From That Moment (3 page)

“Well, thanks for letting me know.” Lia glared at him. If she could have spat at him, he was sure she would have. Her nostrils flared slightly as she breathed in and out.

What the hell is wrong with me? I know how to work women.

“I’m sorry, I meant you look good.” He felt himself turning red. 

Lia looked even more annoyed. “I’m going to read at the library.” She stood up and stuffed the papers into her bag, wrinkling some in the process. “Excuse me,” she said. He was blocking her exit.
She looks so cute.

“Wait.” He stood up and put his hand in front of her. It landed on the curve of her waist. She stopped suddenly, her eyes wide. He felt her tremble slightly. Her eyes softened and he saw her lips part.

He felt himself getting excited. A tingling and warm sensation filled his body, and his breathing turned shallow and rapid. He leaned in towards her, struggling to resist her irresistible pull on him. They stood together, his face close to her face, his arm barely touching her waist.

“Let me go.” She pushed his hand away, and he watched her walk away. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her perfect little butt. Colin stared at the door after it slammed shut behind her. His body felt heavy and cold.

CHAPTER THREE

Colin couldn’t work anymore. Thinking about Lia frustrated him to no end, and he didn’t seem to know what to say to make things normal between them. He slammed down his paper and picked up the lab phone next to him to call his friend Noah. 

“Hey bro, you wanna meet at Ernie’s?” 

Forget introductions and pleasantries.

“Uh yeah, okay, why not?” His laid back mathematician friend was always up for a beer. He said it helped him think more creatively.

Colin combed back his hair with his hands, and smoothed his shirt.
Not that there’s anyone to impress at Ernie’s, but what the hell.

He stood up, his tall 6’4’’ frame filling the doorway as he walked out of the lab. He was a catch, he knew that, but he had yet to have a long-term relationship with a woman. It was all fun and games for him. 

He stepped out into the warm air, breathing in the fresh air. Ernie’s was the local grad student dive bar, conveniently only a block from lab. Colin walked up the familiar steps, looking to the right as he opened the door.

“Hey Turtle.” Colin slapped the bouncer’s shoulder.

“Hey man, what’s up? Any chicks with you tonight?” Turtle knew every patron’s love history, and made sure to keep up to date on the latest happenings. 

“Nah, just me and Noah tonight.”

“Keepin’ it low key, good.”

“I still owe you a game man, maybe later?” Colin and Turtle had a friendly rivalry at the pool table. 

“Sure thing, brother.”

Colin’s eyes adjusted to the dark atmosphere inside the bar. The place smelled of old beer and unbathed graduate students. 

I don’t think Lia would like it here. Ugh, why am I thinking about her again?

“Hey Colin, wassup?” Noah came up behind him, hitting him a too hard on his back.

He was kind of skinny, but muscular. He didn’t realize his strength sometimes. 

“Ouch man, don’t kill me now.” Colin laughed. They were the most unlikely friends, just judging by appearances. Colin was tall and drop-dead gorgeous; Noah was skinny and barely broke 5’8”. Colin teased him about his pretty hair; Noah had shiny brown hair that any girl would envy.

“Beer.” Noah didn’t need to say more than that. 

At the bar, Chad the bartender was busy mixing up some Long Island Ice Teas for a group of women. 

“Hey boys, you want one too?” Their ringleader looked pointedly at Colin, licking her lips and flicking her shiny blond hair. Noah nodded. “Go for her, she’s hot.”

“Sure, I’ll take one.”
Why not? I need some fun.

Chad winked at Colin knowingly and gave him a furtive thumbs up. He handed the drink to the blonde woman, and she sauntered over to Colin. “I’m Krystal.” Her blue eyes looked straight at him. “Colin,” he said. She handed him the drink and clinked her glass against his. “Cheers.” He gulped down the strong drink. The alcohol hit him immediately. Krystal wiped his mouth with her manicured fingers, sucking on them. “Yum.” Colin was surprised that he didn’t feel anything when she did that. 

Krystal grabbed his hand. “Come.” She pulled him over to a couch in the corner. “Sit down.” Colin sat, and his eyes followed her long legs in tight jeans all the way to her large chest in a sparkly halter top. Krystal opened her legs and kneeled onto the couch, straddling him. She licked her very full lips.

Colin put his hands on her behind, expecting to feel aroused. Nothing. He felt cold. Krystal was heavy on his lap, and he just wanted to get up.

“I should go.” Krystal resisted as he tried to remove her. “Come on, cutie pie. You know you want this.”

“No.” He looked at her. Krystal’s eyes narrowed. “Fine.” She stood up quickly and walked back to her friends. “Wet blanket,” he heard her say and her posse burst out laughing.

Colin went back to Noah who looked puzzled. Chad gave him a questioning look.

Noah’s eyes widened. “Dude, why?”

“Yeah, she’s hot, but I don’t know, I’m not feeling it.”

Noah shrugged. “So what’s up man?”

“It’s weird. There’s this girl. I knew her from before, but it was at my college graduation party. She was a freshman crashing our party, and totally drunk off her ass. Lots of things happened, but we never kept in touch or anything.”

“Uh huh.” Noah’s eyes widened. 

“So turns out she’s my mentee in lab, Dr. P just introduced her to me.”

“Shit, no way, what are the odds?” As a Math major, Noah was probably calculating the odds in his head.

“It’s been so weird. I think she hates me for some reason —”

“And you’re stuck working together...Yeah that blows.”

Colin felt relieved. Just telling someone about it, made things seem better. 

“Do you like her?” Noah wasn’t letting this go.

“Eh, she’s okay.” Colin looked to the side. This was too personal, he wasn’t going to embarrass himself.

“Just okay?” Noah smiled. 

“Yup.”

No she’s not just okay. She’s got long legs and a perfect butt and the most gorgeous green eyes and she smells so good.

“How ‘bout you man, anything new?”

Noah took a slow sip of his beer and paused. “Well actually yes. I did meet this girl at a party a couple nights ago, and she’s great.” His face was beaming.

“Oh really?”

“She’s really cute, and a medical student, so sexy you know?” 

“Does she like you?” Colin wanted to make sure his friend was grounded in reality. Noah had a track record of friendships masquerading as love. Girls felt safe around him.

“Well she kissed me.”

“Damn. Well dude, be careful.”

“I know.”

“Don’t fall too hard too fast. Women are fickle creatures, and just as you most need and love them most, they disappear.”

Noah looked at Colin sympathetically.

“Colin, I know how hard it is for you to trust women after what your mom did. But Anu is not like that, I promise.”

Colin felt his chest tighten. His friend had called him out and he was right. Hearing about his mom made him tense up. 

“Have you ever figured out where she went after she left you guys?”

“All I know is that she is somewhere in the woods with some hippie guy. Never calls.” 

Colin’s head felt like it was going to explode. He grabbed his beer mug and chugged the rest of his beer. The cold beer soothed him as it went down. Soon his memories would be fuzzy.

“Colin. Don’t you think you should get some help man?” Noah was a touchy-feely therapy-going guy, and not ashamed of it. 

“I’m fine.” He stood up. “Let’s play a round.” He stumbled a bit as he headed for the pool tables. 

*************

Lia’s steps were brisk as she crossed the Longfellow Bridge spanning the Charles River. The lights of the buildings reflected off the glassy dark surface. She walked and walked without stopping. The events of that evening were playing over and over in her head. If she stopped, she would be too overpowered to move.
Go go go
. 

Their touch at the end had lingered too long. Was it just her imagination? Was she the one who hadn’t wanted to let go? Such a brief connection, but so powerful. She thought back to their first meeting at the graduation party. She had seen him across the room, looking intently at her. Those brown eyes that made her melt inside.

“Hold me,” she had asked Colin and he had wrapped his strong arms around her. They had swayed to the music, her head resting against his strong chest.  His hand had stroked her hair and the thumping of his heart had calmed her. That moment of connection had eased the pain she had been feeling since her dad had died.

His smell, his comforting smell. The strength she had needed.  They had talked about everything. He understood her. He was the first person she had really talked to about her dad. “Right after my dad died, I would drive around in my car and scream at the top of my lungs so that no one could hear me.” He had held her hands and comforted her with his eyes.

Too many drinks had loosened her inhibitions, and Lia had made a complete fool of herself that evening. Her chest felt tight as she remembered Colin’s look. Now the memory of that evening was seared in her mind as the most embarrassing moment of her life. Since then, she had taken full control of her behavior. All emotions were packed away, deep inside her. Never again.

And now, what am I supposed to do?
She thought of Colin, that hair, those piercing eyes, his muscular wide shoulders. She had lost control around him once; would she be able to keep herself under control this time?
Maybe it’s that clean, fresh manly smell.
She just wanted to bury her head in his strong chest, his arms wrapped around her protectively. She thought of their encounter in lab, earlier that evening. His confident demeanor had been replaced with awkward conversation and surly once-overs.
He hates me, probably because of what happened at the party. I wouldn’t like myself either, if I were in his shoes. 

Without realizing it, Lia had made it all the way to the Boston Public Garden.  The silent darkness engulfed her. Her heart was beating rapidly. She wanted to go back home to Gianna’s warm and cozy apartment. Why did I come out here?

“Hey, pretty girl,” the voice came from below. A homeless man, lying on a dingy sleeping bag, shone his flashlight right into her eyes. “Come here.” Lia’s heartbeat was racing. Her leg muscles tightened and she bolted into the dark, unable to see.
I have to get to the T, I have to get to the T.
She ran aimlessly until her eyes recovered from the intense light. Her body relaxed when she saw the familiar sign of the T. 

Time to go home.
Lia got on the train and breathed a long sigh of relief as she stared at her reflection in the pitch black windows. She saw a vulnerable girl, who had no one to protect her. A girl who longed to be held and soothed like a hurt child. 

It was almost midnight when Lia quietly opened the door to Gianna’s apartment, but Gianna was sitting at her desk, painting. 

“Hi there. You’re back late.” She looked up, her reading glasses perched low on her nose. Her expression was neutral; she trusted Lia to do the right things at her age.

“Yeah, I went for a walk.” Lia plopped herself down on the couch. “What are you doing?”

“Oh just painting something for the bistro, I felt that we needed to change up the decor a bit.”

“You are a superwoman, Gianna. Most women your age are retiring, and here you are working as hard as ever.”

“It’s not work, I enjoy this.” 

“Well I’m going to bed, I’m beat. Do you have any plans tomorrow morning?”

“Just my routine six month check up, then the usual.”

“Okay, well let me know how that goes. Please text me.”

“Don’t worry Lia. I’m fine. Look at me.”

Lia went over and kissed her aunt on the cheek, peeking at her painting. It looked like an old house. She would ask her about it when she was done.

“Good night, Gianna.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Lia walked into the lab, her resolve strong.
I’m going to get my work done, distractions be damned.
It was already 9 a.m., but the lab was a ghost town.
I guess everyone is enjoying the nice morning at home.
It was probably the last warm day of summer; the forecasters were predicting rain in the 50s over the weekend. 

She sat down and started reading, taking notes on her iPad. She was so engrossed in her reading that she didn’t notice that the lab was filling up. By the time she got to the last paper in her stack, almost everyone was in lab. Top 40 Music was blasting out of the radio, and Lia looked up as she heard Lady Gaga singing. 

“Working hard?” Colin stood behind her. He was dressed up today, wearing pressed khakis and a blue button-up shirt. His hair was combed to the side, still wet from the shower. 

Lia had a vision of kissing his just-shaved cheeks, then moving onto his round lips.
Stop!
She felt the redness creeping up on her face.

“Colin? I’m done. Reading the papers, I mean.”
Is that all I can say?
She cleared her throat. “Should we go over my project or something? I need to know what I’m supposed to work on.”
This is so weird.

Colin swallowed. “Oh right, yes.” 

He pulled up his chair next to her, and reached over to his desk to get his yellow notepad and a pen. “You’re going to continue the work where I left off in the PNAS paper.” 

“Oh the structural studies of the transporter? Yeah, I thought there were some next steps that I could work on.” Lia felt much more at ease, discussing neutral technical matters. The knot in her stomach loosened.

“Oh yeah? What are your ideas?” Colin looked genuinely interested. Now they were two scientists talking shop.