In Love, Against All Odds

Chat in Café

The next week was a complete whirlwind. Classes, assignments, and all that typical uni stress, but honestly, I couldn't stop thinking about that random vending machine incident with Patrick. Every time I bumped into him in the halls or caught a glimpse of his grin during lectures, my stomach did this weird fluttery thing that I couldn't ignore.

On Wednesday, after class, I was chilling at Crescent Brews, trying to knock out some assignments. I was deep in thought when I spotted Patrick walking in. He looked effortlessly cool in a simple tee and jeans, his hair all messy in that "I don't care" kind of way. He scanned the room until his eyes landed on me.

"Yo, Kat!" he called out, waving as he made his way over. "Mind if I crash your table?"

"Not at all!" I said, scooting my stuff to make space. "I was just trying to finish some work, but a break sounds nice."

He plopped down across from me, his eyes lighting up as he looked at my notes. "Damn, you really take studying seriously, huh?" he joked.

We settled into a pretty chill vibe, exchanging small smiles every now and then. I tried to focus on my notebook, but let's be real, I kept sneaking glances at Patrick. It was that awkward "let's pretend we're working but we're actually not" moment.

After a minute, I figured we might as well kill the silence with something other than just awkward eye contact.

"Alright, how about we turn this awkward study session into something fun?" I said, trying to lighten the mood. "Wanna swap embarrassing ex stories?"

He grinned, his eyes sparking with mischief. "Embarrassing? You're on. I'll go first. So, I dated this girl named Evelyn. She's in architecture. Super smart, cute, all that good stuff."

"Evelyn? Oh yeah, I know her. She's kind of a big deal, right?" I said, curious.

"Yeah, that's her," he said, scratching his head. "We dated for a few months, but it ended pretty quickly. We were both caught up in our own worlds, and then one day—poof—she ghosted me."

"Wait, seriously? She ghosted you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "That sucks."

"Right? We had a good thing going, and then she just stopped replying to my texts. It was like I never existed. Then I found out she was seeing someone else. Total slap in the face," he said, laughing it off.

"Ugh, that's brutal," I said, feeling bad for him. "I've had some weird breakups too. Like, I was with Bradwin for a while, and it ended outta nowhere."

"I heard about that," Patrick said, his face turning serious for a second. "You two seemed pretty serious."

"Yeah, we were. But things just weren't clicking anymore, you know? It felt like it was time to move on," I said, shrugging.

He nodded, still looking interested. "Did it hurt?"

"At first, yeah. But then I realized it was better in the long run. I needed to focus on what I wanted, not just stick around for the sake of it," I said, feeling surprisingly open about it.

"Totally get it," he said. "Sometimes, a breakup's the wake-up call you need."

"Exactly," I said, smiling. "Now, tell me, what's the dumbest thing you've done for love?"

He looked thoughtful for a second. "Okay, once I tried to impress Evelyn by planning a spontaneous weekend trip. I had it all figured out—hotel, activities, everything. But I went way overboard and ended up booking a room at this fancy place that was way too expensive. She totally freaked out when she saw the prices and thought I was trying too hard. The whole trip got ruined."

"Haha, wow, that's rough," I said, laughing. "But hey, at least you tried!"

"Yeah, well, lesson learned," he said, smiling at the memory.

I couldn't stop laughing as we shared more embarrassing stories about our past relationships. It felt nice to laugh about it all and just be real for once.

"So, what do you think about love now?" Patrick asked, his tone changing a bit, like he was being serious.

I thought about it for a second. "I think love's messy. It's fun but can also be painful. I just want someone who gets me and supports my dreams, you know? I'm not about that hookup life. I want the real deal."

He nodded, looking thoughtful. "Same here. I want someone who's into what I'm passionate about and wants to build something together. It's hard to find that kind of person."

"Yeah, it's tough," I agreed, trying to keep it casual. "But hey, I've gotta keep up with you and your crazy grades," I joked, knowing full well he was one of the top students in our program.

Patrick raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of grades, how's your fabric design project going? Still crushing it?"

I grinned. "It's actually going really well! I'm messing around with different textures and patterns. Might even use some sustainable materials in it."

"That's awesome! Sustainability is huge in fashion right now. I think it's great you're focusing on that," he said, looking genuinely impressed.

"Thanks! What about you? How's the family business going?" I asked, shifting the focus back to him.

"Honestly, it's been exciting. My dad's letting me take the lead on this eco-friendly fabric project. It's a big deal, but I think it could be a game-changer," he said, his face lighting up.

"Wow, that sounds amazing! I can totally see you in the headlines," I teased. "Patrick Pennington: The Future of Fashion."

He laughed. "I like the sound of that! If that happens, I'll definitely credit you for the inspiration."

We spent the rest of the time chatting about our families, our dreams, and everything in between. I learned a lot about Patrick's family—his two sisters, one doing architecture and the other working for a big company. He spoke about them with pride, and it made me like him even more.

"Your family sounds really supportive," I said, feeling warm inside.

"They are," he said. "But yeah, sometimes I feel like there's this pressure to just follow in my dad's footsteps. I love the family business, but I don't want to just be 'Patrick Pennington, the guy who took over the company.' I want to make my mark, do something new."

I totally got it. "That makes sense. You've got so many ideas, it'd be a shame to just follow what's already been done."

"Exactly!" he said, his eyes lighting up. "I want to bring something fresh to the table, maybe even throw in some avant-garde designs."

As the sun started setting and the café filled with golden light, I realized how much time had passed. "Wow, I didn't even notice the time," I said, glancing at my watch. "I should probably head out."

"Same here," he said, checking his phone. "Got a couple of things to take care of before tomorrow."

We stood up, and I felt this little pang of disappointment at having to leave. "Thanks for hanging out, Patrick. This was fun."

"For sure! We should do this more often," he said, giving me a look that made my heart skip a beat.

"Definitely," I agreed, feeling that connection between us that went beyond just friendship.

We walked out together, and I couldn't stop smiling. As we stepped outside, the cool air hit my face, and Patrick turned to me with a grin. "Hey, I still owe you a proper date. How about we make it happen this weekend?"

"Wait, really? You want to take me out?" I asked, my heart racing. "I'd love that!"

"Great! I'll pick you up on Saturday. It's gonna be a surprise," he said with a wink that made my heart flutter.

We parted ways, and I couldn't help replaying the whole conversation in my head. It felt like I was floating in some kind of bubble, caught up in the excitement of what was to come.

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