Contradictions (Woodfalls Girls 3)

I walked into my apartment grumbling under my breath and contemplating how I’d rip the heads off all his action figures the next time I was in his apartment. A little extreme maybe, but damn it, he’d left me as horny as a dog in heat. The only satisfaction I had now was in hoping he’d suffer the rest of the night with a serious case of blue balls.

• • •

As luck would have it, I didn’t get a chance to behead any of his action figures like I’d wanted to. I spent Sunday morning working on my business project before I had to go to work. Trent and I were supposed to have another tutoring session on Monday, but he texted me saying he would be tied up all day at the lab. I got a similar text on Tuesday, which had me suspecting something was up. By Wednesday, I’d received the last form-letter text I was going to get this week. Rather than replying via text, I marched down to the science building to give him a piece of my mind.

The day was blustery as I walked across the campus. I paused beside a giant oak tree so it would buffer the wind while I buttoned up my jacket and wrapped my scarf more securely around my neck. My eyes watered from the cold wind that whipped around my face, but I didn’t mind. I was fuming at the moment. I loved watching the leftover leaves that had fallen to the ground swirl around my feet as I walked. Those that weren’t airborne crunched pleasantly under my boots. Ashton may get the sunshiny days all year long in Florida, but she didn’t get to hear fall leaves crunching under her feet. She would be green with envy when I bragged about it next time I called her.

The science building was bustling with students when I arrived. I could practically feel my IQ quaking as I walked through the buzzing hallways. Just like math, science and technology weren’t my strong suits either. My iPhone and iPad were about as tech savvy as I got. Thankfully, I had been smart enough to take my required science classes at community college before I transferred to MSC, saving me from embarrassing myself in this building.

I managed to find the lab where Trent was working without having my brain melted from some experimental laser, or without catching some disease from whatever they might be growing in the biology labs. These were just some of the things I imagined went on in this building. Trent was bent over a computer when I peered through the glass in the door. Actually, he was surrounded by five computers, along with several other electronic gizmos I didn’t recognize. I pushed open the door to the lab and approached his workstation. It took him several minutes to realize I was there. Only when I coughed did he look up from the computer.

He looked at me startled and slightly confused. “Hey, didn’t you get my text?”

“Yeah. I was just checking to make sure you weren’t being held hostage or anything,” I said, feeling like a complete ass for coming all the way across campus. It was obvious he really was busy.

“I wish.” He scratched his head in aggravation. My eyes focused on his hair. One of these days I should tell him what a difference it made when his hair was messed up a little.

“Can I help?” I asked before I could even think about the words. I couldn’t believe I’d really just volunteered for something that was sure to make my brain hurt. At least I was secure in the fact that he would turn down my offer.

“Really?” he asked enthusiastically. “You don’t mind?”

Damn, let this be a lesson. “You actually have something I could help with?”

“Yes! I need a test study. I was using some freshmen earlier, but they had to leave.”

“Of course they did. What do you need me to do?” I asked suspiciously. I didn’t want something like electrodes hooked to my body or some metal contraption stuck on my head like in old science-fiction movies. He went into a long-winded explanation while I unbuttoned my jacket and draped it over one of the hard plastic chairs. Basically, he needed me to answer several questions while he added the data into the program he was working on.

“What exactly are you hoping to achieve with this?” I asked, wheeling over the heavily padded chair that sat behind a desk at the front of the room.

“It’s going to be an app that will revolutionize the way users access everything they do on their smartphones or tablets. It will be an interactive application that will learn likes and dislikes and will change the way people use their devices.” He sounded as excited as if Batman himself had swooped in and asked him to be the next Robin. Don’t ask me how I knew that reference. Let’s just say his enthusiasm was inspiring. I wished there was something I felt as passionate about, other than partying anyway.

His excitement was contagious, and soon I was peering over his shoulder as he entered my information into the computer. After fifty random questions, the program was able to suggest movies I would like to see and music that matched my tastes. The amazing part was that much of the music his program suggested I already had on my iPhone. It was pretty remarkable. Beyond the music and movies, the app suggested books and even pinpointed places on a map that I might want to visit. By clicking the site on the map, the program would provide information about the location and the surrounding area.

The afternoon melted away as Trent continued to navigate through the system, showing me its full potential. Only when my stomach began to growl did I remember I had forgotten to eat anything for lunch.

“Hungry?” he laughed.

“Nah, my stomach makes that noise when it’s full.”

“Fine, smart-ass. I was going to offer to buy you pizza, but if you’re not hungry . . .”

“I’m not ready to go,” I pouted, mad at my stomach for ruining my fun.

He laughed. “And you said you weren’t a techie person.”

“This isn’t techie. It’s cool like my iPhone or iPad.”

“It’s all cool. Everything on your iPhone started out just like this. See, you love techie stuff and didn’t realize it. Here, have one of these while we wait for the pizza to get here,” he said, handing me one of his Tootsie Pops.

“Do you have a red one?”

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” he said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a red lollipop. “Here.”

I grinned at him. “Does this mean we’re going steady?”

He blushed as he slowly unwrapped his sucker. I had to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. He really was cute. An easy target, but cute.

“I was kidding, slick.” I finally laughed. The laughter died in my throat as he looked up at me. His eyes moved to my mouth.