He stopped his work and studied her. “Are you really interested in this?”
“Yes, of course. I wish I had the talent to create beautiful things with my hands. I was always interested in taking some type of art or pottery or even a woodworking class in school just to try it. But I was pushed to take something else, something that would look more impressive to colleges.”
“How did you learn photography then?”
“It’s mostly what I picked up while doing the yearbook stuff. The advisor was good at photography, so I was always bothering her to show me how to do things and then I learned on my own through trial and error.”
“Okay, well, I create the ring out of wax, and then it goes on a wax platform like this one.” He retrieved a ring model from the corner of his work desk and displayed it. The brown wax ring was attached to a stick on a base. He stood, going to a different station. “Then I take my wax ring, place it in one of these metal cylinders, and pour a special plaster into it. This dome comes down to vacuum out any air bubbles because when I create a mold, I only want the ring, not bubbles.”
“I think my heart might be bubbling.” Mia wasn’t sure what it was but listening to Ross describe the technical side of his work, stirred something within her. As if he wasn’t already attractive enough, he had to transform before her eyes into Professor Ross, and she liked it a lot.
He ignored her, stepping to the next station. “Then I put the cylinder in this cooler for a few hours, because it needs to harden. Once that happens, I can melt the wax out—”
“And you get a cast?” she guessed, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. Was it possible to sign up for additional private lessons? This was the most fun she had in a while.
He seemed surprised at her reaction. “There isn’t going to be a test on this, Mia. Is this what you were like in the classroom?”
“Maybe. But please continue. I love this.”
“Anyway, whatever metal I’m using, such as gold, gets heated in the crucible with a torch, and I place the plaster cast in this holder. Once the gold is completely melted, I turn on the drum, it spins around, and uses centrifugal force to push the melted metal into the cast.”
“Wow. A guy who can casually throw out some Newtonian mechanics like it’s nothing? Be still my heart.” Mia grinned, trying not to fan herself with a hand. Professor Ross might be becoming her favorite Ross.
“What?”
“Centrifugal force.”
A noticeable shade of pink colored his cheeks, and he cleared his throat, his eyes dropping to the ground. “Oh. Anyway. Then water breaks up the plaster. You get the ring. It gets sanded, set with stones, and polished. That’s the general path from start to finish.” The end of his jewelry tour rushed through his lips in a blur. Ross returned to his chair, taking the carving wax in his hands once again.
She cocked her head. “I noticed your gems look different compared to traditional jewelry.”
“Yeah, I leave them raw, not cutting them. There are exact specifications for cutting gems, and my grandpa was a fast cutter. Me, not so much, although I can do it. But he was definitely better at it than me. On the other hand, I kind of like them raw and natural, instead of conforming them to the ideal standards of perfection.”
“Me too.” She resumed taking photos. “I would sign up for another one of your TED talks again.”
“You don’t have to pretend so much, Mia,” he muttered, his attention absorbed in his work.
“What do you mean?”
Ross gave her a sideways glance. “You don’t have to act like you find all this interesting. Don’t patronize me.”
Mia lowered the camera, meeting his eyes. “I—Why do you think that?”
He abandoned his work, leaning forward on his bench. “Let’s just say you have a teacher’s pet vibe. You’re a people-pleaser.”
Her body stiffened at the criticism. It wasn’t the first time someone called her out on this, but it was hard to hear nonetheless. “Well, maybe you’re right. But I was rude to you before at the coffee shop, and I didn’t like it.”
“A t least you were honest.”
She adjusted her glasses while crossing her legs. “Just because I’m saying something positive doesn’t make it less honest, Ross. Maybe I’m a people-pleaser, and maybe you have trouble accepting people thinking nice things about you. Both of these things can be true. But I don’t think it’s fair to assume I’m saying things I don’t actually believe.”
“Where you’re concerned, I’m not sure what’s true.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mia was confused on where this sudden verbal aggressiveness was coming from. What happened to the old Ross? The quiet one? The thoughtful one? Was it one more thing she missed seeing the first time around, like missing the fact Ross could be the type of person who’d cheat on his schoolwork?
He took a pause as if regaining his control. “This.” His finger flicked between them. “What this is, is a favor for a favor. Nothing more. I don’t need a friend. I don’t need you to soothe my ego. And most of all, I don’t need your help. If you get a sudden urge to help someone, stick to helping people who want it, like that guy you met at the coffee shop who needed help picking out a pair of earrings.”
Mia’s arms laced tightly across her chest. “Well, I can believe you don’t have any friends considering how you treat an old one.”
