Lucky Chance at Love: Sofia and Mark's Story

Chapter 1 The quietness of a typical chilly night here in Lakesville has me contemplating life as I walk back to my apartment complex. Reflecting on how unfulfilled I feel right now, it’s like I'm not really living. I’m just going through the motions of life, a life that is mostly just work and studying. I find myself dreading heading back because it’s just that, a meaningless apartment. It may just be the long stressful week that I’ve had that has me completely drained and in a terrible mood. Being an architect grad student and a TA isn’t easy. It involves countless sleepless nights and group meetings. On top of a lot of hours designing, innovating, and researching. Then you have weeks like this one where you go through all of that and then you’re back at square one. This whole week kicked my butt. Today, my landscape design did not receive the feedback that I had hoped for, so it’s back to the drawing board for me and my team. It’s not like designs never get turned down, it’s frustrating, but it’s just for some reason that this time I find myself questioning everything. I'm really overthinking things tonight. As I'm lost in thought, I soon find myself standing outside the front of my apartment building. It doesn’t bring me comfort knowing that I'm finally home after a long day, though it doesn’t feel like home at all, it’s just a place to sleep. This exhausting week had definitely called for letting off some steam, so some buddies and I got together after work tonight. Usually, we meet up at the college bar for a cheap beer. Today, however, Spencer offered to host the beers at his apartment. His baby brother Dan is visiting from Cambridge and Spence wanted us all to meet him. According to Spence, Dan is super smart, bordering genius but laid-back. Spence thought that if Dan got to spend some time with us grad students he might be inspired to get his s**t together. The funny thing about tonight is that we ended up with some edibles. Apparently, they’re all the rage right now, so we old dudes said “what the heck!”. But that’s quite possibly what has me in these deep thoughts and staring blankly at the front of my apartment building, Honestly, after this week, my bed is calling my name: Mark Foster. Going up the stairs at the apartment complex, I hear the faint sound of music coming from the end of the hallway. Instantly, I roll my eyes and groan. My roommate, Frank Sorell, probably has a party going on again. I swear he has people over almost every day. Sometimes it's a dinner party, other times it’s a get-together or a study group. I don’t get it -the guy apparently doesn’t like to be alone. Usually, I’m okay with Frank hosting. He’s a social guy, but today, I’m exhausted. This week kicked my butt. My group’s landscape design didn’t get the feedback we’d hoped. We’re a bit frustrated because it’s back to the drawing board for us. My apartment’s the last one on the left of the hallway. As I get closer to the door, my suspicions are confirmed. “M***********r,” I grunt under my breath and my head falls in defeat. I guess I won’t be getting the peaceful sleep I so desperately need. Hopefully, I can just enter the apartment unnoticed and crash. As soon as I’m inside, Frank calls out: “Hey Mark, want a drink?” Frank is about 5’10, medium build, dark hair, and trimmed beard. He likes to bike around campus, which keeps him in shape, despite all the drinking. At first glance, you might think he’s stiff, with him being an engineer grad student. But if he likes you, you’re in for a great friend. Frank’s selective and can be a bit of a douchebag if he doesn’t like you. He’s well-mannered, clean, and hardworking. I honestly could’ve done worse for a roommate, but I’m barely at the apartment, so what do I know? He did his undergrad here in Lakesville. This has been his home for the last couple of years. Frank has kind of taken me in. Unfortunately, I’m so busy between teaching and schoolwork that I barely have any time to spend with him and his friends. I lift my head to decline the offer, but that’s when I see her. In the middle of the kitchen, in a simple loose strappy yellow dress. It’s a relaxed dress, almost to the floor, but you can see she has curves underneath. Her dark hair is down past her waist in soft waves. She’s just smiling radiantly and barefoot, carefree. Her toenails are white - they catch my attention. I’m a sucker for pretty toes and pretty feet. Everyone else in the room disappears while I just focus on her. Her beauty is nothing like I’ve seen before, so natural. Her face is striking. Her oval face is framed by her dark hair, which highlights her golden complexion and luscious lips. Honestly, if someone took a photo of her candidly, it would end up in a photographic art exhibit. Nevertheless, she’s standing just a few feet away from me like that’s the place she is meant to be. I should run in the opposite direction. Too occupied and not looking for a relationship by any chance. No time for anything other than school and work, well, sometimes the occasional hook-up. I’m a no-strings-attached sort of guy. But lord, she’s stunning -a breath of fresh air. I did sport all my life -even in undergrad - baseball, basketball, rowing, tennis. You name it; I did it. My mom jokes about it, saying I was always active, always itchin’ to do something. “Sports kept him entertained and me sane.” That’s how she phrases it. Now, I try to keep in shape by going to the gym. Sometimes I take Frank upon his invitation to go cycling, but it’s rare. The type of girls I used to date would be the athletic ones that ran in the same circles as me and my friends. This girl - well, woman - right here differs from what I’m used to. I guess the older you get, the less physical appearances matter. Plus, I don’t have time for the fakeness of young girls. She looks at me expectantly–I could get lost in her midnight black eyes. Oh right, Frank asked me a question, and I need to answer it. D*****s say something. Otherwise, she’ll think you’re stupid. Before I can come up with an excuse why I can’t, or better yet, shouldn’t have a drink, I hear myself say, “Yeah, sure. I’ll have a beer.” Grrr, why did I do that? I’m stoned AF. What happened to my plan to just crash on my bed? Yeah, that went out the window the moment I laid my eyes on her. She looks young, but the way she carries herself, one can tell she’s not in her late teens nor early twenties. Thankfully, Frank does a round of introductions around the room, and her name is revealed to me: Sofia. I offer my hand to shake her hand, and she takes it in a firm grip. Oh, I like that. I shake her hand longer than normal, keeping her locked in my gaze. She doesn’t cower. I must admit, I’m even more in awe of her from the confidence she exudes. My d**k twitches. I find my pants becoming uncomfortably tight. Get a grip, Mark. One of her friends, Nikky, clears her throat -clearly annoyed- and breaks the spell. Both of us laughed nervously at the undeniable magnetism we just shared. Nikky is the complete opposite of Sofia. She’s tall, slender, blonde, and doesn’t hold any punches when she has an opinion- oddly enough, Nikky’s the youngest of the group. I’ve seen her hanging out at the apartment a few times - she’s one of Frank and Pete’s good friends. I let go of Sofia’s hand -reluctantly and turn to offer my hand to her other friend, Chloe. But I’m rudely interrupted by Nikky with a scowl and a “Save it, Romeo”. Nikky steers Sofia away from us. “Don’t waste your time, Sofia. He’s a player.” Nikky tells her as they walk away. I just chuckle and shake my head; this is going to be an interesting night. Frank clasps my shoulder and says, “Come on, let’s get you that beer.”