Chapter 41
Stella:
I stared at Noah's last message on my phone screen, a smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it. I pressed my hand over my mouth like that would somehow undo the reaction, then quickly switched screens before I could do something monumentally stupid like respond.
What the hell was I doing?
I pulled up the research team group chat and typed out a reminder about Monday's meeting—time, location, expectations. Hit send before I could second-guess the professional tone.
Then I set the phone face-down and stared at the ceiling, that smile still threatening to return.
---
Monday morning's lecture ended, and I gathered my materials, glancing at the time. Twenty-five minutes until the 10:30 meeting.
Just enough time to grab coffee.
The Starbucks line wasn't long. I joined it, mentally reviewing the meeting agenda.
"Professor Morrison."
I turned. Noah stood behind me, backpack slung over one shoulder.
"Carter."
"Figured I'd caffeinate before the meeting." He moved forward with the line. "Be a model research assistant and all that."
I didn't respond. The line shuffled forward.
"So," he continued, undeterred, "since you're clearly about to buy coffee anyway, and I'm clearly also buying coffee, wouldn't it be more efficient if you just bought mine too? Think of it as an investment in your research project's success."
I gave him a look. "That's not how research funding works."
"But you have a faculty card." He gestured toward the counter. "Faculty discount. It's basically fiscally irresponsible not to use it."
"You have a student card. Student discount."
"Not as good as yours though."
"Then get a job."
"I have a job. Research assistant. Very demanding boss. Doesn't even buy me coffee."
"Stella!"
I turned. Ethan Hayes walked in—tall, athletic build that came from years of varsity tennis.
He'd been my research assistant since last fall. Dependable, insightful, and professional. We'd worked together long enough that collaboration felt natural.
"Ethan."
"Just saw the group message. Perfect timing." He joined us, then looked at Noah with an easy smile. "Hey there! You must be the new research assistant."
Noah's expression cooled slightly. "Noah."
"Ethan Hayes." He extended his hand. "Looking forward to working with you."
Noah shook it briefly. "Same."
"Let me get everyone's coffee." Ethan was already pulling out his wallet. "Welcome gift for the new team member."
"That's not necessary—"
"I insist." Ethan smiled at me, then turned to the menu board. "Stella, your usual cold brew?"
I hesitated. Noah stood beside me, suddenly very quiet.
"Actually—" I pulled out my wallet, "I'll get it. First official team meeting, it should be on me."
"Stella, really, you don't have to—"
"I said I'm getting it." I turned to the barista. "I'll have a cold brew, an Americano for Ethan—" I glanced at him for confirmation, he nodded. "A vanilla latte for Amanda, and—" I looked at Noah. "What do you want?"
"Grande caramel macchiato." His voice sounded tight.
I relayed the order and paid. Ethan was still protesting, but I was already waiting for the drinks.
Noah stood beside me, staring at something across the cafe.
The coffees came out. Noah immediately stepped forward and took the tray before I could reach for it.
"I've got it," he said.
"I can carry—"
"You have your bag, Professor." He'd already balanced the tray, turning toward the exit.
The three of us headed toward the Behavioral Sciences Building, Ethan chatting easily about some paper he'd read over the weekend.
Through the glass walls of Conference Room B, I could see Amanda already seated. Laptop open, files neatly arranged on the table, even extra pens laid out.
A flicker of satisfaction ran through me. I'd chosen well with this student.
"Dr. Morrison!" Amanda stood as we entered, her gaze sweeping across the group. "I pre-marked the key pages in the coding manual and printed some reference materials—" She paused when she saw Noah, giving him a friendly wave. "Hey, Noah!"
"Hey." Noah's response was polite but brief as he set the tray down.
"Very thorough, Amanda." I took my seat at the head of the table.
Noah distributed the coffees. He handed Amanda hers first.
"Thanks!" She took it cheerfully. "Vanilla latte, right? That's my go-to."
He nodded and moved on to Ethan's cup, then mine.
"Thanks," I said quietly.
He sat to my right, close enough that I could feel his presence but far enough to maintain professional distance.
Amanda slid one of her extra pens toward Noah. "In case you need it. Dr. Morrison's meetings can get pretty note-heavy."
"Appreciated." Noah took it.
I connected my laptop to the projector.
Ethan was already chatting with Amanda about some mutual connection in the department. "So Noah," he turned, tone friendly, "what year are you?"
"Freshman."
"Oh nice! Dr. Morrison doesn't usually take freshmen on research projects. You must be pretty sharp."
Noah nodded politely but didn't elaborate.
I pulled up the first slide. "Let's get started."
The screen displayed the research title: Urban vs. Coastal Community: Regional Differences in Romantic Relationship Expression Patterns
"This study examines how physical environment influences romantic interaction behaviors," I began. "Our hypothesis is that vacation settings may facilitate more frequent displays of affection due to reduced environmental stressors and increased psychological distance from daily routines."
Amanda was already taking notes. Ethan leaned forward, nodding.
"We'll be conducting field observations in Carmel-by-the-Sea," I continued. "It's a coastal resort town about two hours from here. We need a location with diverse dating venues and a mix of tourist and local couples to ensure sample variety."
I clicked to the next slide showing a map and photos of various locations.
"When do we leave?" Amanda asked.
"This Friday at 2pm. We'll meet in the faculty parking lot. The trip is five days—Friday through next Tuesday."
I pulled up the accommodation details. "I've booked rooms at the Riverside Inn. Four single rooms."
Ethan raised his hand slightly. "What about the observation schedule?"
"We'll work as a team, rotating between different sites throughout each day. I'll provide a detailed schedule once we arrive and assess the actual venue layouts and crowd patterns."
Noah had been quiet, taking notes steadily.
"The key is maintaining inconspicuous observation," I continued. "We'll use decibel meter apps on our phones to track speech volume patterns, take notes in casual notebooks, and position ourselves as regular patrons. All data collection has been approved under IRB protocol—no identifying information, no audio content. Distance and naturalness are crucial."
I clicked to the coding manual excerpt. "Amanda, since you've already reviewed this, could you explain the primary coding categories?"
Amanda straightened. "Sure. We're looking at proxemic behaviors—physical distance between partners, body orientation, touch frequency and duration. Then paralinguistic cues—tone, volume, speech rate. And finally kinesthetic behaviors—gestures, facial expressions, eye contact patterns."
"Exactly." I nodded. "Ethan, you participated in the pilot study last semester. Any advice for the team?"
"Don't trust your first impression," Ethan said, leaning back. "Stella was really strict about this. Every behavior I recorded, she'd ask 'are you sure?' at least three times."
I noticed Noah's pen had stopped moving. He was looking at Ethan, expression unreadable.