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SIENNA
“And have you decided if you’re on board this friend train yet?”
Rose and I are sitting at the coffee shop in the student center on campus. I wasn’t able to give her the “previously on” of the Sienna/Ethan show at the weekend run, and we couldn’t align our schedules to do a weekday run together since she prefers morning runs and I prefer late afternoon ones. So she insisted that we at least meet for coffee in order to fill her in.
I just finished a class in the Humanities building nearby, and Rose has to run off to teach a class in the Law building after this. This means that she’s dressed the part of a law professor since the first time since I met her two weeks ago. She wears a tailored navy blazer over a crisp white blouse, the sharp lines accentuating her poised demeanor. Her skirt, a classic pencil cut, ends just above the knee, and pairs perfectly with her sleek, black heels. It’s the bright red scarf draped around her neck that truly stands out, though—a pop of color and a hint of her vibrant personality.
The way I’m dressed is in stark contrast to Rose’s polished look. I’m wearing a cozy oversized sweatshirt in a muted green, paired with slightly worn but comfortable jeans. My boots are practical, brown, and slightly scuffed, perfect for trekking across campus. My wild hair is loosely tied in a messy bun, and I’ve accessorized with a stack of colorful, mismatched bracelets on one wrist. I’m sure everyone around us is confused as to why this poster child for bohemian style is doing with this commanding woman.
I’m just glad I met Rose outside of lawyer mode. I would be totally intimidated by her otherwise. I still sort of am, especially when I first saw her walking into the coffee shop. But she put me at ease as soon as she told me to, and I quote, “Spill the gossip.”
“Well,” Rose asks again. “Friends? Friendly? Which will it be?”
I sigh. “I don’t know. Honestly, I’m sort of putting off making a decision until Saturday morning.”
Rose makes a tsking sound. “Procrastination is the thief of time.”
Oh yeah. She is definitely the sort of person my dad would be thrilled for me to be hanging out with. Maybe he would be less annoyed about this training if he knew it was bringing me into Rose’s orbit. I’ll have to mention her to him next time we talk.
“Hey, I’m just prioritizing,” I say defensively. “Rocks, pebbles, sand. Ethan is sand, so I can worry about him after all the rest.”
My dad brought up this rock, pebble, sand analogy once in my freshman year when I was complaining about everything I had to get done. This isn’t actually why I’m avoiding making a decision regarding Ethan. I rarely use this technique. I tend to be more the work on whatever is stressing me out the least in order to avoid what’s stressing me out the most sort of person, but I at least think about dad’s strategy from time to time.
Rose doesn’t know me well enough yet to know I’m bullshitting though. So she laughs and says, “Touché.”
We’ve been talking about my story for quite a long time by this point. I’m not even sure why Rose has shown any interest in this at all. It seems like the sort of thing she should look down on. I doubt that lawyers, even if they’re also professors, seek out this sort of drama.
“So anyway,” I say, deciding to change the subject. “Enough about me. I’m sure you have more important things to worry about. What made you decide to sign up for the half marathon?”
Rose takes a long sip of her drink, so I get the feeling that she’s avoiding the question. After a few seconds, she puts her coffee cup down and says, “First of all, you don’t have to do that. I’m A professor, not YOUR professor. So I can enjoy some good old fashioned drama just as much as the next woman. And I can consider it just as important as anything else.”
Damn, it’s like she read my mind or something.
“Second of all, I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours. All I know is why you wouldn’t run a half marathon - to avoid your ex. There must have been something that made you decide to do it before you knew Ethan would be a coach.”
She pauses and looks at me slyly. Then she says, “Unless you did know Ethan would be a coach. In which case…”
I shake my head vigorously. “No. Nope. I did not know. That definitely would have prevented me from doing it.”
“Then what was it?”
I explain the situation with my dad, and how I just wanted to put off the whole post-graduation plan conversation for another few months at least. I don’t tell Rose what my plans actually are, since I haven’t told anyone yet. But she surprises me by immediately being really supportive about not doing the MBA Bootcamp.
“Granted, you could have just told him you didn’t want to do it,” Rose says. “It’s always better to be honest. And running a half marathon instead of the classes seems a bit…extreme. But I also understand dealing with a man who won’t truly listen to you. Sometimes it leads to drastic measures.”
I stay silent. Rose looks around the coffee shop, not really focused on anything. I can tell she’s working up to her own story about this training program. So I let her take her time.
Finally, she brings her gaze back to me and says, “I’m getting a divorce.”
She keeps her eyes on me, as if daring me to say something. Something judgemental or reassuring, I don’t really know. But I’ve never been one to shy away from silence. So I just sit there, waiting for her to continue or change the subject. Whichever she decides.
Rose shrugs and looks away again. “I just figured it would give me a fresh start. Committing to myself, mentally and physically. Plus there’s nothing like a good amount of sweat to get rid of some stress.”
I snort and say without thinking, “I can think of better ways to sweat if that’s what you’re looking for.”
My eyes widen as I realize that I’ve made a sex joke with someone who’s as old as my father. Ugh, kill me now.
Rose just tilts her head playfully and says, “I’ll keep that in mind when I’m ready to get back into the sack.”
We both end up cackling so loudly that it makes the people at the tables close to us turn to glare at us. I slap a hand over my mouth to try to stifle the giggles. Rose just glares right back at them all.
It’s at that moment that I notice two women come through the coffee shop door. One has wild brown curls and the other has straight red hair. Both of them are gorgeous. They’re both also some of the last people I would want to see right now (besides Ethan of course).
The combination of my shocked inhale and my previous giggle fit means I end up coughing all over the table. When I can finally speak, I simply say, “Shit.”
“What is it?” Rose asks, looking concerned.
I nod in the direction of the counter, where the two girls are now placing their orders. I say, “Those two girls. One is Ethan’s sister. The other one is his best friend, the one I mentioned.”
I don’t even need to tell Rose to be discreet. She’s smart enough to do it on her own. She manages to look around the room casually. If I didn’t already know she was looking for something specifically, I would have thought she was just taking stock of the numerous trinkets and baubles around us. It’s a pretty kitschy coffee shop.
When Rose looks back at me, I’m surprised to see that she’s frowning. She says, “Do you mean–”
Before she can finish her sentence, Emilia has sidled up to our table. Gia is close behind. They’re both clutching paper cups with the coffee shop’s logo on it. Of course the baristas would be super quick for them. Why give me time to attempt to hide from them?
Or they just got coffee with milk. Emilia does seem like the type to stick her nose up at the fancy, sweet drinks that I tend to order.
“Professor Thompson,” Emilia says, clearly very excited to see Rose.
I notice that Rose gives her a warm smile in return. The sort of smile you would give someone whom you not only already know, but whom you like. Surely that doesn’t mean…
“It’s so good to see you,” Emilia continues. “I was actually hoping to catch you before class. I wanted to discuss the case we covered last week. I didn’t feel like we had a sufficient amount of time to analyze the implications of the precedent it set and how it might affect future rulings, especially in relation to the evolving interpretations of constitutional law."
Of course. Of course Emilia is one of Rose’s students. I guess she’s majoring in law, which makes sense. No one fits the high-powered lawyer stereotype as much as Emilia.
Like Rose, she’s wearing a blazer over a blouse, but instead of a skirt she’s paired her outfit with perfectly pressed black slacks. Her black pumps are sensible yet stylish. A structured leather tote hangs from her shoulder, which I’m sure is organized meticulously to house her color-coded notebooks and highlighters. She’s accessorized with simple pearl earrings and a sleek watch.
I hate that she looks so perfect. And that I only understood half of what Emilia says. She’s always made me feel like a slob and a dunderhead. Thankfully, I notice that Gia is rolling her eyes so she’s probably as confused as I am. She’s also dressed more like a college student, sporting a fitted tank top, black leggings, and sneakers.
Rose says, “Emilia, hello. I was just about to head over to class. You can walk with me. I think you may know Sienna?”
Emilia has been looking at Rose this entire time. I remember how focused she can get when it comes to school, so I’m not surprised that she didn’t notice me. Now that Rose has pointed out that I’m here, Emilia seems visibly shocked. She’s probably trying to make sense of 1) how Rose and I know each other, and 2) how we manage to get along, since from an outsider’s perspective we seem like complete opposites.
Emilia gets over her shock quickly and smiles at me. “Yes. Nice to see you, Sienna. How do you and Professor Thompson know each other?”
“We’re both signed up for a half marathon training program. We’re in the same pacing group,” I explain.
“Oh, Ethan’s told us aaalll about that,” Gia chimes in for the first time. She has a mischievous twinkle in her eye, and I wonder what exactly Ethan has said to them. Gia was always a bit of a firecracker, though, so maybe she’s just trying to stir some shit up.
Emilia throws Gia a warning glance. Gia just raises an eyebrow at her in response. Emilia asks, “How’s training going, then?”
It’s a simple question, but I can’t help but feel a knot in my stomach as Emilia scrutinizes me. I feel like a bug under a microscope. I don’t think she does it on purpose, but it’s still how it feels.
I force myself to smile and say, “It’s early, but I think it’s going well so far.”
Rose must sense the tension rolling off of me. She interjects, “Sienna’s a great running partner. We’ve been motivating each other.”
Emilia smiles. “That’s great.”
There’s an awkward pause, since none of us know how to move the conversation forward now. Emilia throws Gia a look, and they seem to have some sort of silent exchange with each other. They must come to some sort of understanding, because the next thing I know Emilia is looking at me again, this time in a very intense way. I remind myself that’s just sort of how she is, though. Intense.
“So, Sienna,” Emilia says, her voice sounding more casual but still maintaining that professional edge. “We’re actually planning a little girls’ night at my place in a few days. Just some wine and snacks. Maybe a movie. Would you like to join us?”
I’m caught off guard by the invitation. I glance at Rose, who gives me a small, encouraging nod. My initial instinct is to decline; spending an evening with Ethan’s sister and his best friend sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen. But something in Rose’s eyes makes me reconsider.
“Uh, sure,” I say slowly. “That sounds nice.”
Emilia’s smile broadens, and she seems genuinely pleased. “Great! It’ll be a good chance for us to catch up outside of… everything else. We can just relax and have some fun.”
I force a smile, my mind racing with all the possible awkward moments the evening might bring. “Yeah, sounds good.”
All three of us exchange numbers so that Emilia can confirm the day and time, as well as send me her address. By the time we’re done with that, Rose is looking at her watch.
She stands up, smoothing down her blazer. “Well, we need to get to class. Emilia, walk with me?”
Emilia nods eagerly. “Of course, Professor Thompson.”
Rose nods and starts gathering her things. “Sienna, I’ll see you at the next training session.”
I nod, feeling a bit relieved that this awkward encounter is coming to an end. “See you then, Rose.”
I don’t miss the look Emilia throws my way at the fact that I use Rose’s first name. I just can’t tell if she feels jealous or annoyed that I addressed her professor in such an informal way.
As Rose and Emilia walk away, Gia lingers behind, giving me a sly smile. “You know, Sienna, Ethan seems really invested in your progress.”
I can tell she’s waiting for my reaction. I didn’t know Gia that well in high school since she was a year behind me and I tended to ignore any lower classmen. I do remember that she was just as much of a jokester as her brother Sam. Both of them like manipulating a situation to see where it goes. Never in a cruel way, but still something to always be aware of.
I force myself to keep my expression neutral, even though I want nothing but to scream at her: WHAT DO YOU MEAN TELL ME RIGHT NOW.
Instead, I simply say, “I’m sure he’s invested in everyone’s progress. Being our coach and all.”
Gia shrugs, her smile never wavering. “Whatever you say.” Then she waves and walks away, leaving me to ponder her words.
With a sigh, I decide to push those thoughts aside for now. I have more pressing matters to deal with, like the next few hours of classwork I need to tackle. As I gather my things and prepare to leave, I can’t shake the feeling that my girls’ night with Emilia and Gia will either make things worse or better.
Comments give me life (and motivation). I would be so thankful if you like, share, or comment on this chapter!
Rose is honestly such a comfort character I adore her already! Also...red scarf, you say?? 👀