CHAPTER 30
Ryan
It’s Monday afternoon,and I’m almost giddy to see Claire. After all our texting throughout the week, and of course her NyQuil confessions, I’ve been living on a high. Over the weekend, her texts were fewer, but she said she was spending time with her family, and I didn’t think much of it.
I think we’re turning a new leaf. I have to hand it to Chase; he gave me the motivation I needed.
I didn’t see her in the office this morning, even though I brought her another cup of coffee. When I texted her, she said she was working from home and would be here just to teach and attend our monthly faculty meeting. So I left a sticky note on her monitor, hoping it would make her smile before she taught her class. This one said,I think I’ve got the math flu—every time I stand up, I divide by zero.
I think it’s my favorite joke so far. I wish I could see her reaction, but maybe she’ll text me later and let me know how hard she laughed.
Now I’m waiting in a science classroom for the STEM division meeting—early for probably the first time ever—with an agenda on the seat next to me, saving the spot for Claire. We’ll be here for a meeting with Janet and all the science and math professors first, then we’ll have a smaller math department meeting run by Christopher David.
The room fills with instructors, the volume level slowly rising with their conversations. Andy, another math professor who’s been like a mentor to me, takes the seat on my other side. “You’re never here early,” he comments, his gray curls waving around his head.
I shrug a shoulder. “Figured I’d try it out and see how it feels to be on time.”
“What’s the verdict?”
“Undecided.”
I look up, something inside alerting me to Claire’s presence. There she is, her auburn hair waving around her shoulders, and she’s wearing a floral dress that hugs her curves just right. The men in her class must have been beside themselves today. She smiles at Grace and Betsy, taking an agenda from their desks.
“Claire!” I call out over the noise and wave at her, pointing at the seat next to me. Everyone turns to stare at the spectacle I’m creating. But Claire just waves at me, then looks around the room for a seat and sits with the chemistry professors.
What in the world? We always sit together for these meetings.
“Is she mad at you?” Andy asks.
“I didn’t think so,” I say, my brow furrowed. Claire is chatting with Gerilyn, an older chemistry professor, not even sparing a glance my way.
“This spot open?” Liam Patel’s grating voice sounds at my side, and he slides into the seat I had saved for Claire. Perfect. That’s exactly who I want to sit with. He picks up the agenda—Claire’s agenda—and hums in approval.
Janet stands at the front of the room and calls out, “All right, let’s get started! Christopher?”
Christopher comes up to the front and calls out, “Give me an S!”
Everyone around me halfheartedly says, “S.”
“Give me a T!”
I lean over to Andy as the professors continue repeating his letters. “What the heck is this?”
His eyes are full of mirth. “The school of STEM cheer. You’ve never been here for one?”
I shake my head and sit back in my seat. What a weird tradition. If only Claire were sitting next to me instead.
After the divisionmeeting and a way too long conversation about safe chemical handling, I rush over to Claire so we can talk on the walk to the department meeting. “Claire!”
She’s stuffing her agenda into her purse, and at her name, she looks up at me with a tight smile. “Ryan. Hey.”
“Hey.” Okay, not exactly the warm welcome I was expecting after all the caretaking and the texts last week. “I’d saved you a seat,” I say, sounding like a pathetic little boy.
“Oh, I wanted to sit with Gerilyn.” She gestures to her side, but Gerilyn has already left. When she realizes she isn’t there, Claire just goes back to organizing her things.
“How are you feeling?” I ask.
She nods. “Better.”
