“An avid historian who happens to love that speech.” I pushed up on tiptoe and kissed him. “I’ll see you later, love.”
He tucked my hair behind my ear. “Send me a text and let me know you made it.”
“You bet.”
I grabbed my coat out of the front closet and zipped it up, barely remembering my coffee as I ran out the door with my books.
“December!” Josh called from the doorway as I slid the key into my car.
“Josh?”
His smile stole the very sun from the sky. “These have been the best three days of my life. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Just wait until you’re sick of me.” I winked, and he laughed.
“Not going to happen. Have a nice day, dear!” he sang, waving and stepping through our front door.
I pulled out of our shared driveway, slightly jealous that Paisley’s car was still parked. She’d completed everything she needed face-to-face last semester and was finishing her degree with online courses. We’d all decided on a little neighborhood on the outskirts of Clarksville, Tennessee, and lucked out that the new development had both sides of a duplex open.
Jagger declared the gods of realty had smiled upon their bromance, and we’d signed the leases. I loved being so close to our friends.
Driving an hour to Nashville twice a week to finish at Vanderbilt was more than worth it to sleep next to Josh every night. Besides, it gave me a chance to call Mom, or catch up with April or Sam. As mild as this January was going weather-wise, it was an easy trip.
I made it to a parking space with seven minutes to spare and ended up sprinting to class, taking the first seat along the U-shaped conference table. My laptop fired up as our professor walked in.
“Good morning, seniors,” Dr. Trimble said, placing his coffee on the small podium. He glanced at each of us in turn. “Welcome to Thesis. It’s good to see so many familiar faces. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m not sure how you made it through Vanderbilt without being subjected to my rambling, but bravo.”
A small murmur of laughter passed through the twenty or so of us.
He ran a hand over his balding head and adjusted his houndstooth bowtie. “Before we get started, I’d like to introduce my TA.” He motioned with his hand, and I turned with the class toward the back of the room. “Mr. Graham is working on his masters, and is doubling as my research assistant.”
The corners of my mouth lifted when Luke stood and waved, offering me a smile and a nod. He mouthed, “Coffee?” and I gave a small nod before turning my attention back to Dr. Trimble.
“He’ll also be handling the applications for the dig I’m overseeing this fall in Ephesus, Turkey. For those of you continuing on to your masters and doctorates, it would behoove you to apply, as only those who are accepted on the dig will be considered to start in a special spring opening in those programs. Now, let’s get down to business.”
An hour and a thick syllabus later, Luke and I headed toward the coffee shop.
“How’s it going, Red?” he asked, nudging me with his shoulder.
“Good,” I answered as we walked. “Josh and I moved in together, and it’s pretty perfect so far.”
“Ah, the hockey star returns.” He held the door open for me, and the welcoming smell of espresso filled my lungs.
“The hockey star never left,” I elbowed him. “How is David?”
Luke snorted. “Still leaving his boxers on the floor, but I love him, so what can I do?”
“It’s a pretty small problem in the scheme of things, right?”
“There are worse problems to have,” he answered. “Hopefully the line isn’t too long. Our spot is open.”
Once our coffee was in hand, we took up seats on the small loveseat in the corner that we’d claimed during study sessions my junior year. “What are your plans after graduation?” Luke asked, brushing an errant piece of blond hair out of his eyes. He was still trying for the surfer look, but it was growing on me.
“Well, Josh is stationed at Fort Campbell now, so I’m throwing around the idea of getting my masters…maybe my doctorate?”
“Ooh.” He leaned forward with an indecent grin. “Talk academia to me.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I…I have…”