Page 59 of Zimyra

“How do you know that?”

“Because I know. I’ve seen what you do at the job. This is nothing. Stop doubting yourself.”

I smile and take a deep breath after he gives me a confidence boost. “Okay, read another one, please.”

He wipes his mouth with a napkin and asks, “What do you call a light fixture that’s fastened to the wall for support?”

He takes another bite and throws fries in his mouth.

How is it that I just ate and I’m hungry again all of a sudden? Oh, I know. It’s not food that I want. It’s—

“Zimyra?”

“Huh?” I say after coming out of a trance with his mouth.

A smile grows on his face. He asks, “What’s up?”

I shake my head and say, “Nothing. Um…I—um…”

And now I can’t find my voice. That, coupled with the fact that he caught me staring at his mouth has my cheeks red.

“Did you hear what I asked you?”

“I think so.”

A slow, sneaky smile spreads across his face. “Let me read it again just in case. What do you call a light fixture that is fastened to the wall for support?”

“Oh. That’s a sconce.”

“Good. Next—what is a—?”

He stops the question abruptly.

I glance up at him.

He asks, “Are you paying attention this time?”

“I was paying attention the last time, thank you very much.”

“Yeah, sure you were...”

I feel a wave of heat spread through my body.Ugh…snap out of it, girl.

“What do you call the recessed area within a wall or a room?”

“A niche.”

He frowns as he looks over my notes and says, “I thought that was called a nook. Are you sure you wrote this one down correctly?”

“Gimmie my notebook,” I say, snatching it off the table. I read over more words – upholstery, settee, patina and—

“Zimyra?”

“Yes?” I answer, purposely not looking at him because he’s already overwhelmed my senses with his fineness. My cheeks can’t get any redder and my heart can’t race any faster.

He says, “Would it be wrong of me to say I like spending time with you?”

My goodness.I was wrong. I know my cheeks are redder, and my heart is beating so fast, so loud, he should be able to hear it.

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