by Ivy Jordan
I hang up before she can say anything else and immediately block her number in my phone. Shaking my head to clear away the conversation, I grab something to drink from the kitchen and notice the eggnog in my fridge. It's three weeks until Christmas, and my house is bare of decorations. I think about getting a tree tomorrow to get into the holiday spirit. Josephine hates the smell of a fresh tree, and I haven’t had one for as long as I’ve known her because I didn’t want to listen to her complain about it. Now seems like a good time to do what I want for the holiday.
I’ve been retired from football for over three years now, having hung up my cleats for good after I won the Super Bowl with the Condors, making my announcement a couple of months after.
A couple of months after my night with Serena. Even now, I still think about her often.
I think about that night all those years ago, wondering what might have been. She’ll never know how she was a part of what spurred me to move on from playing football. Offers to join the broadcast booth came in, to join the Condors as a scout, to coach, but none of them spoke to me. Nothing did until an opportunity to take part in a brand new weekly commentary show came along. Two dudes just talking football appealed to me and brought me back to the things that made me love the sport in the first place.
I leave in a few days to film another show, but until then – now that I have given Josephine the boot for good – I just want to relax and enjoy the time to myself. Maybe decorate the house some. I settle into the plush confines of my couch and grab the remote, flicking the TV on. I begin to flip through for something to watch, pausing briefly on a game show, the home shopping network, and a soap opera before I click past a news show in a rush.
My brain screams “go back!” And as fast as I had sped past the channel, I’m pressing the button to reverse my scanning and leaning forward on the couch, staring down my TV to make sure I actually saw what I thought I did.
Sure enough, as if I’ve conjured her from my thoughts, there on my television is Serena. I turn up the volume and drop the remote beside me as I sit up, not wanting to miss a second.
“Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us. Beside me is Dr. Serena Jacobs, astrophysicist and educator. Thank you for being here, Dr. Jacobs,” the host of the show says.
“It is my pleasure, Robyn.” Serena smiles warmly and I melt inside, just like I did the night I met her.
“Christmas is around the corner, and for most children, that only means one thing: Santa Claus is coming to town. But how exactly does he get here and everywhere else on Christmas Eve? There are some two billion children in the world, after all. So, Dr. Jacobs, how does the man in red do it? Is it even possible?”
“Well, Robyn, we know Santa doesn’t visit all of the children. There’s that naughty list to consider,” she laughs. “And, of course, those who sadly just don’t believe. Those factors reduce the number of children being visited by at least fifteen percent. Now, we are still talking about around 375 million children that Santa visits, but the good news for Santa is that he has thirty-one hours to work with.”
“How is it that Santa gets more than twenty-four hours in a day?” the host asks.
“Assuming Santa travels east to west, the rotation of the earth plus the different time zones throughout the world buys him those extra hours, which he’ll need, considering he is visiting roughly ninety-two million homes each Christmas Eve.”
“How long does that give Santa at every house?”
“Not much,” Serena laughs warmly again. “About 1/1000th of a second is all Santa has to stop, drop down the chimney, unload the presents, and get out undetected. He is working at warp speed for sure.”
“Interesting. And, how fast would Santa’s sled be traveling?”
“Rudolph and his team of reindeer are pulling Santa’s sled at a speed that is three thousand times the speed of light, so about 650 miles per second. It is quite fast for your average reindeer, but I think we all know that Rudolph and company are not your average reindeer, just as Santa is not your average jolly old man.”
The interviewer laughs “How true. You’ve heard it here first, folks: Santa is performing miracles of science, at least according to USC professor, Dr. Serena Jacobs. Thank you for joining us today. We appreciate you every time you stop in.”
“I’m always happy to be here, Robyn. Thank you for having me.”
I pause the TV on a shot of Serena smiling and stare, shocked to actually see her face and not a memory in my mind. While I’ve replayed the night with her over and over, I am unprepared for the flood of emotions coming over me. There have been women other than Josephine in the years since, but no one that meant something, and no one that made me stop and give a second thought to my life or my future...not the way Serena did. I remember how disappointed I was to discover she had snuck out during the night. It was more than just wanting another go; it was wanting to know all of her. The feeling of not knowing what might have been still claws at my chest.
The more I think about it, the more it becomes clear to me. I left playing football because it left me unsatisfied. The new show, being able to offer commentary to help others understand the game better gives me a purpose. Josephine and all the others were temporary bodies and none of them ever left me with anything but a fading sense of temporary satisfaction. The only time I've been with a woman that left me both sated and still wanting more was my one night with Serena.
The time we had spent at the bar and then at dinner had been unhurried, and without the air of pretentiousness that seemed to follow every other date I’ve been on. I was taken by her at first look, and I was under her spell as I got to know her. I was a goner the first time I kissed her.
I am sure she had her reasons to slip out of my bed, my house, my life, and while she doesn't owe me anything, I can’t help wanting to know why she never gave us a chance. Looking at her warm smile, I ask myself, what’s the harm in a casual coffee to talk after all these years?
Chapter Twelve
Serena
I am always shocked by the number of students in my Physics at the Movies class. I never thought it would grow into the hugely popular class it has become. All the science majors insist in taking the class even though it’s a not a requirement, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised over the last few years at the number of non-science majors who take the class and report that they genuinely enjoyed what they got out of it. A few have even changed majors, and I love taking those students under my wing to help nurture their newfound love of science.
“Let’s continue our discussion of action scenes that would never work out in real life the way they do in Hollywood. This clip is from the Vin Diesel movie XXX. Let’s watch as Mr. Diesel snowboards his way out of an avalanche.”
Using a remote in my hand, I trigger the clip to begin playing at the front of the room. In it, Vin Diesel's character, Xander Cage, roars down the side of a mountain on a snowboard wearing your average run of the mill snow jacket and pants, no helmet or goggles, somehow defying all the odds to outrun the avalanche. When the clip finishes, I turn to the class.
“The fastest recorded run down a mountain on a snowboard is one hundred twenty-five miles per hour, but for the average person, they are likely topping out at around fifty miles per hour. However, we’ll give Xander Cage some leeway and clock him around eighty miles per hour since he’s supposed to be such a badass. The average avalanche falls somewhere between 130 to 200 miles per hour. Xander Cage has about a 32 feet head start on the avalanche. So, we’re assuming he’s traveling at about eighty miles per hour and that our avalanche is going at its slowest one hundred thirty miles per hour. How quickly is that head start equalized?”
There is a flurry of activity as the students work out the problem and hands start to shoot up across the room. I call on a girl in the middle of the classroom. “The snowboard and the avalanche would be equal in about half a second, Dr. Jacobs.”
“And what next?” I question.
“The avalanche would presumably envelop the snowboarder after that,” she replies.
“Very good,” I nod. “Now, would anyone like to see if they can outrun an avalanche tomorrow?”
There is a smattering of giggles through the room that quickly turn to whispers as the students, one by one, start to turn their attention toward one side of the room, looking at one another with excitement. I follow their gazes to the side entrance door and am shocked at the sight before me.
Cade Thomas.
My breath catches and my heart pounds hard in my chest. It’s been nearly three years, but I recognize him instantly. Now that I know who he is, he’s impossible to miss. His presence is all over town.
“Dude!” one of my seniors yells out. “You’re Cade Thomas, the Condors quarterback.”
People begin standing to move closer to him, pens and paper held out toward him, cameras flashing as the students try to take selfies with him.
I didn't know who he was until a couple of months after our encounter. Watching the news that night, his face was everywhere talking about his retirement. Even now, it’s impossible to miss him on the cover of gossip magazines week in and week out.
And while I am sure he enjoys the attention, I would like control of my class.
I whistle loudly, catching everyone off guard. “Mr. Thomas will be happy to sign autographs and take selfies with you, but only if you can control yourselves for the rest of my class. Is that alright with you, Mr. Thomas?”
He smiles with amusement. “Of course, Dr. Jacobs.”
I nod as Cade moves down the steps, finding a spot on the front row. “Since Mr. Thomas is here, and I know you are all far more interested in him than what we were discussing before, let’s switch gears to football. Now, any object thrown into the air follows the same basic trail. It travels up, gravity slows it down until it stops at its peak height, and then the ball comes down. What happens next?”
I feel Cade’s eyes on me as I call on a boy in the back of the room to answer. “Gravity accelerates the ball until it is caught or hits the ground.”
“And this principle is called?” I ask.
“Projectile momentum,” the boy answers.
“Very good. Now, when a punter kicks a ball, there are three factors he can control. What are they?”
I pick a different student to answer. “Velocity, angle, and rotation.”
“Excellent. He controls the speed at which the ball leaves his foot, the angle of the kick, and the rotation of the football. Now, why is the rotation of the ball important?”
I point at a student in the front. “The rotation of the ball will influence how the ball slows in flight because it will be affected by air drag.”
“Yes,” I agree. “A spiraling kick will have less air drag, and will not slow down as much and therefore, will stay in the air longer and go farther than an end over end kick. Now, what about the velocity and angle of the ball?”
Another student chimes in when I point to her. “The ball is moving at a given velocity of speed plus the angel of direction, depending on the force of the kick. The ball will move in two directions, horizontally and vertically, and how fast the ball goes in each direction depends on the angle of the kick.”
“Correct,” I smile at her. “If the ball is kicked at a steep angle, then it will go high, have a long hang time, but travel a short distance. It has more velocity in the vertical direction. If you want more velocity in a horizontal direction, the punter would need to kick at a shallow angle; it won’t go very high, but it will go a farther distance. The punter has quite a few decisions to make in a short period of time, doesn’t he?”
I move forward in the same vein as we talk further about the hang time and peak height calculations a punter might face before discussing the additional hurdles the kicker faces as he has the more difficult job since the ball usually reaches peak height before the football reaches the uprights.
I dismiss class forty minutes after Cade had walked in, and he is immediately swarmed by students. I collect my things and watch as he graciously talks to every student and signs everything waved in his face, smiling for selfie after selfie. I slip out a door at the front of the room instead of using the one at the side of the lecture room. It means I have to take a slightly longer route to my office, but I don’t mind.
I have no idea what Cade Thomas is doing in my classroom, and I’m not sure I care to know. If the rumor mill is to be believed, he broke up with his girlfriend last week for the millionth time, and if his pattern holds, he’s looking for any warm body to keep him company until he inevitably ends up back with Josephine. It’s a pattern the world has seen repeated time and again over the past four years. It’s a pattern I followed myself for a while, having put together the pieces after finding out who he really was.
I’m not interested in old patterns though. My life is so much different today than it was that night, and being someone’s quick fling has no appeal to me. If Cade Thomas is here looking for a quick roll in the hay, then he’s come to the wrong girl.
Before I can reach my office, I see Benjamin sprinting toward me.
“Serena, is it true? Cade Thomas was in your class? The Cade Thomas?”
“Yes, he showed up; he’s probably still there, in fact. He was signing autographs and taking pictures when I left. I’m sure if you hurry, you can catch him.” I walk away before he can say anything else and hurry the rest of the way to my office, closing the door behind me.
Leaning back against the closed door, I let out a huge sigh at successfully avoiding Cade. My eyes fall on a framed photo on my desk, and I smile, but my heart pangs just a little, too.
Chapter Thirteen
Cade
The number of college kids swells in the lecture room, and I am certain that word has spread I’m here because there is just no way that all these kids were in the class that just finished. I am signing autograph after autograph and taking so many selfies, I’m sure I’ve gone cross eyed. I look around for Serena and don’t see her, realizing I’ve been at this for at least fifteen minutes, and she is gone from the room.
Immediately, disappointment rushes through me, and I look over at the kid in front of me, a tall and lanky blond guy, hoping he was in the class. “Hey, does Dr. Jacob’s have an office on campus?” I ask him quietly.
“Oh, yeah, it’s in Fisher Hall.”
“Great, thanks.” I scribble my name on the proffered paper and then swing my gaze around the room.
“I’m sorry, everyone, but I’ve gotta head out. Thanks for letting me sit in on your class today.” I smile, the blindingly perfect one that I use when I want to charm my way out of anything, and move to the door at the back of the room. I remember passing Fisher Hall on my way to the classroom, so I make my way back in that direction.
I haven't made it more than ten feet when I’m stopped by a group of giggling sorority sisters who want a picture. I oblige, and then regret it when one of them grabs my ass. I sidestep away and continue on only to be stopped again, this time by a man that seems around my age.
“Cade Thomas, wow, this is truly something,” he says. “My name is Benjamin Mack, I’m the head of the science department here a USC.”
I shake his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Benjamin. Listen, I was looking for Dr. Jacobs’ office. Could you point me in that direction?”
“I can take you there myself, it would be my honor.”
“Great,” I smile tightly. There’s something about the guy’s overly enthusiastic grin paired with the smarmy glint in his eyes that strikes me as a little odd.
“So, what brings you here today?” he asks as we start walking again.
“I saw Dr. Jacobs on TV last week, and it’s been awhile since we saw each other so I wanted to come by and say hello. I remember her mentioning her Physics at the Movies class. I was intrigued by the idea and wanted to see it in action.”
“I had no idea she knew you personally,” Ben rambled as we enter Fisher Hall. “
Serena is full of surprises. Like this course, for instance. I wasn’t sure about it when she first brought up the premise, but it has quickly become one of our most popular courses on campus for science majors and non-science majors alike.”
“She’s a great teacher. I even learned a thing or two myself today,” I tell him.
“That she is,” he agreed. “Well, here we are,” he says, stopping in front of a closed door.
“Thanks for the help, Ben. Really appreciate it,” I tell him, shaking his hand. I expect him to walk away, but he continues to stand there. I clear my throat. “Anything else I can do for you?” I ask, giving him a look.
“Oh, no, no, no. All good. Nice to meet you.”
“You, too.” Finally, he walks away, and I lift my hand to knock. I hesitate a beat, not exactly sure what I’m doing or what I’ll even say. I can’t believe I am trying to work up the nerve to talk to a woman when the door swings open.
“Cade,” Serena says evenly. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again.”
The sight of her takes my breath away. She’s all business in a blouse, blazer, and pencil skirt combination, and suddenly, I’ve got nothing but lusty thoughts filling my head.
“Hi,” I say and mentally grimace at how lame I must sound.
“I’m surprised you remember me, what with the parade of women you’ve been seen with in the last few years.”
“Come on now, there haven’t been that many,” I defend myself. “Besides, none of them end up on TV talking about science and Santa Claus.”
She steps back inviting me inside, and I step inside her office. She closes the door behind her and moves to her desk, motioning me to a chair across from her.
“You were good, by the way. On TV. Really good,” I stutter out.
She smiles. “Thank you. I’ve seen you on TV, too. A lot once I started paying attention, actually.”
“I liked that you didn’t know who I was,” I admit. “It was nice knowing you were interested in me, not the football player.”