Page 70 of The Genius
“You meanather,” Storm looked at Shelly and gave her an apologetic shrug. “I’m sorry, but you were a bit quirky.”
“I still am,” Shelly admitted without shame.
“Storm, don’t be an ass,” I muttered to him.
“I’m not, I’m just being honest. If I could remember one of her jokes you’d understand how lame they were.”
“My jokes are funny.” Shelly sat up a bit straighter, her eyes sparkling with humor. “I remember one I used when I taught you geometry. Wanna hear it?”
“Yes,” Willow said and was already laughing.
“Okay, what did the triangle say to the circle?”
“What?”
“‘You're pointless.’ And then the circle responded, ‘That's how I roll.’” The way Shelly’s shoulders were bobbing in infectious laughter had everyone laughing too. “Told you it’s still funny.”
“The only thing funny about that joke is that it’s you telling it,” Storm pointed out.
“You should take that as a compliment,” Willow told her in a bubbly voice.
Storm leaned in. “Speaking of compliments, did I tell you that Marco and I think that you are hot as hell?”
“I’m not,” Shelly objected and looked to me.
“Don’t be shy about it.” Storm grinned. “I can’t wait to see the other men when they see you at the reunion.”
Tapping my hand on my thigh, I asked a question and tried to make it sound casual. “Do you think they’re going to come on to her?”
If all went according to plan, I would be married to Louisa by then, but the thought that Shelly would be the target of other men’s attention didn’t sit well with me at all.
“If they drink enough liquid courage, they might.”
“Storm, that’s an awful thing to say,” Willow complained. “You make it sound like no sober man will want her.”
“Oh, they’llwanther all right. But just like the rest of us, they’ll be intimidated by Shelly’s brains.”
“I didn’t think Nmen got intimidated,” Shelly retorted.
“Aren’t you supposed to be fearless?” Willow asked with her brows raised and a smile on her face.
“There is a difference between being fearless and being foolish. Let’s be honest, you would never be interested in any of us, would you? I mean, we were your students and none of us can match your intelligence.”
Shelly didn’t get a chance to answer him before Storm pointed to Willow. “You, however, that’s a different story.”
“Why? Because I’m not as smart as Shelly?”
“You’re more approachable, that’s all.”
“I’m approachable,” Shelly insisted and looked to me. “Right?”
I almost choked on my beer. “Uh-huh.”
“See,” she said to Storm. “Marco isn’t intimidated by me.”
“That’s because Marco is older and wise enough to not be interested in a Motlander. He thinks you’re all too sensitive and crazy,” Storm explained, swinging his hand toward me. “With the wife I ended up with, I can’t blame you.”
“That’s not true, is it, Marco?” Willow asked with her green eyes wide. “Some of us are nice – you know that, don’t you?”
