Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Owen waved a dismissive hand. "No rush."

It was just a coat, after all. Owen had plenty more in his closet.

"I came home to grab some clothes and have to head back to the lab soon." His voice was thick with congestion, his face half-hidden by a mask, a dead giveaway he was battling a nasty cold.

"Hold on." Roseanne turned and went inside, returning moments later with a thermos. "I made you some chicken soup yesterday. Drink it while it's hot."

At the mention of chicken soup, Owen's brow furrowed slightly, an almost imperceptible reaction Roseanne missed as she added, "There's also some cold medicine in the bag. It's the usual stuff. Instructions are on the box."

Owen was rarely sick, and something about her concern made him momentarily consider refusing the thermos.

But then Roseanne added, "I mean, it's really my fault you ended up catching this cold."

The hand he'd almost withdrawn to refuse the offer paused, then accepted the thermos.

Checking his watch, Owen realized he was short on time. "Thanks for the chicken soup and the medicine. I'll have them."

Watching him stride away, Roseanne closed the door behind her. Her latest paper still needed work, and she'd been digging through websites for days looking for resources.

Then there were the books and papers Madeleine had given her, all in German. While her German was good enough for daily conversations, she still struggled with the technical terminology and had to take time to look up words.

While immersed in her research, Roseanne found her thoughts interrupted by her phone ringing. Annoyed but resigned, she set down her pen and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"I'm sorry about yesterday, but there are some things I'd prefer to say in person." It was Corley.

After a brief silence, during which Roseanne pondered, she decided it was an opportunity to clear the air They agreed on a time and place and Roseanne hung up. The image of an angry Murray flashed in her mind, but she shook it off,.

refocusing on her paper.

...

Their meeting place was the coffee shop they'd visited last time, not far from Kingswell University. Roseanne immediately spotted Corley sitting in their usual spot as she pushed open the door.

Wearing a coat draped over the chair next to him, Corley wore a Gucci dress shirt, the upper buttons casually undone, revealing his collarbone. It seemed to attract the occasional glance from a nearby table of young women.

.n

Ignoring the surrounding glances, Roseanne sat across from him. Corley asked what she'd like to drink.

Not in the mood for coffee, Roseanne got straight to the point. "I'm here to finish the conversation we didn't get to have the other day."

Hearing her intention, Corley didn't seem upset. Instead, he smiled slightly, "Well, I also want to say I meant everything I've told you."

Roseanne frowned. "Then you should know that I don't like you that way. There's no chance for us."

Corley shrugged. "I've always known that nobody's invincible and that nothing comes easy. But as long as it turns out well, that's what counts, right?"

He was determined and patient. Once he set his sights on something, he wouldn't give up until he achieved it. He was willing to wait and slowly wear down Roseanne's defenses. After all, hadn't Murray won Roseanne over with persistence? If Murray could do it, why couldn't he?