Pucker-Up

Chapter Five - Gaby

"Thank you- you really didn't have to carry my bag." I smile as he places it on the table and sits across from me. "It's really okay, its given me an excuse to keep working on this project." Mathew unzips his backpack to take out a dark navy coloured New York Yankees cap. He slides it on top of his dark brown hair and I move my hand up to shelter my forehead so I don't get as blinded by the sun. "I'm not sure if we have officially met, but I'm Gaby." I look to him and he is already moving his hand out for a handshake. "Mathew." His hand has a few veins run down from the back of his hand, along his arm. I hesitantly move my hand across the table to meet his half way, giving him a firm shake. In the very brief moment of our hands touching, I could feel the roughness of his calluses - probably caused from hockey.

"We had Philosophy together last year, yeah?"  He asked as he rose his protein shake to his mouth, taking a big sip from the straw. I watched as one fourth of his drink was consumed in a single sip, and nodded in response to his question. My fingers pinched the end of my straw, stirring my coffee with it as the ice cubes clunked together inside the plastic cup. "Yeah, how could I forget with a Professor like George." I chuckle and his face brightens with surprise by that comment. He shook his head with a smile and added "Hey, George is the coolest middle-aged man I know— How old do you think he is? Surely like mid sixties." I gasp. "I think he's pushing early fifties if lucky!" Mathew's jaw drops and I continue on with my theories. "A man that wears ripped band tee's and rocks up to class 15 minutes late with coffees and croissants surely can't be in his mid-sixties." Mathew does an accepting looking nod, as if the things I just mentioned were completely valid facts. "I think you've swayed my thoughts."

—

Mathew and I worked on our research case for an hour, having small breaks every now and then to discuss class related topics. Our plastic cups were completely empty, every last drop of our drinks gone - including my ice cubes which the sun had melted. I close my laptop and stretch my arms out "It's good we have most of that done- you have a class now, yeah?" I watch him as I pack my laptop away back into my bag. "Sort of- my day is far from being over." He chuckles and puts his backpack back on. "Hey I was wondering if I could grab your instagram or something?" He asks and my brain just goes blank. Of course I'd want that, I'm just not use to being put in these positions so it catches me off guard. "Oh I mean- sure. I'm not very active on Instagram." I don't know why I say that when I usually am quite active on there. But he continues with a smug smile which leaves me no time to overthink my response.
"Then let me have your number?"