“I am really sorry. I didn’t know she was in here.”
He sends a thunderous look her way. “Don’t you know how to knock?”
Jahlani’s throat dries. “Yes. Sorry. The door was open. So, I just assumed?—”
“Well, don’t next time,” he says, voice harsh as he rounds his desk.
Jahlani opens her mouth, then closes it, her face flaming.
“Right, sorry again. I’ll catch you at a better time,” she says, heading back out.
“Wait, Jahlani.” He exhales, taking off his glasses, attempting to clean them before throwing them against the table. He rubs two fingers against the bridge of his nose. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be so abrasive. What did you need?” he asks, stretching out his hand.
She steps back. “It’s nothing. I’ll figure it out.”
He nods, busying himself with papers on the desk, and she turns out of the office. Walking out of the building, she shoves the papers into her bag, making a mental note to work out theproblems later. She walks out to the parking lot, thankful that it’s a Tuesday and she most likely won’t see?—
“Jahlani.”
She finishes shoving her bag into the passenger side before turning to face him.
“Roman, hey.”
He’s parked three cars down and doesn’t make any moves to close the distance between them.Good, she thinks.Stay right where you are. Clutching her keys, she starts toward the driver’s side.
“Jackson?” he calls out.
She nods, sending him a tight,take a hintsmile. “Yup,” she says, “You here for a lecture?”
He nods, the October chill sending brown strands of hair across his face. “Unfortunately.”
Jahlani thinks about how stiff their interaction is. They’re good now. One might even go so far as to say they’re friendly friends, despite the very vivid, very provocative sexual fantasies that have been growing in number.
Because it’s becoming increasingly hard not to stare when he’s heading out the door when the lecture is over, and it’s difficult not to notice that he always has an extra water or snack when he makes it to office hours. She hates how much she’s reading into everything, and she hates even more that she can’t act casual.
Benormal.
Not think about the fact that she thinks about the way he smells as he’s across from her. Not think about the fact that he does it for her.
She inhales. “Well, I’ll?—”
“Did you eat?” he asks, his voice light.
She looks down at her feet before meeting his concerned gaze.
“Yeah,” she breathes. “I ate.”
He nods, drumming his fingers against his car door, looking as though he’s working himself up to say something that she knows she ultimately will turn down or say no to.
“Okay,” she starts, dipping her head into her car. “I’ll see you?—”
“Are you busy?” he blurts out.
She stops, one leg halfway in, and blinks, straightening out. “Busy?”
He shrugs like this is entirely casual. Not a big deal. “Lucy’s been asking for you, and I might need some help studying for this exam.”
She shakes her head. “Roman, you know I can’t.”
