Page 41 of The Scientist

Busted.

“One of the chemistry professors, Stuart Benowitz. And the other one you already know, Alexsander Strovinski.”

“Don’t try acting all formal now, missy,” Sarah teased. “She was calling himLexjust a few days ago.”

“Wait, are we talking about the hottie who gave the commencement speech at faculty night? Benson’s new show pony?” Lionel asked.

“Yep, that’s him. And heaskedme to call himLex,” I said huffily, wrinkling my nose at her. “Anyway, they’re nice guys. We went to eat at this really great Mexican restaurant, La Carretta.We should go for margaritas one night. It didn’t feel right getting one at noon on a Sunday.”

“It’s nevernotthe right time for margaritas,” Lionel replied. “But that’s beside the point. Tell us more about this poly date you went on.”

“It wasn’t a date. They were just being nice, showing me around town. We’re friends.”I think.

Sarah and Lionel exchanged“yeah right”looks.

“Wake up, Chita Rivera,” Lionel said, snapping his fingers at me. “They’re definitely trying to get in your pants.”

“No, they aren’t,” I said, dismissing the notion completely. “I mean, Stuart’s always over the top with the flirting, but you can’t take him seriously. And Lex barely manages to tolerate me most of the time.”

I looked to Sarah for backup.

“I’m with Lionel on this one,” she said. “You’re right about Benowitz, but there’s no way two straight guys are carting you around town ‘just to be nice.’”

“Maybe we’re completely missing the point, Sarah,” Lionel interjected. “I don’t know about this Stuart fellow, but Dr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding could definitely get it. Maybe our friend herewantshim to find his way into her panties.”

“I gotta get to class,” I said, looking down at my watch to see if it really was time for me to go.

“Ooooooo,” they chanted together. “I think she does!”

I rolled my eyes. “Can we go back to talking about how Lionel might be a borderline criminal?”

“Hey! All parties involved were over the age of eighteen!” he shouted indignantly.

“How can you be sure? I hear people misrepresent their real age all the time on those apps.” I gave him a pointed look.

“Don’t you have to get to class?” he said, narrowing his eyes at me.

“Sure do,” I replied. I checked the time again and realized I did have to get going. “See you guys later. And don’t talk about me when I leave.”

“We definitely will,” Lionel called out after me.

I underestimated just how long it would take me to get across campus to my classroom at Braun Music Center. I made it to class with only a few minutes to spare and most of the students were already seated.

Once I finally caught my breath from rushing over, I looked around the room and smiled. “So, who wants to go first this week?”

The group project I had assigned was going really well so far. It had been just the thing I needed to engage them in the lessons and had the unexpected benefit of helping me reconnect with composing again. I had essentially stopped writing since my mom’s diagnosis. All my guitars and journals had been sitting abandoned in the spare bedroom since I first moved here. I only recently picked them back up again, feeling little sparks of creativity that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

I spotted a red-headed girl who couldn’t have been older than twenty tentatively raising her hand.

“Ms. Kennedy, right?” I knew she was the music major in her partnership because she was also in one of Sarah’s classes. Sarah had told me she was an incredible violinist.

“Yes, that’s right,” she said shyly.

“Who’s your partner?” I asked.

Another young female, who was so small I could barely see her seated behind the taller gentleman in front of her, stood up.

“What’s your name?” I asked her.