Back to Reality(Twilight)

Chapter: 26

"Come in," I said in answer to the light knocking on my office door at UW.

"Hi, Professor Cullen?" a soft voice asked from inside the doorway.

I looked up from my laptop on my desk and was met with a pair of stunning hazel eyes. She seemed young, but not too young like a student. Maybe my age? She had short, straight blonde hair, tan skin and a pretty smile.

"Yes?"

"Hi, my name's Kate McGill. I'm another CJ professor. I just wanted to come introduce myself and welcome you to the program."

I shut my laptop to give her my full attention. A very pretty smile, indeed.

"Oh, hey. It's nice to meet you. I haven't really come around and introduced myself yet. I'm sorry. It's only my first week."

"Oh, no, it's fine. It's only my second year teaching so I understand being new around here. I just wanted to come say hello and see how you liked it so far."

I sighed but chuckled kindly under my breath. "It's been a little bit tougher than I thought. There are a lot of students."

"Yeah, I know. You get used to it though. It's okay not to remember everyone's name," she laughed. "It'll never happen. I gave up on that a long time ago."

I laughed too. "Okay, good. I'm glad I'm not the only one."

"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?" she questioned me.

It sort of took me off-guard, but I tried not to show it. "Twenty-seven."

"Oh yeah? I was just wondering because you worked at Smith and Layton Law, and I had heard you were young...." she looked away from me towards the floor, mumbling under her breath. "... I just wasn't sure how young you actually were."

"I was twenty-five when I started, but I moved up pretty quickly."

"That's so amazing. I can't imagine...." she smiled, shaking her head.

I shrugged. "It was a great place to work. It just wasn't what I wanted to do anymore."

She nodded. "I admire that."

We shared an awkward, pregnant pause where I could tell she desperately wanted to ask me why I quit but knew I probably didn't want to share that with someone I had just met and didn't really know. She was quite attractive though. She was tall, probably just under my chin in height; skinny, maybe a little too skinny for her stature, but still attractive with black pants and a loose sweater hanging on her.

"Uh," she broke the silence, glancing at her watch briefly and blushing slightly. "Would you like to grab some lunch-"

She was cut off by a soft knock on my partly-open office door. "Edward?" The voice I had been waiting all day to hear called for me as she peeked her head around the door, laying two blue eyes directly on me. I stood from my desk chair as she walked in the rest of the way. She smiled immediately, "Hey! Are you ready?" she asked.

Whenever she was fully in my office, she glanced to the side and finally saw Kate standing off to the other side of my desk. Her smile fell instantly, "Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, you're fine, Bella," I replied.

Bella's eyes never left Kate.

"Kate, I'm sorry. I already have lunch plans," I stated. They both looked at me like they had even forgotten I was there. "Kate, this is Bella Swan. Bella, this is Kate McGill. She's a CJ professor, too."

I didn't put a label on Bella for a reason.

They both looked back at each other and awkwardly shook hands. I realized for the first time how much I hated to watch two girls shake hands. Girls were meant to smile and hug, maybe kiss on the cheek in certain situations. This seemed unfriendly and...stiff, for some reason.