Sweet Chemistry (7 page)

James lunged, gripping the hoodie out of her hands. “Here, let me take that.” He darted out of the room.

Kate faced the counter and verified all the ingredients were present.

“Did I buy the right things?” His voice was incredibly close.

She clutched her chest and turned around, nearly bumping into him. “Geez, you scared me.” She was staring at his lips; those perfect, soft, delicious lips.
Stop it. He’s your professor.
She shook her head. “Ready?” Kate didn’t wait for him to respond. “Preheat your oven.” When James didn’t move, she added, “It’s that knob. Three fifty.”

Kate took longer than she expected explaining things to James. He had no idea what he was doing, and it made her laugh. She had given a baking lesson to Meg once, which was a complete disaster. Despite the similarities in their lack of knowledge, she assumed James would understand the science behind baking more than Meg did, so she focused on that.

“Okay. Lemon bars have two parts: a shortbread-like cookie on the bottom and lemon custard on top. Let’s start with the cookie part.”

She guided him as he opened packages of butter and attempted to measure sugar and flour.

James pressed his lips together. “Stop laughing at me. I don’t laugh at you in lab.”

“Yeah, because I’m not a complete spaz. There’s flour everywhere.” Kate stifled another giggle when he glared at her. “You’re right. I’m not being very professional. Carry on.”

James showed her his palms, which were covered in sticky dough. “You said to scoop the dough out of the bowl and pat it in place. How am I supposed to get this into that pan?”

“Your hands are too warm, they’re melting the butter.” She pulled a glob off him. “The trick is to work fast.” She patted it in place.

James shrugged.

Kate held his wrist steady while she scraped the mixture off his skin. His pulse pounded against her fingers. He was taking quick, shallow breaths and relaxed into her grasp. She cleaned his other hand and then instructed him to wash his hands. She took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Direct contact made her lose focus.

“Now what?” James came back with wet hands.

“Now you dry your hands. With a towel.”

“Funny. I meant the pan.”

“Now we bake, and while we wait, we make the custard. Here, put this in the oven, and set a timer for twenty minutes.”

James followed the directions and then grabbed a tiny white timer off the side of his fridge.

“Did you steal that from school?”

James’ eyes darted away. “I wouldn’t do that. Stealing is
wrong
.”

Kate chuckled. “Okay, now we’re going to beat these eggs until the protein structure starts to open up, and as we add sugar gradually, the albumen will hold the sucrose in place.”

James grinned. “This is my kind of baking.”

“See? Just like lab, only delicious.”

They assembled the rest of the ingredients just as the timer beeped. “Why do I feel like I should be getting something out of the water bath in lab?”

He seemed to appreciate her joke, even if it did point a finger at him stealing.

She guided him to pour the thick lemon custard on top of the hot cookie, and then put it back in the oven. “Now we wait.”

“How long?” James fidgeted.

“Just long enough to clean up. I’ll wash. You dry.”

He came up next to her at the sink. “How long have you been cooking?”

“Since I was six. My mom caught me cooking eggs for myself one morning. She started giving me supervised lessons that day, worried I might catch the house on fire.” She handed him the clean mixing bowl.

“Wow. No wonder you’re so good.”

“Thanks.” She blushed. Her phone vibrated twice in her front pocket. She dried her hands on her jeans and pulled it out. She huffed as she read the text.

“What is it?” James furrowed his brow.

“So much for my plans later. Tim’s blowing me off.” She pushed her phone back into her pocket and faced the sink and growled. “Seriously? He’s going to change his plans with me just because Mark wants to hang out. Ooo Mark,” she mocked.

“Who’s Mark?”

“Tim’s boyfriend. What am I? Chopped liver?” she grunted.

“Tim’s boyfriend.” James repeated. “Tim is with Mark.” His mouth hung open as reality settled in. He was wrong about everything: she wasn’t in a relationship, she didn’t cheat on anyone, and Tim dated men.

“I guess they are right now. If you ask me, Tim deserves better than Mark. Honestly, what kind of a douche bag would string Tim along like that?” Her jaw was clenched. She shoved the spatula into the towel draped over his hands, and then she sighed. “Sorry. I’m done ranting.”

James tilted his head. “So, you and Tim are friends.”

“Yep.”

“Just friends.” He needed to be absolutely clear.

Kate gasped. “Wait. Did you think Tim and I were together?” Her eyes were wide.

James shrugged and looked away. “Well, yeah.”

She burst out laughing. “Meg always jokes that we would be perfect for each other, if only I had the right equipment.” She gestured to her pants and then covered her mouth and continued to giggle. “I guess that’s why he’s settled on Mark, because he can’t have me.” Her laughter stopped as soon as it had started. “Is that why you were so mad?”

“When was I mad?” James shrugged. Maybe she wouldn’t remember.

Kate lifted a finger for each point she made. “Addiction, lab, and study group.” She frowned. “That’s what you meant when you said, ‘you’re one to talk.’ You thought I was with him, didn’t you? You thought I cheated on Tim that night with you.”

“Yes.” His stomach sank. Why did she have to ask all the wrong questions?

Her jaw clenched and she snatched the towel to dry her hands off before she started packing her things. “You thought I would do that?” She stopped and looked at him. “All this time, that’s what you’ve been thinking about me?”

James wanted to deny it, but he couldn’t. He’d spent the last seven weeks wallowing in a self-inflicted pool of pity and depression over a misunderstanding, and now it was going to ruin a perfectly good moment.

“I shouldn’t be here.” She grabbed her bag and rushed to the door. He listened through the open door as her feet slapped against the stairs.

James closed the door and let the door support his body. “Fuck!”

When he realized she left her hoodie, he thought about calling her to let her know before she got too far. And then he buried his face in the material for the second time that night. An image of her wiggling out of it popped into his head. When she pulled it off, her tank top inched up, exposing her lean stomach. He had hoped things would go better, and now the only physical connection he had to her was a fleecy piece of clothing, and he wasn’t ready to let it go.

He sat on the edge of his made bed and let out a bitter laugh. When he cleaned his apartment before she got there, he made his bed with some deluded fantasy about the two of them. In his fantasy, he convinced her she should be with him, not Tim. In reality, he admitted he thought she was a cheater and offended her. Things had not gone as planned.

* * * *

“You made these?” Jeff mumbled with a mouth full of lemon bars. “
You
? My kitchen-phobic brother?”

“I’m not afraid of the kitchen. I wasn’t interested.” James looked away. “I may have forgotten to mention Kate came over and helped me.”

“Oh, the truth comes out.” Jeff laughed and stuffed another one in his mouth.

“They’re really good. Thanks for bringing them to dinner.” Heather smiled at him. “Was it a date?”

James shook his head. “I wish. She’s all business around me.”

“Wait, wait, wait. I thought she was with what’s-his-name. Your other
student
.”

“I see what you’re doing, Jeff. I haven’t forgotten she’s my student, and I was wrong about Tim. Tim’s gay.”

Heather nodded her head. “So, you finally asked her?”

“No, he texted her while we were baking, and blew her off to be with his boyfriend. I feel like such an ass.” James let his head fall on the table.

“You are an ass. A repugnant one.” Jeff laughed as he quoted James from several weeks ago.

“Thanks a lot.”

“Well? What happened?” Jeff asked.

“She figured out I thought she had cheated on Tim with me. She was so mad, and then she left.” His words echoed off the table, sounding just as hollow as he was.

Heather patted his shoulder and clicked her tongue. “Oh James.”

Jeff nudged his shoulder. “Hey, what are you doing for Halloween? A buddy of mine is throwing a party next weekend. You make a great pirate.”

James shrugged and gave his brother a weak smile. “I’ll probably be grading.”

“You should go out. Staying in that lonely apartment isn’t good for you.”

* * * *

There were lots of things that weren’t good for James, and thinking about Kate on Monday was one of them. He had her hoodie folded on the edge of his desk and it pained him to give it back.

He paced his office for five minutes after class before there was a knock on his door.

“Can I have my hoodie back?” Her jaw was tight.

“Come in.” James didn’t know what he was going to say, but he couldn’t stand the thought of her leaving.

When the door closed, she said, “This whole time? You thought I was a cheating slut this whole time?” Her face was pinched. “Who does that?”

“My ex-fiancée,” he whispered. The old wound bled a little as he admitted the truth about his past.

Kate froze. “Oh.”

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for everything, okay? I shouldn’t have been such a dick that first day after class, and I shouldn’t have assumed the worst about you.”

She took a deep breath. “What about Angelica?”

“What about her?” James remembered their argument at the first study group. “What? Me and her?”

Kate nodded.

“No. As in never going to happen. Ever.”

Her forehead smoothed and her shoulders relaxed.

“Thank you for showing me how to make lemon bars. My brother and his wife really enjoyed them.” He nodded to the picture on his shelf.

Kate’s gaze followed his and she smiled. “I’m surprised you had any left to share.”

“Well, I did eat the other half. If you keep teaching me how to cook I’m going to get fat.” He chuckled. “Maybe next time we should make something that doesn’t have a half pound of butter in it.”

She blinked. “Next time?”

“If you’re willing.” He had never wanted anything so much in his life. “If you’re free next weekend that would work for me.”

“I, um, have plans.”

“Right. Halloween parties and stuff.”

“Yeah. I promised Meg.”

His shoulders fell. “Maybe some other time.”

She put her hand on the doorknob.

“Don’t forget your hoodie.”

“Right.” She tucked it inside her backpack, and then her footsteps echoed down the hall.

James stared at the empty spot in the doorway where she had just been standing.

* * * *

The next time James went to the research lab, he noticed Sam’s bench was decked out with Halloween-themed art projects.

“You should see my office. It looks like a Halloween explosion. My kids keep giving me stuff. How many jack-o-lanterns do kids make in school these days?”

James laughed. “I like the fangs on that one.”

“My eight-year-old is going as a vampire this year, so it’s fitting. I love how warm it is here during Halloween. In the Bronx, where I grew up, it wasn’t unusual for us to have to tromp through snow to trick-or-treat. Nothing ruins a costume faster than having to cover it up with a coat and moon boots. My kids don’t understand what it was like.” He shook his head. “What do kid-free adults do with themselves on Halloween? It’s been too long for me to remember.”

“I’ll probably go to a bar.” Even though he had an invitation to Jeff’s friend’s party, James would stay in town, just in case. When Kate mentioned her promise to go out with Meg, he hoped they would be going to the costume party at Addiction Saturday night.

“Maybe you’ll meet someone.” Sam’s eyebrows jumped up and down.

“Maybe…” James wasn’t interested in meeting
someone
. He was interested in making things right with Kate.

“Hey Dr. Baker, sorry I’m late!” Michael called out as he wound his way through the lab. “Hi Dr. Bellevue.”

Sam pulled out his lab notebook. “Let me know how it goes.” He winked at James.

James laughed. “Sure thing.” He turned to Michael. “Are you ready to run your gels today?”

Michael nodded. “Let me get the microfuge tube out of the freezer.”

With Halloween still fresh in his mind, James asked, “Hey, do professors dress up here for Halloween?”

Michael shook his head and Sam piped up, “The only faculty I’ve ever seen in costume are the ones from the theater department. But that’s not exclusive to Halloween.”

“Sometimes students dress up,” Michael added.

If Kate came to class in costume, he might not be able to resist her. He swallowed hard.

Graduation was seven weeks away, and Kate’s plan for the future was starting to form. Lab work was fine, but there was something far more rewarding: cooking. Her love of chemistry was deeply rooted in the kitchen. Maybe she
should
open a bakery. No matter how many compliments she got, one stood out above the rest. The one from James.

Spurred on by her obsession with the idea, she spent several hours researching supplies she would need and what she would need to get a small business loan. It was crazy, and it made absolutely no sense to mention it to anyone, so she didn’t. She didn’t get much sleep until she wrote everything down in a notebook. On paper, she kept her thoughts organized and safely out of her head, where they had been collecting and repeating on a constant loop.

On Thursday, Carrie didn’t need her for long, so Kate ventured down campus and visited the College of Business. The dean’s secretary referred her to a professor who would be able to answer her questions about small businesses.

Kate knocked on the door. “Dr. Pullman?”

A gray head turned up from his desk. “Yes?”