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“Oh, it’s okay.” Noelle gave me a tight smile. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
I raised an eyebrow. Because we were standing in the middle of the coffee shop on campus. Where we were both employed. “Because professors can’t order coffee?”
She snorted, and her hands flew over her mouth as she flushed a little. “No, I didn’t mean that. It’s just…” She tilted her head as she looked at me, and then shrugged.
“Well, here I am.” I gestured with my cup of coffee. “It’s better than the stuff they serve in the offices upstairs.” I looked down at her table—laptop perched on the edge along with her coffee cup and muffin. “Do you mind if I sit?” I asked. Hoping she wasn’t going to think I was some sort of creep, or that I was stalking her. God, I hoped not. I just wanted to get to know her better.
Noelle nodded, turning her attention back to her laptop. “Sure, go ahead.”
I pulled the bagel with cream cheese out of the paper wrapping. This place always served the best bagels, warm and fresh, and I liked the way they slathered them in cream cheese.
“So… Not a sweets guy, Professor?” she gave a small chuckle as she picked up her sugary muffin.
I shook my head. “Most of the time, no.”
“Hmm,” Noelle said to herself as she took a giant bite of the chocolate concoction.
“What?”
“I’m just thinking you’re full of surprises, that’s all,” she smirked.
“I’m sure there’s a lot more of those when you get to know me.” I winked at her.
Noelle’s cheeks flushed. I thought I heard her mumble under her breath, “I’m sure there is,” but I wasn’t positive, so I didn’t say anything back.
She turned back to her laptop, typing something into a document as she continued to nibble on her muffin.
Even after most of the blush on her face had faded, she still had a slight pink tinge to her cheeks, and I wondered if I had ever thought someone’s blush was beautiful before. If there had ever been a girl that I had seen just once and been so easily… bewitched by before. It wasn’t like she was even trying to cast this spell over me; she just was. The curve of her hips, the tilt of her lips when she smiled, the way her voice sounded when she laughed… it was transfixing. I was mesmerized, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. She carried herself as if the very world depended on her light, the warmth of her smile. Maybe it did.
I smiled into my coffee as I thought, maybe mine did.
We sat there for a while, me as I ate my bagel, Noelle as she hummed to herself and typed on her computer. Neither one of us broke the bubble of silence that we had somehow entered.
I didn’t know how to explain it, even as she peeked her head over her laptop and peered up at me. There was just this sense of… rightness sitting here with her. I caught her eye, and I loved the way she looked away shyly. I couldn’t help but wish I could count all of the freckles that swept across her face.
I cleared my throat. “So, uh, busy day today?”
She nodded. “I have to finish this presentation on Leadership I’m giving later this week, and then I have class at four.” Noelle peeped at me. “When’s your last class of the day?”
“Well,” I started, taking a sip of my coffee, “Wednesday nights are the one night a week I teach late. We get out at ten.”
She winced. “Those are always rough.”
I shook my head. “It’s not so bad, honestly.”
“Lucky you. Sometimes I have to load up on caffeine just to stay awake for my night classes.” She rubbed her eyes. “It’s a miracle I’ve almost finished my degree.”
I chuckled. “And what are your plans after graduation?”
“I’m not sure yet.” Noelle shrugged. “I might stay on another year as Hall Director, and then… we’ll see.”
“I’m sure whatever you pick, you’ll excel at it.”
“Stop,” she said, brushing me off but I could see her smile. “You don’t even know me. How do you know I’m not absolutely lousy?”
I just raised my shoulders. “I can just tell. I have a good feeling about you, Noelle Hastings.”
“Well, Professor Harper, I hope I prove you right.”
“I’m sure you will.” I winked at her, and she laughed.
“I should get going, but thank you so much for the company. It was really nice.” She gave me a smile, but from her comment I wondered if she was surprised at how good of a time we had together. But maybe it wasn’t so surprising, was it?
“Anytime.” I got up from the table as she packed up her belongings.
Noelle gave me another look as she flitted through the doorway, back out into the cold. I watched her go as she walked through the quad, back to being all bundled up in her coat.
It was all I thought about as I got in my truck after class that night and settled into the silence as I drove the short way home. I wondered what it was about her that I found so compelling. Because, really, I was being insane. Over a girl that I didn’t even know. And that just wasn’t like me.
