Cambria
Brandt stood in the doorway holding her tennis racquet, smiling at him in that
knowing way that he found so frustrating on an eighteen-year-old girl. She
always looked at him as if she could read his thoughts, which would be
disastrous for his position at the school if she really could.
“Ah,
Cambria, I hadn’t heard you come in.”
“I think
I left my book in here.” She looked past him and pointed to her fifth period
chair. “There it is.”
Smiling,
she moved past him, smelling earthy and sweat. The air around her moved. He
could practically feel the molecules rearranging themselves, welcoming her into
his space. Typically he didn’t notice what women—girls, he corrected
himself—wore, but he found Cambria’s too-short tennis skirt and tank top hard
to ignore.
Because
he couldn’t indulge in such thoughts about Cami—or any of his students—Joel
strode to his microscope. The bottle of water from the Witching Well sat on the
counter. He had forgotten about that. He picked it up, intending to throw it
away.
“I heard
your sister is getting married,” Cambria said, pausing beside him.
Joel
cleared his throat. “Yes.”
“And
that she’s going to be running the dress shop out of your grandmother’s house.”
“Yes,”
he repeated, adjusting his glasses so that he could see her better. Damn. Why
did she have to look like that? Long blond curly hair, damp with sweat. Flushed
skin. Shining eyes.
“I think
it’s so cool. All the girls love Delia’s Dress Shop. I can’t wait to see her
wedding dress. Celia is so talented.”
Joel
nodded, cursing himself for social ineptitude and his inappropriate thoughts. She’s a kid, he berated
himself. Get a grip.
Waving
her hand in front of her flushed face, she nodded at the water bottle in his
hand. “Can I have a drink? Do you mind?” She reached for it and her fingers
brushed his. Tingles shot up his arm.
Cambria
unscrewed the lid. “The water fountain on the courts is still broken.”
“Um,
that’s not—” Joel began.
But
Cambria didn’t stop to listen. “Don’t worry. I won’t put my lips on it,” she
said. Tipping her head back, she poured the water from the Witching Well into
her mouth.
The
tennis racquet, water bottle and book fell with a clatter as Cambria vanished.
