Prevail

Chapter 3

Henrietta never thought she would see him again, but she did. Every single time she closed her eyes, he was there. Whoever he was, he was plaguing her mind. It was all so ridiculous.

She had been focused. She had a plan. She wanted a good job so she could buy a house. That was it. She didn't want any distractions.

She assumed she would never see him again. She didn't even know him.

But she was very wrong.

She was getting tea from her favorite coffee shop when he stepped in line behind her.

"Henrietta, right?" he asked. His rich, baritone voice washed over her in waves, surfacing feelings she didn't recognize.

She nodded, quietly saying, "Yes. You were with Professor Wren the other day?"

He also nodded, and she took a moment to notice his height, how he loomed over her. He was dressed in nice clothing, maybe even designer.

"I'm Haze. I'm working on a project with Dr. Wren," he said.

"Oh," Henrietta said, pushing around her long hair. She was nervous.

It was her turn to order, and she was thankful for the distance as she moved from the register to where she would pick up her drink. It was short lived as Haze soon followed.

"Are you in a rush?" he asked, his voice rich and smooth like butter. The barista called his drinks and he picked them up from the counter. "My friend and I have a table if you'd like to join us."

Henrietta was the type of person to say no. She had so much to do, and she rarely got a weekday off from work. Yet, she couldn't deny the weird attraction she had to Haze, and a part of her feared that this would be the first and only time someone as attractive as him would give her the attention.

She shifted her drink to her other hand. "Okay."

Haze led her to a table where another man sat. And while this guy had the same stand offish demeanor as Haze, he immediately smiled, lifting his features into something bright and friendly. Henrietta relaxed, pulling out the chair in front of the two men.

"Hi, I'm Nico."

She offered a shy smile of her own. "Henrietta. I hope you don't mind, Haze offered me to sit with you."

"Of course not," Nico said.

Henrietta couldn't believe how opposite the two men were from each other. Nico seemed bright and happy. His own brown hair was lighter, and his eyes a shiny sky blue. Haze sat still and silent next to him, almost glowering.

"What did you guys order?" Nico asked, directing the question to both of them.

"I got coffee," Haze said, expression remaining the same as he soaked her in.

Henrietta could feel the blush run from her neck to her cheeks. She was so confused. She couldn't possibly be attracted to both of them?

"Thanks, asshole," Nico rolled his eyes, before turning and looking expectantly at her.

"I like their raspberry green tea," she answered, hoping her voice wasn't as shaky as she felt. What was she doing here? Was she intruding?

"Not a coffee drinker?" Nico asked. "I like an iced latte with lots and lots of caramel."

"Sometimes," she answered, glancing at Haze, hoping he would contribute in sometime of way, anything to make her seem like she wasn't imposing on them.

"You're a student at the college here?" Haze questioned.

Henrietta nodded, "I finished my bachelor's, and I'm working on my master's."

"That's really awesome," Nico complimented, and Haze nodded in agreement. "What are you studying?"

Henrietta eased at the praise. She appreciated it more than the two men would ever know, and she was beginning to enjoy having their undivided attention. The coffee shop had faded out, and it was just them in their own bubble.

"Clinical psychology," she said, speaking a little louder. She could physically feel the tension leave her body as she relaxed against the table. "What about you guys? Do you all go to school here?"

"We did." It was Haze who answered. "I got my MBA from here."

"I dropped out," Nico grinned. "School wasn't for me, but I met Haze, so it all worked out."

"So you're younger?" she pushed curiously.

Nico nodded, "He's twenty-nine and I'm twenty-eight."

"Oh, cool," Henrietta said. "I'm twenty-four."

She couldn't believe how easy conversation was with them. They were attentive, and hung onto her every word. She didn't understand why she was so comfortable with them, but she was happy that she had stepped out of her comfort zone to talk with them.

Haze pulled a phone from his pocket.

"We have to go, Nico," Haze said, before turning to Henrietta. "I'm sorry we have to rush out of here. We have a meeting."

She nodded, giving them a small smile, "That's okay."

"We should hang out again," Nico said, smiling back. His dimples were prominent, brightening his already stunning eyes.

Haze slid his phone over to her. "You can put your number in, if you want."

Henrietta did so, feeling giddy. She had always struggled to make friends, and this felt normal. Being around them today made her feel like she could be herself, and she had never experienced that before.

The pair stood up, and she followed, not realizing how tall they both were until they did so. They towered over her.

"Until next time, Henrietta."