside me.
“I should probably leave. Thank you for meeting with me, Professor Blackwell. I appreciate that you took time out of your schedule to see me,” I said, more than a little disappointed that we’d had such a short conversation. But the awkwardness wasn’t something I was prepared to deal with.
His mouth tightened into a frown but it was Professor Locke who spoke up again.
“Well, who says you have to leave? You clearly weren’t finished with your meeting, and from the sounds of it, things were just starting to get interesting.” He extended a hand towards another table that had four chairs around it. “If it’s alright with you, Oren and I would be honored to join. You may find another seating arrangement more comfortable, though.”
