By Evergreen_Ebony

It was a warm, slightly rainy day, beautifying the gorgeous landscape with isolated showers. Bridgetown, Barbados, was as breathtaking as ever. There were lush green hills close by and sparkling white sand at the ocean shore in the distance. The golden rays of the sun shone through the tall palm trees and the cool breeze blew gently.

I was sitting in front of my laptop at a window-side table at Clarissa's Café. Leaning back in my chair, sipping a cappuccino, and enjoying a blueberry muffin, were some of my favourite things. The warm, cozy atmosphere and the lovely scent of freshly baked cake would definitely keep me a loyal customer.

Looking at my laptop screen, I rubbed my temples in frustration. Ugh! Who knew Statistics could be so frustrating? Said no one. Ever. When I got the pop-up notification for the STA 209 assignment via email, I rolled my eyes. A second-year animal science student in college should not have to deal with nonsense. Then again, maybe they should, but it was still annoying.

I pulled my wavy black hair into a ponytail and sighed. A bad breakup last year left me depressed and disillusioned. I had picked up the pieces of my broken heart, one day at a time. That combined with college coursework and a job as a vet's assistant was borderline overwhelming. My mum always said, 'This too will pass,' in order to encourage me. I still felt fed up anyway.

My dad suggested I contact Matthew Reginald, his co-worker's son when I told him that I needed an STA 209 tutor. Matthew was a computer scientist who graduated with honours from Stanford two years ago. Dad gave me his phone number and said, "Tell him that you are Mr. Brown's daughter." I was pleasantly surprised when I called Matthew and he cheerfully agreed to meet me at Clarissa's Café.

A cyclist rode his bicycle past, and I could hear a car horn from down the street. Distracted from the hustle and bustle of passersby, I did not notice when a man entered the café. He stood beside my table and spoke in a smooth voice. "Hello. Are you Miss Michelle Brown?"

"Who's asking?"

He smiled warmly and shook my hand,"Hello, I'm Matthew Reginald."

I looked at him from head to toe. At first glance, he was a typical geek in plain navy jeans and an Iron man T-shirt. On the other hand, his tall, athletic frame and friendly smile were disarming.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked.

He sat on the seat facing mine and arched an eyebrow, "I figured that the young lady sitting alone and sighing in frustration in front of a laptop was probably you."

I pursed my lips, not impressed with his jibe.

He chuckled, "Just kidding, you bear a striking resemblance to your dad. Slim, dark, gap between your front teeth...and good looking."

I stifled a smile, "Should I tell my mum you have a crush on her husband?"

"No, that would make neighborhood meetings awkward," he retorted.

Matthew ordered a cappuccino and chocolate muffin. He looked into my eyes as he awaited his order, with a cheeky smirk on his face.

I giggled, he bit his lip. Both of us laughed.

We spent the whole afternoon going over the coursework. He was a lively and excellent teacher. Everything that looked obscure, became so straightforward. As the hours passed, I wondered why I had issues with it in the first place. He gave me a series of practice questions which I solved quite easily. We enjoyed each other's company and I had so much fun that I felt a bit sad when we were done.

He walked me home shortly after sunset. We strolled side by side and only exchanged a few words. I was surprised when he stopped at a local gift shop and bought me a yellow rose and a cute gift package on our way. It was the sweetest thing anyone had done for me in a while.

"Aww, you shouldn't have, how sweet of you. Thank you, Matthew," I cooed.

"Happy birthday, Michelle," he replied.

"My birthday is tomorrow, Matthew."

"Yeah, I know. Your dad told me. The rose is for you, just because today is Tuesday, but the gift package is for you to open tomorrow."

"How do you know I won't open it the minute I walk through my door?" I teased.

"I have a feeling you would like to delay your gratification," he retorted in a husky voice.

Heat rose to my cheeks at his response, but I kept silent. We continued walking and reached the front door of my house shortly afterwards.

I looked up into his eyes and fiddled with my keys. "Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to tutor me, Matthew."

He held my gaze and smiled, "It was a pleasure to be of help, Michelle."

We both stood on my doorstep staring at each other. He did not leave, and my feet refused to move. Ordinarily, I would not have given him the light of day because he was a nerd. Surprisingly, in just one afternoon, he had attracted me with his maturity, kindness, and intelligence.

Perhaps it was the love that was in the air that made me starry-eyed. Maybe it was the moonlight. When I looked at Matthew closer, he didn't look as plain as before. He was handsome, in his own unique way. The front porch light cast a glow on his square jaw and cocoa complexion, and my heart warmed.

He held my hand, gently but firmly. "You are finally seeing me, Michelle."

"I've been seeing you all day, Matthew," I whispered.

He took a small step closer, "No, you have been looking at me, now you are seeing me." He bit his lip as his eyes drifted from my eyes to my mouth.

I nodded slowly. He was absolutely right.

"Say goodnight, Matthew!" My dad called out to us from the sitting room.

I cringed and almost died of embarrassment.

Matthew chuckled. "Yes, Mr. Brown. Goodnight sir."

He gently stroked my cheek, and his hand lingered when he tucked a curl behind my ear. "Goodnight Michelle. See you tomorrow."

"I, um—" My voice trailed off into the evening breeze.

"Michelle, can I—"

I silenced him with a peck that was dangerously close to his full lips. The pine scent of his aftershave flooded my senses, and I purred with contentment. He took control and kissed me back with firm hands on my waist. Our eyes fluttered shut as we shared the passionate moment.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and I broke the kiss. A few shooting stars streamed across the sky. Matthew watched me with heavy-lidded eyes as I opened my front door and rushed into the house. I did not look back when I closed the door. Restrained by the shock of what just happened, afraid that I wanted more.

Unconsciously, my fingers brushed my lips as I climbed the stairs to my room. My heart raced in anticipation of our next meeting. A message notification popped up on my screen. It was from Matthew.

I had a wonderful time today, and I can not wait to see you again, Mate.

What?

He deleted the message and sent a revised version.

I had a wonderful time today, and I can not wait to see you again, Michelle.

With a nudge from my hip, I pushed my bedroom door open. My phone in one hand, and my gift tucked under my other arm. Thinking that I would tease him for his initial typo, I responded.

The pleasure was all mine. I am grateful for your help, Mate.

He sent a sparkling heart emoji...and did not correct me.

Editor's note: Great job to Evergreen_Ebony for this neatly written first chapter with a good introduction and a nice blend of descriptions and dialogue. 

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