Chapter 1 The Coffee Shop
Lana's POV
I moved to New York for my first year of university. I actually hate to be here. My dad, the billionaire who owns Sternpoint and is involved in education, Mark Stern, has enrolled me into NYU Stern. I had the option to start my first year at NYU London before returning to NYU Stern's New York City campus to complete the rest of my degree program. I simply wanted to be in New York.
I am glad that I get to be away from home as it has just started to become a lot for me. I felt suffocated, not that my parents were bad. They were really great. Most of the things that happened, I didn't bother to talk about, they had their hands full with my siblings. I feel free here on my own. I don't have my dad breathing down my neck every time when it came to business.
My mother wanted me to do what I loved, that is sketching, and I would prefer to take over my mother's business because it has what I love, my dad wouldn't want it that way. According to him, he chose me to run the business after he retires. I have decided to do it for him. He has trained me and not my other siblings.
I live in a luxury apartment that my dad bought for me and a car. I moved here a month ago, just to get used to New York. I have a friend, Cynthia. She lives across the street from me. She always lived there. She is funny and outgoing. I only had one friend, Daniel. We are still very close.
Today is my first day at university. Cynthia and I decided to walk together. We went to a coffee shop on our way to campus. She was waiting for me outside while I ordered some coffee for myself. My brunette hair is tied up in a high ponytail. I have on a black pair of skinny jeans. A black cropped top that reveals a bit of my belly and a black three-quartered jacket, which I buttoned closed in the middle. I have black ankle boots on and I have some makeup on. I used to steal makeup from my mother just to impress this one guy on the football team, but he ruined me.
I am simply not interested in men at all. The barista hands the coffee to me. "Thank you." I smile at her. I turn around, not looking where I am walking as I place my cash in my satchel's pocket. I bump into someone and coffee is spilled on me. I gasp. "I'm sorry." I hear a velvety voice say. I look at the Armani gray suit that hugs muscles and then I look up into gorgeous ocean blue eyes. He smiles at me. Gosh, that smile is infectious.
" I'm the one that should apologize. I didn't see where I was walking." I say. I swallow because he is a magnet in itself. I haven't felt this way with anyone before. Is this how it feels to be so attracted to someone? Gosh, he seems way older than me. Too old, I am not going down the road that my mom and dad went down. I would prefer someone around my age.
"Don't worry about it. I will get it cleaned. Let me buy you another coffee." he offers.
"Oh, no. Please, don't. I hate it when men do that. I am an independent woman and I can take care of myself. Thank you," I say, as I move closer to the barista and I take a napkin from her and she gives one to him too. We try to wipe the coffee from our jackets, but it will leave a stain.
"Oh. I just wanted to buy you another coffee, seemed that yours got spilled." he says.
I throw the napkin in the trashcan. "No, thank you. I lost my thirst and I have some energy after this. I have to go." I say and then I walk towards the door.
"What's your name?!" I hear him call out after me. I look over my shoulder.
"My name is none of your business." I say with a smile and I'm out the door. The scorching sun hits me and I walk over to Cynthia who is typing away on her phone, waiting for me.
"What on earth happened to you?" Cynthia asks me as she puts her phone in her satchel.
"An accident happened. I bumped into a man, the most attractive one. He isn't my type. He is older." I say as we walk in step on the sidewalk to campus.
"Well, your father is an older man, you said that your mother was younger than him. If they can do it, why not try with this man? I know that you are not ready to date. You never had someone before. Just try." she says.
"No, he is too old for me." I say.
She sighs, "If I were you, I wouldn't think twice. Your father is hot even if he is in his fifties. That is some good genes right there. I searched him on the internet and I cannot get his picture out of my head."
"Ew, Cynthia! This is my dad. We are talking about the man in the coffee shop. I have had girls crush on my dad since high school, I'm not going through this with you too." I say as we cross the street.
"Oh, come on. Can't a girl crush on him in peace? He looks good for his fifties. I won't stop until you find that man in the coffee shop. We are doing this again tomorrow morning. I want to see him." she says.
"You are so unbelievable." I say. I end up taking off my coffee-stained jacket and I draped it over my arm as we walk into campus.
Everyone is heading to different classes. Cynthia and I enter our classroom, there are a few students already sitting. The professor isn't in class yet, so I follow after Cynthia up the steps. She takes a seat next to the wall and I take the desk behind her as more students enter.
"I hope this semester is great." she says, turning around in her seat to look at me. I place my books on my desk.
"It's going to be a nightmare for me." I say and that is when my world comes to a stop. "Oh my gosh." I say under my breath.
"What?" Cynthia asks as she follows where I am looking. "This is definitely going to be a tough semester with him." she says.
The man that I bumped into at the coffee shop is now standing at his desk, placing his laptop bag onto of his desk. His gray jacket had been taken off. His white dress shirt hugged his muscles. His dark hair is combed to the back.
"He is the man from the coffee shop." I say softly to Cynthia as the class whispers died down.
"What?!" Cynthia squealed and he looks up at us. His eyes lingering on me and realization hits him.
"Is there a problem?" he asked, but he doesn't smile, there was a shift since this morning.
"No, I just remembered something. I am totally sorry, sir." Cynthia says.
His eyes never leave mine, until he breaks eye contact as he continues to set up his laptop.
This will be a long semester. I do not want a man, I do not want dates. I am not ready. Yet, there is a shift in me that I never thought I would ever experience. I am attracted to him and it is pulling me towards him. I have to guard my heart and focus on my career. He is my professor for goodness sake. I need to get it together.