Chapter 26 - The Aphrodisiacal Properties of Intersectionality and Juxtaposition
I greeted Preston with a quick kiss. His mouth wasn't exactly designed for such short-shrift, but I was already running behind, and if I indulged in the kind of kisses his lips demanded, I'd miss our presentation altogether.
And, so, small peck it was.
Mike and Dr. Collins' last minute list of all the shit that they'd forgotten to pack up in their rush to be "on time" ran through my head, but I wasn't so distracted that I missed Preston pressing the back of his hand to his forehead in a melodramatic swoon against the door.
"What are you...?"
He hammed it up instead feigning innocence when caught, fanning himself with his other hand and affecting his best southern drawl and twang. "My stars, sugar, but you sure do clean up nice."
I looked down at myself. I couldn't exactly take credit for the burgundy dress shirt, or the black pin-striped slacks, or the cap toe derby shoes. Those were all things Laurel made me buy. But, I did take responsibility for the military tuck keeping my shirt neat, and was rather proud of the effect. My attempts at looking professional, however, stopped at getting my tie to cooperate.
"Glasses today?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said. "I lost a contact and didn't have time find my new ones."
"It looks good."
"Glad one of us thinks so." I began searching for the power cord to Dr. Collins' projector.
"Need my help?"
"No, just need to find this..." I'd already torn the office apart looking for it, and found no sign of it. I was halfway through my second search when Mike shot me a text saying that it had been in his laptop case the whole time. Fucking wasted fifteen minutes that I didn't really have on that damn cord.
I was already developing a headache.
"This presentation got you that rattled?"
"Mike and Collins have me rattled." I massaged my temples. "I was doing great on time until Mike called this morning about some shit he forgot to do and begged me to come in early. Now, I'm the one running behind."
He paused. "I thought the presentation wasn't until 2."
"But, that's in half an hour."
He cocked his eyebrow. "And where is it?"
"In the next building."
"Relax, Indie," he said. "You're freaking yourself out." He cupped my face between his hands and rose up on his tip-toes to kiss me until I did as he asked. I gave in, pulling him in close, and swept my tongue past his lips. I was reluctant to let go of the cute little distraction when he pulled back.
"Here," he said, picking up the ends of the black tie hanging loose around my neck. "Lemme handle that." Preston's nimble fingers deftly tied a knot. "Four-in-hand," he said, referring to the knot. "And good choice on the skinny tie."
"Thanks," I said and adjusted the tie, another item Laurel made me buy. I still considered myself lucky; Laurel had picked out nearly everything in her fiance's wardrobe. I was irked at Mike enough that I'd thought about convincing Laurel that he needed more clothes.
Preston looked at my wrist. "You're still wearing that thing?"
I glanced down at the Brazilian wood bracelet that had been hidden by my shirt sleeve. Preston had given it to me as a joke really, and I'd only worn it for kicks the first time. The rectangular dark wood beads, each featuring a tiny image of a not-so-attractive Virgin Mary, with little round spacers between looked interesting, even if I did recognize that wearing the bracelet bordered on cultural appropriation.
I fully expected a lecture from Dr. Collins when he noticed it a couple days ago. However, when I handed the bracelet over for his inspection, he started laughing.
"Margaret Mead," he said. "It's not La Virgen de Guadalupe. It's all pictures of Margaret Mead."
He pulled a copy of
Male and Female
, Mead's mid-century comparative study of sex roles, and pointed out her picture on the back. I looked back at the bracelet. Yep, Margaret Mead painted as the Virgin Mary, her veils flowing in all their Georgia O'Keeffe'd glory.
Cultural appropriation
AND
blasphemy!
I hadn't taken off the bracelet ever since.
"It's my good luck charm," I told Preston. I turned around to start looking for the rest of the shit Mike and Dr. Collins forgot. As I set them on the corner of my desk, Preston neatly packed them into my satchel.
"Are you leaving in your piercings?"
"All of them," I smirked. "One of the other professors 'helpfully' suggested that I take them out."
"And, you're leaving them in." He grinned wickedly. At least
he
got it. "Why not pull your hair back so your ears will be more visible?"
"Good idea." I fished a hair elastic out of my satchel and tied up the top half, then patiently waited while he arranged the bits in the front that always fell out to his satisfaction. He eyed me critically for a moment.
"Very nice."
I thanked him again and gathered the last of the items from the last minute list. While I slipped on my black blazer, I cast a quick look around the room in case I missed anything. "I think I got everything," I looked at my wristwatch, "with fifteen minutes to spare." I did up the buttons and dusted myself off before turning back around. "How do I look?"
"Wow...uhm..." Preston's mouth opened and closed a couple times while his eyes travelled up and down my body. "...Damn..." His honey ale eyes looked downright hungry by the time they made it up to my eyes. "Good enough to eat." He came over and slipped an arm around me as he pulled out his phone.
"Why are you taking a picture now?" I asked as he aimed it above us.
"'Cause you look hot."
"Why are you in it?"