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One denim-clad leg seems to be tucked underneath her, the other bouncing on the floor under her desk. Her blond hair is piled in a haphazard knot atop her head, though a few strands have fallen loose and frame her face. Dark-rimmed glasses rest on the bridge of her small nose, magnifying her dark brown eyes. I’ve never thought of glasses as attractive before, but damn, on her, they really work. Coupled with that messy hair and faint blush, she looks, well, like she’s just finished a workout, and not the kind you get at the gym.
The woman isn’t doing anything but typing, yet she’s positively captivated by the screen, which captivates me. Until this moment, I never realized just how attractive such intensity could be. But standing here, watching her face alight by the words appearing on the screen, I have a strange compulsion to know what could hold her attention so completely.
It’s not until she starts that I realize I’ve been staring at her. The shock of seeing me causes her to gasp, and she leans as far back in the chair as it will allow, rolling it away from the desk and further into the office until she hits the file cabinet behind her with a thud.
“Who are you? What are you doing here? Why are you watching me?” The questions explode from her mouth faster than I can answer them. Her eyes dart around the office as if looking for an escape, but the only way out is past me.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I…I’m Charlie’s brother, just here to drop this off for him.” I gesture toward the envelope in my hand. “The office seemed empty, then I heard you typing and…uh.” My eyes meet hers and lock. In that instant, whatever else I intended to say fades away, but I’m too lost in her gaze to care.
Damn. The way her chest rises as she gasps for breath, her mouth slightly open, cheeks flushed, and those big doe eyes staring into mine, just…damn. She’s stunning.
Neither of us is speaking, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling a connection to her. I suppose that’s because I observed her in what was an intense moment, and seeing that made it almost intimate, which makes no logical sense but feels strangely accurate.
I can’t put into words what’s happening, I don’t fully understand it, but I’m totally content to linger in this moment of us staring at each other without having to speak. It’s exciting and comfortable at the same time, making my heart beat faster even as my breathing remains steady. What an odd mix. I like it.
“Where are your glasses?” Her voice is shaky.
I can tell I’ve given her quite the scare, which makes me want to pull her to me and promise everything is okay. I’d do it, too, if it wasn't likely to terrify her even more. Then I realize she asked me a question, only I can’t remember what it was.
“What?”
“Your glasses.” Her eyes dart to her screen before coming back to rest on my face. “Aren’t you supposed to be twins? Where are your glasses?”
“I don’t wear any. We try not to look identical.” She absorbs this, nodding absently. “Is Charlie here? There was supposed to be a staff meeting. I was going to drop this off before he left for the evening.” Jeez, I’m rambling. I take a deep breath and try again. “His car is still outside, but I didn’t see him here. Do you know where he went?”
“They all walked down the street for a drink after the meeting,” she says, waving her hand in the air as if to say the group drifted off. The gesture is nonchalant, a total contrast to the intensity of her focus. The intensity of our stare. She quickly drops her hand back to her lap. God, she’s sweet.
“They left you here?” I hope the question sounds innocent, because even though I have no right to be offended by her being left alone, I am.
“I told them to go on ahead. I wanted to write down some ideas I had before I left.”
“Must have been some pretty good ideas. You were really absorbed in your laptop.”
“It doesn’t have to be a good idea for me to get absorbed. Bad habit.” She offers a guilty smile and casts her eyes back to the screen, breaking our stare. I feel strangely empty the moment her eyes leave mine.
“What are you working on?” I try to prolong our interaction.
“Next month’s blog.”
“Can you tell me about it?”
“Um, sure. Yeah.” She seems surprised by my request, but she rolls her chair back under the desk nonetheless. I take that as an invitation and join her behind the desk, leaning against the file cabinet to get a look at her screen. She glances over her shoulder. “Does it bother you to have me looking at your screen?” I ask.
“Well, it’s just that there isn’t much to see. It’s mostly just notes.” She shrugs, sending a trace of vanilla lotion in the air. It’s a fitting scent for her.
“Notes about what?”
“The future of education.”
“So, you’re predicting the future?” I tease.
“Not me.” She smiles in response to my teasing, a brilliant, beautiful smile that’s part bashful and all genuine. “But all of us together, yeah. Everyone has thoughts about where things are going, and I’m going to compile them all and turn it into a year-long series of blogs,” she elaborates, her eyes sparkling.
“What is it about this topic that has you so excited?”
“What makes you think I’m excited?” She cocks her head, studying me.
“Your smile matches your eyes.”
