“I guess I definitely want to go then. It’s at noon on Friday the 12th?”
“Yep, I’ll pick you up around 11:30. Parking down town’s a bear.”
“We could walk or take a shuttle or something.”
“No, that definitely won’t work. I don’t want to arrive all sweaty in my Armani suit. And you don’t want to walk that far in heels. Which reminds me. You should wear the burgundy Dior with the white button up chiffon blouse or the pink knit and the pink kitten heels—the Manolos. Didn’t Mom manage to snag a pink Furla clutch for you as well. Bring that. I asked my mom to expedite the alteration on the Dior so it would be ready for the luncheon, so it should be ready in plenty of time. The old guys from the established companies love all that femmy stuff and young guys will only register how great you look. I don’t know why women think they’ll fit in better if they dress more like men. We all notice you’re women regardless of what you’re wearing. If you look like a woman, you can use that to your advantage. Trust me, there’s nothing more intimidating than an attractive woman who can think and, as a Fineman scholar, they’ll know you can think.”
“Whatever you say. I don’t know anything about fashion. That’s my sister’s territory.”
I looked down at her sloppy jeans at least one size too large that looked bad even with the pale, pink blouse she was wearing and couldn’t help but wonder how someone with such a hot bod could be so clueless. “Well, thanks to my mom, I do. So take my advice, and I’ll have you looking like a professional in no time.”
“Thanks David,” she said with a weak smile. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. It’s really important to my family that I do well. They could use some good news after the last few years.”
“Sure, no problem.”
Chapter Six
B.D.
For some reason, the trip from Houston exhausted me, so I finished up my reading for the next day and went to bed early. Consequently, it was easy for me to get up early and go for a swim like I had been trying to do since the semester started. In fact, I got up so early, it was just 7:15 when I got to the cafeteria. Surprisingly David was one of the only students there. He smiled and waved me over, but then looked irritated when I came.
I managed to say good morning before I tore into the pile of bacon and eggs I had stacked on my plate. I know a lot of students hated the cafeteria food, but I loved being able to show up and eat piles of food—even the low quality food they served here. My mother hated leftovers and served minuscule portions of food to make sure we had no leftovers. Here, I always feel full when I finish. I probably should watch what I eat a bit more, but I didn’t gain the freshman fifteen. As long as I can manage to get up and swim, I should be good.
“So what got you up and at breakfast so early?” I asked.
“It’s not early for me. I’m here at this time most mornings. The difference is that I didn’t swim before breakfast. I’m sure I’ll be cranky all day,” David replied.
“I did manage to get in a swim. What kept you in bed?”
“Lack of sleep. I was up late trying to solve this problem in Baker’s class. I can’t get the calculation to come out—still. It’s frustrating.”
“Let me look at it. I’m in that class, and I think I finished it,” I offered.
“You’re in that class? I thought only upper classmen could take it? And I haven’t seen you there.”
“I got special permission to take it. The class has only met twice, and I sit in the back. And I’ve seen you there up front and center, so I can assure you that I’m in the same class. Let me see the problem.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, but reached into his backpack and pulled out the homework. He turned to a page that had clearly been erased multiple times. “Ah,” I said in my most conciliatory tone. “That one stumped me too. You aren’t properly accounting for the cross breeze when you apply Bernoulli’s principle.”
“Really?” He looked skeptical but snatched the paper from my hand and started scribbling furiously. Then he looked down at his work and the dawn of understanding spread across his face. “I see. It’s not nearly as hard as I was making it when you take that into account.”
I nodded in agreement. “But it’s tricky. I’m sure I would have been up late into the night too except that the breeze Friday gave me a hint, so I could finish that afternoon.”
“But we just got the problems Friday afternoon.”
“Sure, but the walk back to the dorm gave me the hint.”
“How did you know about the problem when you were walking back to class?”
“I downloaded them at the end of the lecture and looked over them before I left the room.”
“Didn’t the next class shoo you out? They’re always giving me dirty looks while I’m talking to Dr. Baker.”
“I looked over them quickly, so I could think about them while I walked. Walking helps me think.”
“How did you know to think about that one?”
“I didn’t get the right answer either the first time I did it.”
“The first time you did it in the classroom before the next class shooed you out?”
“I didn’t write anything down. I just…”
“Did it in your head before you left. You did these problems in your head?”
“Sure?!?” I said with a shrug.
David
It was difficult to be intimidating wearing maroon, velveteen sweats and an orange T-shirt with Crayola style stick figures drawn on it, but B.D. was pulling it off. The easiest problem took me ten minutes and three sheets of paper. She did all ten in her head in the five minutes before she had to leave the classroom. Writing the problems down so Baker could check our calculations must have been an incredible nuisance for her. She must really be a genius wrapped in a stripper’s body. I closed my mouth and pulled myself together. It was one thing to let someone intimidate you and another thing entirely to make it obvious that they were intimidating you.
“Thanks for the tip. So what’s your schedule today?” I asked mostly to change the subject.
“I got my 8 o’clock psych class, then I’m putting in a few hours running tests in Hrezecovic’s lab. After lunch I’ve got Baker’s class then English and I’m finishing up the day with my first two tutoring sessions,” she explained.
I shook my head. “Sounds like you’re pretty scheduled up. You’re going to change before class, right?”
“What?” She glanced down at her “outfit.” “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? It’s just class and the lab.”
“Look I know that campus is pretty casual, but there’s casual and then there’s ridiculous. And you’re not just leaning in the direction of ridiculous. You’ve arrived there in a limo. Purple and orange haven’t looked good together since 1968 and even then it was a stretch. And you should never wear crew neck T-shirts except maybe to do yard work and sleep. They make you look short and your neck non-existent. Plus no one over the age of eleven looks right in velveteen. Put on some jeans. Wear a v-shaped neckline. Didn’t my mother give you a green tie-dyed T-shirt with a v-neck?”
She nodded. “But it’s so cute. I was saving it for a special…”
I cut her off. “Don’t say special occasion. T-shirts are never special-occasion wear. Wear the t-shirt with some jeans. You’ll still be casual without looking like a troll.”
“I didn’t think I looked like a troll; I’m whimsical,” she mumbled under her breath.
“A really, really cute, whimsical troll, but still a troll. And if you want to transform into the beautiful butterfly that you are, you had better book it. It’s almost 7:50.”
She glanced down at her gigantic casio watch and gasped. Then she grabbed her back pack and gave her tray a frustrated look.
“I’ll take your tray. Go.” As she jogged away I noticed the Birkenstocks. “And wear real shoes with toes and heels.” I shouted after her.
B.D.
I burst into my room right as Wendy was ro
lling out of bed. She rubbed her blue eyes, glanced at the clock beside her bed, and asked, “Don’t you have an eight o’clock class?”
“Yes,” I replied breathlessly as I whipped my t-shirt over my head and ripped off my pants.
“And you’re here because….?”
As I flipped through my closet looking for the shirt David suggested, I explained. “David made fun of my outfit. I’m not sure how I feel about this new wrinkle in our relationship in which he feels the need to police my wardrobe. And, there’s no way he’s straight. Straight guys don’t know what velveteen is.”
Wendy glanced down at my discarded clothing and laughed out loud. Out Loud! “I can’t say I disagree with him. Even by your standards, that’s a pretty hideous outfit.”
“I was going for whimsical.”
“Okay that wouldn’t look whimsical on a woodland fairy, and you have all those great, new clothes. Why not wear them?”
“I was saving them for the right occasion.” I saw Wendy’s eyes roll skyward as I ripped the t-shirt in question from the hanger and leaped into a pair of jeans. I stuffed my feet into my penny loafers and turned to grab my stuff but Wendy was in the way holding a lipstick and mascara.
“You look so fabulous. Take 30 seconds to put on lipstick and mascara. Kreiger won’t notice if you’re a bit late. And my friend Alicia assured me that she had definitive proof that David was straight.”
“Fine.” I yanked the tubes in question from her hand and swiped them across my lips and eyelashes and then bolted from the room. “Maybe he was just experimenting.”
*
As I entered the lab, Dr. Hrezecovic gave me a smile and waved me over. She started to go over the experiments she wanted me to run, but stopped and looked me over and said “you look nice,” before launching into a list of the experiments I was supposed to run today.
Really? She was the fourth person this morning to compliment me. What was so great about this outfit? I wear jeans and t-shirts all the time, and I usually take the time to put on a little mascara and lipstick. I was only going to skip it this morning because I was in such a hurry. Sure the t-shirt probably originally cost five times what I would normally spend on a top. And the green did bring out my eyes, but was that worth four compliments before lunch. Maybe David did know a thing or two about what looked good. He’s got to be gay.
Chapter Seven
David
I felt good this morning. I was back in my routine sluicing through the water like the shark I am. I’d finished all but one problem on Baker’s homework, and I planned to track down B.D. to get help with it. She didn’t leave me any choice but to admit that she was better than I am in physics, but she was a freak, a one-in-a-million super genius, wrapped in a deceptive package. That was throwing me off. She didn’t look like a super genius; she looked like she should be showcasing the merchandise on the Price Is Right at least when she got dressed up. Maybe she’s color blind. And that’s where I could help her. I’ll lend her my considerable styling expertise, and she can help me get through Baker’s class. No way I’m getting a full ride into a physics program without an A in theoretical physics, and B.D. would help me get that.
As if I’d summoned her, I stopped to adjust my goggles and there she was. Standing at the end of the lane.
“Mind if we share the lane? You’re faster than I am, so let’s split it. I’ll take the right side,” she said.
She looked adorable even in her plain black swimsuit. Her green swim cap brought out her green eyes, and one curl had escaped her swim cap. Despite the cold water, my cock twitched. I silently willed it to behave. B.D. was a colleague—a really fuckable colleague but more’s the pity. I would use my logical head not the twitchy one.
“Sure we can share. Hop in,” I said as I waved across the lane in an invitation.
I continued to fiddle with my goggles so that I could watch her ass as she kicked down the lane. I thought to myself, I can’t believe she was ever vaguely competitive in swimming. She didn’t have a swimmer’s body at all. She had nice, soft curves that would be great rest your head on, but would cause a lot of drag in the water. Then mentally chastised myself—again. Get your head in the game--David. B.D.’s a colleague—that you need. Don’t go there. Just another fellow student. Just another student. Just another student. I chanted as I swam down the lane.
B.D.
I arrived in the cafeteria wearing my favorite Daisy Dukes, a yellow, V-neck t-shirt, and, in honor of the Daisy Dukes, my cowboy boots. Of course, David was waiting for me. I had just seen him in the pool, so I was happy to show off my outfit that met his requirements, but he looked a bit irritated when he waved me over.
“Good morning,” he said as I sat down.
I managed to reply, “good morning to you too,” before stuffing my face with bacon. The unlimited bacon supply made the meal plan totally worth it.
I continued to eat and watch David eat his yogurt with a contemplative look on his face. After a few minutes, “so B.D. have you done the homework for Baker’s class yet?”
“Well not exactly but I did look it over.”
“Of course you did. So how did you work number four?”
“Four?” I asked.
“The problem about the light wave,” David clarified.
“Oh yeah, that one. It was a bit tricky,” I told him even though it seemed pretty straight forward to me. Maybe I missed something. “Why don’t you let me see what you’ve got?”
He pulled a page that looked like it had been mauled by a deranged pencil-factory worker. I glanced over it and realized he had used the completely wrong formula.
“So why did you decide to go with that formula?”
“I thought that was the formula to use for light.”
“Light sure, but you’re dealing with wave length. Why don’t you try focusing on that?”
He looked down at his paper and concentrated. I could almost hear the gears whirring in his brain, then ding, ding, ding. I swear I actually heard a bell go off when he got it.
“I get it!” he almost shouted. Then he furiously started scribbling on his paper. I ate more bacon. After a few minutes, he sat back with a sigh of satisfaction.
“Great! That’s done. Thanks for your help.”
“Not a problem. It’s great working with someone who just gets stuff with one tiny hint.”
“That was a bit more than a hint, but I’ve got this now. And you’re not going to wear that shirt around campus are you?”
“What’s wrong with this top? It’s a V-neck.”
“Sure, but fluorescent yellow went out of fashion two years ago. And that color makes you look sallow, and you’ve got great skin. You should highlight it.” He glanced at his watch. He wore a watch like an old man, but it was a cool watch. “Do you have an 8 o’clock class?”
“Nope, I just need to be at the tutoring center by 9am.”
“Right. I forgot. I put you down for 9. That will give us plenty of time to go up to your room and pick something appropriate.”
“Appropriate? Are you an elementary school teacher now?” I teased.
He rolled his eyes. “People won’t take you seriously if you look like all your clothes came from the Goodwill reject bin.”
We rode the elevator up to my room in silence. I stole a few glances at David and caught him looking at me a few times, but neither one of us broke the silence.
At my room David hung back as I opened the door. When I gave him a questioning look, he explained, “I don’t want to barge in on your sleeping roommate.”
“It shouldn’t be a problem. Wendy should be arriving at her 8 o’clock class about now.” I walked in and sure enough, her side of the room had the just-ravaged-by-a-small-tornado look it usually had on the days Wendy had early classes. “See, we’re alone,” I stage whispered in a mocking sultry voice.
David chuckled nervously, “Great!” Then he headed straight for my closet and started savagely flipping through the hangers occasion
ally taking something out and stacking it on my bed. I went to grab the first top he pulled out, but he shook his head and warned, “Goodwill. That’s going to Goodwill. I can’t imagine the situation where that would be appropriate.”
“Aren’t we being a bit high-handed?” I huffed.
“If it’s not in your closet, you can’t wear it. I realized that you went to private school and wore a uniform, so you never learned how to dress, but you’ll know before you graduate. I’m going to teach you. Contrary to the line spewed by intellectuals across campus, people do judge you by what you wear. And you’re a woman in a man’s field. If you dress like a child, you’ll be completely dismissed. You could dress like one of the guys, but why miss the opportunity to stand out and impress? You’re beautiful. You should look beautiful.”
I couldn’t help but blush at the comment. “I’m not beautiful.” He stopped ripping through my closet to turn around and look me in the eyes.
“Yes, yes you are. Most people can’t see your beauty because they’re too distracted by your crazy clothes. With just a tiny bit of work, everyone will notice how beautiful you are.”
He sounded like my mother. I swallowed and stared back into his eyes. Even though several feet separated us, I swear I could feel his heart speed up as his eyes dilated slightly. For several seconds we just stared into one another’s eyes, but I was too uncomfortable with the situation. I looked away and laughed. “Maybe I want to sneak up on them with my brain,” I suggested.
“Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.” He continued to flip through my closet. By the time he was finished, a quarter of my wardrobe was piled on my bed. “I’ll get a box from maintenance to put this stuff in, and then I’ll take it to Goodwill later in the week. I’ve got some errands to run and Goodwill is on the way.”
“You’ve barely left me anything to wear,” I complained.
“While no one would accuse you of being a clothes horse, you’ve got more than enough clothes to wear to class and to work out. You might have to do laundry a little more frequently, but you’re good. And when those clothes get here from my mom, you’ll be great.” Then David pulled out a pale, pink, sleeveless blouse I had forgotten about. At a distance, it looked like it had polka dots, but really the dots were really little, curled up cats. It was really cute, but I’d only worn it a few times, because it never seemed like the right thing. Then he pulled out some black slacks and my pink Keds. They matched the blouse perfectly. Who knew?
Waves and Light: Opposites Attract Series Page 7
