Brighter Shades of Light

by Jaclyn Osborn

  Why not? A workout sounded pretty good. It’d also make me feel less guilty about the giant sausage pizza I planned to order for dinner later.

  Me: Coming to the gym.

  Tristen: Then stop texting and get your ass over here. Place is packed.

  Me: Yes, Daddy.

  Tristen: Damn straight.

  I changed into my gym clothes, put on my sneakers, and left the dorm again. The gym was on the other side of campus, so the walk gave me time to stretch my legs. It was a big university and one of the best schools in the state. Not as huge or competitive as Yale or Harvard, but it was known for both its academics and sports programs.

  Once reaching the gym, I ducked inside the air conditioned building and strode down the hall toward the front desk to sign in.

  “Hey, loser.” Tristen stood near the water fountain, refilling his water bottle. “About time you showed up.”

  “Shut up.” I filled my bottle at the fountain after he was finished.

  We walked toward the back of the room where the weights were, away from the treadmills and elliptical machines. The area was alive with grunts, weights clinking, and music playing over the speakers above us. After warming up, I upped my reps and increased the weight, loving the burn in my muscles.

  Tristen spotted me on the weight bench, and then I spotted him. Some of the other guys in the room were from the Army ROTC program. We usually got along, but the rivalry between Army and Marine Corps reared its head sometimes.

  “Jarheads in training,” one guy said, elbowing his buddy and nodding at us. “How cute.”

  “Yeah,” I said, breathing out as I placed the bar back on the rack and sat up on the bench. “About as cute as the sorry excuse for PT you guys do.”

  The Army guys shook their heads and snorted. I grinned at them before standing and clapping one on the back. We might’ve jabbed at each other, but it was—mostly—in good fun.

  Tristen and I lifted weights for a while, and then I jumped on the treadmill for some cardio. I was pumped for the semester to begin, bringing me one step closer to getting my degree and joining the military full-time.

  As I ran on the treadmill, I thought of Dr. Vale. He definitely hadn’t been what I’d expected—I’d imagined him to be lively and talkative. Not a sourpuss. His thermodynamics class was at 0900 sharp the next morning, and I was both excited and anxious.

  After making an ass out of myself this afternoon, I knew I could only go up from here.

  Chapter 3

  Sebastian

  Long after Cody Miller left the lounge, I found myself thinking of him. He was…odd. And he’d left an impression, though it remained unknown as to whether it was a good or bad one. From the moment he walked into the room, he was loud and slightly irritating. Like a fly buzzing around my head. Or a gnat.

  However, aside from his incessant need to make noise, his presence hadn’t been all bad. He was friendly and engaging, if a bit too talkative. The real shock had been his reaction to learning my identity.

  Throughout the years, I’d had many admirers—mostly other chemists or graduate students wanting my expertise—but I’d never had someone like him go red in the face and stammer over their words in my presence. He didn’t look like the typical person to even know who I was, let alone be flabbergasted upon meeting me.

  When I had arrived at campus earlier to prepare for my classes, I was informed my office was being cleaned, so I had gone to the professors’ lounge to work. The lounge was rarely used, since instructors had their own offices, but I’d been grateful for it. Until Cody Miller came bounding into the room, anyway.

  After checking the time and seeing it was nearly six-thirty, I packed up my things and left the room. I moved down the hall and descended the stairs into the main part of the library, calculating how long it would take me to get to the parking lot and drive home. I should be able to get a few more hours of work in before it became too late.

  Former students greeted me, and I responded with a simple hello or a curt nod of my head.

  Once home, I parked in the garage and walked inside, flipping on the living room light as I made my way to my study. I emptied my bag, placing the textbooks on my desk before setting my outlines in a neat stack beside my laptop.

  The view outside the window was spectacular.

  My three-bedroom house sat atop a small hill that overlooked the bay; my closest neighbor couldn’t even be seen. The location was surrounded by trees and blissfully quiet, with the exception of the occasional boat horns from the harbor. I didn’t have to plan my research and studies around anyone else’s schedule but my own. No interruptions and complete solitude.

  Just perfect.

  The next morning, I woke around six and started a pot of coffee before showering. I had stayed up until after midnight, and I was certainly feeling the effects of not enough sleep. Though much of my life was routine, there were many aspects of it that could do with some structure. My sleep schedule, for starters.

  I arrived at the university by eight and went straight to my office in the math and science building. My first class of the day was thermodynamics at nine, and then I had a chemistry course at eleven. The rest of my day was used for my studies and office hours, just in case a student needed help with anything.

  There was a knock on my door.

  “Enter.”

  I suppressed a groan when I saw the man in the doorway. Vance was the head of the math department on campus, and while he was friendly, he had a way of grating on my nerves.

  “Heya, Seb,” he said, walking farther into the room.

  “Sebastian, please,” I corrected.

  “Oh yeah. I forgot. Sorry.” Vance shoved his hands into his pockets. His receding hairline had worsened over the summer, though he tried to mask it by combing his hair over, to very little avail. He was several years older than me and had been at the university about seven years before I joined the faculty, but he oftentimes came across as more juvenile. “You excited for the semester? It’s good to be back.”

  “Mhm.”

  “I don’t know about you, but I feel great about my courses for the fall.” He walked over and ran his hand along my bookshelf, pulling a book out and flipping through it before thrusting it back in place.

  I gritted my teeth to keep from saying something. I didn’t like when anyone touched my belongings.

  “As do I,” I said, forcing conversation. I would’ve preferred to be alone to prepare for my class.

  “I heard about your divorce.”

  “That is my personal business.” I sat up straighter in my chair.

  “Ah.” He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “Everyone knows about it now. Just saying. Can’t believe you let a beauty like Emily slip through your fingers. And here I thought you were the smartest man I’d ever met.”

  My hand tightened into a fist. “I will not discuss mine and Emily’s relationship.”

  “Sorry. All I’m saying is we should go out for a drink sometime. Everyone needs a friend, especially during a rough patch in life. You should know the ladies are already talking about who’s going to make the first move on you. A distinguished, handsome fella like you won’t be single for long. Mark my words.”

  Perhaps I was harsh in my opinion of Vance, but he tried too hard to be my friend. And I was cynical as to his intentions. He came across as the type of man who held himself in high regard, and he thrived on having friends who were on his level, as if he were a collector of influential men and women.

  “I don’t drink. But thank you.”

  “Whatever you say, Seb. Oh, I mean Sebastian. Enjoy the first day of classes.”

  Once he left my office, I breathed deeply in and out of my nose. Very few things got a rise out of me, but Vance had managed to do so. My personal life was private. Not only for my sake, but for Emily’s. I didn’t want her to be the topic of gossip among colleagues who had too much time on their hands.

  Seeing it was ten minutes until class began, I gath
ered my copy of the syllabus, textbook, and my notes and headed from my office toward the lecture hall. Several students had already arrived, notebooks and pens at the ready, and I nodded as I passed them on my way to the front of the room. The podium was on the bottom floor, and the desks were in raised formation in front of it in an auditorium-style seating.

  “Good morning, Professor,” a girl sitting in the front row said once I placed my things on the podium.

  “Good morning,” I echoed, briefly looking at her before focusing on my papers. I separated them into piles, then switched on the overhead projector to show the PowerPoint I had put together for the lecture.

  One minute before nine, the door swung open and Cody Miller ran into the room, out of breath. Papers were sticking out of his unzipped backpack, and his cheeks were pink. My classes filled up fast every semester, so the majority of my students were punctual, dedicated, and sat as close to the front as possible. Therefore, the only available seats were the ones at the top in the very back.

  Cody slid into an empty seat and dropped his backpack to the floor with a soft thud.

  “Welcome, students,” I said right as the clock struck nine. “I’m Dr. Vale, and I’ll be your instructor for Thermodynamics 101 this semester. I take it most of you are mechanical engineering majors?”

  Many of them nodded.

  “Can anyone tell me what thermodynamics is?” I asked, folding my hands together on the podium.

  Surprisingly, Cody raised his hand. “It’s the science of transferring energy from one place to another.”

  “Textbook definition, but good,” I responded. “Can you tell me in your own words what it means?”

  People turned to look at him, and his already pink cheeks darkened even further.

  “Um.” He hesitated and licked his lips. “It’s basically the study of the movement of energy. An example would be like looking at an internal combustion engine, like the one in your car, and analyzing how it operates.”

  “Very good.” Color me impressed. A lot of students caved when I put them on the spot. “As Mr. Miller explained, we’ll study the movement of energy and heat. We’ll cover mass and energy conservation principles, properties and behaviors of pure substances, and modes of energy transfer.”

  It had always struck me as odd that I struggled with social interactions, yet I was comfortable standing at the front of the room and teaching a group of students. Perhaps it was the subject matter. Discussing chemistry or physics was easy for me and required little thought. I didn’t have to worry about saying something wrong or not knowing what to say at all.

  Being able to educate others was rewarding.

  “I don’t believe in wasting your tuition money on taking attendance and cutting into class time.” I grabbed a sheet and placed it on the desk beside the podium. “So, please make sure to sign your name on the roll call sheet at the end of the lecture. Attendance and participation in class makes up five percent of your final grade, so it’s important to come to class. Now. Before I begin my lecture, does anyone have any questions about the syllabus?”

  A boy in the second row raised his hand, and I called on him.

  “In the section about student assessment, it says the evaluation is at the discretion of the instructor. What does that mean?”

  “I’ll evaluate you based on exams, problems presented in class, and group projects,” I explained. “It’s at my discretion because in the past, I’ve had several students do poorly on exams, yet they knew how to apply the laws of thermodynamics and demonstrate their analysis of energy systems. They were just poor test takers. I’ve also had students placed in groups for projects where the group failed to effectively present their idea, but individuals on the team had a strong understanding. Extra credit assignments will be given to students who request it.”

  No one else had questions, so I began the introduction to the course and its concepts. I wanted the students to have a clear understanding of the systems and measurement units: pressure, volume, and temperature. Everything else would be confusing without it.

  The hour flew by, as it normally did when I was deep in discussion about something. An alarm was set on my watch to vibrate at nine-fifty so I knew when to stop class. Otherwise, I would’ve talked all day.

  “That’s it for today,” I said, once my wrist buzzed. “Wednesday we’ll begin discussing the first law of thermodynamics. Don’t forget to sign the attendance sheet before you leave. The sheet will be on the desk before each class, as well, so next time you can sign it before you take your seat.”

  Students packed up their belongings and formed a line at the desk, signing their names one by one before leaving the lecture hall. Cody was at the end of the line, and the closer he got, the harder it was to look at him. Not that I should’ve been looking at him in the first place.

  After he signed in, he approached the podium.

  “Sorry for almost being late, Dr. Vale,” he said, shrugging the strap of his backpack higher up his shoulder as it began to slip. “First day back kind of threw me for a loop. No excuses, though.”

  “No reason to apologize for something that almost happened, Mr. Miller,” I responded, meeting his gaze. That close, I saw the gray-blue shade of his eyes and the long dark lashes surrounding them. “You’re in the NROTC, you said? Navy or Marine Option?”

  “Marine Option, sir,” he answered. “I had PT this morning, and I didn’t manage time well afterward. But it won’t happen again.”

  PT? Oh, physical training. I knew very little about the program, other than the men and women participating went to college while also training to be officers in the military. Some were Navy, and others were Marine.

  “I see.” I placed my lecture notes on top of the course textbook, along with the sign-in sheet. I wasn’t exactly in a position to lecture about time management. There were many days I forgot to eat lunch and dinner because of poor planning. “Well, I hope you find this course informative and practical.”

  “I’m sure I will.” Cody smiled. It lit up his entire face, emphasizing his impeccable bone structure, while at the same time giving him a boyish appearance. “I know you probably hear this all the time, but it’s an honor to learn from you. I don’t consider myself much of an expert on chemistry and stuff. It kinda goes over my head sometimes. But I love your research in nanotechnology and in the nuclear energy field.”

  Indeed, I did hear such compliments often…yet, it felt different coming from him. I didn’t flatter easily, and he’d managed to do so.

  “Thank you, Mr. Miller. I’m glad my work has made an impact on you.” I pushed my glasses up my nose, feeling suddenly awkward. Well, more awkward than usual when conversing with people. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to prepare for my next class.”

  “Oh! Yeah. Sorry for keeping you. I should get to my next class, too.” Cody stepped backward and bumped into the first row of desks before fumbling around and running a hand through the top of his short, brown hair. “See you Wednesday!”

  He trotted up the stairs to the exit at the back of the room and left, as if he couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I watched after him a moment, unsure what to make of him.

  That’s when I realized I was smiling.

  ***

  After my chemistry class, I grabbed a turkey and cheese sandwich and a bottle of water from the campus cafeteria before heading back outside. There were places to sit in the cafeteria, but I preferred to eat alone. It was too crowded and noisy for my taste.

  On my way to my office, I smacked into a brick wall. Or, at least, that was what it felt like, as the muscled body seemingly came out of nowhere.

  As the mountain of muscle hit me, I dropped my sandwich on the sidewalk. My water nearly went with it, but I caught it before it slipped out of my hands.

  “Shit! I-I’m sorry,” Cody stammered. Once he looked up and realized who he had bumped into, he gaped in horror. “Oh my god, Dr. Vale, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.” His gaze dropped to my
ruined food. “I’ll buy you another one!”

  “It’s fine,” I said and rubbed my chest where we’d collided. I was an inch or so taller than him, but he obviously had more muscle mass. Yes, a brick wall was an adequate description. “I wasn’t that hungry.”

  “No, let me buy you another one,” he insisted. “Today is just not my day. Since I was running late this morning, I didn’t eat breakfast, so right when my last class ended, I took off toward the cafeteria ‘cause I’m starving and the line to the dining hall is too long right now since they just opened the doors. Shit, I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

  “A little.” I regarded him curiously. “Don’t worry about the sandwich. It’d be inappropriate for a student to pay for a professor’s lunch. You should find something to eat before you wither away into nothing.”

  Cody’s lips twitched with a smile. “Was that a joke?”

  “No. Merely a keen observation, given the length of time that’s passed since you’ve had a proper meal and the energy lost from your training this morning.”

  “I feel bad,” Cody said, looking at his shoes before lifting his stare to mine. “All I seem to do since I’ve met you is screw up.”

  The sun reflected in his eyes, causing them to appear lighter. Dark lashes shadowed the tops of his blushed cheeks, and faint, nearly imperceptible freckles marked the tip of his nose. And under the sun’s rays, I noticed his brown hair held hints of auburn.

  “You haven’t screwed anything up, Mr. Miller.” I didn’t know why I felt the need to reassure him when I would’ve rarely taken the time to do so with anyone else. Perhaps it was due to the regret smeared across his face and the fact I could tell he was mentally berating himself. “Accidents happen. Enjoy the rest of your day. And please get something to eat soon. I hear your stomach growling from here.”

  As I walked away, I felt his eyes on me, an odd sensation and one that made my heartrate spike for some unknown reason.