Unleashed Temptation Introduction

Timothy’s Story…

The quaint little coffee shop with mismatched chairs and quirky art work was Timothy’s favorite place to study.  He sat engrossed in the fascinating world of chemistry, unaware and unconcerned that his hair needed a trim as he pushed his glasses higher onto his nose.  The cute coffee shop, with its aroma of freshly ground beans and soft jazz playing in the background, provided the perfect setting to study away from the lab. 

As he flipped to the next page, Timothy was unaware that he had become the unwitting star of a silent mission. As he immersed himself in the intricacies of the world of chemistry, a trio of young women seated nearby exchanged mischievous glances.

“What do you think?” Nora asked, leaning closer to her friends.

“I think he’s hot!” Naomi whispered.  The third grinned, ready for the challenge. 

Nora, with her curly brown hair and an air of confidence, took the first initiative. She casually dropped her pen, letting it roll towards Timothy’s table. As she bent down to retrieve it, she subtly tried to make eye contact with the oblivious chemist. However, Timothy’s eyes remained steadfastly fixed on his textbooks, his mind absorbed in the world of compounds and reactions.

Undeterred, Naomi, a bubbly redhead with an infectious laugh, took her turn. She pretended to be deeply interested in the same chemistry book, leaning in as if seeking an explanation. “Hey, Timothy, mind explaining this to me?” she said with a flirtatious smile.

Timothy glanced up momentarily, adjusting his glasses. “Oh, sure. It’s a basic acid-base reaction. You see…” he began, launching into an impromptu chemistry lesson. Naomi nodded along, not understanding a word but appreciating the sight of Timothy’s animated explanations.

Five minutes later, Timonthy returned to his textbook and Naomi walked back, defeated, to her friends. 

“Nothing,” Naomi grumbled, resting her chin on her fist.  “How can such a hot guy be so completely unaware?”

Jessica, usually described as “the quiet girl”, decided to take a more artistic approach. Walking over to sit across from him, Jessica began doodling little hearts and chemical symbols on her notebook, strategically placing it in Timothy’s line of sight and clearing her throat.  

Timothy looked up, but his eyes only strayed to Jessica’s notebook.  “That’s the wrong symbol for mercury,” he explained.  Then he wrote the correct symbol on her notebook.

“Thanks,” Jessica replied, her half-hearted grin that quickly morphed into a grimace as she accepted her defeat when Timothy brought his focus back to his own notebook. 

Jessica stood up and returned to her chair amid snorts of laughter from her friends.  “Hey, it was worth a shot!”

The trio, undeterred by their unsuccessful attempts, devised a grand finale. Emily, Lauren, and Jessica each bought a fresh cup of coffee and concocted an elaborate plan to spill the beverages simultaneously, forcing Timothy to take notice. As they approached his table, cups in hand, the atmosphere became charged with anticipation.

A split second before the execution, a commotion arose by the counter.  A young boy, obviously exhausted and ready for a nap, was having a major meltdown by the cash register.  The frazzled mother, trying to grab her afternoon pick-me-up, dropped her tote bag, the contents spilling out across the floor. 

“I’m so glad I don’t have kids,” Jessica hissed.  Naomi and Nora both nodded, then turned back, ready for their great idea. 

“Wait!” Nora hissed.  “Where is he going?”

All three women stared as Timothy slung his backpack over his shoulder, nudging his glasses higher onto his nose as he strode out through the doors of the coffee shop. 

“Damn!” Jessica sighed.  All three woman stood there, stunned and defeated. 

Raven’s Story…

“Do it!” Raven hissed, nudging her friend with her elbow. 

“But what if she isn’t interested,” Mark snapped back, pulling away, but he glanced across the library tables towards the blond. 

“She’s interested!” Raven snapped, nudging Mark’s elbow as they both watched Eleanor glance at Mark, then look back down at her book. 

Mark hesitated again, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously.  “She’s too smart for me.”  He gripped his copy of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the same book the woman in question was reading. 

Raven rolled her eyes.  “God save me from men too afraid of smart women.”  When she looked back at Mark, Raven knew that his insecurities were going to hold him back from what she was sure would be a very happy relationship.  “Mark,” she said and turned to look at him more fully, “Eleanor has flipped her hair twice.  She’d glanced over at our table several times.  She’s reading the same book as you and she followed you into the library, sitting down at a table where she knew she’d be in your line of sight.”  She paused, letting each of those clues sink into his male brain.  “She’s interested in you!”

Still, Mark hesitated, glancing over towards the woman in question.  Then back at Raven.  “How do you know?”

Raven considered Mark’s question carefully.  She wasn’t sure how she knew these things.  As a psychology major, she understood how the brain worked.  But it was more than just her training.  Raven just…knew…when there was a connection between two people. 

“I can’t give you specifics, other than what I’ve just told you.”  She saw the nervousness in his eyes.  With an exasperated huff, Raven stood up and walked over to the other table. 

Mark watched as his friend and co-conspirator whispered together.  Raven gestured towards him several times and there was a great deal of nodding going on.  Mark felt like a punk, but this was the woman he’d dreamed about over and over again.  If he messed up, he’d never forgive himself. 

So he felt a bit faint when Raven stood up.  But a split second later, the other woman stood up as well.  Then they were walking.  Towards him! 

“Mark, this is Angela.  She’s majoring in computer science and hopes to have a career working for a tech firm where she can make a difference.”  She turned to the woman.  “Angela, this is Mark.  Despite his cowardly ways at the moment…”

“Hey!” Mark blurted out. 

“…he’s actually very brave.  He is majoring in political science and hopes to eventually be a lawyer.  He’d eventually like to work for the defense attorney’s office in a major city, defending the rights of the underdog.”  She stopped, watching the two. 

There was a long silence and Raven resisted the urge to roll her eyes.  They were just staring at each other and the awkward tension increased.  Raven stepped back.  Neither of them noticed.  She stepped back again, feeling like she was in a Charlie Chaplin movie.  Still silence. 

Raven leaned forward slightly.  “Speak to each other!” she whispered, then took another step backwards. 

Mark ran a nervous hand over his hair, mussing up the previously neat style.  Eleanor noticed and blushed.  That seemed to be the trigger that got the two to speak and Raven smiled as she watched Eleanor slide into the chair next to Mark.  By the time Raven had grabbed her book bag, the two were leaning closer, their foreheads nearly touching as they started talking. 

Raven smiled as she walked out of the library.  “I’d better get an invitation to the wedding,” she muttered, then slipped her sunglasses over her eyes as she stepped out into the bright sunshine, smiling with triumph.