A chance encounter (Candira and The King)

Natalie was just studying today. It was the weekend, and the library was fairly empty. That suited her just fine--it was just a nice quiet day and she was busy taking notes from her text and going over flashcards she'd made for herself. Anyone who saw her would notice that she was dedicated to her art-history course, but they would also have seen a beautiful young woman. Her long chocolate brown hair was pulled back in a thick braid that traveled to the middle of her back. Purple framed reading glasses brought out her pretty blue eyes as she poured over her textbook. Her curvy, slim form was covered by a comfortable pair of dark jeans, a bright blue camisole and a black sweater. She wore heeled boots since it was chilly, but not quite enough to need a lot of traction.

It was only when she decided to take a break that she noticed anyone else in the reference section. Other tables were free, but some still had a student here or there working away. It was too bad that it was such a lovely day outside. She needed to study, however. There was a test coming up on Monday.

Nathan had studying of his own to do, and the library was usually the ideal place to do so. It was quiet and housed plenty of academic resources should he need to make use of them. Entering the daunting establishment this wasn't his first visit, although the young man was typically more comfortable doing his schoolwork in the comfort and privacy of his dormitory. Still it never hurt to get out and about. However he had never been an incredibly social young man.

Dressed in worn, casual jeans a dark red T-shirt, and a heavy jacket pulled over for an extra layer of warmth against the cold. His backpack hung lazily on one shoulder as he ascended the stairs to the stacks. Looking for a vacant area to settle down, it was then that Natalie caught his eye. The place wasn't crowded, and as much as it made sense to form some solitude, he couldn't deny the abrupt interest in the girl. Approaching where she sat he mustered a smile, attempting to be polite as he spoke softly. "Uhm, do you mind if I sit here?" He asked, knowing there were plenty of empty tables but still he figured it
couldn't hurt to ask.

She nearly jumped at the sound of his voice, but managed to keep cool. The young man standing in front of her was ridiculously cute in her mind. Glancing left and right she saw a few other tables he could have chosen. Either he wanted silent companionship, or he wanted this location. Then again... maybe he thought she was cute? Well, either way, she didn't really mind it at all. It wasn't like she didn't have room. "Sure. Have a seat," she said with a grin.

Her lack of apprehension was a surprise but when she accepted Nathan smiled. "Thanks." The young man responded cheerfully, seating himself across from the young woman. Pulling a notebook and textbook from his backpack, as well as his laptop, his attention soon found its way back to her. Daring to speak again, taking his chances with continued conversation. "Uhm, I'm Nathan..what's your name? If you don't mind me asking." He inquired timidly, trying to keep his eyes from wandering. It was true that he thought Natalie was cute, in fact more than just cute.

She smiled and made a little more room for him, watching him a little until he got settled. Once he finished, she went back to her notes and started in on the chapter again. She looked up again, however as he asked her name. Well that was polite of him--and she was a little pleased to know that he wanted her name. "Natalie," she said, holding her hand out to him for a shake. "It's nice to meet you, Nathan." Her smile was sweet and light, and her hands were soft.

Trying not to seem too meek Nathan extended a hand to gently grasp hers. Her smile gave him some reassurance that he wasn't being a total bother to her studies. "Nice to meet you, too. That's a very pretty name." He dared to compliment, hoping to make a good impression on this girl. Although they'd only just now met he had taken an immediate liking to her already.

She shook his hand when he took hers and then let him go, blushing just a little at his compliment. "Aww, thanks. I like yours too," she said. Nathan seemed like a nice enough person--he was certainly polite and friendly. Unfortunately she didn't have much else to say at the moment, so she decided to fall back on a safe question. "So what are you studying?" she asked, nodding her head at his notebook.

Her question was sort of expected, and with a smile Nathan indicated the cover of his textbook. "I'm a business major, and you?" He asked, idly studying the materials in front of Natalie, figuring that'd probably give him some clue as to her area of study.

"Fine arts," she said with a smile. "I'm studying for an art-history exam." After a brief moment of silence, she wished him luck and then went back to her notes again, trying to keep the context of the facts in her mind.

Smiling in return he nodded a little, then looked sheepish when Natalie informed him she was preparing for an exam. Now Nathan felt like an intruder, although there wasn't much that could be done to rectify such a mistake. Shifting focus to his own materials, he began to study in silence, too.

After a good hour and a half, Natalie sighed and closed her notebook and textbook. She put her flash cards back into their case and then leaned back into her chair, finished for the time being. Sighing, she closed her eyes and stretched a bit. "Oh boy..." She opened her eyes and then started to put her things back into her bag. "Hey, Nathan, are you ready for a break? I'm going to head to the student grill for some supper if you want to join me there," she offered. Though she didn't really know him, it had been nice to sit with someone for awhile. And as she looked at him now, she was reminded of just how cute he really was.

By the time Natalie was packing up her things Nathan was feeling pretty burned out on studying, too. Tucking his other materials away he is surprised when she addressed him and extended an invitation to have supper together. Does she like me? Never very confident or possessing much self-esteem despite being able to make friends, he's left at a bit of a loss but smiled, weighing his options, before decidedly nodding in return before he spoke. "Sure..that sounds nice." He answered and stood up. Truthfully he would relish any time spent with her.

She was actually a little surprised that Nathan wanted to go with her. He seemed a little reluctant at first. It must have been because they were still strangers. She could see how that would be a bit awkward. But then, he was the one who asked if he could sit with her. In any case, Natalie was pleased that he'd agreed to come with her. She always felt weird eating in the grill by herself. So she waited for him to gather up his things before she headed out of the library with him.

"So, I'm a little curious. How come you decided that you wanted to sit with me to study?" she asked, looking up at him. He was a little taller than her, even though she had three-inch heels on her boots. Maybe it wasn't the most subtle question or the easiest to answer, but she wanted to know, and he didn't really have to answer if he didn't want to.

Leaving the library with Natalie, he was careful not to walk too close, ensuring their mutual comfort. Smiling sheepishly when she questioned him about sitting together earlier, more specifically why he did so, it was truthfully difficult to answer and it left Nathan at a bit of a loss. Still he felt some kind of explanation was due, even a lame reasoning. "Uhm, well, you just looked like you could have used some company, that's all." He answered weakly, feeling timid being posed such an inquiry. Not that it extinguished his interest in her one bit.

It was a short walk to the student grill where they grabbed their trays and got in line. Walking their way through and collecting their meals before finding somewhere to sit.

She chuckled, not at all buying that reasoning as they walked along. "I see," she said with a smile. "Well, I didn't mind it at all. So maybe you're right." Once they were at the Grill, she got a grilled chicken sandwich with mayo and spinach leaves, a small salad with french dressing, and a large coke. Because why not? Seated, she dumped the dressing onto her salad and watched Nathan.

"So, a business major, huh? What made you decide to go into that?" she asked, deciding it would be best to get to know her cute stranger.

He had settled on a cheeseburger, side of French fries, and a Coke of his own for lunch. Not the healthiest meal by any means, but he exercised regularly so whatever pounds that he might have been tacking on eating this way would get worked off later on. Peering across the table at her, he considered the question carefully before giving an answer.

"Well, I've always been really good at math and stuff like that. I guess my parents mostly, they sort of pushed me into it. Suppose they think I'll end up making them a bunch of money someday or something." He remarked skeptically, knowing he was smart but not thinking it would amount to any kind of success later in life.

"What about you, why art history?" The young man decided to ask politely.

"Well, this is probably a little silly," she said, blushing just a little. "When I was little, we went on a field trip to the museum here. The curator walked us around and he just seemed to know everything about whatever we pointed at. Any question at all and he seemed to know. I wanted to be that person. I wanted to know about antiques and valuable artifacts. I wanted to know everything he knew and more." She chuckled and shook her head, spearing some lettuce onto her fork. "Of course, it's pretty flexible. I can restore art, authenticate art, go on excavations," she said with a smile. "And I'm not bad at art myself." She smiled at him and then started in on her greens again. "My parents thought it wasn't a great idea until I told them all the doors it could open up for me. That took some doing," she said, between bites.