Kate had to resist the urge to cry. It was perfect. A shower was just what she needed. She nodded and bit her lip.
James started the shower and then undressed her. “May I join you?” His eyes were soft.
Kate nodded again.
His hands were gentle as he washed her body, and then he opened his arms, and she was happy to fall into them.
She leaned her head against his chest and sighed. The disappointment and frustration from earlier washed off her with each second she spent in his arms.
“Can I stay for a while?”
“Of course.”
His bed was soft and warm, and as he caressed her wet hair, Kate fell asleep.
She woke up and her body jerked upright. The sheets and blanket fell away, inviting the cool air to steal her heat. James stirred next to her, mumbling something in his sleep. The clock next to his bed told her it was after two in the morning. As quietly as she could, she gathered her things and left.
Sleeping over was one of many things they hadn’t discussed. It was so personal and intimate, and since she didn’t know where she stood with him, she didn’t want to assume he would want her there.
When she woke up Wednesday morning, there was a text from James.
Where’d u go?
“Dorm,” she replied. She wanted to thank him for being so kind and understanding, but she wanted to do it in person. She tried to talk to him after class, but he told her he had a department meeting followed by another meeting.
Everything was on hold with her business plan until she found a property she liked. It all hinged on that one detail. She spent hours Wednesday night making a list of places to look at that were a bit farther away than she wanted, but after her first round of looking, she wasn’t hopeful about her second try.
Kate arranged Thursday off with Carrie, and went straight to her first listing after her morning class. It was another disappointment. Only this time, the restaurant was too big. She couldn’t imagine being able to fill twenty tables with customers. It was almost as big as the restaurant where she worked during the summer, and it wasn’t what she imagined her bakery would be like. She thanked the realtor for her time and then got in her car to see the next one on the list. One after another, she looked at properties that were too modern, too big, too small, or too scary. As she sat in her car waiting to see the last one on her list for the day, she opened her notebook to the sketches she’d made. Perhaps she had been too specific with her dream. Her expectations were so high nothing could please her.
With a heavy heart, she got out of her car and stared up at the unassuming building in front of her. The windows and door had been covered with brown paper with the words FOR LEASE printed across the door. The storefront was nestled between a used bookstore and a baby boutique.
“Are you Kate?” A woman with a blonde bob and a perky smile held out her hand.
“Yes. Are you…” she glanced down at her papers, “…Liz?”
Liz nodded. “Ready to see it?” She waited for Kate before she pulled out the key. “I talked to the landlord a few minutes ago, and he’s happy to meet us here if you have any questions I can’t answer.”
Kate took a deep breath and followed Liz inside. Her mouth hung open as she scanned the room.
The front of the restaurant had six tables, three on either side of the door, but the main focus of the room was a bar with highly polished wooden chairs. The bar was made of the same wood, and looked like it had just been wiped down. Kate couldn’t speak. She imagined glass domes spanning the length of the counter, each one holding a different dessert.
Liz was rattling off details about square footage and utilities as Kate made her way into the kitchen. The appliances were a few years old but in decent condition. “Does the lease include the appliances?”
Liz flipped through a stack of papers in the folder in her arms. “Yep, sure does.”
“How long has it been on the market?”
“Six months. It’s not big enough for most folks.”
“I think it’s perfect.” Kate smiled and continued to poke around. She walked back out into the dining area and noticed a locked door next to the restrooms. “What’s that?”
“There’s an apartment upstairs.”
Kate’s eyes widened. “Is it available?” She only had her dorm reserved through the third week of December.
Liz nodded. “They come as a package, which is another reason people have turned it down. The apartment doesn’t have a street entrance, which was common when these older buildings were constructed, so when you lose the restaurant, you also lose the renter upstairs. Mr. Crane is actually offering a move-in special. Rent on the apartment and restaurant is half price for the first six months if you sign a two-year lease.”
“Do you have a key?”
Liz shrugged. “Let’s try the second one he gave me.” The key slid into the lock and clicked. “Let’s have a look.”
Kate bounded up the stairs, which were steep and went straight back. The apartment consisted of a living area, a small kitchen connected to a dining area, and a bedroom with a bathroom in it. The living room and bedroom overlooked the sidewalk below. Light spilled into the rooms, covering the worn wooden floors with the slanting rays of the setting sun. She could almost see the ocean from here. The floor squeaked under her feet as she paced the living space again.
“I want it.”
“That’s great. I’ll work with Mr. Crane, to draw up a lease agreement contract.”
“I’ll go talk to my credit union again as soon as possible.” Kate was smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. “Can I come see it again, on Saturday with a friend?”
Liz nodded. “Of course.”
They locked up the apartment and Kate strolled through the kitchen one more time, checking off the supply list in her notebook. She made a list of the things she would still need to buy, and was surprised by how small it was. It was as if this property was made for her.
She and Liz shook hands again, but Kate didn’t leave right away. She tucked her notebook under her arm and went into the bookstore next door. A bell chimed over her head and a friendly female voice called from the back room, “I’ll be right with you.”
Kate scanned the room, noting that it was probably as big as the restaurant next door, only instead of being divided by tables and chairs, it was separated with towering bookshelves. A surfboard was leaning against the wall next to the front door.
“Are you looking for something specific?” The woman behind the counter had a shock of purple in her hair and when she smiled, her right cheek dimpled.
“Actually, I’m looking at the restaurant next door, you know, to get it up and running.” Saying the words out loud, even to a stranger, was immensely powerful.
“Great! We just love being here. Mr. Crane is a great landlord.”
Kate relaxed. “I’m Kate.” She held her hand out, and the woman shifted a stack of books in her arms to shake it.
“Brandie. We knew the guy who ran the restaurant before.”
“What happened?” Kate swallowed hard.
Brandie shook her head sadly. “His mom developed dementia, and he couldn’t juggle taking care of her and the restaurant. It’s a real shame too. He made the best gyros in town. What do you make?”
“Pastries and other stuff. I’m going to open a bakery.”
Brandie scowled. “Great, now I’m going to have to try everything. If I get a fat ass, we’re going to have words.”
Kate laughed.
“Are you moving in upstairs too?” Brandie walked to a small table and put the books down.
Kate nodded and then scanned the room for the entrance to the apartment. “You live here?” Brandie nodded. “How do you like it?”
“It’s great. There’s a grocer around the corner that always has the freshest produce, we’re close enough to the university to get plenty of foot traffic, and I hear there’s going to be an amazing bakery on the block soon.”
Kat
e laughed again. “I hope it lives up to your expectations. With any luck, I’ll be seeing you around.”
Brandie waved. “I look forward to it.”
On her drive back to the dorms, Kate found herself in the parking lot of James’ apartment. She pulled out her phone and thought about calling him, but decided to dash up the three flights of stairs and surprise him.
“Just a minute,” James called through the door. When he opened it, he was holding twelve dollars. “That was fa—”
Kate beamed at him and then her mouth was on his. His arms wrapped around her body as he dragged her inside his apartment.
When he pulled away from her, he had a silly grin on his face. “I thought you were the pizza guy.”
Kate shook her head. “Nope, definitely not the pizza guy. Unless you let him kiss you too.” She narrowed her eyes.
James laughed. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
“Better day?”
“Yeah, about that…” Kate held his face between her hands. “I wanted to thank you for last time. You were so wonderful.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“You were very helpful. Sorry for bursting in on you. If you’re busy, I can go, I just had to thank you.”
“I’m just taking a break from grading for dinner. Would you like to join me?”
Kate smiled. “That would be lovely. I won’t stay too long.”
James shrugged. “It wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen.”
“No, no, no.” Kate shook her head. “I’m not going to distract you while you grade. I have rules against that.”
“Fine, be that way.” James pouted.
Kate kissed him again, and James stopped pouting.
The next time James answered the door, it was the pizza guy, whom he paid twelve dollars, and did not kiss.
James talked about his day while they ate. Kate was quiet about her good news. Talking to Meg and a woman in a bookstore about her plans was one thing, but discussing them with James was something entirely different.
“So, Thanksgiving is just a couple weeks away. Are you still willing to come with me to Jeff and Heather’s?” His leg bounced under the table, making a muted taping noise on the linoleum floor.
Kate touched his leg and smiled. His leg stilled. “Of course. Just tell me what you want me to bring.”
“I usually bring pie.”
“What kind?”
“Pumpkin and pecan.”
Kate nodded her head. “Done. Do they know I’m coming?”
James laughed. “Yes. I may have mentioned it once or twice.” His leg started bouncing again.
“What’s going on? I’ve never seen you so nervous.”
He cleared his throat. “I thought, um, maybe after dinner with my family I could take you to a place in Santa Barbara for the long weekend. There’s a vineyard I always wanted to tour, and some really beautiful places on the beach to explore. If you’re up to it,” he added quickly.
Kate had just taken her last bite and nearly choked on it as she tried to swallow it in one piece. Her day just kept getting better and better. She nodded and held up her finger. When she was done coughing she smiled. “I’d love to.”
James relaxed and smiled too. “Excellent. I’ll take care of the plans. What are you doing this weekend?”
Kate shrugged. “I’m not sure yet.” She planned to call Ms. Watts first thing in the morning to make another appointment to discuss her loan.
“Keep me posted?” His eyebrows rose, nearly meeting in the middle.
Kate nodded. It might’ve been the perfect moment to tell him about the bakery, but she decided to show her gratitude instead.
“Before I go, I’d like to thank you for the other night.”
James frowned. “You already did that.”
She dragged him away from the table and pinned him against the nearest wall. “No. I didn’t.” Her fingers danced across the button holding his khakis closed. “This one doesn’t involve words.” By the time she had his zipper down, and the flap of his boxers open, his cock was hard in her hands.
Kate kneeled between his legs and tilted her head to smile at him. His face was slack. She held on to his leg with one hand and gripped his dick by the base with the other while she breathed against the head. His eyes closed slowly. Her flat tongue caressed every inch of his hard length. James moaned. When she rolled her tongue against the smooth ridge around the head, his moan turned into a word.
“Fuuuuuck.” His fingers played with her hair.
Kate grinned, exposing her teeth. She scraped them against him, causing his hips to jerk off the wall. She sucked him in as deep as she could and moved up and down his shaft, swirling her tongue around his head.
The muscles in his legs tightened, and as she continued to suck hard and fast, their eyes met.
“I’m. Gonna. Come.” His words fractured and his eyes glazed over.
Kate had no intention of stopping, and when his cock swelled in her mouth, she swallowed everything he had to offer. After the tremors running through his body subsided, she tucked him back inside his clothes and buttoned his pants. She kissed his lips lightly. “Thank you.”
James was still panting. “Thank you.” His floppy arms encircled her body.
She hugged him. “Thank you for dinner too. Now I’m going to go, as promised, so you can finish grading. See you in class tomorrow.” With one last kiss, she left.
* * * *
Kate knocked on Meg’s door. “Meg, it’s me.”
“You look like you have good news. Do you have good news?” Meg was nodding her head and smiling.
“I found it. The perfect place!”
Kate and Meg hugged and squealed like schoolgirls. “When can I see it?”
“I’m going to go see it again Saturday before I go to my credit union, and I was hoping you would want to go with me.”
Meg nodded. “I’d love to. What time?”
“How’s ten sound?”
“Great. I can’t believe this is happening.” Meg hugged her again. “I can’t wait.”
Chapter 14
Sam made a point of trying to get information about James’ mystery woman every time they were in the same room together. James was too smart to tell him about Kate, so whenever he brought it up, James changed the subject, and he finally found a subject worthy of distraction.
“Sam? When did you get tenure?”
“A few years back, why?”
“Lloyd’s been busting my balls about staying on track, but I’m just trying to keep my head above water.”
“Don’t let him scare you. Lloyd means well, but he can be a bit overwhelming. Listen, I’d be happy to help you out.”
“Thanks Sam. That would be great. Can I see your folder?”
Sam nodded, and they planned to go over it on Wednesday after their department meeting.
As much as it pained him to miss a night with Kate, he buckled down and put his work first. Their meeting turned into dinner and drinks, and by the time they were done, his tenure track wasn’t intimidating anymore.
“There’s only so much you can do,” Sam said, as they got ready to go. “The rest is getting on the right committees and staying on the good side of the powers that be.”
“Right, and that means sucking up to Lloyd.”
“And the dean, and it wouldn’t hurt if you got to know the provost too. David’s a really nice guy. We’re playing racquetball tomorrow. You should come with me so I can introduce you.”
“I haven’t played racquetball in years.”
“So you’ll come?”
James shrugged. “Why not?”
“I’ll stop by your office to pick you up at eleven.”
“Thanks Sam, for everything.”
Sam nudged his shoulder. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
“This is above and beyond being a friend. Really. Thank you.”
James was sure he was harboring
a swarm of butterflies in his stomach as he and Sam walked across campus to the gym. It was only the second time James had visited the gym, and he was surprised to find a dozen racquetball courts. Six of them were enclosed with a glass wall and had an observation bench outside. Sitting on one of the benches was a man with a full head of salt and pepper hair. He was just finishing tying his shoes when Sam and James walked up.
“David.” Sam smiled.
“Sam, I’m so glad you could make it.” David stood and shook Sam’s hand and then pulled him into a half hug.
James lagged behind, waiting for Sam to introduce him.
“David, this is our new biochemist, James Baker.”
“David McKay.” David nodded and shook James’ hand. “I remember when we hired you. How are you liking the university so far?”
“It’s beautiful.”
“So, James Baker, did you come to play?” David looked him square in the eye.
James nodded. “I’ll wait though, until the two of you have a chance to play.”
“Nonsense. I’m sure we can find someone to play doubles with us.” David looked around and found a man coming out of a room next door. “Excuse me, young man, would you please join us for a game of doubles?”
“Sure. My name’s Jon.”
David held his hand out. “Jon, it’s good to meet you. I’m David, this is Sam, and this is your partner, James.”
When James shook Jon’s hand, he laughed nervously. “You’ll have to forgive me. I haven’t played in years.”
Jon leaned close to him. “Don’t worry. I’m on the racquetball team. I’ll cover you.”
James sighed. Maybe this wouldn’t be a disaster after all.
They were well into their second game before James got back into the groove of playing. Jon had picked up most of his slack, and even though they lost the first game, it hadn’t been by much. Jon and James bumped chests when the tables turned and they claimed victory on the second game.
All four men were breathing hard and talking loudly when they exited the court.
David suggested they all go to lunch together, and when Jon agreed, James bought him a beer. Before too much longer, Jon had to go, but promised if they ever needed a fourth, he was their man.
Sweet Chemistry Page 11