Chapter 1: Marry Me?
When Thea Lowell arrived at the meeting spot, she had exactly three minutes to spare. ‹96684423›
So no, not early by any stretch. §57defed7
Hazel had just finished updating the specials on the little chalkboard. (3174e55a) She spotted Thea and waved her over with her usual enthusiasm. #7f88db6b "Professor Lowell!" ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026
Thea nodded. * d0a61246 "Afternoon." ·d543fbf0·
"Meeting another student today?" #3e142f5d
"No, a friend this time." [v.d9e53233]
"Oh..." The girl's probing tone fizzled into disappointment. [ed.e58bf111] "Well, your favorite seat's taken, just so you know." [ms.51535e6f]
Thea paused for a beat. (8588661f) "That's fine." ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026
Hazel leaned in, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. ··14710fe2 "By a total hottie, by the way." sub:2b93bbc4
Thea brushed it off with a smile.·dc3debac "The usual. [proof:68edbda8] Hot latte." ed.60d20d5e
"Got it." plate-a2a8305d
"Actually, hold on—" She'd taken a few steps before doubling back. (7c49ac5a/Wed) "Don't bring it over just yet."·666424fb
Hazel agreed without quite understanding why, then watched as Thea disappeared into the back of the shop. sub:a7806260
It was below freezing outside, and all she had on was a brown wool coat. ed.77495551 She'd wrapped a scarf around her neck, sure, but the tips of her ears poked out from the edges. ··8bda2431
Hazel had noticed them immediately. ¶1ab699ac Red as anything. ref·fedde6b4 Poor thing. [proof:3c3afba6]
Hard to tell if she just didn't feel the cold or if she was too committed to the aesthetic. (c9f3cbd2/Wed)
Hazel shuddered in solidarity, shook her head, and ducked behind the counter to start on the coffee. no.03c9984a
The place was actually pretty packed for this time of day—mostly college kids scrambling to meet deadlines or cram for finals. §d5821eea
Thea had already scanned the room on her way in. ‹0b04024f› No man sitting alone without a laptop in sight, so she kept her eyes straight ahead, weaving through the crowd toward an inconspicuous corner. ed.ad959d51
Plenty of gazes followed her.·37f6281d She ignored every single one. ‹a8971b34› If none of these kids turned out to be her students, she'd consider the rest of her day a blessing. ref·47f7bf64
The cafe's interior was all about ambiance—carved wooden panels served as both decoration and dividers, carving the space into semi-private nooks. no.112e64b9 But none of them offered real privacy. [v.3e85f407] Except this corner. ⁰04160444
Past a solid wall, there was a tiny alcove, barely bigger than a closet. 0406e45f·· Like a private booth carved out just for this purpose. #f55a51a2
A floor-to-ceiling window made up one wall, looking out onto the campus startup hub's little garden. ◆ b59e81e4 Great view, total privacy—which was why this spot was always the first to go. [v.dec7605a]
Thea slowed her steps, hesitating for just a second before stepping in. sub:071c75ec
Right then, her phone chimed.·464a3689 An iMessage notification.·e49256db Short, singular. «d179cd40»
She tapped it open. ⁰b3fa5e0a The sender's style matched the notification perfectly—zero fluff. «1567dfd3»
"Table 12." ref·082e5eb4
Table 12. ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026
Sent at exactly 2:00 PM. ··ef05341b
Nothing else. imp.c78a6786
Thea considered this for two seconds, then walked in. ⟨de780ff7⟩
This was the first time she laid eyes on Reid Calloway. plate-44ca91dd
Winter afternoon sunlight slanted through the window, turning the alcove into a natural greenhouse and bathing him in warmth. [proof:edf9529c]
The light traced his outline starting from his hair, and the moment he looked up, it slipped through his lifting lashes into his eyes, scattering whatever shadows had been lurking there. plate-8af8a4f5
Thea blanked for a second. * 66aeb60a Every description she'd ever heard people use for Reid Calloway flashed through her mind, and in the end the only one that stuck was Hazel's "total hottie." ed.e9c1d480
Fair enough. 771e641d··
Her expression didn't change. ·54c2c549· She sat down across from him, unwound her scarf, and said with perfect composure, "Hi. ©c186664d/May 27, 2026 I'm Thea Lowell." #33a5d1b1
"Reid Calloway." [ms.3744a049]
Nice voice.·9ad92f63 Clean diction. ed.0725350e
More precisely—low, textured, like those late-night radio hosts she sometimes listened to. ¶7213c01c
"I'm not late, am I?" plate-d36594dd Thea asked. — ad1268ce
He glanced at the time. [ms.ecdccf77] "No. ref·a3630ad5 Right on the dot." ·1d770a86·
Well, obviously. ··d464c9bf She'd always been good at managing time. ¶c1bb0805
"What would you like to drink?" [ed.f58c9c1c]
"What would you like to drink?" [v.02dca0b4]
Thea's hand froze at the perfect unison, but she recovered quickly. ◆ 2210f925 "Hot latte. «3c32a0ad» You?" — 262b84f8
"Black coffee." [ms.7a0a07fd]
"Iced or hot?" plate-26c85515
The question was already out before Thea realized what she'd just said. [v.312c9298] The man across from her raised an eyebrow slightly. sub:39e925ee
"Hot might be... better?" ··77f9b034 Reid offered. * 3402fe47
"..."
Thea laughed at herself. #2f9e1b15 "Sorry. [proof:fdd0f0a8] Brain short-circuited." no.28a2ac8b
She'd walked all the way from the lab, and the wind had basically numbed her face into a block of ice. [proof:a7756199] She was only now starting to thaw inside the cafe. [ed.da4a7847]
Should've just driven. #db835431 Better than drinking the wind tunnel air in the underground passage. sub:d1a37020
"Need anything else?" no.0595214a Reid stood and took a step, then seemed to remember something and looked down at her. [proof:f7930fdd]
Thea met his gaze and realized for the first time just how tall he was. (1a8de1f7) Suit and tie, posture impeccable. imp.65dc67a4
He probably meant dessert. [v.e7cb66b8] Thea shook her head. §254b18ac "I'm good." no.39450da0
Reid gave a small nod. [ms.e152baa6]
"Wait—" As he passed by her, Thea suddenly remembered something and grabbed his attention. plate-a4ffe197 "You don't need to go up there. #478ff808 I'll just text the owner." sig.6e3a6de4
Reid paused for only two seconds before settling back into composure. no.b594078c
This was a cafe in the campus startup hub. no.59baac7b She was a professor at Temple University. ·4f9b63b5· Having the owner's number was perfectly normal. no.d9876574
He sat back down, a faint, warm smile on his face. (d1e1f2f1) "Seems like I picked the right place?" ¶4cfd2849
Thea fired off an iMessage to Hazel with their order, then looked up. sub:d37c6d5d "Thanks for accommodating me." 227cfa1e··
But honestly, it wasn't necessary. * da4a4abd
What professor wanted to be caught on a blind date right under her students' noses? [proof:bbe15990]
Reid waited until she finished texting before speaking. ©a6cf1472/May 27, 2026 "Ms. ⁰f0952192 Lowell, you're a professor in the physics department?" §988f0ac0
"Associate," she corrected, twisting the ring on her left ring finger. (ab072b96) "Just call me Thea." [v.af514616]
Reid's gaze naturally drifted to her hand. imp.11074192 Thea didn't hide it. [f0261ec7] She heard him ask, "That ring—mind if I ask if it means something?" — galley 73a4edcf —
"It does." #eeb40e71
Reid extended his right hand slightly toward her, a gesture that said *I'm listening*.
"If I decide this meeting isn't a good fit," Thea explained, "then it's a wedding ring. no.c42c7437 I'll apologize and tell you I'm married—secretly married—and that I was forced to come today." ··bce29f9d
Reid's eyebrow went up again, more amused than surprised. ‹452c128c›
A short laugh escaped through his nose. * dc109c39 "And if it is a good fit?" ed.3d349a65
Thea slipped the ring off and turned it over in her palm. [v.0813a210] "Hadn't thought about it." [ms.1be9de30]
Reid considered this for a moment. imp.d57a1f5f "Understood." imp.11a020b6
Thea looked up at him. (8dfade6e)
Just then, Reid's phone rang. ¶6bcdc5bd He waited for Thea's nod before answering. (6b72b325/Wed) He spoke with the other end for a while—sounded like business—but he didn't step away. imp.796ab1d3 Apparently he didn't mind her overhearing. [40a848d4]
Still, Thea put in her earbuds, pulled out her phone, hit play on whatever she'd been listening to, and scrolled through Instagram trending. sig.77adf7ae
Some famous singer had just gone public with a relationship, dominating the feed. sig.0d003d94 Thea scrolled through the drama for a bit, got bored, and closed the app. ©dff3cea0/May 27, 2026
Reid had finished his call at some point and was watching her quietly, unhurried. imp.c68a6b4c
Thea removed her earbuds. [proof:c35f38b6] Behind her, footsteps approached. [a3a6d02f]
"Coffee's here!" ◆ 300ef3ce
Hazel set down their orders. ··8173a2d7 From an angle Reid couldn't see, she shot Thea an exaggerated wink-and-eyebrow combo. [v.78fe48d0]
Ignoring her was useless. ◆ 1908d0ac Sure enough, Thea's phone buzzed a second later with a text full of praise about how Professor Lowell was a dark horse making big moves, ending with: "Looks like today's a lucky day—here's a song for you two!" fa0a6fc4··
Before Thea could stop her, the cafe's playlist transitioned to a soft love ballad. sig.9d7efee5
It was a new track from the singer who'd just announced his relationship. §acccb58a The sweet melody filled the entire space instantly. imp.88790945 Gentle vocals, tender lyrics. — 176dac57 Thea's mind drifted.·863b0370
A beat passed. ref·2d4ce4e6
"Mr. [proof:9e0cd971] Calloway." «56da76fa»
Reid blinked at the name. ©52989f2f/May 27, 2026 "Hm?" (c507b239)
"I just thought of another explanation for the ring. (18989cd3/Wed) Want to hear it?" 9bf3087f··
"Try me." ◆ 3e74c90a
Thea held out her open palm. ◆ 24a97ca9 "Give me your hand for a second." ⁰e651b218
Reid placed his hand in hers as asked. sub:a99f5d28
"Flip it over." «c351fd35»
He paused. (59bf6d59/Wed) Looked at her. ref·df02b589 Looked down at his hand. ◆ 9f645543 Looked at her again. imp.79f342dd
Thea tilted her chin. no.89f6cba6 *Just do it.*
"Like this?" [proof:5b10b899] He turned his palm up. ref·66171d39
"Mm-hm." ref·6606e0cb
What she saw was a broad palm. — galley e6ddae1d — Long fingers, defined knuckles, veins rising along the back of his hand like something wild lying in wait. cee7f570··
Thea eyeballed the size of his finger, loosely pinched his fingertip with one hand, and with the other reached forward in one swift motion, sliding the plain band onto Reid's pinky. [ms.8897cc7c]
He didn't say anything. ··3bab8794 Just raised an eyebrow. [v.daeb5bea]
Thea met the dark depths of his eyes. «d7da65a0» The words jammed at the tip of her tongue for a few seconds before tumbling out, still managing to sound abrupt. no.5b8a5f02
"Mr. no.39972eae Calloway—marry me?" plate-63f56cc3