Capital University Romance

Every day, he comes by the cafeteria and orders the same thing. Only he does it in a way nobody else does. Rather than looking at the menu, he looks at her, smiles and greets her politely, before placing his order, which she knows by heart. He doesn't dress like the other students at the university, he kind of stands out and not just because he's tall and, well, black. There are quite a few black students at universities in Ontario, Canada. With his long-sleeved dress shirts and dress pants, he looks like a professor, except he's much too young for that. When he addresses her, she always detects a faint accent but she's much too shy to ask him about it.

One day, while she was on her break, a student shoved her aside while rushing...somewhere. It was enough to send her stumbling, and she would have fallen if a pair of strong hands hadn't caught her. She turned around, and found herself face to face with...him. In a clear voice, he looked at her with concern. Sara, are you alright? He asked. When she caught her breath, she nodded and smiled, telling him she was fine. She had never been so close to him before. He seemed much taller than before, well over six feet, kind of big but without being fat. The guy was tall, dark and handsome alright. You have me at a disadvantage sir, she said in her best imitation of an English noblewoman. You know my name but I don't know yours.

He smiled then, and she was taken aback, for she had never seen him smile before. She'd seen him many places, in the library, the cafeteria and the quad. Always he walked by himself, a man apart, book in hand. He always seemed so far away, and a bit sad. Not unlike Charles Atlas, with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Absentmindedly she noticed that his broad shoulders weren't unlike those of the mythological titan. Imposing as they were, to be sure. He cleared his throat, and formally introduced himself. I am Steve, he said, extending his big hand. Sara shook his hand. It is good to meet you, she said.

I see you so many times, he said, I feel like I know you. Sara smiled at that. If any other man had said that to her, she would have dismissed it as a line. To most of the students, she was invisible. She was the tall, perky and raven-haired, porcelain-skinned gal in the hat and uniform who fetched their meals as they stood in line. She rang in the cash register, always with a smile and something witty on her tongue. I get that a lot, she said. For a moment, his handsome features went somber, and she worried she might have offended him. I'm kidding, she said, by way of explanation. He nodded and smiled again, then told her he had to run. Back to the university library, where, incidentally, she was headed.

Smiling, she asked him if he wanted to walk there with her, and he nodded. Thus they made their way from the cafeteria to the top floor of the university center. A young man in a Ravens sports jersey displayed some admirable school spirit as he asked them to support the wrestling club with a donation. Sara ignored him, but Steve stopped to offer the young man some words of encouragement, and five bucks. Do you really think that makes a difference? Sara asked. Steve shook his head. Every little bit helps when one is fighting for a cause, he said with a shrug. They made their way to the tunnels, then exited through the quad.

Once outside, Sara wrapped her coat tightly around herself. Steve seemed oblivious to the cold. With great strides he made his way through the crowd, passing the various school buildings. Tory. Dunton. And finally they were at the library. He crossed the wooden bridge installed by the construction crew, and held the library door open for her. Ladies first, he said with a grin. Sara flashed him a coy smile. I'm no lady, she said, grinning. Steve smiled nervously and let her pass. He's definitely the shy type, she thought with a wry grin. This is going to be easier than I thought.

Once inside the library, he went to his customary seat in the back, on the second floor. May I join you? Sara asked, and Steve nodded. She sat next to him, and logged on. The university library computers were among the slowest machines known to man. While waiting for the logon to complete, Sara tried to chat up her latest 'friend'. One of her suspicions turned out to right, Steve wasn't from around here. I was born in Haiti and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, he said evenly. I'm an international student at our fair university. Upon hearing that, Sara looked him up and down. She had never met an international student in the flesh. Why would anyone leave Boston to come to the City of Ottawa?

Steve smiled at her and then told her his story. Last year, he was a student at Bay State College in the heart of Boston, and apparently after joining a party-hardy fraternity, his once-stellar grades plummeted. His worried parents sent him to study at Canada's Capital University while staying with his uncle and aunt in Ottawa. Sara grinned. So the big African-American was in Ottawa...as punishment? Steve noted her smile and asked her about it. I'm sorry about the circumstances that brought you here, she said with a wink. But I'm glad we met. Steve looked at her and she looked at him. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Hey, our computers are logged on, Steve pointed out. Finally, Sara said, sighing.

Sara went to her WebCT account and checked the status of her midterms results. Finally the T.A. posted them. Eighty six out of a hundred for her civil engineering midterm. Not bad at all. What's your major? She asked Steve. The coolest major ever, Steve said with a grin, I'm in Law. Sara rolled her eyes. Wonderful, she said with a roll of her eyes. I build things up and you tear them down. Steve smiled. Interesting way of looking at it, he said. He logged onto Facebook. I'm sending you a friend request, he said, what's your last name? Sara smiled coyly and told him she wasn't on Facebook. For a moment, Steve looked crestfallen. The dour look on his handsome face was priceless.

Here's my number, Sara said, taking out her Blackberry. Steve grinned, and punched her digits into his NEXUS smartphone. He sent her a text right away. Just hi, and a smiley face. Cute, Sara thought, sending him a reply right away. Moments later, she got up. Leaving so soon? Steve asked. Sara nodded. After three hours in class and five hours working in the cafeteria, a gal needs a break. She gathered her stuff and got ready to bounce. Steve stood up and shook her hand. It is good to meet you, he said with that fearless smile of his. Sara smiled and nodded, shaking his hand and wishing him a good night before walking away. She was aware of Steve's eyes on her as she left the library. He's checking me out, she thought with a smile as she exited the building. Yes!