“I was. The experience was amazing,” she said. “Those goosebumps I showed you earlier had been on my arms all day. And you know what was even more enjoyable than watching history unfold before my very eyes? Watching those students astheywatched history unfold. Seeing the way their eyes lit up, it reminded me of how my students would become so enraptured during the course of a class. I used to love that part of the job. You know, the actual teaching. I miss it.”
“I don’t get it. If you love teaching so much, why aren’t you doing more of it?”
“You’d have to understand how academia works. And believe me, that’s not something you want us to talk about on our first officialdatedate,” she said with a rueful grin. Then she shrugged. “I’ll eventually get back into the classroom. But for now, I need to concentrate more on publishing. It’s how you build your profile.”
“And that’s your goal? To build your profile?”
She tilted her head to the side, her gaze somewhere over his shoulder. “Honestly, I haven’t thought about my long-term goal in a while. I’ve been concentrating so much on getting this book finished.”
“And then what?” Matt asked. “Once the book is done, will you get back to teaching more than just a couple of classes a semester?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. I keep hitting so many roadblocks. I’m not sure the research will ever be completed.”
A tidal wave of guilt slammed into him, but Matt quickly squelched it. He refused to allow his sins to weigh down their night. Apparently, Tamryn had the same idea.
“You know what? No more talk about work, or my research woes,” she said. “Let’s just drink beer, suck heads, and have fun.”
Matt tsked as he leaned back in his chair and took a long pull of his beer. “What would your students think if they saw you, Dr. West?”
She shook her head. “I’m not Dr. West tonight.”
“I can go with that,” Matt said. He brought his chair forward and said in a lowered voice, “Just remember that I have this naughty-professor fantasy. So, later on tonight, Dr. West might have to make an appearance.”
The instant blush materialized, and the only thing that stopped Matt from scooping her up and carrying her out of the building was Dooney Boudreaux picking that moment to walk up to their table. They chatted for a few minutes before Dooney’s wife called for him from the swinging door behind the bar.
A man in an LSU Tigers T-shirt walked up to the microphone on the pieces of plywood that passed for a stage in the corner of the bar and put out a call for karaoke singers.
“You know, I’ve always wanted to do that,” Tamryn said, gesturing to the stage.
“Sing karaoke?”
She nodded.
“Go on up there, then,” Matt encouraged her.
She shook her head. “I’ve got guts, but not that much.”
“We’re having fun tonight, remember?”
She regarded him with a challenging stare as the first singer walked onto the stage.
“Are you waiting for me to say it?” Matt asked. Her brow rose. “Okay,” he said. “I dare you.”
She set her beer down and lifted one of the premoistened towelettes from the basket on the table. She used it to wipe her hands, then pushed her chair back, stood, and strode toward the stage.
Matt turned his chair around and straddled it, folding his arms over the back. Tamryn stood just to the right of the stage while the guy singing a song from a boy band from years ago wrapped up his number. She waited for him to leave the stage before stepping up to the microphone in those sexy-ass boots.
Matt placed two fingers in his mouth and let out a loud whistle. The crowd clapped as the emcee introduced her.
The first bars of a Mary J. Blige song began and Tamryn started singing.
Matt’s jaw dropped. He stared at the stage in complete awe, unable to believe how god-awful she was. Not a single note was in tune. Her voice cracked as it went from low to high in the middle of the same note. It had to be one of the worst performances in the history of karaoke. All karaoke. Everywhere.
But to see her on that stage with her eyes closed and her body swaying from side to side made it all worth it. At least for him. The rest of the crowd looked to be in agony.
When she was done, Matt stood up and clapped loudly, whistling again and cheering her on. He didn’t call for an encore for fear that they would be tossed out of the restaurant.
When Tamryn came back to the table, the smile on her face was a mile wide.
