Worth It In The End Ch 02

"So how long have you been working with Charles?" Stefan asked me, leaning toward me across the table. We were tucked into a booth at the back of a small Italian restaurant a few blocks from the university. I had never managed to get a table in this place before, and was vaguely amused at the way he had charmed the hostess into placing us at a table without waiting. This garnered a few hate-filled glares from other customers who had obviously been there for a while waiting for a table. I was delighted.

"This is my second year with him," I answered, taking a sip of wine. A droplet escaped my lips, and I licked the side of the goblet to save the white tablecloth. I glanced up at him, wondering at his silence, and found the same look on his face that was there on the train, his eyes intent on my mouth. A knot gathered in my lower abdomen and butterflies broke loose in my stomach. Aw damn, and I was just getting used to being around him, I thought. Suddenly he seemed to shake himself, bringing his eyes back up to mine. A small smile graced his full lips.

"You are very lucky to work under the tutelage of such a brilliant man," he said, his accent thickened by an emotion lurking behind the calmness in his voice. His voice was slightly hoarse, and the rough sound of it caused my abdomen to tighten further. I stared at him, my lips slightly parted, and watched as he took a sip of his own wine, licking his lips as he savored the taste. My eyes, just as his had been, were drawn to his mouth. I gulped.

Thankfully, our waitress decided to arrive with our food at that moment. I tore my eyes from his lips and looked down at my hands. I thanked the waitress, and unraveled my silverware, taking care with placing the napkin in my lap. Why the hell am I so affected by him? Sure, he's gorgeous, but so are a lot of men. Granted, none of them look at me quite like that, but still... I thought to myself, shaking my head slightly to clear it of the encroaching fog of arousal. Taking a deep breath, I looked up at him. He was still looking at me with the same intensity in his eyes, only his lips were curved into a smile that made me wonder if he could read my mind.

"Bon appétit," he said softly, raising his glass to me in a toast. I picked up mine with a surprisingly steady hand, and raised it to him. As I took another sip, I hoped the alcohol would serve to calm my fraying nerves. The tension was beginning to be unbearable, and I raked my mind frantically for something to say. Fortunately, he beat me to the chase, asking me about my thesis. I latched onto the subject, grateful for something to talk about that could not allow me to think of anything sexual.

The lunch passed relatively uneventfully after that. His eyes became calm again, and so did my nerves. Conversation flowed easily between us. I discovered that he was a charming, interesting, and disarmingly funny man, as well as brilliant. He told me stories of his and Beauchamp's time working together in Switzerland, where Stefan was from, and even some about his college days in the same country. I found that he was only a year or two older than I, and found it amazing and a little unfair that he had managed to become so well-known in the field so quickly. Some minds just can't go unnoticed in the world. His was one of them.

All too soon, the lunch was forced to conclude. I looked down at my watch and for the second time, yelped upon reading the time it displayed. I had my first small group session in just ten minutes. My record as a TA, as well as my thesis, needed to be spotless to allow for graduation and a successful application to a PhD program in the competitive field I had chosen, and so far I had never been late to a class. I looked apologetically across the table at Stefan.

"You have to go?" he asked. The expression of sadness in his eyes made me wonder if he had felt the same connection as I had felt with him. However, duty called. No matter how badly I wanted to stay here and talk to him, I had to leave.

"Yes... I have to go teach," I explained. I reached for my purse to get my wallet.

"No, let me get this," he said, his big hand resting lightly on my arm, arresting my motion. The warmth spread through my body again, and the tightness returned to my abdomen. Damn, if he makes me feel like this with an innocent touch to the arm...I thought, but stopped the train dead in its tracks again. I had realized earlier that there was no way that I could allow anything but friendship to occur between us if he was to help me with my thesis. Even so, it would be impolite to refuse his offer.

"Thank you," I said, smiling warmly at him. His eyes darkened and flicked down to my mouth, and back up to my eyes. Shit, he's got to stop looking at me that way, I thought. I gave him one last parting smile, and then grabbed my purse. "I'll see you later," I said, and got up and walked out the door. I felt his eyes on me the whole time.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As soon as I got into teacher mode, I was okay again. Having regained emotional equilibrium within the classroom, I managed to reflect on the events of the morning from an even keeled perspective. There was no question in my mind that the man I had met this morning was an incredible individual. He was intelligent, kind, funny, not to mention insanely gorgeous... and with that, very dangerous. Dangerous in the sense that I did not trust myself around him—at all. Fate had dealt an interesting hand for me in one of the most crucial years of my graduate school career. She tossed this devastatingly handsome man in my path right at the moment in which I needed most to be focused on the task ahead.

Bringing the class back into order from talking about the quiz they had just taken, I finished out the hour answering their questions. This group had always been good at coming up with the difficult questions, so my brain had enough food to chew on without Stefan invading my thoughts. I was grateful for the respite.

Sooner than I would have thought, it was time for me to go home. I exited the building, inhaling the brisk breeze that was the harbinger of winter. I wrapped my arms around myself, the breeze cutting through my thin sweater, and headed for the train stop. I looked forward to a quiet evening at home with my cat and books and some soup for dinner. After a day like today, I had a lot to think about.

Stepping into the final crosswalk that separated me from my destination, I saw a familiar, be-suited figure leaning against the train stop. Thankfully, Stefan didn't appear to have seen me, as he was looking at something on his phone. I wondered vaguely if he had been waiting for me. However, as he looked up, I saw surprise splay across his features upon perceiving me. He pocketed the cell phone and waved at me. I returned his wave, and went up to him.

"Fancy seeing you here," I said, giving him a smile.

"Likewise. How was the rest of your day?" I searched his eyes for any sign of the previous intensity, but found nothing but polite curiosity. The image of him as a caged animal came back, and I blushed.

"It went well. I taught my class, gave a quiz which they weren't very pleased about, and then answered some questions," I said. I was feigning my casualness. His gaze was gaining in depth, the restraints of the cage breaking, and as a result my abdomen began to quiver. I quickly looked away in case my body decided to melt right from underneath me.

"That sounds like a very nice day, indeed," he said softly. "I had a similar day... gave a few lectures and met with colleagues. I miss this university. It's been far too long since I've been here, it seems."

"I thought you went to college in Switzerland?"

"Oh, I did. I did my post-doc work here, though," Oh great, so he's Dr. Boussevic already at the age of twenty-seven? "But I'm not one of those people who insist on being called by the prefix 'doctor' though... at least not yet. It still hasn't sunken in. I feel too young for that," he said, grinning at me. I found myself wondering once more if he was reading my mind.

"Oh... I can see that," I said. As soon as I did, I felt foolish. To my surprise, he grinned wider, and then looked down at his wristwatch.

"Our train is coming, I think," he said, looking around down the tracks. Sure enough, the long, gray commuter train rumbled into view. He paused at the door, letting me in first. As I stepped past him, I caught another whiff of his exquisite cologne. So sexy. I walked to the first available window seat and sat down, looking immediately out the window, hoping to distract myself from his presence. He sat down directly across from me. Thank the lord he didn't choose to sit next to me. I don't know if I could handle breathing in his cologne for an hour and a half.

"I am so exhausted," I said, leaning my head against the headrest and closing my eyes. Well, partly closing my eyes. I watched him slyly from beneath my lashes to see how he would take my neck being bared for his inspection. Sure enough, his Adam's apple bobbed visibly as his darkened eyes slid down my neck. Ok, I decided, so he's definitely attracted to me. His stares weren't just out of morbid curiosity. The thought pleased me. I liked that this man who was so confident and sure of himself would feel disconcerted in my presence.

"Are you planning a quiet evening in, then?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Yes, I was going to curl up in bed and read until the words get blurry," I said, lifting my head up and smiling directly at him. I got a rather strained smile in return, and the pleasure of seeing his Adam's apple bob once more.

"That does sound nice," he said, clearing his voice. That was the last thing he said about that, and so after a little bit I took my iPod out and plugged into the world of music.

I must have dozed off, because next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by a gentle yet insistent hand on my shoulder. Woozily, I pulled the earbuds out of my ears and looked to see who had awoken me. It was Stefan.

"Your stop is next," he informed me. He was sitting next to me now. For some strange reason I felt like leaning up against his broad chest and going back to sleep. The scent of his cologne invited me to do so. Contrary to my wishes, I sat up straight and put my iPod away, getting ready to get off the train.

"Thanks for waking me," I said. "I would have been so pissed if I had to sit on the train for another hour."

"I figured as much. So I will see you tomorrow then. Have a nice evening," he said. Again, as I stepped out of the train, I felt his eyes on me.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning, I took the later train and slept in an extra two hours. I woke up feeling fresh and rejuvenated and decided to put some more effort into my appearance today. Out of my limited grad-student wardrobe, I chose a nice green v-neck cable knit sweater that highlighted my hazel eyes, and my good pair of dark wash jeans. I looked in the mirror and fluffed my long, brown hair so that it fell in its loose curls around my shoulders and down my back. I put the slightest bit of blush on my cheeks, just so that I would look pretty without seeming as though I was trying too hard. I am trying pretty hard though... but to do what? Stefan obviously doesn't need me to dress nicely to think I'm pretty. Oh well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, eh? I shrugged at my reflection in the mirror, smiling lightly.

I stepped into the train and sat down in my habitual place, put in my headphones, and zoned out. My thoughts were drawn to Stefan once more, and I wondered if I would see him again today. He wasn't on the train, so I figured he must have gone to the university earlier. I leaned back and closed my eyes, sinking down into the music.

My day passed uneventfully. I taught one class, and then went to the library in the afternoon to work on my thesis. I headed up to the stacks and sat down in my usual study carrel. Working steadily, I wrote two pages. When I looked at my wristwatch, I found that three hours had passed. Woah, time for a break... I needed a couple of different books anyway. I headed down the stairs to the floor that held the neuroscience books. As I pushed to open the door, somebody on the other side pulled at the same time. I collided head-on with a very tall man, my nose pressing into his chest. I got a strong whiff of a familiar scent, and felt myself get light-headed. I stepped back rapidly.

"Woah, I'm so sorry!" I said looking up at Stefan's amused face. I reached down to pick up the books that I had dropped. He stooped down to help as well, and I found myself nose-to-nose with his smile.

"That's quite alright. I had just been wondering if I was going to run into you today. No pun intended, by the way..." he chuckled softly, handing me the final book. "Thanks for helping me with the books," I said as I straightened up. On my way up, I noticed that he was wearing another beautifully cut suit, only today had opted for a more casual messenger bag which was slung across his strong, broad shoulders. I bit my lip, wondering what it would feel like to be pinned beneath his strong body. Indubitably, my face was suffused with blush.

"No worries," he said easily. I saw his eyes giving me the once-over. From the expression on his face, I gathered that he enjoyed what I was wearing. When his eyes met mine again, they were dark and intense. However, unlike yesterday, there was now a hunger in them. I immediately perceived that I had just become the object of his pursuit... more than just someone attractive to look at. I gulped at his stare. I suddenly became very aware of how alone we were. I sensed a subterranean shift within, and I realized that no matter how hard I tried to resist, it was futile. I found myself giving him back the same look he was giving me, finally allowing myself to undress him with my eyes. The air surrounding us fairly crackled. I watched, stuck in place, as his hand came up as if to cup my face, and then dropped. He seemed to shake himself mentally, and cleared his throat. "Well, I'm sorry I interrupted your passage into the library," he said, his accent thicker again.

"No problem..." I said. I unstuck my feet from the ground and began to walk around him to the door, anxious to get out of the cramped corridor.

"Hey... listen..." he said, and then broke off. I stopped at the sound of his voice. He ran his hands through his hair. The hallway was filled with the combined scent of his cologne and shampoo. It was intoxicating.

"What?"

"Do you... are you..." he took a deep breath. "Do you want to have dinner with me tonight?"

I gaped. Was this really happening? Could dinner lead to... other things? I swallowed.

"I'd love to," I managed to croak out.

"Great," he smiled widely at me, visibly relieved. "Since it's almost six now, and it looks like you want to do more work, how about I meet you outside at seven thirty?"

"That sounds lovely," I said. To my intense surprise, he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. When he pulled back, he wore an impish grin that said he couldn't help himself.

"I'll see you then," he fairly whispered into my ear, his tone thick with suggestion. He was a lot closer than I remembered. His proximity made me shiver. Then he was gone.