WHO: Rick Austen and Alessa Rhodes WHAT: Reunion WHEN: About a month ago [backdated] WHERE: Alessa's on-campus apartment RATING: Low STATUS: Closed/incomplete
It was pretty common to hear about a new arrival on staff before the staff member actually arrived. While Rick always took the time to welcome new arrivals, he usually didn't do it they day the arrived on campus; he liked to give them a little time to settle in and decompress. But this new arrival was different. Dr. Alessa Rhodes had saved his life, and Rick wasn't about to procrastinate welcoming her, not for a second.
Rick did actually try to use some self-restraint. He went for his morning run, and stopped at The Daily Grind for his usual morning coffee. He grabbed a couple bagels and some ground coffee, a spur of the moment purchase to help welcome Dr. Rhodes to her new home. Still, it was only mid-morning by the time he returned to his apartment. He killed some time by distractedly looking over his course syllabi for any potential changes he might like to tweak for the new semester; mostly, he just managed to keep track of the time on his computer screen. Finally, it was lunch time. Rick ordered a pizza - half cheese, half pepperoni. Upon its arrival, he grabbed a 6-pack from his fridge and the bagels and coffee he'd bought, some paper plates and napkins, and went to his new neighbor's door.
Knocking at the door, he waited for Dr. Rhodes to answer. Smiling when she did, he said, "I thought you might like a break from moving, Dr. Rhodes. So I brought lunch." He was pretty sure she'd remember him. Otherwise, he might sound a little creepy.