"Ryleigh, honey, I am so proud of you! I only wish your father could have seen you today. Valedictorian of your class and on your way to Yale this September!"
"Mom, please don't cry. If you do, I'll start crying and I don't want to feel sad today. It's hard enough to talk about Dad let alone think about him. I know he'd proud and I know you are, too. So no tears, okay?"
Margaret Porter promised her daughter she wouldn't cry as long as she could give her one more hug. "Deal," her daughter said.
"So what are your plans for tonight, Miss Valedictorian? Did I mention how proud I am of you, sweetheart?"
"Mo-oom!" she said. "Enough already. I'm just gonna hang out with Jason. I'll be home early, I promise."
"You're an adult now Ryleigh, so I'm going to have to learn to trust your judgment," her mother said with some reservation in her voice. "It's just hard letting go, you know? You're all I have and well, I know Justin's a nice boy but...."
"I know you don't care for Jason all that much, but he really is a good guy, Mom. And I really like him," she said pleading her case. Ryleigh was not only the smartest girl in school, she was also the most beautiful by far. Were she not so focused on her studies and her future, she could have pursued a career in modeling, but that held no interest for her. Microbiology was her first love just as it had been her late father's.
Her dad had been a doctor and played a leading role in researching infectious diseases. He was highly respected in his field, the love of her mother's life, and his daughter's hero. His death from a rare disease he contracted in West Africa was almost more than either of them could bear. They'd not even been allowed to see him except via a video monitor where he lay dying in a quarantined room inside a hospital somewhere in the DC area. There'd been a memorial but no funeral. The disease was so contagious and so deadly no exposure could be permitted. Ryleigh's dream was to find a cure for the disease and others like it and truth be told to find a man like him.
Marriage was a long way off, but that didn't stop Ryleigh Porter from dreaming about meeting a man like her dad who was handsome, caring, kind, and above all else, romantic. She had no interest in boys who wanted to hook up and then leave. Maybe she was old fashioned, but that's what she wanted. That said, she was no prude and she'd given herself to Jason, who was arguably the most handsome boy in school, the night of her 18th birthday. He was also smart and very popular. But Jason had other plans and other dreams and both of them knew it was only a matter of time until they went their separate ways. But for now, she just wanted to be with him and if they could find some time alone, she would very much like to make love with him.
They'd only done it four times, but the last time had been magical. Jason had learned how to hold off coming too quickly and Ryleigh had had not only her first vaginal orgasm but two of them back to back. She loved seeing his handsome face while feeling him inside her—filling her up. Just the thought of those two things was enough to cause her to generate large amounts of wetness between her legs and right now she was very wet. The only thought she enjoyed more was imagining one day being with the most handsome, most romantic man on earth on her wedding night when he would make love to her that way after having dated her long enough to make her feel certain she was the most important girl in the world to him. He would have 'courted' her the way she dreamed of being courted. Flowers, poems, little love notes, small gifts, sweet words, tons of hugs and soft kisses, and those...looks. Those 'I love you so much it hurts' looks. The kind her dad had always given her mom that were set off with a perfect smile and those gorgeous eyes. She knew it was a dream, but she also knew sometimes dreams came true. She had to look long enough and be patient enough and most importantly, be the kind of girl to attract that kind of love. If she could, then she knew in her heart of hearts her dreams could come true.
She and Jason did make love that night but within a week, the inevitable happened. He hemmed and hawed and told her it wasn't her, it was him and what not. She stopped him and told him she understood because she'd reached the same conclusion. They hugged and kissed goodbye and she managed not to cry until he left. The tears came yet she knew the right guy was out there somewhere. Her dad taught her that luck was were opportunity and preparation met. She was well prepared so with a little luck, opportunity would come her way. She had to watch and wait and remain prepared.
The summer passed and Ryleigh found herself in her dorm room with her mother waiting so say goodbye. "I'm gonna miss you so much, honey," she told her daughter. "I'm so proud of you."
She hugged her daughter then told her, "Listen, the first semester is fully paid for. I'm working on the second semester but that's not your problem, okay? I promise you I'll find a way to pay for your education. Your work is too important to be held up by holding part-time jobs, Ryleigh. You need to graduate and get out there and find a cure. Finances are my problem not yours, okay?"
Ryleigh said 'okay' but knew there was no way her mother could afford room and board at Yale on what she earned. She'd used the rest of her father's meager life insurance policy to fund her first semester, but there was no nest egg and no goose—okay, no gander—in her life laying golden eggs. She had no idea how she'd get through it but if she had to take out $100k in student loans, then that's what she'd do. The work came first no matter how much it cost. And as badly as her heart longed for true love and real romance, she would still have to keep her nose to the proverbial grindstone. Chivalry couldn't be dead is what she often told herself. It seemed to be on life support in this day and age, but as long as it still had a pulse then she had hope and hope sprang eternal.
Six weeks into the first semester Ryleigh realized that while her course load wasn't overwhelming, it was really all she could handle. In spite of the constant strain of worrying about money, there was just no way she could work even a part-time job and keep her grades up. So far, she'd aced every assignment and test in her classes which included organic chemistry, calculus, and introductory microbiology. And that didn't include the humanities requirement she was also taking.
As she left her dorm room, she'd counted her change carefully and knew she had just under five dollars which had to last her until Friday when her mom would deposit her next check. One of the best-kept secrets in New Haven was a little hole-in-the-wall coffee shop called Lucianos. She thought it sounded more like a pizza place but it served the best coffee in town. Even better was the price. At a buck a cup, she could afford to go there the next three days if she was very careful.
There was a co-ed ordering a latte and a guy who looked like he might be homeless in front of her. The girl paid for her latte and the man ordered a cup of plain, black coffee. Ryleigh always looked for things she had in common with people rather than focusing on differences and she smiled when she noticed he was ordering the same thing she was. The only thing that bothered her was who was working behind the counter. It was her least favorite barista, a fellow Yalie, a senior named Lloyd, who was always hitting on her.
He was cute as hell and a nice enough guy, but the one time she'd talked to him he made it clear he was only interested in hooking up. When Ryleigh politely told him that wasn't her thing, he'd mocked for being some kind of prude. Since then, she did her best to avoid him, but she wanted a cup of coffee so badly that she didn't care.
The man in front of her placed his order and Lloyd told him it would be a $1.08 with tax. The man fished around in his pockets for his wallet or maybe for loose bills then said, "It appears I forgot my wallet. I'm really sorry." He turned around and apologized to Ryleigh just as Lloyd said, "We don't do charity here, dude. You need to get a job or maybe go do some panhandling for a few bucks." He smiled at Ryleigh thinking she'd find his comments humorous.
She pulled out her wallet and said, "I'll pay for it." She turned to the guy in the tattered jacket and said, "I apologize for him," nodding toward Lloyd. "He thinks he's God's gift but he's really just a first-rate pompous ass."
Lloyd glowered at her as he poured her a cup then asked for $2.16. Ryleigh gave him $2.25 and said, "Keep the change. You earned every penny of it."
"Why do you have to be such a bitch, Ryleigh?" he said as he handed her the two cups.
