Between Love & Family

Chapter 2

I wake up to the alarm blaring, quite possibly the sound I hate most in this world. I get up and make my way into the shower to get ready for my day. Letting the hot water ease my muscles I let my mind wander, imaging what graduation would hold. 

I feel like I had been working my whole life toward being able to actually have a life, I wanted to start with my career obviously but I also wanted a family...not that I knew much about how to behave in one but I'm sure there are certain things in life where your instincts kick in.

Getting out, I wrap myself in a towel and move to wipe the steam from the mirror. I pull my long dark hair into a bun and stare into the mirror at my reflection, most days I do not bother with makeup but today I think I will indulge a bit. I sweep mascara on my long lashes and line my brown eyes with my favorite purple liner. I dab on some blush and highlight my rather high cheekbones and pop on some gloss. 

Satisfied with my look I go into my room to pull on my jeans and a crop top with my favorite black booties, grab my backpack and I am out the door. I drive to the university in silence, mentally checking off my assignments in my head. I park and head to my first class whereas usual I sit in the back, I am invisible at the school and honestly, I prefer it that way.

As the class waits for the professor to show I take a look around the familiar faces I am used to seeing almost every day.....until I come across one that is less familiar, as if he can feel me staring he looks up directly at me locking his gaze with mine, embarrassed I quickly look away as I feel my cheeks heat up at being caught and I can see him smirk out of the corner of my eye. 

The rest of the class goes by without incident even though I catch myself studying him with every chance. He has golden blonde hair that would occasionally fall over his bright blue eyes, he looks as though he spends a good bit of time outside from his perfect tan and as I look down toward his broad chest that his shirt is stretching to cover its impossible to miss that he takes very good care of his body. I wonder where he has come from momentarily before I force my attention back to the professor's lecture.

The rest of my day passes in a blur of lectures and notes until the end of the final class. I pack up and am heading to my car, it is barely 2 o'clock and I am debating heading to the campus coffee shop to get a head start on my assignments before my shift when suddenly someone steps into my path. I look up and see the guy from my first class, I slow my pace and attempt to go around him but he reaches out and lightly touches my arm. 

"Hey, Alana right?" I stare at him for a second, flabbergasted that he knows my name. "Ummm, yea. Is there something I can help you with?" 

He smiles and looks down at his shoes before looking back up to me. Nothing about this guy looks shy as I look into his deep blue eyes, up close I can see he has light stubble coming in and the way his jaw is perfectly chiseled, looking away I clear my throat and address him again.

"Sorry, I really need to get started on these assignments so if you will excuse me....." I attempt to step around him, only for him to step into my path again. 

"I was hoping that I could treat you to a cup of coffee and maybe you would be nice enough to help me catch up in class?" I am slightly shocked....and it takes me a minute to find my voice. "Ummm, I mean....well sure yeah I guess that would be fine. I was headed over to the campus coffee shop now if you want to walk with me?" He smiles again and I can't help but smile back. "That would be great, let's go." 

We set out in the direction of the coffee shop, we are quiet and I look over at him while we walk. He is definitely taller than me, probably about 6 feet and I can see my earlier assumption of him being very fit was definitely correct. The material of his shirt is thin and I can see the online of his abs and the way the sleeves stretch to accommodate the muscles in his arms. As we approach the shop I quickly refocus my attention before he catches me studying him.

I order a Caramel macchiato and settle into the table in the corner to wait for him to join me. A few moments later he walks over and sits directly across from me. I realize he knows my name but I do not know his. 

"How did you know my name?" I come out before I even think and he smirks at me again. "I may have asked around...." He asked about me? As I process that information I look back up him, "Why?" Was the only thing I could think of. 

"Well you um, looked like you were very into the lecture and thought you would be helpful in catching up." Oh, I couldn't stop myself from feeling a little disappointed with his answer as I started pulling out my book and notes to get started. 

"I was also hoping to get to know you maybe?" I stop and look at him, blink a couple of times to process that he wasn't only interested in my class notes, I look back at him "well, In that case, I guess it would only be fair for you to tell me your name since you already know mine." He laughs them, I like the sound of it and I feel my cheeks heating up again. "My name is Jaime, Jaime Flynn."

The next couple of hours pass by easily, we drink our coffee and I am engrossed in explaining my notes and helping him with his. I look up at the clock and see I need to head out to start my shift. 

"I am really sorry, but I need to get going my shift starts at 4:30." He looks up at me and I think I can see a tinge of disappointment in his face? Maybe I am imagining things because as quickly as I think I see it, he replaces it with his signature smirk. 

"Well thank you for this, you have been very helpful." He smiles at me and it makes me not want to leave, knowing full well that I have to. "Thanks for the coffee, I guess I'll see you around." I swing my bag up on my shoulder and go to head out. "Hey, Alana? Do you think I could get your phone number?"

I turn back and momentarily think it over, giving him my number would leave the door open for further contact. I know I shouldn't, I really do, but looking at him now...there's just something that draws me in. It makes me want to stay, to be around him more...I had never felt a pull toward someone I barely knew. 

"yea, ok sure." He hands me his phone and I quickly punch in my number before I chicken out, I hand it back to him and he grins from ear to ear. It's infectious and I need to get myself out of here before I decide to sit back down and skip my shift. 

"ok, well I really need to go now before I am late..I'll talk to you later?" He nods and with that I walk out of the shop toward my car, making myself not look back. I don't have time to get distracted, and I can already tell that he could be very distracting but at the same time...I don't know if I could avoid it either.