The Prince and the Plant Whisperer

The Name Tag

[~~~Posted Feb. 18, 2021~~~]

The tall broad-shouldered student got into line. Right behind Nadia's crew. He didn't seem to notice the hush around him. Or maybe he just didn't care.

"Lukas!" Nadia spun around.

Moving up to her tiptoes, Nadia air-kissed him on each cheek, on and on.

Kai was amazed. How many times does this air-kissing go on? she wondered, Two? No, three!

And then Nadia's blonde friend grabbed Lukas's arm: "You'll be at Nadia's party tonight, right?" The guy almost stumbled forward a little, he'd been pulled so sharply by the blonde.

The guy—he must have been named Lukas—recovered his footing. Stood tall. Said nothing.

With her eyes fixed on the guy, Nadia elbowed her friend and tsk-ed. "Lucy! It's not a party. Just a small gathering. Like, a few Exeter people."

She turned back to Lukas. "We're doing a gin-tasting," Nadia said. "With these 3 gins my uncle sent from his distillery in Rhône."

Nadia added, "You'll be there right?"

"Can't make it" Lukas said simply.

This whole time, Lilly's eyes were glued on Lukas with puppy-dog admiration. But Kai just stared at Nadia.

Girl was shameless.

With over-dramatic disappointment, Nadia thudded her palm against Lukas's chest. "Really? The first night back to school? You already have something to do?"

"I have jet lag," Lukas said. His voice, deep and resonant.

Knowing sympathy bathed Nadia's voice: "Red-eye flight from Hong Kong?"

"Berlin."

Then, abruptly, this man—Lukas—turned his laser focus away from the three girls. His face was as still as a pond.

And he turned toward Kai.

There was something graceful about how he moved. Like every part of him defied gravity.

Silence.

He and Kai, face to face.

She couldn't tell how many seconds passed.

And then, his eyebrows went up. That slight movement snapped Kai out of her daze.

"Tomato soup?" she asked. Faintly.

A nod from Lukas.

As she handed him a bowl, his glance slid downward.

(Is he staring at my chest!? Agh. Why are all guys... dogs?)

In the lowest of tones, he said, "Thanks.... Kaia."

OHH!! My name tag!

She'd forgotten.

How embarrassing! I thought for a second that he was checking me out. But... actually...

...he was trying to see my name—

* * * * . . . . . .
. . . * * * * . . .
. . . . . . * * * *

When Lukas moved onward in line, Lilly whispered at Kai, "How do you know him?"

"I don't!"

"He knew your name!"

"He saw my name tag!"

"So then how do those girls know him?" Lilly asked. Then she pondered: "They said 'Exeter'... probably that posh private high school in New Hampshire! Where the Facebook CEO guy Mark Zuckerberg went. They must've all gone there."

Kai had never heard of Exeter. It was probably an East Coast thing.

"Imagine being that rich!" Lilly said, then sighed, "I really don't belong here."

Lilly'd been saying that all morning.

Kai pressed her lips together. "You got a scholarship! So you're clearly smart and hardworking, and you earned your spot here—"

Her roommate's face stayed glum.

Logic's not helping, Kai thought. Should I just clown around?

Maybe she'll chill out if I unleash my inner goofball?

"My dear Lilly," she said, in a fake posh British accent, "Come to my little gathering tonight. A chick'n-tasting. We'll be tasting some chicken from my uncle's distillery."

"Gin," said Lilly. "It was gin, not chicken."

Kai kept a poker face, "Dear girl, I know my uncle's distillery. And I assure you, it's chicken. My uncle distills chicken. The purest chick'n! From me uncle's!" Kai'd started with some  weird made-up posh accent, but it was quickly becoming a cockney.

A smile finally spread across Lilly's face. She couldn't resist playing along.

"Ah my jetlag is too st-r-r-ong," Lilly said. "I zhust got off zhe private plane from Berlin..."

Lilly's bubbly self was coming back. Which was a good sign. 

Kai smacked her new friend. "What was THAT accent? You sound like a vampire!"

"I'm terrible at accents, OK?"

As they laughed, Kai happened to glance up. Lukas's tall figure was almost at the end of the serving line.

But suddenly—the tall, broad-shouldered student turned to glance back.

There was an odd, intent look on his face.

Kai didn't know what it meant. But his stare was deep.

AGHH! 

I hope he didn't hear us making fun of him and his friends!

Suddenly, for a quick moment, she almost wondered if there was a smile hidden in his eyes.

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🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

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