Page 30 of Crimson Promises
The vent in the corner of the room came on, and the air propelled his scent towards me. He smelled phenomenal—like that moment when you step outside after a storm, evergreen and damp earth on a crisp autumn day. I wanted to burrow myself into it.
Something about him drew me in, an invisible tether I couldn’t break. Never had I experienced such a raw attraction to someone that simultaneously made me uncomfortable. This guy exuded danger. Capable of decimating a woman’s heart rather than breaking it. I knew I should focus on the professor, take notes like before. But my desire for this alluring yet lethal stranger beckoned irresistibly, like a moth to a flame. I was powerless to resist.
Without thinking, I tucked my hair behind my ears. His gaze immediately shifted from the professor to me. Instinctively, I waved. He clutched his pen so hard it bent nearly in half, though he seemed oblivious to the ink stains now marking his hands. I chuckled, pointing to his hands until he looked down.
Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a pack of tissues, crossed the three seats separating us, and offered it to him.
“Thanks,” he said. It came out almost like a growl.
“No problem!” His grumpy attitude should have turned me off, but for whatever reason, it made me want to make him smile. I had a feeling he didn’t do that often. When he didn’t say anything else, I whispered, “Hi.”
He nodded in acknowledgment but returned his focus to the professor.
My stomach dropped.That’s it?Not even a hi back?
Sighing, I returned to my seat. The cursor blinked in front of me. All I had typed so far was “hfajdhfjakfhlakf;akfdanbjkasdhfa.”Great.I deleted the unidentifiable text and tuned back into the lecture.
“A common theme across Greek and Roman mythology is the transformation of the hero’s story. For your first assignment, you will be required to select a myth of your choosing and analyze the transformation of the hero’s story. For example, you can choose Hercules and his twelve labors. What made Hercules a hero? Was he a villain? You may use primary and secondary sources to support your opinion. However, what I am looking for mostly in this work are your thoughts. To make this a little bit more complicated, because this is a second-year course, we don’t coddle you anymore. You will be completing this assignment with a partner of your choosing. If you know someone, consider yourself lucky. If not, make sure you select someone who isn’t going to stick you with completing all the work. It will be essential for both you and your partner to discuss your opinions on the myth and present a cohesive argument.”
The lecture hall filled with unanimous groans.
“No one wants to get an assignment on their first class. I get it. But it’s due in exactly six weeks, and I’m telling you now: if you want to drop the class, you still have time to do so. Additionally, it gives you plenty of time to find a partner. The assignment is worth twenty-five percent of your grade. I’ll give you twenty minutes of class time to select a peer you want to work with. Then we will begin looking at Zeus versus Jupiter and how their similarities and differences are represented by each culture.”
I blink against the bright lights that were suddenly flicked back on.
Crap. I glance around at the vacant seats surrounding me, kicking myself for not sitting in a more populated area. Serves me right for being the perpetual loner. My only option was the smoking hot guy next to me, and I didnotwant to work with him after he couldn’t even take the time to say hi or, at the very least, wave back. Pathetic.
I leaned over in my seat, trying to get a better view of the main floor. Students wandered through the aisles like Pacman. Most people were already paired up.Maybe I can talk to the professor to see if I can do the assignment alone.
The sound of someone clearing their throat filled the space. My hope skyrocketed.Someone else on the third floor must need a partner. I craned my head over my shoulder but could not see anyone standing behind me. I whipped my head in the other direction to see none other than Mister Rudeness himself looking at me sheepishly. If he wanted to talk to me, I refused to make it any easier for him. He would have to start the conversation.
His swallow was audible.
“Hi,” he said.
I just nodded.Not so nice, is it?
He flinched.
“Do you, uh, want to be partners for the assignment?”
Now that the lights were on, I noticed a scar striking through his right eyebrow. It was a stark contrast against his cupid’s bow lips but somehow only added to his beauty. A chink in his perfected armor. My mind started inventing scenarios on how he might have got it: a bar fight, defending a woman in distress, a nasty fall when he was younger. What worried me was that I wanted to know what happened. I should want nothing to do with him. Everything about him screamed bad boy. I had kept my heart safe for all these years. I didn’t exactly want to hand it over to someone I knew wouldn’t handle it with care.
“Um…” I fiddled with the hair tie on my wrist.
“I don’t think we have much of a choice.” He gestured with his hand to the empty room. “Seems like we are each other’s only option here. And I would rather not fail this assignment. I need this class for my GPA.”
The urge to roll my eyeballs was overwhelming. My gaze drifted to the abundance of partner options on the lower floor.So close, yet so far. But he had a point. I was not about to go down there and start competing for a partner Hunger Games-style.
“Right. Makes sense. To be clear off the bat, this isn’t going to be a situation where I’m the one doing all the work. The work gets split evenly, fifty-fifty.”
He arched an eyebrow at me. “Why would you assume it would be anything otherwise?”
“No reason.” I wanted to scream: how about your lack of manners? “I’d rather be upfront about my expectations before we get started. Sometimes, guys assume that girls will do all the work for them.”
“That’s a bit sexist, isn’t it?” He tilted his head to the side.
“Exactly. Both partners should be responsible for doing the same amount of work.”
