Teach Me New Tricks

by Ali Parker

  No, I wasn’t.

  I wanted it done so I could put the next task in that top spot of the task I procrastinated against. I wanted a new tile backsplash in my kitchen. That was going to be something that sat in that top spot for a good long while, I predicted.

  For now, it was the door. One mountain at a time. I carefully poured paint into the pan and dipped my roller in it. I had spent at least an hour taping around the door and covering the wood floors to make sure I didn’t make more of a mess than absolutely necessary. If I could promise myself not to get wild with the painting, I could have already been done with the task.

  I rolled over the door with a long stripe of white paint and smiled. “I’m so going to conquer you. Goodbye brown and hello pretty white.”

  I rolled on another stripe, making a perfect V, just like I had watched on the YouTube videos. My phone rang, stopping me from dipping the roller in the paint for a third time.

  “Shit,” I muttered, looking at the stripes on the door and then my phone.

  I debated ignoring it but then I would agonize over who it was. I had to know. I put the roller down and grabbed my phone off the kitchen table. A tingle of excitement raced over my skin as I looked at the name on the screen.

  I took a deep breath, blew it out and then answered in my coolest voice possible. “Hello?” I said, pretending I didn’t know who it was when we both know I did. I suddenly felt very foolish.

  “Hey, did I disturb you?” Christopher asked.

  “Nope,” I lied easily. “I’m glad you called.”

  “Are you?”

  “I am. What’s up?”

  It was the first time he’d called since he dropped me off. I had begun to think he wasn’t going to call at all. I would have no one to blame but myself if he ghosted me. I knew he was asking if it was okay if he called. I hoped he got the message loud and clear. I wanted him to call and I had been too much of a chicken to call him first.

  “I was wondering if you’d like to hang out with me today?” he asked.

  I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading over my face. “Oh? What did you have in mind? Hang out could mean so many different things.”

  His deep laugh sent delicious shivers down my spine. I loved his laugh. “I was thinking the old-fashioned way of hanging out. How about a visit to the Space Center?” he said it as a question.

  I thought about it for a second. “Really?”

  He chuckled. “Olin is out breaking in his new car with his buddies. It’s one of the last days before school starts and I’ve always been interested in visiting the place.”

  “I’d love to go,” I heard myself say.

  “Great. Can I pick you up in about an hour?”

  I looked down at my paint clothes and remembered I hadn’t showered. “Yes, that works.”

  “All right, I’ll see you soon,” he said and hung up.

  I dropped the phone on the table, quickly put my painting supplies away, and rushed down the short hallway, pulling off my clothes as I moved. “Sorry, door. Not today.”

  I hopped in the shower and quickly washed my hair, already going through my closet to plan my outfit. I knew Christopher well enough to know when he said an hour, he really meant about forty-five to fifty minutes. It was a race against time.

  I pulled on jeans, boots, and a pretty top that I would pair with my favorite jean jacket. I had just put on a light smear of lip gloss when I heard his truck in the driveway. I blew out a breath, not wanting to look as rushed as I felt when I opened the door.

  I opened the door, smiling at him. “Hi.”

  “Hi.”

  “You’re about ten minutes early,” I teased.

  “Sorry. Do you need more time?”

  I laughed. “Nope. I’m ready. Let me grab my purse.”

  He waited just inside the door. Together, we walked to his truck. He opened the door for me like a perfect gentleman. I climbed in and waited, using the brief few seconds to drink in the sight of him. Damn, he was fine.

  “Thanks for agreeing to go with me. I’ve been anxious to see this place for a while.”

  “Really?”

  “Have you been before?” he asked.

  “Several times. I grew up around here. I think every field trip was to the Space Center.”

  He nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “Do you have an interest in becoming an astronaut?” I teased.

  He smirked. “As if that’s a real job.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means, I’ve wanted to check this place out because I think this is where they filmed the moon landing.”

  I shook my head. “What?”

  “You don’t actually believe Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, do you?” he asked incredulously.

  I burst into laughter. “Yes, I do. Why wouldn’t you believe that?”

  He scowled. “I think it was a hoax.”

  “Oh no,” I groaned. “You’re one of them.”

  “Them?”

  “The conspiracy theorists that are convinced it was a big hoax by the government?”

  He smiled and nodded. “I suppose I am. I’d like to see some concrete proof.”

  “There is video. It was recorded live.”

  He scoffed. “Have you seen the quality of TV from that age? Then all of a sudden, astronauts wearing giant, cumbersome suits are taking these killer pictures on the moon. The pictures are crystal-clear and quite frankly, staged.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. He seemed like such a rational man. “You surprise me.”

  “How so?”

  I shrugged. “Because you seem so normal.”

  “I am normal.”

  “I’m questioning that.”

  “I’ve always wondered about the moon landing. I’ve always been curious and yes, I’ve probably read a little too much on the subject. I don’t like to take anything at face value. I’m a very inquisitive person. I need facts. I need evidence. I need to see proof. I never believe anything just because it’s been said.”

  I smiled. “I figured that out about the second day in class. It surprises me you like Greek mythology when you are such a stickler for the facts. Are you saying you believe in the idea of the Greek gods?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not completely disproving it but I’m not going to say for sure one way or the other.”

  “Wow.”

  “Do you believe Oswald killed Kennedy?” he asked.

  I groaned. “I don’t know. Honestly, I never got into any of that stuff. It just was way too confusing for me. Do you think Elvis is alive?”

  He laughed. “Not anymore. Hell, he’d be eighty-something.”

  I put my palm to my forehead. “You seem like such a rational man. I suppose you have a whole list of conspiracy theories that you believe.”

  “Only ones that have merit.”

  “Oh lord. Well, learn something new every day, I suppose.”

  “I find it odd that I’m the one who questions what the American people have been told and yet you are the one who studies, teaches, and promotes mythology. Actual mythology. Stuff we know to be legends.”

  I shrugged. “I guess opposites attract.”

  He looked over at me. “Yes, I suppose they do.”

  “What about food?” I asked him.

  “What about it?”

  “Sorry, I should have been a little clearer. What’s your favorite type of food? Do you like spicy?”

  He looked thoughtful. “I like a little heat, but I’m not quite up to you Texans just yet.”

  I laughed. “I’m not big on the heat.”

  “That’s surprising. You grew up here.”

  “I did, maybe that’s why I’m not a fan. I’ve been burnt out on it—literally.”

  He chuckled. “See? We aren’t total opposites.”

  “I suppose we aren’t. That’s a good thing.”

  “Is it?” he asked, his voice husky.

  “I think it’s important to share some
of the same interests and hobbies,” I answered.

  His eyes dropped to my mouth before putting them back on the road. “I have many interests.”

  He didn’t have to say what those interests were. I knew. I had the same. The chemistry between us was electric. I felt very in tune with him. I could sense his desire and echoed it.

  We fell quiet as he pulled into the parking lot and found us a spot. He paid our entrance fees and then, in a move that surprised me, he took my hand in his. I felt like a schoolgirl getting to hold hands with her crush for the first time.

  We meandered around the center, taking in the many sights and doing our best not to get lost in the crowd. Apparently, half of Houston had the same idea he did about visiting the center. His hand held mine firmly as he guided me through the crowds.

  We paused in a somewhat open area and just took it all in. “What do you think so far?” I asked him.

  He grinned. “I think they were right.”

  “Who was right about what?”

  “This place is big enough to have been the backdrop of the fake moon landing,” he said with a grin.

  I burst into laughter, my free hand slapping at his chest. He grabbed it and pulled me close to him. “You better be careful saying that here. People won’t take too kindly to you insulting their astronauts.”

  He smirked. “Those people need to do a little more investigating. I bet if you read up on the matter, you’d be skeptical too.”

  Our noses were inches apart. I wasn’t thinking about moons or astronauts or anything else that may or may not be true. In that moment, all I could think about was kissing him. I couldn’t. There was a huge crowd of people around us and the majority of those people were kids. I was not about to take a G-rated outing and turn it into a PG-13 one.

  “Maybe I’ll do that. You could lay out the evidence for me; try and convince me.”

  He slowly nodded; his gaze locked on mine. “I could. Over dinner.”

  I smiled. “You will definitely need to feed me. I can’t possibly try and understand your wild ideas on an empty stomach.”

  “I will feed you anything you like,” he whispered.

  The moment was intense. I felt so many things. None of which were appropriate with an audience. I wasn’t up for a scandal. “I’m going to hold you to that. Now, let’s move on before we do something that gets us forever banned from here.”

  He leaned down, his mouth hovering just above my ear. “Baby, what I’m thinking about would get us banned from Texas.”

  Chapter 34

  Christopher

  We made our way around the center and the many interactive exhibits. I was impressed. It was well worth a visit, even if I didn’t believe half the stuff they boasted about the moon landing. It was interesting, and my lovely tour guide seemed to know a lot about all of it. It was our first real outing together.

  I occasionally took her hand in mine or placed my hand on the small of her back as we squeezed in front of an exhibit. It was very casual and easy, and very relaxing. It was better than any romantic dinner. I liked spending time with her and picking her brain. She was very smart. She could talk about almost anything and have value to add to the conversation.

  She made her way towards an area that seemed to be off the main route. There were only a handful of people standing together. It was essentially the timeout area for the tired adults who needed a minute to think without being buzzed by an excited kid.

  “Do you notice anything about this place?” she asked in a whisper.

  I looked around. “It’s busy.”

  She nodded. “Busy. All the people here are with their children or schools or whatever. We kind of stick out like sore thumbs. We don’t have kids.”

  “Technically, I have a kid,” I said with a smile.

  She laughed. “I suppose you do, but that kid isn’t here. We look like perverts scouting out our next victim. I wouldn’t be surprised if the police are waiting outside for us.”

  “I’ll flash Olin’s picture and tell them I was doing research.”

  “And me?”

  “You’re on your own.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “You’re horrible.”

  I winked. “I’d save you.”

  We moved around until we were back outside enjoying a hot cup of coffee. “Did you like it?” she asked.

  I sat down on one of the benches, nodding. “I did. I wish I could bring Olin to see the place, but I have a feeling he wouldn’t truly appreciate it. It’s one of those places you have to visit when you’re young or when you’re old. The teens and young adults are just not going to understand the excitement.”

  “I agree,” she said. “It’s why I don’t want to teach high school. Teenagers have their own ideas about what they want to learn, and it is rarely about the sciences or history. Obviously, there are some who do, but the majority—not so much.”

  “If he had an interest in space or a career that had something to do with space, then it would be different, but he doesn’t.”

  “What did his mom do?” she asked.

  My breath hitched in my throat. “She was a mom. She talked about going back to school, but she didn’t get the chance. She started out as an early education major and then life kind of took a right turn and we got Olin. She devoted her life to him.”

  “That’s sweet. What happened to her?”

  I sipped my coffee looking at the crowds coming and going. “She died before Thanksgiving last year.”

  My tone was stiff. I didn’t mean to sound cold and harsh, but I didn’t want to talk about the details. Not yet. I wasn’t sure if I would ever be ready to talk about it.

  “Was there a lot of snow back in Minnesota?” she asked, easily changing the subject.

  I was happy she picked up on my reluctance to talk about Carlie. If she and I progressed in our relationship, I would have to tell her all the ugly details surrounding her untimely death, but that was not a light conversation to be had on a day like today.

  “There wasn’t too much,” I answered. “The usual.”

  “Just a few feet,” she joked.

  I laughed. “Basically. I don’t miss shoveling snow, I will tell you that. However, I do miss how clean and pretty the first snowfall looked. It just makes everything look pristine and new. That first snowfall when you go out early in the morning and everything is so peaceful is just, well, it’s beautiful.”

  She groaned. “You’re almost making me want to move north.”

  I touched her leg. “I don’t think your southern self could handle the bitter cold. It’s a nice place to visit, but I don’t think I want to live there anymore. I think I’ve even got Olin convinced the south is better.”

  “Everyone knows the south is better,” she quipped.

  I leaned into her. “So far, I am going to agree with you on that.”

  “Do you want to grab some lunch?” she offered.

  I raised a brow. “Is that safe?” I meant it as a joke but truthfully, I was also a little serious.

  Her face fell. “I deserved that.”

  “It wasn’t an insult,” I quickly corrected. “I was teasing. Mostly.”

  “This is so complicated,” she groaned.

  “Hey, I was kidding. I’m okay with whatever you decide.”

  She looked at me, her green eyes searching mine. “You shouldn’t be.”

  I leaned back. “I shouldn’t be?”

  “You’re such a good guy. I should be jumping at the chance to be with you. This is just all so confusing. I know what I want but damn if that little voice in the back of my head won’t quiet down. I know you’re not my student anymore and there isn’t really anything stopping us, but I have all these wild dreams that we get busted by a student that was in the same class. I know I openly favored you in class and it wasn’t something I meant to do, but you were the only student who could actually engage in conversation. You were the only one who really seemed interested. I’m rambling. I’m totally rambling. I�
��m sorry.”

  I put my hand on her leg, hoping that was okay to do. “I need to tell you something.”

  She stiffened. “Oh God, what?”

  I chuckled. “It isn’t so bad. I signed up for a couple of more classes. I am officially a student again.”

  She bit her bottom lip. “Oh. Wow. Well, I guess I expected that.”

  “Would you prefer I hadn’t?” I questioned.

  “No! I don’t want you to not do what you want because of me.”

  “Look, I like you and I want to see you again, but if it makes you too uncomfortable, then I will back off. You’re sending a lot of mixed signals and to be perfectly honest, I’m old and out of practice. Maybe this is how the whole dating thing is done. I don’t know. I’m more of a guy that prefers a little more cut and dry.”

  “And you should,” she said, turning on the bench to look directly at me. “You should be able to expect openness and directness. I’m usually a lot more direct, but dammit, Christopher. You are really throwing a wrench in things.”

  I scowled. “You say that like it’s a good thing but the words, the words are not good.”

  She sighed, her head hanging down for a brief second before she looked at me again. “I want to try this.”

  “I appreciate that, but I’m not interested in the yo-yo thing,” I said. I knew it was probably a little on the blunt side, but it was the truth. I didn’t want to play games. I didn’t want to wonder from one day to the next whether or not she liked me. That was all a little too high school for me.

  She was quiet for several very long, drawn-out minutes. She was chewing on her lip and her eyes looked troubled. “I want to try.”

  “You said that.”

  “No, I mean, I really want to give this a shot. I like being with you. I like you enough that I think I’m willing to set aside my fear of losing my job to give this a shot.”

  It wasn’t exactly a resounding yes or even anything I felt I could really get excited about. “Leila, I do like you and I’m not asking you to marry me or even commit to me, but I’m also not going to swing hot and cold.”