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“But tickets sold out months ago. Professor Keating is a legend in his field of cosmology.”
Xander leans in close. “Well, being a famous actor does have some benefits.”
I blink again as he gives my hand a light tug and I follow him up the lit walkway to the entrance that has an A-frame announcing Professor Keating as the guest speaker. Excitement bubbles up in my chest at the thought of meeting this man. He’s the reason I fell in love with physics in the first place. He explained the universe elegantly and beautifully, which made me want to know more.
Xander leads me toward Annenberg Hall where the room has been transformed for the occasion. The high ceiling and the beautiful arches catch my attention, and it’s so beautiful in here that it takes my breath away but not as much as the man who made this happen.
Round tables with perfect white cloths are set up and I wonder where the long dining tables have been moved to. A space at the front has been erected as a raised stage with a microphone and an image of the man himself with the backdrop of the universe behind.
“I can’t believe you did this for me!”
Xander passes my coat off to someone behind him and pulls out my chair as I take a seat before he settles beside me and leans in close, his hand on the back of my chair.
He reaches out and tugs on one of the curls at my shoulder gently. “I’m finding that there’s a lot I’d do to make you smile like that.”
I tilt my head and cup his cheek, placing a light kiss on his lips. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He leans back and snags a glass of champagne from the passing waiter and hands it to me before pouring himself a glass of water from the table.
“Cheers.”
We clink glasses and then others at the table begin to engage us in small talk and before long I’m having a lively discussion about gravitational waves with the man beside me.
A wonderful dinner of balsamic glazed lamb and cauliflower puree is served, followed by a warm gingerbread cake with a caramel sauce. I groan at the first bite of the decadent dessert and Xander chuckles. I turn to see he’s having a fascinating conversation with Professor Edward Santini, who is head of the European Space Agency, but his eyes are on me and they sparkle with heat.
“This is so good.”
Dr. Howard Scholtz, who has been entertaining me all evening, laughs. “It is rather good, isn’t it? My wife makes it better though.”
I turn to the man beside me who I now know was one of the lead scientists at CERN until he retired a few years ago. “You’re a lucky man.”
“I know, my dear. My wife tells me every day how lucky I am.” His eyes twinkle as he speaks and it’s clear how much affection he has for her, but I don’t see her here.
“Doesn’t she like this kind of thing?”
“No, this is a bit much for her. She has trouble with her hearing and it’s overwhelming for her being around so many people.”
“I imagine it is.” We talk for a little longer and he asks about my thoughts on the Athena project. It’s mind-blowing to be surrounded by such great minds and only enhances my decision to go back to school and get my Ph.D.
“Are you having fun?”
My attention is pulled away from Dr. Scholtz by Xander, who runs his hand along my arm. “Oh, my goodness, this is the best night of my life.”
His smile is wide, and I have the overwhelming urge to kiss him for being so sweet, but I know if I kiss him now I won’t want to stop.
The look in his eyes tells me he feels it too, a simmering of sexual tension that makes me squeeze my legs together. Xander leans in and kisses my bare shoulder and I shiver. This dress is sexy, modest, and understated but the way he looks at me makes me feel naked.
As our after-dinner coffee is served, Dr. Stan Johnson, the President of Harvard steps up onto the stage. I’m glued to his every word as he talks about the long history of great minds that have studied here winding up to his introduction of Professor Keating. The applause is loud as the small man with the thatch of white hair steps onto the stage. If Einstein has a doppelganger, then surely it’s Professor Keating.
I feel a hand on my shoulder and lean back to place mine over the top as the Professor begins to speak about the Lagrange points and how Athena, the advanced telescope for high-energy astrophysics, is essentially an X-ray telescope that has been designed to study the hot and energetic universe. I’m spellbound as he speaks, my blood pumping with the thrill of potential discovery.
I applaud wildly as he finishes his speech and heads off stage to mingle with the great minds in the room. Now, more than ever before, I want to immerse myself in this life, in research and discovery of the world we live in every day.
The band begins to play and Xander stands and offers his hand with a slight bow. “Would you like to dance, Amelia?”
I place my hand in his as he leads me into the middle of other couples dancing as the soft beats of ‘Come Away With Me’ by Norah Jones plays. He brings me into his arms, his hand light on the base of my back, our hands held between us as we sway as if we’ve done this a thousand times.
