"But you should, by definition, maximize your clients dollar per square foot. Wasting money on frills does not serve the client if that is not part of their design protocol," the young man stated.
Michael sighed, 'The intro class was so much easier,' he thought.
The twenty students in his master's level class looked up at him from their seats, waiting for a response.
The last three days had been a whirlwind. .........
Valerie and Tera had been none to happy with him early Monday morning as he stepped out of the cab in front of his flat.
What had followed was a surprisingly easy morning.
Michael had cooked them all breakfast, the first decent meal any of them had in almost 24 hours.
They talked easily about school starting that day, of Valerie's need to get an early start at the office. The innocuous chatter of people at ease in each other's company.
"I best be off," Valerie said as she stood from the table, taking her dishes into the kitchen.
"If you'll be on campus would you like to have lunch?" she asked over the sound of the water washing away the remnants of her breakfast from the plate.
"We would love to," Michael said, more than a little bit of a question in his answer as he glanced from Tera to Valerie.
"One or both, I'll be happy with either," Valerie said, as she walked back over to the table.
Her hands slid gently into Michael's hair on both sides of his head as she bent over, her lips finding his.
Michael was surprised by the passion of her kiss. Valerie's lips were soft and warm, parting as her tongue teased his in a seductive dance that ended far too quickly for Michaels taste.
"I'll see you later," Valerie said, looking into his eyes. Her statement laden with promise.
Turning she bent and gave Tera a kiss on her cheek.
Michael watched as a knowing smile passed between the two and then Valerie was grabbing her purse. Turning, she caught the keys Tera threw to her for the car Nigel had given her. The front door drifted closed behind her as she walked out into the gray dawn.
Michael sat looking towards the closed door for a moment, the after image of Valerie's auburn hair, the last bit of her to pass the threshold, burned into his memory.
Tera watched Michael as he stared at the door, smiling and shaking her head she rose and headed for the kitchen.
Rinsing off her plate she was watching as Michael's gaze moved from the door to her.
Smiling at him she said, "I'm going to get a few hours of sleep, when do you want to go to the University?"
"A few hours, it's only just after six, I feel like a run. What say we head over about elevenish?" he asked.
She stood there for a moment; he noticed her hands on either side of the sink, her long fingers splayed out on the cool umber shaded granite. The arch in her back, the way her eyes watched him, so very much like a predator sizing up her prey.
"That sounds good, do you want me to run with you before I hit the sack?" she asked.
"No, it should be fine, I got a ton of sleep yesterday and I need the exercise, with classes starting today I should be fine, you get some rest," he finished as she moved around the counter towards him.
Michael stood as Tera moved in close to him. "Be careful," she said in a soft, almost worried voice.
She looked up into his eyes from beneath her lids, in that moment she seemed young, vulnerable, he had never seen a look from her quite like it.
His hand slipped into her dark hair, his palm and fingers caressing her, he bent just a bit and kissed her.
Her lips were hot, wet, lush. Her body moved into his, forming to his chest as her hands wound around his waist.
Their kiss was short but passionate. As it broke she opened her eyes and he saw a dark, seething passion there, one he would be happy to become lost in.
Her arms released him as she stepped back. Her finger came up, pointing at him. "I mean it, be careful," she said.
Moving quickly he bent and kissed the tip of her finger, surprising her as his lips closed over it. His eyes locking with hers for an instant and then that lopsided grin of his and he was off, taking the stairs to the loft three at a time as he went to change.
Tera shook her head, breaking the spell, trying to get her breathing back to normal from the ragged cadence it had suddenly taken on.
She sat at the table, listening to him moving around above her, the flush of the toilet, him humming lightly to himself as he brushed his teeth, the little things that many people never noticed. Tera noticed them all.
He came down the stairs, again taking them three at a time.
He was wearing the thin running suit that he favored, warm against the wind but not bulky so as not to impede his movement.
Michael smiled at Tera for a moment then he was out the door.
Tera, much as Michael had done only moments before, simply stared at the closed door long after he gone.
Michael's run had two notable moments.
The first was turning the corner and seeing the wooden windows open at the rowing hut he and Tera had found last week.
There were several people milling around, moving sculls into the water at the small dock, rummaging through a large pile of oars.
Michael slowed and walked up to the door, peering inside he was comforted that boat houses such as these, no matter what side of the Atlantic they were on, never changed.
"Good morning," Michael said to the man with the clipboard who had a decidedly haggard look on his face.
"Morning, what can I do for you," the man asked, more than a little impatience in his voice.
Michael understood how it was, trying to get rowers organized and on the water was somewhat akin to herding a pack of 5th graders around an amusement park. An exercise in patience.
"Nothing pressing, I see your busy, I had heard faculty could use a scull now and then, saw you were open and wanted to introduce myself and get a bit of information," Michael said with an easy friendly tone.
"Sorry, first day back and getting everyone where they need to be is challenging, Anthony Timmons, I coach this motley crew," he said walking up to Michael and extending a hand.
"A pleasure, Michael Dane, I'm teaching a few architecture classes this term," Michael said shaking the mans hand.
