“No,” she said, looking into his eyes.
“God, you feel so good,” he groaned.
She reached up to kiss him and let her body take control.
They lay in the darkness together, Pete holding her for a long time, their bodies warm and relaxed. She could feel his heartbeat thumping against her breast.
Cassidy blinked away the sudden tears welling in her eyes. Pete’s enthusiasm for making her feel good was overwhelming. Was this how it was supposed to be?
“When can we do that again?” he said.
Cassidy laughed, and the conflicting emotions faded.
He laughed along with her. “I’m serious.” He kissed her. “I mean, did I just have beginner’s luck, or are you always this sexy?” he added.
“Me? Sexy?” she said. “I’m a nerd. Nerds aren’t sexy.”
“Nerds are incredibly sexy,” he said, and kissed her again.
“You’re no slouch yourself,” she said, stroking his side. “I thought maybe I was going to fly into outer space.”
Pete raised an eyebrow. “Maybe we should make that our goal next time,” he said.
Next time, Cassidy thought with a shiver, and kissed him.
Nine
Johnson Hall annex, University of Washington
February 3, 2015
Cassidy pumped the keg and waited for the beer to fill her plastic cup. Half of the geology department staff, plus undergraduate and graduate students, had turned out for the monthly Wednesday social hour. They milled about on the grass beneath an overcast winter sky, talking in groups. Five students standing in a ring played hacky sack. Bluegrass music played from a small portable speaker.
“Nice job on the article,” William said, his tall, lanky frame looming over her. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
“What article?” Cassidy replied.
“National Geographic Adventure,” William said, “About iMUSH?”
Cassidy blinked—iMUSH stood for Imaging Magma Under St. Helens. Of course she remembered the story’s impending release; she had simply lost track of the date. Pete had likely forgotten too. With so many stories to keep track of, after completing an assignment, it quickly slipped into the background. But he would be thrilled to get his hands on the final version—she imagined him shouting it from the rooftops. “Oh, right,” she said, but William was now talking to someone else.
“I met him once, at a party,” a female voice to her left said.
Cassidy turned to see Analeise Jewel, a fellow graduate student. One arm hugged her willowy frame while the other cradled a beer against her chest. Her reddish hair had been twisted off her neck and pinned in place with decorative chopsticks.
Analeise raised an eyebrow. “He’s very . . . charismatic.”
Cassidy felt a sinking sensation. Analeise had a certain reputation in the department. A rumor floated around that she had slept with her advisor, a fifty-year-old with two high school-aged daughters.
“Er, yeah,” Cassidy said. After attending several parties with Pete over the past two months, she understood Analeise’s comment. Pete loved talking to people and learning from them, a fascination that often led to long and lively conversations that could easily be misunderstood as flirting. Cassidy sometimes felt like an outsider.
“Nice photo of you, by the way,” Analeise added. Cassidy wondered which one had made it into the story and recalled the one of her squatting at one of her seismic stations with the looming glow of Mt. St. Helens in the background.
“Are you shagging him?” Analeise asked.
Cassidy blinked. “Excuse me?”
Analeise’s face changed to one of shock. “Did you shag him in the department rig, or did you invite him back to your motel room?”
Cassidy felt the air leave her lungs. “Why would you say something like that?” she managed.
Analeise grinned but her narrowed eyes gave it a cruel edge. “Have fun while it lasts.”
Cassidy arrived home to an empty house, the lights off, and the heat set so low that she could see her breath. She made a piece of toast and got out her laptop to eat and work at the picnic table, but her thoughts kept straying to the conversation with Analeise Jewel. Given the low numbers of female graduate students, she and Analeise should be natural allies. After all, Emily and Cassidy had bonded on the first day. Not so with Analeise, who was aloof and always seemed overly critical. Normally, Cassidy had no patience for drama, but Analeise’s words wouldn’t leave her alone. Did you shag him in the department rig, or did you invite him back to your motel room?
Cassidy sighed and checked the clock on her laptop. Pete would be arriving soon after an intense editorial meeting for the Sunday edition. She wondered if his copy of the National Geographic story had arrived and imagined the two of them reading it together on the couch, his excitement frizzling like a firecracker. Cassidy smiled secretly, knowing that this energy would spill into his passion once he got her alone.
Cassidy rejected the idea of Analeise and Pete dating. But her “Have fun while it lasts” rang in her head. Finally, she closed her laptop and went out for a run.
The fresh air revived her, and when she was almost home, her phone pinged with a message from Pete saying he was on his way. With a grin she upped her pace and got home just in time to watch Pete pull into her driveway.
“Hey,” he said as she met him at his car door.
“Hi,” she replied, and dove into his embrace. “Careful, I need a shower.”
“Mmm,” he said, his face brightening. “Is that an invitation?” He kissed her.
Cassidy smiled. “Maybe.” A tingling warmth spread through her belly.
