Sweet Chemistry (6 page)

Michael was really talkative, and over the hours they spent together, James got a whole new perspective of the department, his colleagues, and the other chemistry students. Michael mentioned Kate once, and without trying to be too obvious, James asked whom she was doing her thesis with, only to find out she had already completed hers. James relaxed, but his hands remained in his pockets to hide their sweatiness. While he was in the research lab, he never had to worry about running into her. Biochemistry lab was bad enough.

Seeing his interest in the lab, Lloyd assigned him a bench where he could keep his things, and James was happy to officially move in. The more time he spent at his bench, the more he got to know the two inorganic chemists Lloyd had praised so much: Alice White and Sam Bellevue. James had met all of his colleagues at one point or another, but he hadn’t gotten to know any of them. Alice was a quiet woman in her mid-fifties, who was so focused on her work James had to make a point to talk to her so she would know he was there. Sam, on the other hand, was a loud man with a sharp New York accent. His bench was plastered with pictures of his kids in various ages.

“You’re not married, are you?” Sam asked one day when it was just the two of them in the lab.

James shook his head and grimaced. “Almost. Years ago.”

“Doesn’t sound like it ended well.” Sam laughed and pointed to a picture of a woman smiling and holding an infant. “I’ve been married sixteen years. Terri and I met when I was in graduate school. She was running the school clinic when I came in with a glass laceration. It was a side-arm flask incident.” Sam paused and pointed to the inside of his right thumb. “She stitched me up, and we’ve been together ever since. She’s a nurse at the worker’s comp place now. We’ve got two kids. Eleven and eight.” Sam pointed to the two boys with matching cheesy grins and their dad’s narrow face.

James smiled. “Happy kids.” It was the same age gap between James and his brother.

“They get along most of the time. They’ve got a good mom.” Sam smiled and adjusted the picture. “Are you seeing anyone?”

James let out a bark of laughter, startling Sam. “No. I tried that. Didn’t take.”

Sam shrugged. “You’re young. Give it time.”

How Sam managed to be relaxed and pushy at the same time remained a mystery, and only added to James’ list of reasons why they were friends. The hours they spent together in lab were filled with laughter. He had finally made a friend at the university, and it had only taken him a month.

He reminded his biochemistry class their midterm was next Monday, and during lab on Friday, Angelica asked him if he would come to her study group again. Saturday at four o’clock, just like last time. He was going to decline, but everyone was looking at him expectantly. Apparently her request got the attention of everyone in lab, including Kate. Her eyebrows were raised, forming a hopeful arch across her forehead. That was all he needed.

He nodded. “Count me in.”

* * * *

On Saturday, while he was getting ready, James called his brother. Perhaps he would talk some sense into him.

“What are you doing?” Jeff sighed.

“Helping my students?” Even James didn’t believe it.

“Uh huh. Sure you are. Anyone in particular?”

James groaned. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. She’s completely unavailable, but I can’t stop thinking about her. Ooo, maybe she’s a witch and she’s enchanted me.”

“I’m sure she’s not a witch. I think what’s happening here is you’re pathetic and can’t separate fantasy from reality. She was a one-night thing. You have to let it go. She’s your student.”

“I know. I know,” James whispered. Still lacking in sense, his mind filled with guilt.

In his fantasy, Kate was his girlfriend and he got to experience all kinds of pleasure with her. In reality, Kate was his student
and
dating Tim. He hated his brother for being right.

He arrived right on time, and after he pulled out of Angelica’s grasp, he hurried to join the study group. Kate and Tim arrived a few minutes later and when Kate picked her spot, she chose the one next to James. His pulse quickened.

Tim sat next to her and leaned around her to smile at James. “Thanks for coming to help us study again.”

Now what was he supposed to think? “No problem.” James gave him a cool nod. Two could play at that game.

James leaned back in his seat and looked at Kate and whispered, “What did you make?”

Kate blushed. “Lemon bars.”

“Mm, my favorite.” He wondered if he was noticeably drooling.

“Good.” Kate looked away and opened her notes.

Angelica called the study group to order, and only after they had worked for two hours, did she direct them to the kitchen for a dinner break.

While the rest of the students filled their plates with lasagna and chips, James went straight for the desserts, where Kate had just finished cutting the solid golden mass into bars.

“Which piece do you want?”

James grinned. “Middle. I like the gooiness on top.”

“Here you go.” She pushed a lemon bar onto his plate, coating her thumb with lemon.

James gasped when she sucked her thumb into her mouth and licked it clean.

“Do you want anything else?” Kate swept her hands across the table.

You
. James cleared his throat. “I can get it. You don’t need to serve me.”

“I don’t mind,” Kate whispered.

“Can you hand me two of those cookies?” He pointed to the container closest to her. “I should probably leave room for real food.”

Kate shrugged. “Life’s too short. You should always eat dessert first.”

“Especially if
you
make it.”

She blushed again.

“Hey Katie, can I have one too?” Tim leaned his chin onto her shoulder, making her jump.

James turned away as they started whispering to each other. Tim burst through his fantasy bubble, ruining the moment they just shared. He filled his plate with a variety of food and went back to his chair in the empty room. Kate came back soon after, by herself.

Saliva coated his tongue as he inhaled the scent of the lemon bar. As he bit into it, the cookie layer crumbled and the lemony goodness coated his teeth. “Oh shit, that’s good.”

Kate choked on her water. “Thanks.”

“Seriously. You should open a bakery.”

Kate giggled again. “That’s what Tim is always telling me.”

“Oh.” He tried to disguise the hurt in his voice by continuing to talk. “Do you only make desserts?”

She shook her head. “It’s hard to do in the dorm kitchen, but I love to cook all kinds of things. It’s like lab…only edible. And sweet. Sweet chemistry.”

James laughed. “Does that mean I’m a horrible chemist, because I can’t cook?”

“I’m sure you
can
cook. You just don’t. All you need is a little know-how. Guidance. I bet I could show you,” she added quietly.

“I would really like that.” The rest of his words got stuck in his throat.

“Maybe next week? I’ve got this big test on Monday. It’s a real drag.” Kate rolled her eyes and laughed.

When James laughed, he let out the breath he was holding.

Details. He needed details. When? Where?
When
? The last thing he wanted was to sound desperate, so he bit his tongue and waited for her to fill him in.

He had to wait five whole days.

Their midterm was similar to the first exam. They all wrote their ID numbers instead of names. Kate was confident she had done well, and when she got it back on Wednesday, she grinned from ear to ear. Ninety-five percent. Tim shared the same score.

“Wanna go out and celebrate again at Addiction?” Tim asked.

Kate frowned. “That didn’t work out so well last time. Maybe we should do something different this time.”

Tim laughed. “We could watch a movie and get pizza.”

“Sure. Saturday night?”

“Deal!” Tim shook her hand.

Pride infused her steps as she walked up the stairs to the chemistry office to go to work on Thursday. She knew Carrie would be waiting to hear her score.

Carrie smiled. “Did you nail it?”

Kate nodded. “Ninety-five!”

“Great job, Kate.” Carrie handed her a pile of Scantrons. “Would you mind taking these down to Dr. Baker?”

“Not at all.”

This time, when she knocked on the door, her hand was steady. Ever since the afternoon she spent working with him weeks ago, things had gotten better. He had even been civil to Tim during study group, which was a huge improvement over the puffed out chests and biting comments.

When James opened the door, the corners of his mouth lifted as a smile spread across his face. “Hello Miss Rhodes.”

“Dr. Baker, here are your exams. I hope they’re all here this time.” They were still on a last name basis. That was safe.

James held his hands up. “Believe me, I learned my lesson. I’m also not going to make my intro students wait a week to get them back. I’m almost done grading.”

“You need help?”

“Sure.” He smiled shyly.

“Hang on a sec.” She walked down the hall until she could see Carrie. “Hey, Carrie, do you mind if I help Dr. Baker for a while?”

“Go ahead, I’ve got plenty I can do on my own,” Carrie called out.

Kate appeared in James’ office door and smiled. “I’m all yours.”
Open mouth and insert foot.
“I mean, um, Carrie doesn’t need my help for a while, so I can help you, if you need me. If you need
help
.”

His eyes danced, and the more she tried to explain, the more amused he looked.

She shook her head. This conversation was degenerating quickly. “So, what do you need help with?”

He remained seated behind his desk and pointed to a large stack of papers. “This is the pile I’ve finished grading, so if you wouldn’t mind alphabetizing, I would appreciate it.”

“Sure thing.” She dragged them onto the floor and systematically filed them all into order, adding the rest as he graded them. When the pile was done, she dusted her hands together.

“That would’ve taken me an hour.”

“You’re welcome.” She chuckled and then stood. “I guess if we’re done, I should get back to Carrie.”

“Before you go…” James knit his eyebrows together and took a deep breath.

“Yes?” Kate’s chest tightened.

“I was wondering,” he paused and took another breath, “about you teaching me how to cook.”

Kate sighed. It was too much to hope for more. Cooking lessons were miles away from dating. “Oh. How does Saturday afternoon sound? Around four?” She picked the time specifically so she would have a distraction that night with Tim, which was infinitely better than rehashing the entire time she spent with James all night.

James smiled. “Great.”

“What do you want to make?”

“Lemon bars?”

Kate laughed. “Do you have a mixer?”

“An old olive green handheld one. It belonged to my mom in the seventies.”

“That’ll work. I’ll put together an ingredient list and get it to you tomorrow.”

“Thanks for helping me again.”

“You’re welcome,” Kate called over her shoulder and then got back to work in the main office.

Carrie looked at her over the rim of her reading glasses. “How was it?”

“How was what?” Kate cocked her head to the side.

“Working with James. I mean Dr. Baker. I forgot to ask before.”

“Fine.” Kate blushed. Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. And yet her heart was trying to jump right out of her chest. “Why do you ask?”

“That was only the second time he’d asked me for help. Honestly, I think he’s a bit weird. He keeps to himself in his office all the time and doesn’t talk to anyone much, but you two seem to get along.”

Words failed her so she nodded.

Carrie narrowed her eyes. “Is he always weird?”

Kate shrugged. “I don’t know. We organized his tests and homework. We didn’t do much talking.”

That was fine with her. Talking only made her want him more.

* * * *

When lab ended on Friday, Kate handed James a list on her way out.

“What was that?” Tim nudged her shoulder.

“Just an ingredient list.”

Tim smiled at her. “So he actually wants to
cook
with you? I thought that was some kind of euphemism.”

Kate sighed. “As much as I’d like ‘making lemon bars’ to mean something else, it is what it is.”

She left her dorm a little early on Saturday, closing the door on the heap of clothes she tried on before settling on the outfit she was wearing. Even though it was already mid-October, she dressed in a tank top and board shorts, and pulled a hoodie on for the walk home. San Clemente never got really cold, but the nights were chilly.

Each step required a deep, calming breath. Her mind flooded with memories of the night she went home with him. The moment he stopped and kissed her as they rounded the second flight. His hands shaking as he unlocked the door. The way he moaned when she undressed him. She lifted her hand to knock when the door opened.

“You’re early.” James’ cheeks were flushed.

“Sorry. I can wait if you’re not ready.”

“I was just cleaning up a little. More grading.” He swept his hand inside. “Please come in.”

Kate’s eyes bulged. “You’re not kidding.” The living room was covered with papers, including a new couch. “Hey, you got a couch.”

“My brother kept bringing it up. Telling me I needed a couch to be a credible adult.”

“It seems like it’s coming in handy for all those papers.” Her mouth went dry. His bedroom door was open a few feet away: soft sheets, a cozy mattress, juniper and musk, and a nightstand full of condoms. She shivered.

James frowned. “I’m a little unorganized. But hey, the kitchen is clean.” He pointed to the small kitchen to her left. “I went shopping.” He pulled the list out of his pocket and smiled. A line of ingredients spanned the length of the counter.

“I see that. Do you want to get started?”

James nodded, and fidgeted.

Kate put her bag down and tugged the hoodie off her head. She smoothed her hair down and tucked it behind her ears. His eyes were on her.