I nodded. “Yeah, she was at N.A.S.A. It’s why Shepherd brought her on for baseball science or whatever it is. It’s all he could come up with. Marnie was a rocket scientist,isa rocket scientist. Well, an astrodynamicist.”
“Holy fuck. What’s she doing with you? You can’t even pronounce it!”
I shot him a wry look, though he wasn’t wrong. “She’s not with me… yet.”
“Have you spoken to her?”
“Not exactly,” I cringed with a head shake and quickly explained the slap. Stone’s jaw dropped further with each revelation, until I could see the whole length of his very pink tongue. “I’ve been texting her this week but she hasn’t replied to any of them. I need to talk to her before that rookie gets in to see her.”
“Dude, she’s here. Ace said he ran into her, remember?”
My eyes widened. “Yes, he did fucking say that, didn’t he?”
Stone lifted his hands in the air and trapped me with a hard stare. “What are you waiting for? Go.”
He didn’t need to tell me twice. I took off quickly, heading down the corridor and only slowing down to take the left at the stairs. It took a second before I realized someone was ahead of me.
It was another second before I realized that someone wasmysomeone.
Fuck.
“Marnie.”
She spun around, her green eyes locking onto mine. Her jaw tensed just before she shot right and slammed whatever door she’d gone through.
Turned out, it was her office.
This was already going much better than expected. And this time, I was going to learn to duck.
I calmly walked the rest of the way, and stood outside. Dr. Marnie Matthews,PhDwas carved into a plaque on the door, above which I knocked hard.
After ten seconds, it was clear she wasn’t going to open the door so I tried the knob, only to find it locked.
Not sure why, but it made me smile.
I knocked again.
Nothing.
“Marnie, I know you’re in there. I saw you go in.”
Silence.
“Star, please,” I tried again. “I really want to talk to you.”
“Well I don’t want to talk to you. Go away.”
I held in the chuckle that bubbled up because I didn’t think she’d find my amusement amusing. I’d forgotten how stubborn she could be. “Can’t do that I’m afraid, Star.”
Still nothing.
My fist pounded out a slow beat on the door that matched my heartrate. She lasted less than a minute before it flew open.
Jeez-zus.
Like last week, I was unprepared for the onslaught of emotions, nor for the way my body reacted to having her stand in front of me.
My throat constricted. My chest seized. Blood raced to my dick.
