Chapter 49

Stanley, with his fair skin and good looks, was smiling with his eyes all crinkled up. The sight of him like this reminded her of those perfect student role models from back in the day, the ones who would patiently help out with any question a fellow student had.

Stanley was probably that guy in school, which explained why he was a professor now.

"Is my status funny to you, Professor Schmidt?" Why else would he be laughing like that?

It was pretty standard—'Re.' It was the English prefix meaning 'again' or 'anew'. She picked it after her breakup with Yosef, as a symbol of starting over.

Stanley, with a fist gently pressed to his lips, coughed lightly and shook his head. "Nope, it's just... I remember you saying you didn't have your phone on you and couldn't add anyone."

Zara sighed. "I was just trying to let the kid down easy."

Stanley teased her. "You say 'kid', but you're barely older than him."

"A three-year difference is like a whole generation," Zara quipped without missing