part 1

Um.

Karin's one-night stand, who she thought she'd never see again, currently stood in front of her, in the university elevator.

The second she saw him, her stomach dropped to her feet, and she jerked back, away from the closing elevator doors. His gaze wandered up her body and up to her face, his dark brows rising in friendly recognition.

She was used to taking the elevator to floor seven either alone or with her friends, so this territory was like home to her. Apparently not anymore, though.

'Hi, Karin!' he exclaimed, reaching out his hand to stop the elevator doors. 'Hiya, how're you doing?'

The doors opened up, but Karin neither moved inside nor further back. Her jaw dropped, and she tried to squeeze out some kind of greeting.

'Ah, h-hi, Theo. Good to see you,' she managed to remember his name, laughing nervously at the last word.

Well, now that she said hello, she had to get into that elevator with him, alone, or else if she just stayed here, she would die of awkwardness. Jesus, why couldn't hook-ups just disappear into the nether as soon as you were done with them? She hurried inside, eager to get this over and done with. Theo followed her with his eyes, eager to say something, his mouth curling up into a shadow of a smile, but she avoided looking at him.

The doors closed and the elevator jerked upwards.

Silence.

Karin gave Theo a stiff, forced smile, and he returned her one of his cheerful, soft ones, full of teeth. He was wearing glasses, too, which he hadn't the night they hooked up. It made him look cuter but more formal than the way he'd looked the first time, with just some jeans and a red shirt. Now, he was dressed in a white dress shirt and some formal, fitted suit trousers. It seemed a bit off, but then again, Karin knew a couple students on campus who either wore clothes like a business man, or a dad. She kept her eyes drilled on the metal floor, resisting to ask the question 'why are you here?'.

'Haven't seen you in quite a time, huh?' he said, cutting through the hush.

A beat. 'Yeah.'

It wasn't that she wanted distance because Theo was a bad person. It was actually the opposite; Karin had liked him so much, his whole sunny demeanour, big heart and dry humour, that she went to bed with him after less than five hours of knowing him. She was beyond happy she'd never see him again, so that she couldn't get attached. Which she had a talent for doing.

Karin didn't really care if she came off as a cold bitch to him now – anything to get herself away from this golden treasure of a man. So, she held her two folders to her chest, crossed her legs, and waited for the journey to end.

Theo eyed her. 'You look ready for the summer, don't you? Looking as beautiful as always.'

Karin sighed, side-eyeing him. Now he was just being awkward and not himself, too polite. Maybe she was scaring him as much as he scared her. New environment and all. She knew she looked good, wearing that flowery skirt that stopped at mid-thigh, paired with black tights and heels, but didn't want to hear it from him, especially in this weird moment thickening between them. Karin cleared her throat.

'You're so awkward, Theo,' she mumbled, shaking her head.

He chuckled self-consciously. 'Sorry. Just trying to make conversation, since you're being so talkative.'

Karin opened her mouth to say something, maybe apologise, but when they locked eyes, Theo just winked at her in an 'it's all good' way, and she shut up. Even him winking at her made her feel flustered. She tried distracting herself, tapping her beige-painted nails against her folders, but stopped, the noise too much.

The elevator reached her floor and came to a stop. The doors parted, unveiling the bright hall in front, and she quickly got out, another stiff smile on her lips as they caught eyes. Theo waved her bye, and carried on up. 

But it's not like the universe could give Karin a rest anytime soon.

To be Continued