Page 48 of Wish You Were Mine
By the timeI stepped out of the university’s weight room, my shirt clung to my back and my arms felt like overcooked spaghetti. Lifting with another professor buddy a few times a week kept me sane—bench, deadlifts, rows. But now that the hard work was over with, I needed food.
And caffeine.
Preferably both at once.
And since The Brew was just a block away, I made a quick detour, figuring I’d grab something before heading home to shower.
The coffee shop was bustling like it always was on Saturdays. Students with laptops. Locals reading the paper. Acoustic indie covers playing just loud enough to fill the space but not drown out conversations.
I stepped up to the counter and ordered a hot mocha and a bacon-and-egg-white bagel sandwich, then made my way to a corner table while the barista filled my order.
My phone buzzed as I sat.
Theo: Still good for tonight?
I stared at the message a beat too long, my thumb hovering over the screen.
This could be my out.
I could say I wasn’t feeling great. Blame a pile of ungraded labs.
Bow out before I had to spend my Saturday night sitting next to Lucy’s parents…watching her compete in a leotard that would absolutely remind me of how it felt to have her in my arms in a bathing suit.
Such a tempting idea.
Really tempting.
But…I bit my lip as I reconsidered. Thursday’s lab had gone fine. No slip-ups or anything unprofessional.
Even the short moment before class—when it was just the two of us—had been good. Normal. Above board. Like any conversation I might’ve had with a regular student.
So really, I should be fine watching her and her team do their routines tonight. I would simply be a professor supporting my students—showing school spirit while also hanging out with a friend.
So I texted back:
Me: Planning on it.
“Owen,” the barista called my name. I looked up and watched her set my drink and breakfast sandwich on the counter.
I walked up to the counter and grabbed my order, thanking her before heading back to my corner table. As I took the first sip of my drink, I picked up my phone and tapped open my browser.
I hadn’t meant to look her up. I really hadn’t. But ever since I’d overheard her tell Brody that she’d done online high school because of her rigorous gymnastics training schedule, I’d been curious to learn more.
I typedEden Falls University Women’s Gymnasticsand clicked onto the team page. A photo of Lucy in mid-vault popped up first—ponytail flying, expression fierce.
I clicked the roster tab and saw various gymnast headshots populate my phone’s screen. Lucy’s headshot was first since they were listed in alphabetical order by last name. Her hair was down and curled and she wore what looked like a black warmup top. Beneath her photo were a few stats.
Lucy Archibald
Height: 5’1
Class: Senior
Position: All-Around
High School: Elevate Online Academy
Hometown: Eden Falls, Connecticut
