Thank you to the readers of my past stories for taking time to leave ratings and comments. Both are appreciated. I thought that I'd add some variety to my collection and present you with a tale of two college students who rekindle their romance which leads to some fiery passion. As always, your feedback encourages me to continue writing and to improve the quality of my work. Thank you and enjoy!
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He leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh of frustration. After furiously pounding his fingers on the keyboard for a few moments, the web page that he created for his summer project would not render correctly, and he simply could not figure out why. He reached his hand to the side of the monitor, taking his cup of coffee and putting the rim of the travel mug to his lips. Too hot.
A shiver wailed through him as the cold air was pushed out from the vent above without mercy. The walk to the building had been stifling; the typical late summer morning with high humidity had soaked him with perspiration before he arrived. He had made his way to the ninth floor and was the first to the work room. It was small area with a handful of computers for the few lab assistants. It was clean, however, and meticulously well-kept by the staff. No open drinks were allowed, however, so once again he tried to sip from his closed mug only to find that its contents were still scalding hot. Damn, he thought.
Rob had enthusiastically embraced his internship. He had just finished his first year of college, and he wanted to find something that would give him some real-world experience in the field of environmental science. He had applied for several opportunities and quickly seized the chance when offered an internship at a company in his hometown. It was a natural choice after being away at college for a year. He was eager to get some experience, pick up a bit of dough, and see his old friends.
He scanned his screen once again and found a mistake. As the end of the internship neared, Rob was tasked with building a website to showcase the results of his work that summer. He was not a computer programming expert by any measure, but he knew enough to build simple web pages. As he reloaded the web browser, he grinned with satisfaction as his beautifully crafted work appeared on the screen. Success.
His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Time for a quick break, he thought. He slid the phone out of the front pocket of his khaki dress pants and noticed a text message from a number that he did not know.
"Hey Rob! Heard you were in town. We should meet up before you go back to school. Hit me up!"
He was perplexed. It could be any number of acquaintances, but it was someone he obviously had no contact with in some time. He quickly responded.
"Uh, sounds great! But who are you? LOL"
He pondered the identity of the mystery person a few more moments as he sipped on his still steaming coffee. When a reply arrived, he nearly choked on his drink.
"It's Katie! Duh! I guess you trashed my number once you met all of those college girls huh?!"
Rob was more than shocked to hear from Katie. She had been his first and only girlfriend, having met her on the first day of math class in 10th grade. She had sat across from him during that third period and teased him a bit the first day when he inadvertently sat in her seat. He still remembered what she said. "You don't look like a Katie to me," she had quipped. He had been fumbling with his backpack when she said it, and when he looked up, his cheeks flushed to a pale red color. He was immediate smitten as she playfully joked with him, and he fell instantly for her.
The two were nearly inseparable, attending numerous school functions, spending time with each other's friends, and celebrating their graduation. Katie was admitted to a prestigious school in the Midwest to study microbiology. Rob, however, had a more modest dream of going to a small college a few hours away to pursue the study of the environment. Sadly, the two parted ways but with no ill feelings on the part of either. Rob, in a trance with thoughts of his love, stirred back to reality with a smile.
"Wow! So glad to hear from you. No. My old phone got run over. Long story. LOL. I lost everyone's number." He laughed as he thought about his phone unceremoniously falling out of his pocket and into the street while walking to his first semester final. It had met its end by his friend, Steve, who had pulled alongside to talk to Rob. Steve had stopped to talk to his friend about a party later that night, and as he pulled away, his clunker of a blue Chevy Cavalier smashed the device into a million pieces. Steve was a klutzy guy, and Rob questioned the merits of him having a car.
"Likely excuse! ;)" was the reply from Katie. She followed it up quickly. "Want to grab some dinner later?"
Rob didn't hesitate. If truth be known, he had not wanted to break up with Katie. Their first kiss at a school dance after only a few months of dating sent unexpected shockwaves through him. He was a lucky guy he thought at the time. She was beautiful. Her brown eyes were framed in by a beautifully round face. Her curly, dark hair flowed down her back. She was by no means a rail of a girl as she had ample curves and stood a bit over 5'5". Her smile had drawn him in immediately during that first day of math glass. He, on the other hand, was a bit of a geek. With a thin build and standing at a height of 5'11", his short dark hair and green eyes were punctuated by glasses and a pale complexion. No one would ever mistake him for a jock, but Katie had been drawn to him immediately.
"Of course! Want me to pick you up?" Rob tried to hide his enthusiasm but after rereading his message, he felt as though he failed terribly.
"Definitely. ;) I'm staying at my mom's. How about 7?"
"Sounds great. Be there or be square!"