Page 14 of Winning Play

“Youenjoy reading textbooks?”Hisdeep blue eyes twinkled as he spoke, andKimloved how his dark hair escaped his baseball cap.

Kimshrugged. “There’ssomething about brand new textbooksIcan’t resist.Theslick pages, the new-book smell.”

“So, you’re a book nerd.”

“Possibly.”Kimaimed a teasing smile his way. “Idownloaded my schedule on my phone.CanIpay for the textbooks and pick them up on the way back?”

“Youdon’t want digital textbooks?”Spenceheld the door open and waited for her to enter the building.

“Iget too distracted studying on the computer or my tablet.Ineed something to mark up, touch the pages, and switch back and forth between sections.Haven’tyou ever wanted to throw a textbook out the window?”

Spenceshrugged. “Mayhave crossed my mind a few times.”

“Atablet or laptop costs a lot more to replace than a textbook.”

“Goodpoint.Thefood pavilion’s straight ahead, the bookstore on your left.Orwe can hit the food trucks through that door.”Hetouched her elbow. “Tryto contain yourself and not get overwhelmed by the smell of new books.”

Kimenjoyed the spark that buzzed her arm when he touched her.Shesaw him holding back a smile. “I’lldo my best.”Spenceset his palm against her lower back and guided her through the crowded entry door.Inthe years she’d spent withFinn, he’d never thought to perform such a thoughtful gesture.Herheart fluttered atSpence’sunexpected contact.Careful,Martin.Youneed friends, not another boyfriend.

Onceinside,Kimstepped to the side and opened her schedule on her phone.Sheshared the screen with him. “Itmight take a while.Youdon’t need to stay,Spence.”

Theslow smile that reached his eyes warmed her more than it should. “Noplans,Popcorn.Takeyour time.”

6

Thefollowing week,Kimcollapsed on the sofa after her first day of classes.Shesifted through the syllabi collected from each professor or teaching assistant, trying not to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of assignments.Shethought about her conversation with her advisor before submitting her schedule.Createa detailed timeline.Theprevious day, she had installed an enormous wall calendar above her desk after entering critical dates in the semester.Sheadded a second step and assigned a different color for each class before mounting the calendar.Aftera quick lunch,Kimplanned to read through each syllabus and note every assignment on the special color-coded tape she found in the bookstore.Shetransferred the tapes in the same order as her class schedule.Withassignments posted untilSpringBreak,Kimtook a photo of her organized masterpiece and sent it to her mother.

Abrown bag caught her eye, andKimremembered the lunch she had picked up at the food pavilion.Sheretrieved a beverage from the fridge and a dish from the cupboard before sitting at the table.Theblue and white placematsLaurengave her added a bit of a beach panache to the room.Abasket of silk sunflowers sat on the table, remindingKimof summer—Tampa’syear-round summer.

Herphone’s ringtone and a knock on the door sounded simultaneously.Kimstepped a few paces to the door and greeted her mother as she opened it.Shesmiled and wavedSpenceinto her apartment.

“Hi,Mom.So, do you thinkI’morganized for the first half of the term?”

“I’mimpressed, honey.Areyou sure you can handle that many classes?”

“Yes,I’mlooking forward to it.Lotsof interesting and fun assignments.”Kimwatched asSpencedrifted toward the desk to read the calendar, seeing his lips quirk in a smile.Helooked over his shoulder and winked, thenKimrealized she hadn’t heard her mother’s comment. “I’msorry.Whatdid you say,Mom?”

“Finnasked for your new phone number.”

“Youdidn’t give it to him?”Kimtried to steady her nerves as she walked toward the kitchen.

“No, butIdon’t like being caught in the middle.”

“Mom, don’t put yourself in that position.Itold youIdon’t want to see or talk with him.”Kimtook a deep breath to ease the anxiety she heard in her tone. “Please, believe me, we’re over.”

“Ijust don’t understand; apparently, neither doesFinn.”

“Heunderstands—he’s trying to manipulate you.”

“ButKimberly…”

“I’llchange my number if he calls,Mom.I’mserious… talk to him all you want, butIdon’t want to hear about it or him.Endof discussion.”Kimhated the tone in her voice, but she didn’t want to have this conversation again.

Theyexchanged strained goodbyes, andKimtossed her phone on the counter.Shelooked up and sawSpencein the living area.Damn,Iforgot about him.

“I’msorryIleft you standing there, andI’mpositive you didn’t care to hear me argue with my mother.”

Thehint of a smile crossed his features. “Iwasn’t paying attention… trying to decode your calendar.Impressive.Canyou help me create something like that?”

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