Page 54 of Mud, Love, and Chemistry

Embarrassment floods me. Why didn’t I think of that? Stupid Brynn.

As I sheepishly take the cable from him and plug it in, I struggle to find the right words to thank him for my hiking report. A simple “thank you” doesn’t seem like enough. “So, uh, I got my hiking report back the other day.” I glance over to see him sitting stock still, like a deer in headlights. “And I need to say thanks.”

He swallows and clears his throat. “You’re welcome.”

I refocus on my task, running the cable down to the projector hub. “Can I ask why, though?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you give me such a stellar report? I was late, I rushed you, which gave you altitude sickness, and I wasn’t exactly pleasant.” After plugging in the last cord, I finally look at him. “Why did you praise me?”

His expression is that of disbelief. “Really, Brynn? What would have been the point of me rating you low? I’m not competing with you for a hiking internship.”

“Oh, yeah.” I don’t know why, but his words stab me. “Well, thanks either way.”

I finish setting up the computer, open the application, and to my utter surprise, everything links up. The presentation pops up on the screen, and I forget about my disappointment.

“Hey! It worked! I did it!” The look on my face is probably that of a kid who won a goldfish at the fair, but it doesn’t matter. I’m proud of myself.

“I knew you weren’t helpless,” Sam says, holding his hand up for a high-five.

I slap his palm, but Sam wraps his fingers around my hand. I think it’s meant to be a way to show me how proud he is, but the instant his warm hand winds tight around my own, the air in the room changes. Fire builds between our palms. It radiates down my arm and into my chest, making my heart pound.

An image of him yanking me to him and pressing his lips to mine flashes before my eyes, but I shake it away. I wriggle my hand from his, wiping it on my jeans. “Thanks for your help.” My voice quakes.

Sam’s mouth presses into a tight line as he nods.

Thankfully, before things can get any more awkward, the door opens and our fellow classmates file in. The mood returns to normal. Sam and I move forward with our presentation, neither of us acknowledging our weird moment.

Since it’s the last study group before midterms, we’ve opted to extend it to two hours instead of one. While it is a successful session, and everyone is very appreciative of our help, I’m exhausted by the end.

Sam has me undo everything, too. He says I not only need to know how to set up, but how to tear down as well. It’s much easier than before. The biggest thing I have to remember is to save the work before shutting down the application. From there, it’s just turning off the computer and projector before removing the cables. Easy peasy.

“Good work, tonight,” Sam says.

“You, too.” I don’t look at him. I can’t. The burn of his touch is still seared into my palm.

“I’m proud of you, you know.”

This makes me whip my head up. Him? Proud of me? Maybe he misspoke. Maybe he’s proud of himself for being able to teach a technological disaster such as myself how to use a computer.

But as I stare at him, he leans in ever-so slightly. With bated breath, I stand here, completely frozen as I anticipate the feeling of his lips on mine. I know I’m supposed to hate the guy, but I remember his kiss. It’s amazing.

Is it so wrong that I want to experience it again?

It must be because before we get too close, the classroom door bangs against the wall as the cleaning lady drags her cart inside. I jump away from Sam and watch him reach over to grab his laptop.

Is that all he was doing? I stood here, my heart about ready to burst, and all he wanted was his computer? I’m the biggest idiot in the world.

“Ready to go?” he asks.

With a nod, I blink away the stinging tears of embarrassment and rein myself in for the walk down the hall. Usually, we spend this time picking apart our presentation. We talk about what we could do better, or what worked. This time, I don’t feel like talking. My throat is so thick, I don’t know if I even could.

“That went pretty well,” Sam says proudly.

“Mhm.”

“I think everyone enjoyed the format.”

---