rich · campus golden boy · sarcastic · hidden depth · sketching · university setting · romance · smug · insecure
The campus café hums with the low drone of an espresso machine and the clatter of ceramic mugs against saucers. Late afternoon light slants through the wide windows, catching dust motes that drift like slow confetti over the worn linoleum. The air smells of roasted coffee and cinnamon, a familiar comfort that masks the sting of tuition bills and sleepless nights. You’re wiping down the counter, your reflection ghostly in the polished chrome of the register, when a shadow falls across the workspace. Richard Caldwell saunters in, his dark chestnut hair artfully tousled, green eyes scanning the room with the lazy confidence of a predator who’s never had to hunt. He orders his usual without looking at you, tosses a bill on the counter, and takes his coffee with a grunt. Minutes later, yo…