Gravity (Greenford #2) - Romeo Alexander Page 0,4
it in his palm.
“I saw how hard you stared down at the octopus tank. And I know you’re a giant dork who loves cute stuff,” Caleb explained with a shrug. “So, I figured I’d buy your grumpy ass a little something from the gift shop. Saw that and grabbed it.”
The moment felt just so typically them. One moment they were edging toward one of their increasingly infamous bickering matches, and the next, Samuel was staring at some stupid little gift shop octopus and grinning like an idiot. They were always up and down, but God, if he didn’t love the ups with every inch of his being.
“I love it,” Samuel admitted with a light laugh, tapping the arms to make them wiggle frantically. “Thank you, Caleb. You’re so sweet sometimes.”
“Sometimes,” Caleb repeated, wrinkling his nose. “You’re such a shit sometimes.”
“Yeah, but I’m your shit,” Samuel told him, standing up on his tiptoes to kiss the man on the lips gently. “And I’m glad I am.”
Caleb’s eyes crinkled happily at the corners. “C’mon, Mr. Grump. Let’s get you some food from somewhere that isn’t in a mall. I’m sure that’ll go a long way toward making you feel better.”
Samuel laughed again. “You are such a romantic.”
He had no way of knowing that in only a few months, everything between them would fall apart, and he would be left hurt and confused. All he knew was that the handsome young man who held his hand all the way to the car had managed to brighten his day and wonder quietly to himself if he might be falling in love.
“Uh, Professor Harrison?”
Samuel straightened, turning to find Tyler still sitting in the chair, albeit with his laptop now closed. The young man’s face was pinched in a concerned frown and he was watching Samuel intently.
“Oh,” Samuel grunted, clearing his throat. “Sorry. Got lost in my thoughts a little bit there.”
“I saw. Is everything okay?”
Samuel laughed, waving him off gently. “Believe it or not, it’s not all that uncommon for me. I just do my best to stay focused when I’m teaching a class. Outside of class, I’m just as likely to end up in my own little world as I am to stay in reality.”
That seemed to do it for Tyler, whose concerned expression melted into a smile. “I’ve known some people like that. But I was telling you that I finished and thanking you for giving me a chance even though I was late today.”
Late was a bit of an understatement but Samuel waved that off mentally as well. “Just don’t make a habit out of it, please. The last thing I need is for people to think they can blow off assignments and tests.”
Tyler tucked his computer away, shaking his head. “No, sir. I promise this was a one-time thing.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Samuel told him, easing back down into his chair. “You’re a good student, Tyler, and we all have our bad days.”
Tyler flashed him a smile. “Thanks.”
And then he was gone, leaving Samuel in the silence of his office. His eyes darted to the shelf, but this time his gaze didn’t linger. Instead, he forced himself to shake off the remnants of his impromptu trip down memory lane and unlocked his computer once more.
The past was the past, and he wasn’t going to lose himself to memories of the first time he and Caleb had attempted to date. That just opened up the door to the second, possibly even more disastrous attempt they’d made.
Plus, he had promised to go over the brief for Lucas.
Caleb
While he waited for the Dean to finish whatever he was doing in his office, Caleb stood near one of the large windows in the waiting room. The administration building was a very strange mixture of old world and new world decoration. Between the gilding on the trim of the deep blue walls and the rich-looking carpet runners that looked like they’d been pulled out of some castle, he would have thought the designers were stuck in a different age. Yet everything electronic was modern, from the computers to the TVs, new windows with sleek edges and sensors were installed along the walls, and the light fixtures looked like they’d come out of a modern art museum.
But it was the campus that he watched. It had been years since he’d last been in Greenford. He’d stretched out a few years going to the university until a surprise acceptance on the coast had pulled him away. In truth,