Sweet Chemistry Read Online Free PDF Page B

would spark something inside him again, but no one did.
    During Sunday dinner, Jeff was a complete ass.
    “It’s not funny, Jeff.”
    “No, not funny. Ironic. Leave it to my hermit brother to finally go out and find the only woman he can’t have.” Jeff laughed.
    “Thanks a lot. What am I supposed to do?”
    “What do you want to do?”
    “I want her. She’s all I can think about.”
    “Well then, I guess you’re fucked.”
    Heather put her fingers on her husband’s lips. “James, don’t give up on her. Have you actually asked her if she’s dating that Tim guy?”
    “You told her?” James scowled at his brother.
    Heather shook her head. “No, I asked him. You didn’t come over last Sunday, so I knew something was up. Well? Have you asked her?” She raised an eyebrow.
    “No,” James admitted sadly. “She wouldn’t answer my phone calls, and now…You should see the way they are together. He calls her ‘Katie.’ It makes me sick.” He shook his head. “I wonder if he knows.”
    “Knows what?” Jeff peeled his mouth away from Heather’s hand.
    “That she cheated on him, with me.”
    “Bro, he’s not your friend, you don’t owe him anything. If she really was with him when you two hooked up, she’s not the kind of girl you should even be wasting your time on.” Jeff dusted his hands together to emphasize his point.
    “I know.” James rested his forehead on the dining room table. She didn’t seem like that kind of girl, but his perception and reality were obviously miles apart.
    * * * *
    James’ students were restless Monday afternoon, and when he passed the exams around, they all voiced the same question. “Where do we write our names?”
    “No names. Student ID numbers.” He beamed while they frowned. “They’re on your ID cards. I like to keep an open mind while I grade.”
    The truth was, he was painfully aware of the bias he might have toward Kate, but if he could grade his biochemistry exams using ID numbers, it would be better for everyone. His intro class was a different story. He used ID numbers and names for the ease of handing them back.
    While his students worked, James sat behind the desk and graded their lab notebooks. Thirty minutes in, he started a pile of completed exams. A few minutes later, he looked up from his work and into Kate’s face. She licked her lips. His heart jumped a beat. She had done that the night they were together. He held his hand out, waiting expectantly for her to turn in her exam, and when she finally did, she caressed his hand with hers.
    He was grateful for the position of his desk because it shielded his body, which was beginning to betray him. His eyes flicked to where Tim sat, to see if he was watching them. He wasn’t. Was she flirting with him? If she was, Tim was oblivious to it.
    James cleared his throat. “Thank you, Miss Rhodes.” He still couldn’t bring himself to call her by her first name for fear his voice would betray his feelings. He put her exam on top of the others and then moved a stack of notebooks on top. He watched her spectacular ass walk away and attempted to adjust his uncomfortably tight pants.
    Grading took him two days. There were a few exams that stood out from the rest, Angelica, Tim and Kate. It turns out Kate would’ve excelled without his bias. She was brilliant.
    When he handed them back, Kate and Tim compared their scores and talked quietly. The mood in the classroom was a mixture of excitement and disappointment, except for Kate, who seemed prepared for her score. He wanted to congratulate her during lab, but never got the chance to get her alone.
    * * * *
    Like a fool, James went to Addiction Saturday night. He sat at the bar in his spot and flagged down the bartender.
    “Your usual?” The bartender asked pulling a glass out from under the counter.
    James scoffed. He was nothing if not predictable.
    The bartender began to gather ingredients. “She’s already here.”
    “Who?” His heart pounded