by C. Gockel
“Who?”
“James Percy, the tall guy, super polite, with dark hair. Glasses?” Emma’s eyes were big. “You haven’t noticed him, either? Jeez Kristia, are you even looking at boys?”
Oh, I was looking. Just not at the nice ones who were asking about me.
“Anyway, I told him to just come over and talk to you. He’s right cute; you’ll definitely like him.” She was obviously pleased with her role as matchmaker.
“Um, super. Thanks, Em.” My cheeks were hot. Back home, I was pretty much invisible to guys. If I’d somehow caught this James guy’s attention, did that mean Ull Myhr was going to stop glaring long enough to see me that way too? Not that I wanted him to – a cranky Viking was the last thing I needed to deal with right now.
Ull was definitely seeing me, all right. In Mythology a few days later, he sat in the back of the room again, staring at me from the last row. His eyes were less angry today, more resigned. I dodged his gaze as I set up my laptop, resisting the urge to turn around and stick out my tongue. If he was going to give me the evil eye during every class, this was going to be a long semester.
Before the lecture started, an unfamiliar, sandy-haired boy slid into the seat next to me. “You’re Kristia, right?” The boy stuck out a hand and offered a friendly smile from thin lips. “I’m Henry. Henry Webster. I live upstairs in the Student Houses.”
“Oh, right. Kristia Tostenson. Nice to meet you.” We shook hands and I looked over the top of Henry’s neatly-combed hair to see Ull’s eyes narrow infinitesimally. That was interesting.
“Emma and I have Statistics together. She told me she had a new roommate.”
“That’s me.” I typed the date and sat back in my chair. “So you’re a math major like Emma?”
“Hardly.” Henry actually looked down his nose. He was a good-looking guy and something told me he knew it. “I study business. I’m planning to go into finance.”
“Ahh, got it.” I glanced up again. Ull’s focused stare had zeroed in on Henry.
“And what do you study, Kristia?” Henry booted up his own laptop.
“History of Art,” I shifted my gaze back to Henry, trying not to laugh at the “v” forming between Ull’s eyes. “But I’m mostly taking general ed. courses while I’m here. I’m an exchange student from the US.”
“Very well.” Henry clicked at his keyboard. He stuck out his tongue when he typed – it was cute. “Has Emma taken you to Naan Palace yet? It’s one of our favorites after study group.”
“The Indian restaurant?” What was it with these people and their curries? Didn’t England have good old-fashioned Chinese food? Or pizza? “We went my first night here.”
“Fabulous, isn’t it? Let’s all three go sometime. Too bad she’s not in this class; she’s a great study partner.”
I giggled. Henry definitely saw Emma as more than a study partner. A glance at Ull showed he had misinterpreted my laughter. His eyes were thin slits now, his hands balled into fists. I forced my features into a coy smile and put my hand on Henry’s arm, watching Ull’s jaw set. Very interesting indeed. “That sounds fun, Henry. Let’s grab dinner sometime.” Maybe my voice was a teensy bit loud, but Henry didn’t seem to notice. He prattled away, making plans while I snuck another look. Ull glared at me, the muscles of his jaw tensing as he clenched his teeth. I shot him a grin and turned to my computer.
When Professor Carnicke dismissed the class ninety minutes later, my gaze wandered toward Ull’s seat. It was empty; he had escaped before the lecture was over. Well that was good – I didn’t want to waste any more energy avoiding his mean looks. Did I?
The following Tuesday, I sat in Mythology class, third row, taking my standard copious notes. Henry was absent and I hadn’t met any of the other students in class yet, so I had most of the row to myself. All around me, pens scribbled and keyboards clicked as Professor Carnicke waxed poetic about the Norse Gods.
It was easy to get wrapped up in the dramatic stories, the romance, the anguish, when the professor was so into her subject. After only a week, this had become my favorite class – it certainly wasn’t because of the bizarre Ull Myhr who sat in the back making me feel an inexplicable combination of emotions. I genuinely liked both the professor and her subject matter. Like I’d written in my last e-mail to Ardis, I was getting college credit for going to story time. It was a pretty good deal.
“That’s it for today folks,” came Professor Carnicke’s dismissal. “Read through the next seventy pages in your text and start working on an outline for your term papers. I will be available for questions during my office hours this afternoon.” I bent my head to rummage through my bag as the room began to empty. When I looked up, I spotted the tousled, blond hair of the student who was occupying far too many of my thoughts. He was looking at me curiously – the anger finally gone. Well color me pink; that was a nice change. I ducked my head and jumped from my seat, rushing to leave the lecture hall. Once in the hallway, I leaned against the wall and exhaled. When I was sure I could walk, I headed to the quad to find an unusually clear sky. I relished the feel of the sun on my face. A girl could almost take off her sweater without getting goose bumps. Almost.
I sat under a tree and took out my Mythology book, planning to read ahead for the next lecture. As I turned the page, a deep voice broke my concentration. “May I join you?”
I looked up to see him. Ull Myhr, who never spoke to anyone, was speaking to me.
“Join me?” I looked around. “Are you serious?”
Ull chuckled, looking pointedly to the ground next to me. “May I?”
“Don’t you want to glare at me for a while first? Make me feel like I stole your Granny’s favorite baking sheet?”
He sighed. “Please?” It was the first nice thing he’d said to me.
“Uh… um… fine. Have a seat,” I gestured feebly, shock keeping me from standing like etiquette would have dictated. His grin made my stomach flip as he sat next to me, leaning against the tree. I was instantly and immeasurably self-conscious.
“I am sorry, I should introduce myself. I am Ull Myhr. Fourth Year, majoring in Classics. I did my first two years at the University of Oslo, Norway. And you are?”
By some miracle I found my voice again. “Um… uh.” I had actually forgotten my own name. “I’m, uh, Kristia. Kristia Tostenson. Sophomore, History of Art, visiting student from the U.S. – Oregon.” I forced a welcoming smile on my face, but it faltered quickly. “Sorry, I’m not trying to be difficult, but this is just weird. Is there something you want?”
Ull looked surprised. “Why is this weird?”
“Um, because you’ve spent the last week glowering at me? And avoiding me? Why do you suddenly want to talk to me?”
“Kristia, I am sorry if I gave you the impression that I have ill feelings towards you.” Ull’s sincerity threw me off balance. “Nothing could be further from the truth. I do not even know you.”
“I know!” I threw my hands up in frustration. “That’s why I’m so confused.”
Ull laughed, a hearty laugh that bounced through the trees. It was a wonderful sound. “Well I am sorry I have not been friendlier. This week has been unusually difficult for me. But it is no excuse to have made you uncomfortable.” He stuck out his hand. “Can we start over?”
“Do you want to start over?”
“I would not have asked if I did not.”
“Oh. Okay then.” I eyed his hand warily before I shook it. The instant our palms touched, an electric pulse charged my skin. It raced up my arm and into my chest, spiking my already overworked heartbeat. Every nerve ending in my body sprang to life, leaving me with the feeling of pins and needles from tip to toe. It took ten slow breaths to calm my heart.
Ull assessed my reaction with guarded eyes. Then he gently pulled his hand back. “Since we are starting fresh, may I ask you something else?”
“What?” I didn’t mean to sound so suspicious.
“Well, my pen gave out mid-lecture.
Would you be willing to e-mail me your notes? You type so earnestly, yours must be worth reviewing.”
Okay, now this conversation made sense. He wanted my notes. I should have been offended he was using me, but he was just so good looking, I couldn’t muster up the appropriate level of indignation.
“Oh. I guess.” I handed him a pen and he jotted down his e-mail address. Our hands brushed as he handed me the scrap of paper, sending another jolt to my poor heart. I pulled back quickly. No point in hyperventilating again before I could tell Emma about this small miracle. The legend himself had given me his e-mail address. He wanted to talk to me again! What had changed since we met in London? Though I didn’t want to destroy any good will building between us, I desperately wanted to ask him about London – he may have been having a bad week at Cardiff, but that didn’t explain why he’d been so rude at the British Museum. And I was positive this was the same man – there was no way there were two god-like creatures walking around Britain. If there were, Ardis would have signed up for study abroad years ago.
Study abroad! I kicked myself. I’d totally forgotten the meeting with my advisor. I jumped up so quickly I had to grab onto a tree for support. “Sorry, I have to go. I have an appointment. I’ll send my notes this afternoon.”
“Of course.” Ull stood gracefully, his light jacket straining against defined shoulders. “I would imagine an Oregon girl could use a good cup of coffee. What is your favorite? Soy Latte?”
I shook my head. “Earl Grey. Weird, I know. My dad says he’s not sure I’m really from Oregon.”
Ull smiled. “Well, I owe you a cup of tea then. It is the least I can do for imposing on your notes.”
“And for spending a week glaring at me?”
“I thought we agreed to a fresh start.” Blinding teeth peeked from upturned lips. “No fair bringing up my past indiscretions.”
“Touché.” I caught myself grinning back. This day had taken an unexpected turn.
“I hope a drink will wipe the slate clean. Where will you be at eight o’clock this evening?”
I managed to remember the name of my residence hall. Ull seemed to know it offhand. I scurried off to my meeting, only tripping once on the short walk to the administration building. I could have sworn I heard a low chuckle as I steadied myself, but when I glanced over my shoulder, Ull Myhr was gone.
Chapter 4
I spent the rest of the day cleaning. I swept and mopped with manic fervor, then moved on to vacuuming the throw rugs and wiping down every cabinet. When there wasn’t a speck of dust left in the flat, I hand-washed all the dishes, then scrubbed the windows with Windex and newspaper until they sparkled, like Mormor had taught me.
By then, I’d run out of things to clean, so I spent an hour obsessing over my outfit, reassuring myself I’d have done the same thing if any other boy was dropping by. This wasn’t about Ull – he’d been so foul all week, I obviously didn’t care what he thought of me. I’d just been raised to look my best for company; that was all.
After I’d put on my softest sweater with my favorite pair of skinny jeans and knee-high boots, I bumbled around the living room with even less grace than usual. When the bell rang at eight on the dot I ran, opening the door to reveal the silhouette of a six-foot-five-inch Nordic Adonis. Ull’s blue eyes crinkled in the corners and his smile was radiant, a stark contrast to the angry man I’d gotten used to. He wore dark jeans and an ivory sweater that clung to his chest, and his accent was soft when he spoke.
“Hei hei, Kristia. Nice to see you.”
“Um… uh…” Oh, come on Tostenson. Find some words. “Uh…” Now! “Yes, it is. I mean, nice to see you too.” I could do better than this. I would do better. “Thanks for stopping by. You could have just sent an e-card or something.” I held the door open inviting him to our small sitting area, and he filled the space.
“I come bearing Earl Grey.” He solemnly offered a steaming travel cup. “In thanks for some extremely detailed notes.”
I blushed. “Right. I’ve got a little of the compulsive thing. Professor Carnicke is just so enthusiastic; I can’t tell what the important parts are, so I type it all. And Ragnarok breaks my heart – the gods destined to fall so mortals can live in peace. Just awful.” I shuddered involuntarily, thinking of Ull’s mysterious presence in my recurring Ragnarok nightmare. I wondered what our professor would have made of that.
“Indeed,” Ull murmured absently, and I blushed again. I was boring him. His other dates must be much more interesting. Not that this was a date. I did not want to get involved with someone this moody. No, this was a business deal: tea for notes. And maybe the start of a friendship? Probably not. I usually stuck with friends who were a lot easier to read.
“So Kristia,” he began as he sat on our couch, dwarfing it under his lofty form. “What do you think of Cardiff so far? What else are you taking?”
He wanted to make small talk? I could handle that. I’d spent way too many afternoons with prattling old ladies at my grandma’s Bridge Club – I was an expert at small talk. I sat in the chair across from him and dutifully described my archaeology class, all the while looking for a polite way to bring up what was really on my mind.
Since there was no gracious way to do it, I jumped in with both feet. I tilted my face up to stare into his amazing eyes and found I couldn’t quite open my mouth. Come on Tostenson. I’d gotten on my first airplane and traveled thousands of miles from home. I’d even stood up to Ull when I’d wanted to crawl under a desk and cry. I could do this.
“Actually,” I smiled brightly. “I saw you last week. In London.”
Ull froze.
“It’s a shame we didn’t get a chance to talk then,” I tried to look morose as I studied him carefully. “It would have been nice to have a friend coming into school.”
A rueful smile spread across Ull’s features and he avoided my question.
“You were in London? How did you end up there?”
“My flight from Oregon landed there, so I spent a day sightseeing.”
“That must have been enjoyable.”
“It was.” He still hadn’t answered me. I stared, waiting. He didn’t blink. “So what were you doing in London, anyway?”
He shook his head. “Sorry. You must be thinking of someone else. I was not in London last week.”
Oh sure, there were two, hugely frustrating, Nordic supermodels walking around London. “Liar,” I muttered under my breath.
“What was that?” Ull looked amused again.
“Oh, nothing,” I coughed to cover up my indiscretion. “Throat tickle.” Mormor would have been mortified at my behavior. She’d never have called someone out to their face. “It’s just, I’ve never met anyone quite like you before, and here I meet two of you in a week.” I looked him dead in the eye, but he still didn’t blink.
“I do not know what to tell you, Kristia,” he said gently. We stared at each other for a long minute, each willing the other to back down. Ull won.
“Well, I must’ve been mistaken.” I smiled the too-big smile I got when I lied. I’d get the truth out of him eventually. No sense running him off before I could finish my tea.
“Tell me about yourself, Kristia. What brought you to Wales?”
Where to begin? Nothing I’d done in Nehalem could possibly be of interest, but I had to say something. I briefly told him about my hometown, my studies at UPN, and summed up my journey by saying, “I wanted an adventure before I settled back into to the life I’ve always known.”
“I think a life you have always known, a simple life, sounds wonderful,” Ull sounded almost wistful.
“It is, in a lot of ways.” I wondered why I was opening up to someone who had spent so much energy antagonizing me. “But just once, I wanted to do something different. So here I am.”
“How do you like it so far?”
“Aside from seniors taking advantage of my undiagnosed OCD, it’s been a pretty good week.”
Ull laughed, a mus
ical sound that stopped my heart. It was beautiful, and I wanted to hear it again. “I suppose I am taking advantage. One cup of Earl Grey just doesn’t seem a fair trade for such highly detailed notes.” He was teasing me. Ull was in my flat, teasing me. Boys did that when they liked a girl, right? I couldn’t figure this guy out. Ull paused, seeming to make a decision. “Will you let me show you around town this Friday? My classes get out at three, and I can be here at four. The grand tour of Cardiff for your notes. Fair trade?”
This could not be happening. He’d spent a week being unbelievably ornery, and now he wanted to take me out?
“I don’t know.” I kept my face guarded. “Which Ull is going to pick me up on Friday? The nice one from tonight, or the mean one from last week? Because no offense, but I’d really rather not be alone with the mean one.”
“Touché.” Ull had the decency to look abashed. “You will not let me get away with much, will you, Miss Tostenson?”
“I hope not.” I wasn’t sure who I was trying to be firm with.
“Well, the nice Ull would like to go out with you. What do you say?”
I wasn’t entirely sure. On the one hand Ull Myhr, unquestionably the most desirable student at Cardiff and hands down the most interesting guy I’d met here, was asking me on a date. On the other, the boorish Viking who’d spent a week pushing my last nerve was asking for time alone with me. My voice wavered. “I guess that could be fun.”
“Try not to sound too excited.”
“Sorry. I’m just not sure what to make of you yet.”
“Fair enough.” Ull stood, stretching his impossibly long legs. “But you are willing to give me a chance?” I nodded. “Then I shall be here at four.” He reached down to pick up his cup. Taking another sip, he eyed me speculatively. His look was so intense it gave me goose bumps, and I was glad my sweater covered my arms. He took my hand in his and bent to kiss it with perfect, pale lips. A pulse shot through my fingers and up my arm, making my heart race. Nobody had ever kissed me like that before.
