Chapter 70: Nolan

“I need you to run this over to the administration office and try to get back before class starts. I want to introduce you to everyone.” Professor Stixs says handing me a pile of papers.

“Of course, sir.” I bite out and turn to leave.

Once I’m out the door, I grumble curses at him for turning him into his errand boy on day one. Of course, I would never complain because I need this TA position if I want to move on to be a professor of medical sciences. It’s weird for me to pursue teaching after getting my medical degree instead of becoming a doctor, but I have my reasons. I’ve seen firsthand how bad our medical system has become and I figured that the best way to make better doctors was to teach them better. Besides, they usually have too much of an ego and some humility is needed if this next wave of med students are going to put their hands on a patient.

That ego gets people killed and I won’t let that happen again. So I suck it up and walk down the hall toward the front door of the medical building. What I hadn’t been expecting was to nearly get said door slammed into my face. It turned my bad mood into something a lot uglier and I was ready to scold the person for not watching where they’re going until I saw the face of the person. A woman with stunning eyes and a messy bun of curls. She isn’t wearing any make-up as far as I can see, but she is still the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen.

She has soft tanned skin and a spatter of light freckles on her cheeks. They are subtle and soft but give her face so much more character. It’s rare you see a woman who doesn’t cover their freckles these days.

“Crap, I’m sorry. I don’t have any spacial awareness.” She says quickly, but she wasn’t looking right at me.

When she does, her eyes widen a fraction and then she closes them and lets out a deep sigh. I’m about to tell her it was no big deal, but then she drops her head back.

“Seriously? I mean, come on!” She says up at the ceiling.

I smile in amusement. I’m not sure what has her having a conversation with a high power but it’s made my mood shift, so I’m willing to find out.

“Is there a reason you’re having an argument with the man upstairs?” I ask her with a smirk.

She looks at me and shakes her head. “Sorry, I just need to have a talk with fate later.”

I’m not sure what she means by that, but her face shifts out of nowhere and my amusement changes to worry. It’s such a sudden change that I wonder if it was something I said, but she’s rushing away before I can apologize or ask more than if she was okay.

She’s stopped by some girls and I decide I don’t want to step into some sort of drama that might rise, so I push out of the doors and walk down the path in the direction of the administration building. I didn’t attend this college, so getting around would normally be difficult, but I have a photographic memory. One look at the school map and I was able to know where I was going before I stepped a foot onto the property. It’s also how I was able to finish school and med school so fast. It can be a useful tool, but it doesn’t help with social skills, which is something I will need if I’m going to teach.

This TA job is going to help me get used to the idea of public speaking and how to grab the attention of my students. The real issue will be gaining respect for my position from my fellow professors and from my students. Many of which are only a year or two younger than me. I’m twenty-four, which is young for a professor, so I have my work cut out for me.

As I walk the paths of the quad area, I get a ton of smiles from girls and scowls from the guys. I’m young but I dress for the career I plan to take, and to them that makes me look silly. It doesn’t bother me, but that’s probably my lack of social skills at work.

Someone steps in front of me suddenly and I nearly trip over my own feet trying not to run into her.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.” The girl says as she tucks some hair behind her ear.

She’s pretty. So pretty that she wouldn’t have looked my way if we had gone to school together. It’s only been the last year that I grew into my adult body, and a strict regimen of exercise. I didn’t like being so thin and fragile looking. I wanted to have a stronger presence, so I started eating well and working out and from the looks I’m getting, I guess I gave myself a good makeover. Although they can’t really see much with the clothes, I’m wearing. Clothes that my sister helped me pick out, by the way. I’m not good at styling myself and since my sister is a buyer for a big store chain, I let her help.

According to her, girls love a sexy professor look. I didn’t understand what that meant, but I also didn’t want her to go into a whole speech about it, so I didn’t question it. What I didn’t like was she donated all of my clothes except for a few sentimental shirts, and replaced everything to match my new look. Who knew your pajamas also have to match with a style change.

“You didn’t. Can I help you?” I ask the girl.

I should probably smile at her, but I’m not sure if I want to. The way she’s batting her lashes at me tells me she is about to say something that will make this encounter awkward, and I don’t want to encourage that sort of exchange.

“I saw you the other day and wanted to talk to you, but chickened out. So when I saw you heading this way, I thought I would build up the courage to meet you. I’m Candy.” She holds her hand out to me and I look at it cautiously.

I take it hesitantly and don’t fully close my hand around hers. She smiles wide and tightens her hold on my hand a little harder before letting it go.

“Are you a student here?” She asks me.

“I’m a TA in the medical building.” I tell her. “I need to get these papers to the administration office. It was nice meeting you, Candy.”

She opens her mouth to say something else, but I give her a tight smile and walk around her without giving her a chance to speak again. I’m not interested in fan girls or dating a student, so keeping a professional distance is important. At least she approached me in a public area and not in an empty classroom.

It only takes me five minutes to finish at the administration building, but when I walk into class, it’s already full. My eyes roam over the faces, and I try to familiarize myself with them. That’s when I see her. She’s sitting in the far back and there isn’t much light near her, but I know it’s her.
“Quiet everyone. I want to introduce you to my TA for this semester. This is Nolan Collins.” Professor Stix points to me and everyone greets me.

I wave to them and then decide to observe from the back today. Truthfully, I want to see the girl again. She captured my attention and I have an urge to talk to her more. Only when I get closer to her do I notice something is off. Her face looks pale and her eyes look glossy and far away.

“Hey, are you okay?” I ask her as she starts to stand.

She isn’t on her feet long before her body goes limp and she falls against me. I wrap my arms around her and quickly bend down to lift her legs.

“What’s going on?” The professor calls out from the front of the class.

“She fainted. I’m going to take her to the clinic.” I tell him.

I walk down the stairs and out of the classroom as quickly as I can without dropping her. She seems so small when I hold her like this and when I look down at her, I’m reminded of how soft she looks. My eyes roam over her and that’s when I notice her stomach. It’s slightly rounded in the way a stomach only gets when a woman is pregnant. That has my worry doubling, and I decide to take her to the closest hospital instead. I won’t risk a mother and child’s life. I won’t be like him.