by S.E. Akers
After reading the message, most of the class made a U-turn, heading back out the door. I sat down and grabbed my notes to get a jump on studying for the exam. After all, I had a busy weekend planned. I would have to work until midnight and probably wouldn’t get home until one o’clock in the morning (if the drunks were still there at closing-time). Then there were the two favors on Saturday: helping Ms. Sutherland pack and going to the dance with Mike. Sunday was my birthday. It would take about three or four hours to drive over to Twin Falls, eat dinner, and then come home.
I’d better get in all the studying I can now. I really won’t have time for it this weekend.
Third period Government came and went. Yet again, another teacher decided to give us a break. I was kind of shocked. Apparently the teachers seemed just as eager as the students were to call it a day.
I was off to Ms. Fitz’s class as soon as the fourth-period bell rang. On the way, I thought, I wonder if she knows anything about the lapis lazuli? Katie probably did, seeing how jewelry and gemstones were her family’s business. I just couldn’t bring myself to ask her. She would want to know why, and I really didn’t feel like disclosing any details about my disturbing afternoon with Lazarus Xcavare.
Ms. Fitzpatrick was dressed to the nines again. “Please take your seats,” she informed everyone as they entered. “We will be having class today . . . unlike some of the other teachers around here.”
Katie plopped down in her seat beside mine, playfully mocking Ms. Fitz’s orders. As the final bell rang, Mike Riverside entered the classroom, lagging behind with Kara Leighton. They were both giggling as they headed to their seats. I rolled my eyes when she strolled past me and then shot Mike an icy glare. He immediately acknowledged my suspicions with a dirty look of his own.
Asshole…
Ms. Fitzpatrick rose from her desk. “Okay, everyone . . . I have my own special surprise for the class. A dear friend of mine will be presiding over our lecture today. He’s a professor of Geology and Mineralogy at the prestigious Yardley University.”
A few moans erupted from the back of the room.
“I want everyone on his or her BEST BEHAVIOR,” our teacher advised.
Everyone shut up and rightfully so. We could tell she meant business.
“Good,” Ms. Fitzpatrick cooed. “I’ll be right back.” She sashayed out of the room and returned just as animated. “Class,” Ms. Fitz announced, “I’d like to introduce you to Professor Tanner Grey.” In a grand fashion, our teacher gracefully waved her arm for our mystery speaker to make their entrance.
My eyes flared. No way… No freaking way, I thought as the beautiful stranger stepped through the doorway and glided across the room, headed towards the lectern. My emotions immediately started to churn the same way they had last night, almost as if someone had just flipped on a light switch. And oddly enough, I kind of felt like I was glowing like one too. I covertly scanned the room to see if anyone else found our guest speaker as intriguing. Confidently, I observed that his electrifying charisma had lit a spark within every female in the room, leaving them helplessly spellbound and starry-eyed.
“I wonder if Geologists do it in the dirt?” Kara whispered to Erica Kelly, one of her friends who sat behind me. They both started giggling, not even trying to be discreet.
That really struck a nerve with Mike. If the glare in his eyes didn’t give him away, the sneer on his face sure did.
“No . . . They just sit around and get their rocks off,” Mike gruffly shot back to them.
After hearing his hostile little jab, I couldn’t help but grin. Uh, Jealous much?
“Thank you for inviting me here, Ms. Fitzpatrick. I’m actually in town doing some consulting work for Xcavare Enterprises, but I’m always on the lookout for budding geologists,” Professor Grey remarked and flashed a dazzling smile in her direction. By the look on Ms. Fitz’s face, I thought she was going to melt like an ice cube on a hot sultry day.
I found myself slumping down in my seat while his eyes scanned the room, trying to hide behind a long, bushy clump of hair belonging to Anna Cooper who sat in front of me. From out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Katie trying to get my attention.
I looked over to my right to see her mouthing, “He’s sooo DAMN HOT!”
She was right. He looked quite dashing today in his tailored, dark taupe suit and blue shirt. Not rugged or outdoorsy like he did yesterday (though he was pretty fine then, too). Even the eyeglasses he was wearing gave him an intelligent and commanding appearance, but allured you in a naughty way. Extremely GQ.
“I don’t have anything prepared, so I thought I would just open the floor to any questions you might have about geology. Sound good?” Professor Grey asked.
Most all the gals in the class simultaneously replied, “Yes,” like they were in a trance, but the guys remained silent, almost pouty.
“Who has the first question? Don’t be shy,” Professor Grey replied flirtatiously as he sat down on the edge of Ms. Fitz’s desk.
Every girl in the class raised their hand. Well, every girl except me, that is. He acknowledged Anna Cooper’s first by saying, “The brunette in the green shirt.”
I moved in unison with her body to maintain my cover, knowing he was looking this way.
Most of the things they asked were very general — “How long he had been a geologist?”, “What did he do for Xcavare Enterprises?”, and “What was involved in his fieldwork?” A few of them were a little too personal (in my opinion) like, “How old are you?” That one he acknowledged with only a smile but never answered. My personal favorite was, “Are you single?” I was getting a little embarrassed by my peers’ interrogation. Funny thing though, none of the guys asked a single question.
I stayed hunched down behind Anna, counting the minutes until the bell would ring. My neck and upper back were starting to ache, so I shifted slightly to my left. When I turned my head, I spotted Ty Smith — staring at me. It wasn’t a casual glance. By the way he was smiling, it was obvious he had been watching me “hide” for quite a while. Evidently he’d found it amusing. I grinned back at him and quickly turned my head away. I didn’t want him seeing me blush either.
Uh, Awkward…
Then it was Katie’s turn. I grinned as I thought about what little Miss Predictable was bound to ask. She would undoubtedly try to impress him with her knowledge of gemstones, though limited as it was. Katie really didn’t bother to learn any science or history behind them. She only cared about how they looked placed in a dazzling setting.
“Professor Grey, I know Xcavare Enterprises also excavates gemstones. Is it possible they could find any in the mine around here? Like, maybe diamonds or something? Anything other than just coal,” she groaned in a dismal, dry tone. Most of the class laughed at her remark. After all, they were sick of the dirty black stuff too.
Professor Tanner Grey grasped both sides of the podium and grinned as he lowered his head. Then swiftly, he turned around to the blackboard and wrote,
