Chapter 1: Introduction
Emily Thompson glanced at her watch—three more hours to go until she could pick up her son, Lucas, from the university gym. She'd suggested they meet at the coffee shop on Main Street, but he texted her that he and his friends had already hit the gym. The thought of her soon-to-be college graduate sprinting in sweatpants on treadmills made her shudder. This wasn't what she imagined when he decided to follow in his father's footsteps to study engineering at his alma mater.
Though, seeing him grow before her eyes, more independent and mature—that was the silver lining of this gray cloud she called parenthood.
"Got lost in the maze or did your son forget to tell you he's moved to a new dorm?" asked Derek, a young athletic young man with a well-defined jawline and twinkling blue eyes that could melt an iceberg. He sported a faded t-shirt displaying proudly his college baseball team's emblem.
Emily felt her cheeks become warm. "Oh, no! I know my way.
Lucas just got a new roommate and said I could learn about his, uhm, interesting décor," Emily stammered, smiling nervously. Her gaze gravitated momentarily to the bulging pectorals beneath Derek's t-shirt, only to be yanked back to his face.
Derek beamed, gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder towards the end of the corridor. "216B. They're not here now. You've got at least twenty minutes before they get back.
I can give you an exclusive tour. You know, share some insider dorm gossip," Derek said with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
The air felt charged (perhaps a common occurrence, she figured, in a building filled with hormonal young adults)? However, Emily couldn't recall feeling such a strong, palpable attraction to any other college-aged guy, at least not since her own college days.
Derek was an exceptionally charming host, engaging with ease, and she couldn't help but be drawn in. The two laughed as they shared stories about Lucas, with Derek embellishing a few details for comedic effect.
With a sly smile, Derek shared a particularly funny anecdote about Lucas' habit of leaving dirty laundry strewn across the room. Emily nodded knowingly.
"Oh, that doesn't surprise me at all.
Lucas could never quite master the art of doing laundry. Now, if I had the time, I'd love to whip up a few 'laundry tips for college students' blog posts." She smiled, giggling with a lightness in her heart she hadn't felt in years. Derek's company filled the dorm room with laughter and charm.
His stories painted a vivid picture of her son, one Emily wanted to enjoy for as long as possible.
She leaned back against the cold metal of the bed frame, letting out a sigh. "It's so hard to believe I have a child old enough to be in college."
Derek slid onto the bed beside her, closing the distance between them. "Life moves fast, Mrs. Thompson. But you've done well - Lucas is a great guy." He looked into her eyes, a warm smile on his lips. "I can only imagine how hot his mom must be," he teased.