Between the lecture halls

Chapter 2: coffee And Conversations

Later that afternoon, Zara retreated to the staff lounge, hoping for a quiet moment away from the lingering hum of lectures and chatter. Her coffee sat steaming in front of her, untouched, as her mind replayed the meeting.

And then he was there.

“Mind if I join you?” Liam’s voice cut through her thoughts like sunlight through blinds. She looked up to see him standing casually, a cup of coffee in his hand.

“I… sure,” she said, trying to sound neutral. Neutral, professional, composed.

He slid into the seat across from her. “You seem… distracted.”

Zara tried not to flinch at the way he studied her, as if he could read every worry, every thought behind her calm exterior. “It’s been a long day,” she said. Simple. Safe.

He nodded, taking a slow sip of his coffee. “I know the feeling. Meetings can be exhausting, but they do have their… moments.” His eyes flicked to hers, sharp and amused. “Sometimes the right people make them interesting.”

Zara felt her cheeks warm. She looked down at her coffee, pretending the steam was shielding her from his gaze. “Interesting, huh?”

“Yes,” he said, leaning back slightly. “Though I suppose it depends on your definition of interesting.”

She laughed softly, the sound catching her off guard. Why does he have to be this… compelling? she wondered.

For the next fifteen minutes, they talked. About trivial things: research, favorite authors, campus events. But beneath the words, there was something else a pull, a tension, a curiosity neither of them could or wanted to ignore.

As Liam finally rose to leave, he smiled. “See you in the seminar tomorrow, Dr. Adeniyi?”

Zara’s pulse quickened. “Yes. See you tomorrow, Dr. Obafemi.”

And just like that, her carefully controlled world tilted ever so slightly, leaving her both exhilarated and terrified.