My Professor

6. Coffee

I woke up the next morning with a mild headache and more noises coming through the walls than expected at 10am. At first, I attempted to drown out the noise with my pillow, but when that proved unsuccessful, I decided to drag myself out of bed to investigate what was going on.

Still in my clothes from the night before, I collected a fresh set from my closet before wandering down the hall towards the rest of the apartment. I could hear a few of my roommates talking with a handful of guests of theres, strangers to me, and they weren't exactly using their inside voices. I didn't want to talk, so I beelined for the bathroom, which was mercifully vacant, and quickly shut the door behind me.

I didn't like showering with strangers in the apartment, but I didn't have a choice, so I cleaned myself up quickly and returned to my room to drop of my dirty clothes and to grab my bag. The more time I spent in the apartment with my noisy roommates and their friends, the more annoyed I was becoming, which wasn't helpful to anyone. I decided that getting some fresh air was in order.

I adjusted my turtleneck in the mirror and smoothed out my dark green pinafore in the mirror before grabbing the book I was currently in the middle of reading and my purse. I locked my bedroom door behind me, just in case, and left the apartment after a brief greeting from my roommates and their guests. They seemed nice enough; I just didn't understand why they had to be so loud.
I went down to the parking lot and climbed into my car, a black Honda Civic, before making my way off campus to find somewhere else I could get a little peace a quiet while I read.

There was a coffee shop, The Urban Bean, that wasn't too far off, and it had a large patio which would be nice in the current weather, sunny and clear, so I tapped in the address into my GPS at a red light and followed the directions there.

The coffee shop was small and cozy, with most to the sitting room outside on the outdoor patio which was through the glass door on the right wall. When I entered, the ordering counter and bar was directly in front of me, positioned next to the far back wall, and the bulk of the indoor seating, which a mix between tables and couches, was on the left side of the room. By then, the day was in full swing and there were few tables open for me choose from.

I ordered my drink and waited patiently at the other end of the bar for it, when I noticed a brunette man ordering his drink at the counter. Sure enough, Theodore was ordering a drink, as well. He must've been a few places behind me in line and I hadn't seen him.
My instinct was to shy away from him again, but I couldn't. The coffee shop wasn't big, and as soon as Theodore turned to leave the ordering counter he noticed me.

"Hello, Indigo," Theodore smiled as he walked over. He visibly brightened when he recognized me. "What are the odds? Again?"

"Yeah, I was about to say," I smiled back. "How are you?"

"I'm good! I was just dropping by to grab a coffee before jumping into grading papers. What about you?"

"I'm good. My roommates are have a very loud get together right now at my place, so I came out here for a quiet place to read."

"That sounds like a much nicer time than me," he chuckled. "What are you reading?"

"The Bell Which Tolls At Midnight," I said, holding it up to show him the cover. It was a thriller that I'd begun recently.

"That one's on my to-read list," he enthused. "How is it so far?"

"I like it so far, but I have a few notes," I told him.

"I'll have to read it so I can hear your thoughts on it."

I felt myself blush. "Are you an avid reader?"

"I am, when I have time. Things tend to get a little hectic during the school year, though," he explained.

"Even with a TA?"

"Marcy is helpful, but she's not a fairy godmother," Theodore laughed. "Plus, she's still has her classes to attend to, herself."

"True," I nodded. "Well, I hope you get around to reading it soon. I don't actually have anyone I discuss books with. It would be nice."

"I'll move it to the top of my list," he promised with a smile.

"Indigo!" the barista behind us called my name. She'd completed my order.

I grabbed my drink and returned my attention to Theodore. "Well, I'm going to head outside. It was nice talking to you, Theodore." It felt a little weird to call him by his first name, but he had insisted.

"You, too, Indigo. I'll see you in class."

The weather was gorgeous outside, and I settled at a table at the corner of the patio. I wondered if Theodore would sit outside as well, but I doubted it. There was a nice breeze outside, which wouldn't be particularly nice to endure while grading a bunch of loose leaf papers. Instead of getting my hopes up, I pulled my book out of my bag and cracked it open. The best way I could distract myself from thinking about Theodore all afternoon was with a good book.