Intimate Equations (8 page)

“
The bread should be ready in a few minutes.
Would you open this?” she asked handing him the wine bottle. She retrieved the
opener and two wine glasses. She set them both on the counter for him and
turned to stir the soup again, smiling to herself. Sam opened the bottle of
red, setting it and the glasses on the table. He turned to the sink and poured
himself a glass of water.

“
That soup smells amazing, what is it?”

“
Beef vegetable with barley. I hope it's
good. It will be better tomorrow, actually.”

“
Well, then I will have come back tomorrow
again.” he said. His eyes were liquid. Jules met his eyes and melted inside all
over again. The only thing that kept her from leaping on him at that moment was
the fact they were both quite hungry.

“
I put lots of black pepper in it; I hope
you like pepper. Ah, that bread should be warm now.”

They sat down at the table together and ate; Sam
sitting across from her at the small kitchen table. Neither of them said much.
Although this was their first meal together neither Jules nor Sam felt like
they needed to fill up the empty spaces with chatter. The moment was too
intimate and the soup was too good. They ate together as if this was a part of
their normal routine. “It's the strangest thing -this feels so familiar, so
comfortable.” thought Jules. Sam looked up from eating and noticed that Jules
was gazing at him. He smiled back at her.

“
This is really delicious, Jules. Thank
you.”

“
My pleasure. I'm glad you like it, Sam.” Jules
paused. “Does your mother enjoy cooking?”

Sam wiped his mouth with the napkin Jules had given
him. He kept his eyes on his plate, then he stole a pained glance at Jules.

“My mother was a fantastic cook but she died when I was
14.”

Sam played with his spoon. “I still remember her
chicken enchiladas with cilantro. She always made her own tortillas. My
grandmother used to make them on stone in their restaurant.”

Jules reached for his arm across the table. “
I'm
sorry, Sam. I didn't know she had passed away. That must have been hard for
you. Do you have more siblings than just the one sister?”

“
No, my father skipped out on us when we
were young - the bastard.” Sam looked up and his eyes flashed.

It's just mi tortuga and I now. We were on our own and
she is the one who kept us going after Mama died. She worked two jobs and went
to school trying to keep us going. She is four years older than I am. She
sacrificed a lot for me to make sure I finished high school.”

Jules nodded in sympathy, pouring a little wine into
his glass. “She must be a very special person, your sister. Does she live far
away?”

“
No, not anymore. She's down in Creston.
That is what I was doing last weekend; helping her move. “To be truthful...”

Here Sam paused for a moment as if deciding whether or
not to continue. He took a swallow of wine. “...she checked herself into rehab
last week and I put all her stuff into storage. She's had kind of a tough time
the last few years, but I'm glad she's taking care of herself
now.
” He
emphasized the last word.

“
Oh dear, I’m so sorry, Sam. But she is very
fortunate to have you to rely on right now. It was good of you to help her.
I'll make sure you get caught up in class, too.”

Sam gave her a grateful look. “I'm going to have to hit
it hard to get through all that stuff you assigned this week. I haven't even
started on the labs yet. I'm meeting with my partner tomorrow evening. He's
getting freaked out and I don't blame him. Mid-terms are just around the
corner.”

“
Oh, don't worry about Mid-terms. I'll go
easy on ya'.”

Yeah, right. You'll go easy on us. Ha-ha.”

“
Sam” Jules proceeded with her question with
caution. It might be problematic for me to be involved with you as your
instructor. I mean, it's a tad complicated for me since I haven't had this
position at the Tech too long. I'd like to kind of keep this under wraps for
the time being, if that isn't a problem. I can't afford to jeopardize my job.”

“
I understand; I can be discreet.” Sam said.
“I don't want to cause you any trouble. But it’s not like you're that much
older than I am. I mean, this isn't a cougar situation. You won't be taking
advantage of a minor. We are probably about the same age, right? I'm
twenty-six.”

“
I'll be twenty-seven in August.” Jules said
back matching his playful tone. “I
am
older than you. When is your
birthday?”

“
March 10
^th;
you are
so
much older; what four or five months? Shocking.” Sam shook his head in mock
dismay and grinned at her with a glint in his eye.

Jules played along with mock seriousness: “
Can
I see your ID? I mean, I’m serving you alcohol besides all the
other stuff
that
just happened.”

Sam was sitting at the table still wearing the flowery
bathrobe. He mimed feeling for his back pocket. The bathrobe more or less did
not cover him and this motion exposed the muscles in his chest and belly as he
turned around in the chair.

“Oh, I'm sorry senorita but I seemed to have misplaced
my wallet somewhere. You will have to trust me that I’m legal.” Jules broke out
in light laughter. Sam leaned forward for a kiss. Jules obliged and met his
lips across the table.

“
Fine, we'll forgo the carding but you
better have it on you next time.” Jules looked under the table at his bare
legs. “Somewhere on you.”

Sam laughed but then became serious. “I have watched
you from the back of the classroom for weeks now. Each lecture you teach shows
me something new. But today I have learned more about the woman Jules rather
than the instructor. Today you have shown me that there is much, much more to
Professor Kinsley. I wonder what else there is to know about you, hmm?”

“
What you see is what you get, friend. I've
never had time for games or for a secret identity as I’m sure is the case with
you. You don't seem to be a party animal; you work much too hard and then have
a degree to get. By the way, how close are you to finishing? Modern Physics
should be about the end of your major course work.”

“
Oh man, I still have a lot of generals to
get. I'm doing a lot of things backwards. I figured I would have more incentive
to continue if I took the interesting classes first. Now I have to go back and
dig ditches with the teenagers.”

“
Hmm, don't you have an adviser? They might
be able to help you test out of some of those requirements. I could certainly
help you do that.”

“
Well, since I’m not full-time and I I've
never met with anyone. Maybe once when I first enrolled but I haven't seen an
adviser for a long time. If I could test out a few classes that would
fantastic.”

“
Okay then, here's to you getting your
degree sooner rather than later.” Jules clinked her wine glass against his on
the table making it ring.

Sam leaned forward with a gleam in his eye. “
You
are one amazing woman. I could follow you around all day like a puppy.”

“
That might be weird, Sam. Just let me help
you figure this all out. You have the raw brain power to go a long way. There
is no reason for you to be held back due to surmountable obstacles. This is
doable. I will set you up with a financial adviser as well. Maybe you could
start in full time again.”

“
I don't want to stop working. I love what I
do and I've spent a lot of effort building up my business. I like helping
people do something creative with their outdoor property and I’m good at what I
do. I refuse to go into debt either. I think I can finish in my own time. It
might be the slow road but I’ll get there.”

Jules admired his dedication to hard work and smiled at
Sam's sheer determination.

“I have no doubt you will, Sam. Whatever I can do to
help please let me know.”

“Jules, you do help me. Having you in my life is
definitely a motivator.” Sam met her eyes not blinking. He clinked her wine
glass in return.

“You are well on the way to making my life perfect.”

Chapter Seven: Sweet Interludes

Jules walked to her office through the south entrance
on her way back from teaching a basic Calculus class for freshmen. It was an
exhausting class to teach because of its size. She always took the long route
back to the Science building to give herself more time to wind down after
teaching 104. A woman's voice called out to her from the left.

“
Jules! Hey, you with the messenger's bag!”

It was Amanda Sinclair, her friend and campus
compatriot who taught English and literature and who was also a published poet.

“
Hi Mandy, how are you? What's up
girlfriend? You realize of course that each and every person walking on this sidewalk
is carrying a bag like mine?”

Amanda laughed. “Well, you're the one who waved first
so I just headed your direction. Hey, I'm glad to see you are still alive.
Where have you been lately? Want to go get lunch?”

“
Lunch sounds great; I'm famished. I'm really
sorry, Mandy. I tried to call you back the other day but you must have already
gone to bed; it was pretty late.”

She gave her friend a quick hug. “Things have been a
little.... crazy.” Jules motioned with her eyebrows up and down rapidly which
Amanda noticed at once.

“
Oh, crazy as in interesting or crazy as in just
a drag? Do tell! But let's go to Courier's and eat. The Commons is too noisy.”

Jules followed Amanda's lead towards their favorite
sandwich and coffee shop. “Oh, I've met someone; someone incredible. So, it's
interesting
for sure - more like a crazy, heady romance and all the intrigue that follows.”

“
Oh lord, this sounds good. I can't wait to
hear all the lurid details. I haven't seen you for over two weeks; is that
what's been keeping you incognito?” Amanda turned toward Jules as they walked
with look of anticipation on her face.

“I’m your captive audience. What's his name, who is he,
what does he look like and is he any good in bed? Oh, more importantly, does he
have an older brother who's good in bed?”

Amanda paused to consider: “Or a younger brother would
be acceptable too.”

“
Mandy, you are incorrigible.” Jules said as
they walked into the cafe' seating themselves at a table in the back away from
the door. The place was not busy. Amanda did not enjoy crowded restaurants.

After the waiter took their order Jules summarized the
latest for her friend providing detailed descriptions of certain events such as
the encounter with Sam in the lecture hall. When their food arrived Jules
watched her friend arrange her sandwich. Mandy considered what Jules had told
her and let go a low whistle.

“
Whew, Jules. Sam sounds amazing alright.
You must have a huge thing for this guy. I hope he's worth all the crap you'll
get from your Chair if he finds out about you two.”

Jules looked nervous at the mention of the Sciences
Chair. Her friend had no idea how much sleep she'd lost over that worry.

Mandy looked up pointing her fork at Jules with her
elbow on the table. “Just keep your head low. And keep his head low too for
that matter.” Amanda cut Jules a quirky look and a wink. “I've heard Latin men
are extremely passionate. You've picked yourself a spicy burrito topped with a
hot mango salsa.”

“
Honestly, Amanda that is so cliche'. How do
you manage to write such delicate, insightful material with such a pedestrian
imagination?” Jules shook her head laughing

“
Honey, I have to have a relief valve
otherwise I couldn't write those pretty little poems.” She glanced over at
Jules munching her sandwich. “It appears to me you've found one hell of relief
valve. Just be careful no one blows the whistle on you two.”

“
Yeah, that's what worries me, but honestly
it's all legit other than the fact that I'm his instructor. He's my age,
Amanda. He's smart, he's motivated, he's gentle and kind; he cares about things
that are important. What am I supposed to do? Break it off with him and let him
slip through my fingers?”

“
No, I don't think that's necessary. I don't
think you have to end it.” Amanda looked straight at Jules, now serious.

“Be sensible though; no more steamy trysts in lecture
hall 309. God, Jules you have some cajones, or rather Sam does. What were you
two thinking? You're lucky someone didn't happen to walk in on you two. You’d
be
so
outed by now.” Amanda gave Jules a raised eyebrow but she was
smiling.

Jules blushed. It wasn't so much sharing her secrets
with Amanda which caused her to turn red; she knew that her friend understood.
But it was the memory of Sam kissing her in the classroom as he pressed himself
into her which made her a little dizzy with desire.