3 months later...
Things had been going well.
I loved my classes and was delighted to find that I hadn't fully grasped the way that the classes worked. Instead of being in class all day every day, well, I was in classes from 8 to 5, Monday, Wednesday and Friday with a two-hour break between sessions.
Tuesdays, I worked in the on-campus restaurant, honing skills and working with various instructors at different food stations.
And Thursdays, I was at the diner all day, baking my heart out to fill the dessert case and freezer back up again as well as do my baking for my weekend jobs. I'd decided there was no reason to keep any time free so I pretty much was taking any job that came along. Sometimes there was a day off, sometimes there wasn't.
On occasion, mom got mad at me because she thought I was working too hard but It kept me busy and I was enjoying it all.
It was the middle of December already and I hadn't thought about my ex boyfriends at all.
Okay, fine, just now when I was patting myself on the back about not thinking about them.
Point is, I'd been making enough money that I was going to be more than able to buy the presents I wanted to get for everyone and I was thrilled. I needed to be able to move beyond a tin of their favorite cookies and a pair of funny socks or a tie, depending on which of my brothers it was.
I'd fallen into a terrible habit of not really caring about my appearance anymore. It was just so much easier to get out of bed and do the whole messy bun thing, wear my glasses and leave the house in my most comfortable clothes. I was a little more dressed when I was working at the restaurant but only because I was wearing my chef's coat and my messy bun was far more restrained.
I probably should have remembered that impressions were everything.
Well. At least today, probably.
I hadn't really had much experience with boys, if you think about it. So, I'd never really bought in to what the girls at the diner used to say about always running into the guys they were crushing on when they looked like crap. They seemed to think it was a big deal and always talked about making the choice to be all 'messy bun and getting stuff done' with no make-up and tired and unshowered and wearing the sloppiest clothes or getting themselves put together. Because it never seemed to work out. When they wanted the guy they liked to see them all polished and pretty, they never ever ran into them or talked to them. But throw that hair up and be all unkempt and never fails, they'd end up seeing them first thing.
It apparently was an actual thing because at least half of my classmates thought the same thing.
I clearly didn't care much because I was the messy bun girl all the time lately and they weren't.
So, I didn't hesitate at all when Kota called me and practically begged for me to bring him lunch. His college was just a few blocks away, I wouldn't even have to drive to take his lunch to him.
And he wouldn't have to either, mind you. And I usually saw him at least once a week because he wanted to support me and my choice of education.
Well, and apparently, the sandwiches were good.
But he had a session with one of the students he mentored or something and didn't have much time for an actual lunch today so I reluctantly agreed to make his lunch and deliver it during my two-hour break. I could have seriously done something terrible to his lunch but I just wanted him to be impressed with the smoked turkey breast that I'd worked on today. It was fantastic.
I made his sandwich just how he liked it, thick slices of whole wheat stuffing bread – it had roasted garlic, celery and onions in it and was flavored heavily with sage and poultry seasoning. We'd made dressing out of it at the end of November. The bread was spread with homemade aioli on one side, whole grain mustard on the other. It was almost like Thanksgiving came back to life in a sandwich. The smoked turkey was joined by cranberry chutney and dill Havarti before I added leafy lettuce, red onions and tomatoes to it. I included a cup of vegetable beef soup, homemade potato chips and a yummy, gooey hot chocolate brownie. I figured he could get his own drink but I was a good sister and gave careful consideration to his hydration and included a bottle of water. I packed it all up, swiped my student id to charge it to my account and paused by the back door to exchange my chef's coat for my favorite oversized gray sweater. It was rather shapeless I know and probably made me look like I was borrowing clothes from guys that were twice my size and well, I probably had hijacked the sweater out of Owen's closet at some point but who knows. I was actually glad to get a bit of exercise in and set off at a decent pace to meet up with Kota.
Preferably before his soup got cold.
I'd called him when I was entering the building to see where he was. Kota said he was in the common area with someone and told me how to get there. I could see where people would like to eat and hang out in these common areas. I stared around, wide eyed, wondering for just a moment, what it would be like to be in mainstream classes.
I loved what I was doing though and every hour I put in got me closer to going to France. If I took summer classes next year, I could be done with my classes here in Charleston in a year and be in France the following January. Apparently, the French preferred that you did things on a January to December schedule which means I may have messed myself up by not starting until September this year but I was determined to make it work. I'd loved everything I had accomplished this year and wouldn't have traded it for anything.
"Hey." I smiled at Kota, setting the lunch down on the table in front of him. My eyes flicked off to his left and over the guy he was sitting with. He had looked up in curiosity when I'd approached the table and I belatedly remembered that I looked like absolute crap today and straightened my shoulders, giving him a cursory look before glancing back at Koa. "We made turkey today. It's really good." I snapped my mouth shut at the risk of sounding overly enthused about lunch meat.
He smiled at me and pushed his glasses up farther on his nose. "If it has that cranberry chutney on the sandwich, I'm sold."
"It does." I nodded. "Sorry to interrupt."
"I called you to bring me lunch. You aren't interrupting. Pete, this is my sister, Jessica." Kota briefly introduced us before he dug his soup out of the bag and found the spoon that I'd tossed in before he started to eat.
"Nice to meet you."
I looked down at the hand that he'd extended to me and I looked at his face again before taking it and giving it a firm handshake. "Likewise." I managed before staring at the way his hand gripped mine. I felt like jerking it away in a rush because I wasn't sure what was happening. My eyes went wide behind my glasses and I looked at him for a long moment, memorizing deep dark brown eyes and a close-cut haircut. He looked to be about my age and bore an incredible resemblance to the actor that had been in the Divergent movie. Not that I'd watched it after refusing to accept the ending of the series.
I may or may not have caught a glimpse or two when Sang watched it last year. She went on and on about Theo James as an actor after she watched it. Apparently, he was Greek and according to her, he couldn't hold a candle to Silas but it didn't stop her from watching the movie a few more times.
I suddenly felt anxious and wished I'd taken a bit more care with my appearance today after the butterflies started up in my stomach again.
I lightly squeezed his hand in an attempt to extricate my hand from his. "I really should be going." I murmured.
"Did you eat yet?" Kota asked as Pete released my hand.
"Not yet." I said. "I wanted you to get your lunch first. It won't take me long to get back to the café and make myself something."
"As long as you eat." He gently chided me.
"Trust me. I don't forget that." I smiled before bending to kiss his cheek. "See you later, Kota." I straightened up and flashed a quick smile at Pete. "Again, nice to meet you." I said softly before I turned and walked away from them.
"Is she seeing anyone?"
I felt my cheeks burn with a sudden flush of color and I picked up my speed, not really wanting to overhear what Kota had to say on that subject.
I managed to not run through their lobby like a madwoman. But I found myself wishing that I didn't have to still finish a shift as I could probably use a long run on the trails at home to figure out why those damn butterflies were hanging out with me again.