The Alpha's Rose

Chapter Three

SKYE

“And that concludes today’s lecture on biotechnology and its benefits for future environmental projects. Enjoy your Student Vacation, when you return Professor Santos will be taking over your class. Thank you!”

The scattered sounds of laptops closing, bags zipping and general chatter swell in the largely empty lecture hall. After 3 hours detailing the importance of sustainability when examining water production I was more than ready to jump into the car and drive home. Don’t get me wrong, I loved teaching and as a professor I was granted leeway to undergo extra research projects on the side but I never considered it to be the most fulfilling career. Undergraduate students don’t tend to appreciate the complexities of chemical engineering and my course in particular had a sixty-percent drop out rate. Not exactly the most exciting profession for those who don’t have the passion.

As I hauled my lecture folders into my tiny hatchback, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

“Hey Babe! Wanna head out tonight? I know a glass of wine that’s got your name written all over it!”

It was Steph, one of my best friends from High School. She just came back from a yacht trips around the Mediterranean with her latest boyfriend. I could swear she had a new partner every time I blinked, but that was just one of the quirks that made her such fun to hang out with.

“Sure thing!” I replied, “Where were you thinking?”

Bzzzzz

“The Wine Club of course! Only the best for my hardworking bestie.”

Now with plans for an exciting Friday night, I hurled down the freeway to meet Steph and hear all about her exotic holiday. “Much better than a Friday night spent grading papers.” I muttered.

As I pulled up outside the Wine Club I quickly swept my hair up into a messy, but chic, ponytail and peeled off my extra layers, revealing my slender, but tall frame. Steph is known to be quite a showstopper when it comes to fashion and I could only hope to keep up with her in my work-wear.

I entered the boutique bar and immediately spotted Steph lounging with a glass of chardonnay. Although she was petite, she made up for her size wearing killer heels, platforms and all. I, on the other hand, could only make do with a small pair of pumps to complement my dress pants and black blouse.

Steph squealed as soon as she saw me. “Eeeeee, Skye! Oh, I missed you so much on my fabulous trip. Check out my tan, its natural! Oh and…”

I let her go on, nodding and smiling in time with her never-ending stories. She told me all about Greece, then Italy, then Spain, oh, and Portugal.

“I swear Skye, I think he’s the one. He made such an effort and everything was just like a fairytale.”

“Wow that’s great Steph, just be careful though. You remember what happened with the others. Just keep your guard up – you know?” My caution had little effect.

“Oh girl, you need to learn to let people in. Life’s so much more exciting when you’re in love. Now tell me, have you had your eye on anybody?”

“I think I’m in love,” I swoon sarcastically, earning yet another squeal from Steph who failed to grasp my tone. 

“Tell me everything. Is he tall, oh, I bet he’s rich? What does he do?”

“Yeah, he’s so thick and man is he solid. He’s also so smart, a real academic you know?”

“OMG who is he?” Steph blurted out; hardly able to contain herself on the other side of the booth we were sitting in.

“His name is ‘Physical Chemistry for the Organic and Biological Sciences’, a real page turner.”

Steph slumped back into the seat, a humph escaping her lips. Obviously frustrated she pulled the waiter aside and ordered two more glasses of chardonnay. “Both for me.” She muttered.

“Look I’m sorry Steph, you know I don’t have an romantic lifestyle. I still feel like I haven’t even gotten over Matt.”

Matt was my longtime boyfriend of four years. We meet when we were eighteen and even though we broke up two years ago, I still felt like my heart hadn’t yet recovered all of its pieces yet. I came home from university one day, exhausted and upset about my honour’s thesis, only to find the apartment we shared empty with a note on the fridge with ‘It’s not me, it’s you’ scribbled in a rushed cursive. Without that kind of closure it was hard to know if it really was me? Did I do something wrong?

“Hello? Skye? Did you hear what I said?” Steph, clearly feeling better after her third glass, snapped her fingers to gain my attention.

“Huh?” I turned back to a bewildered Steph.

“I said, you should apply for the Bachelor!”

“Whoa – no way. Do you think I could manage cat fights with twenty-three other girls, all clawing for the same man? Yeah, I’d rather fight a real cat.”

“Skye?” Steph drawled, “They say the best way to get over a man, is to get under a new one. C’mon. For me? I’ll pull up the application on my phone.”

And maybe it was the combination of the wine, Steph’s excitement and my own longing to find someone to share my life with, but I let Steph fill out the form and send it to the casting agency.

“Could you imagine if you actually found your soulmate! So exciting Skye.”

“Yeah,” I added cautiously, “so exciting…”