“Here’s an idea, how about I just give ‘friendly advice’ and you write it down. It’s called teamwork and they can’t say that it’s not allowed?” Athena looked over at him with a smile. “Now you make me want to read the papers. Why must you tempt the nerd in me?”

“Yeah, I’ll make chicken nuggets for dinner tomorrow night. Friday night, though, we’re having roasted chicken,” said Hodaya, as she was sketching out the outline, “So remember when we went to Montauk back in January and I have a bunch of pictures on my phone? Well, I’m painting one for my mom for her birthday in November.”

“Well, I don’t mind how you dress. But some people think it’s unprofessional for someone with a PhD to wear stuff that doesn’t look out of place in a psychedelic concert, which I think is arbitrary. Maybe that student is stuck up,” said Hodaya, as she pulled out her pad of watercolor paper and pencil, “Yeah, I’m ordering pizza from that place in Flushing we really like.”  

Reina couldn’t help but stare as the man almost had a temper tantrum, “Just give them all a completed,” She suggested with a small shrug of her shoulders, one hand curled around her chai latte while the other was holding a book open as she curled into almost a ball in the corner of one of the booths. “I don’t think your attire matters, because our generation doesn’t give a shit what you’re wearing — what they do care about is that you show up.. and give them grades. Maybe teach them a little bit, not make their day so monotone.”

“Y-you should always listen to Hodaya. She’s ninety percent of the reason you’re a presentable adult,” Tess commented, a little giggle behind her words. She thanked him quietly when he opened the door for her. “Fab Five?” she added questioningly, a moment after he’d posed the joke. An employee came up to greet them, and Tess stammered through a dismissive, ‘just looking’ explanation so they wouldn’t have to be asked a lot of wedding-related questions. “Have you guys picked your colors yet?” she asked David curiously when they were left alone, her gaze fixed on a very big color swatch book.

Looking over at the man that was speaking as she was doing a crossword puzzle, Athena paused as she looked over. “I can help. I studied Sociology for fun and I’ve read almost every textbook that they have out there on it,” she paused as she felt a little stupid to offer something like that to a professor. He wasn’t gonna want her help. She wasn’t a professor. “I’m Athena. You can just ignore me offering. I’m not a professor, just a lover of sociology textbooks.”

Hodaya took a sip of her coffee, “Oh, they put a little bit too much coconut milk in mine, but it’s fine. Sorry I look like ass. I just got done with my post-work Krav Maga class. You would have thought that Grateful Dead shirts and cargos are okay for teaching, especially at a college in New York, but apparently not. Did a student complain about it?”  

Hodaya entered the coffee shop, her hair in a messy bun and in her tank top and gi pants from Krav Maga. She decided pay her fiancé a visit while he was working on grading papers, and to do some outlining for her water color painting. She ordered two drinks and went over to where David was sitting. “Hi, dear,” she said, “Got you some coffee.” 

“I-it’s no trouble! And you paid for lunch last time we went out.” Tess gave a pointed look, though a relieved smile melted it away. “Thank you! I promise not to keep you i-in there long. And I’ll help you pick out a tie, because I-I don’t trust you not to go for some ridiculous pattern.”

Hodaya: I love her, and I miss her so damn much. I can't wait to see her and her siblings.

Hodaya: My dumb ass forgot to buy coffee beans. Starbucks Pikes Place Whole Bean.

David: we'll see em soon babe. soon. just gotta' get through this quarter.