(Trust) Falling For You, page 4
The room filled with murmurs of affirmation. Yolanda rolled her eyes. “I’m ready for the next activity,” she muttered.
“Okay, we’re going to play Winner/Loser with our partners,” Joanne said. “In this game, one person will tell their Buddy about a negative memory, nothing too personal. Their partner will take their story and put a positive spin on it! See? Winners/Losers. Take turns with that.”
Samuel searched his mind for something that wasn’t too negative or too personal. But Yolanda beat him to the punch. “I’ll go first,” she said.
“Okay…”
“Once there was this grant that I applied for,” she started, “I thought if I got it, the English Department majors would get free laptops. Some of my first-generation students are also from low-income families, and the added technology would have helped them with their studies,” Yolanda finished her story with pursed lips. “I didn’t get the grant.”
Samuel narrowed his eyes. Of course she didn’t get the grant… because he had. He’d applied to the Wilson-Kramer Grant a year ago with the same aim. He, too, had low-income history majors who struggled to keep up with their studies. He didn’t know who else he had competed with because when Samuel won something, he hurried on to the next thing. The way she recited this memory told him two things: first, she knew that he got the grant; and second, she was still sore about it. Was this why she disliked him?
“Okay… a positive spin,” he murmured. “Well, like anything you lose out on, that disappointment offers a valuable lesson on how to approach the next prize, yeah? Next time, you’ll know how to follow directions better or learn what works best for professional writing situations,” he paused to think. “Are you sure you sent it off on time?”
Yolanda tilted her head to the side as she regarded him. “You’re actually serious.”
He nodded. “I am.” His advice sounded positive to him…
“Wow,” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “I teach professional writing.”
“Huh, I thought you were a literature professor.”
She threw her hands up. “I teach both, Sam. Tell me your negative memory.”
Yolanda confused him. “My positive spin wasn’t helpful enough?”
“It sounded condescending as hell,” she whispered. “Sent it off on time? Follow directions? You make me sound like one of my students.”
His face reddened. “I didn’t mean to make it sound like that, Yolanda. That’s just what I would do if I were in your shoes. I’d spend the week reviewing what I did wrong, and then I’d probably attend a grant-writing workshop.”
She stilled. “We have those?”
“Ted Hanover, at the Writing Center, has those seminars and workshops for faculty development. He sends out an email once a month.”
Yolanda’s arms loosened their tight grip across her chest as she blushed. “Oh.”
“Next time I see him, I’ll tell him to add you to the email list.”
Her face dipped as she scratched the back of her neck. “I’m already on it,” she muttered in a quiet voice.
“Huh?” Samuel leaned closer to hear her.
“I’m on his list,” she said in a clearer voice. “I started sending the emails to a spam folder a few months ago.”
He sat back and nodded. “Gotcha.”
“You go to those things?” she asked with a raised brow.
“I go to Ted because writing doesn’t come naturally to me,” Samuel admitted. “I have to practice and I take the help when I can get it.”
Yolanda’s face softened. “Oh. I see.”
He was also starting to see. Yolanda Watson held grudges like no one else he knew. That she’d let something this small root her in the past was a bit strange. “I guess I’ll describe my negative memory.”
“Go ahead.”
“I had a hard time keeping control of my Assessment Committee last semester. I had to table many of my goals because of interruptions. No one seemed like they wanted to be there, and the professors who did attend the meetings were constantly late.” When he finished, he took a deep breath.
Yolanda’s eyebrows knitted in the middle as she stared at him. When realization eventually dawned on her face, she chuckled behind her hand. “Oh my god, Sam. Are you really in your feelings about assessment criteria?” she asked. “Of course no one wanted to go to those meetings.”
“They’re mandatory,” he said in a low voice. “The committees are a part of our service to the university.”
“Shit, I know that; everyone knows that,” she said. “But between classes, departmental meetings, and office hours, those meetings are really low on my list of priorities.”
Samuel blew a frustrated sigh at the ceiling. “Is that your positive spin?”
She shrugged. “We got through it and now it’s over?”
“You were one of those late people!”
“Hey, Fox Cabin?” Joanne called out. “That doesn’t sound like TB spirit to me…”
“I’m sorry, Joanne,” Yolanda replied. “My TB Buddy and I are trying our best to be positive about TB.”
“Stop calling it that,” Samuel snapped.
“That’s what it’s called!”
Dean Craig climbed from the floor and clapped his hands. “Maybe that means we’re ready for our next TB Activity.”
Samuel was ready to throw in the towel. They weren’t ready to stare into each other’s eyes, nor were they ready to listen to one another. He was clearly dealing with a child who couldn’t take anything seriously.
Chapter Four
In an open field, sandwiched between the cabins and the tree line of Redstone’s forest, Franklin University employees waited for further TB Activity instruction. After their little outburst in the yoga room, Yolanda and Samuel made all efforts to keep their distance. He stood off by himself while Yolanda sat in the grass.
Instead of helping one another, their talks devolved into bickering. She had almost expected it, but it still surprised her how upset Samuel was about their shared committee experience. She didn’t think Assessment Criteria was that important… Unless it was the order and control Samuel needed. Judging by how he had organized her toiletries, it made sense.
“This seat taken?”
Yolanda looked up to see Julia blocking out most of the sun with a wide-brimmed straw hat. “Help yourself.”
Her friend sat beside her and ran her fingers through the thick grass. “So what was that back there?”
She shrugged. “He’s in his feelings about a committee we were on.”
“I think that was the point of the exercise,” Julia said dryly. “Did you listen to what he said and put a positive spin on it?”
Yolanda thought about it. “I guess not.”
“Hmm.”
“How did staring into Brenda’s eyes go?” Yolanda asked.
Julia chuckled. “Awkward at first, but I eventually settled into it. I learned that she had a rough summer with her parakeet dying.”
“Aww, that’s hella sad,” Yolanda said with a frown. “What was your positive spin?”
Her friend smiled serenely. “I told her that birds are really smart, and Lucas was probably smart enough to know his human was a kind woman. I’ll bet he had a lovely life with her.”
Yolanda stared at Julia. “That sounds really nice, Jules.”
She shrugged. “Losing a pet is hard. Brenda from Communications isn’t bad.”
“No, she’s not.”
“How was it staring into Sam’s eyes?”
“Easy,” Yolanda answered quickly. “He’s got pretty eyes.”
“Excuse me?”
“I can be objective.”
Julia’s smug expression was one of her more insufferable looks. To avoid it, Yolanda sought Samuel’s location. He was still on the periphery of the large group, staring at the ground. As he bent at the waist to pick up a rock, his white polo rode up his torso exposing defined oblique muscles. He examined the rock in his hands for a few moments before throwing it towards the edge of the forest. She watched as he wiped his hands on khaki pants and sighed.
She didn’t blink until Julia’s fingers snapped in her face. “Girl, I was talking to you.”
Yolanda jumped. “I’m listening.”
“Mhh-hmm.”
Thankfully, Joanne interrupted their conversation with a well-timed Hearty TB. “All right, gang, let’s hustle up for the next activity!”
Yolanda pushed herself off the ground and pulled Julia up with her. “Do you think there’s something going on between Joanne and Craig?”
Her friend nodded. “I absolutely think there’s something going on between our dean and his secretary,” she whispered. “No middle-aged adults could ever get excited about TB without fucking.”
“I think it’s kind of cute,” Yolanda said. “He’s a widower right?”
“And according to Brenda, Joanne’s divorce was finalized over the summer.”
Yolanda raised a brow. “Okay now, come through divorce. Maybe they should be the ones sharing a cabin.”
They shared a chuckle as they entered the large group. Samuel glanced over at them, but his expression was placid and brief. He dug his hands in his pockets and faced the front. She couldn’t articulate why, but that action annoyed the hell out of Yolanda. She always caught him staring at her, usually while she was having a laugh. Was he really so opposed to humor?
Craig stood beside Joanne, ready to jump in. “Okay guys, the next TB Activity is called The Human Knot. In our group of eighteen, we need to split off into three groups of six. Can everybody do that now?”
Yolanda took Julia’s hand and dragged her to the nearest clump of people. “We’re a group,” she called out.
“That’s the TB spirit, Fox Cabin,” Julia mocked.
Their small group comprised of Brenda from Communications, Sarah from English, and Dennis from Philosophy. They still needed a sixth person. Before Yolanda could point that out, Dennis called over to Samuel, who surveyed the forming groups. “Get over here, Morris.”
Samuel took his sweet time getting to the group, but once he did… he gave Yolanda another intense look. This time she didn’t feel quite as annoyed. She could have been imagining it, but his expression was almost smoldering. Or was he just angry with her? “Thanks,” he muttered.
“We’ve got groups of six?” Craig asked. “Fantastic. Now what we’re going to do is stand in a circle.” They formed circles. “Look at the person standing opposite of you.” Yolanda looked at Samuel, who stood on the opposite side of the circle, and took a deep breath. “Take that person’s hand with your left hand.” She took his hand; it was sweaty. “Now go ahead and use your right hand to take someone else’s hand.” Yolanda’s right hand connected with Sarah’s. “Now… while your hands are together, you must work together to untangle yourselves. If anyone releases a grip, your team must start over. But…” Craig made sure he had everyone’s attention. “The first team who untangles themselves is getting…”
Yolanda craned over her shoulder to look at her boss. “Getting what?”
“A bottle of champagne!” Joanne cried.
“Wait, we’re getting prizes for these activities?” Peter from Theology called out.
Craig looked mighty proud of himself. “Joanne and I came up with some nice prizes for the week.”
Well, that changes the stakes….
“You guys ready?” Joanne asked. “Can I get a ‘TB’?”
“TB!” they cried unanimously.
“Okay guys,” Dennis said. “Let’s go slow.”
“Your hat is a liability,” Yolanda said as she tried dodging Julia’s wide-brim.
“My hat is keeping me safe from the sun’s UV-rays,” Julia corrected.
“I really wouldn’t mind that drink tonight,” Brenda said.
Yolanda didn’t so much care about the champagne as she did about dominating the competition. “I’m moving in this direction,” she told her team. “Follow me, Sarah.”
As she pulled her arm over Dennis’ head, Sarah yelped. “Nope. That won’t work.”
“Hold on, Yolanda,” Samuel said. “I’m going this way.”
“You can’t go that way,” Yolanda said.
“Wait,” Julia said, ducking her head. “If you two kneel for a second, I’m going to step over your arms.”
Most of the group lowered themselves so Julia could test her theory. While connected to Brenda and Dennis, she loosened the knot slightly, giving them some breathing room. They needed to take a beat to examine where Julia had taken them, but before Yolanda could speak, Samuel twisted his body, bringing her closer to him.
“No, unwind, Sam.”
“I think if I just…” He twisted her arm before pausing. “Okay never mind.”
Brenda raised the arm connected to Dennis and safely crossed over Julia’s enormous sun hat. “Julia, this hat is a bit much.”
“This hat is fine!” Julia said, ducking.
“Okay, team,” Dennis said, in his football coach’s voice. “So now I need Morris to take Watson’s arm and loop it over Crawford’s giant hat.”
“Where’s Sarah gonna go?” Yolanda asked.
“We’ll find out,” Dennis replied.
She and Samuel raised their joined hands over Julia’s head until Yolanda’s arms crossed over her chest and she faced the outside of the circle. “Am I supposed to go this way?” she asked.
“Obviously not,” Samuel said.
She shot him a glare.
“Alright, hold on,” Sarah said with a giggle. “I’m also criss-cross applesauce.”
Her phrasing caused the group to erupt in giggles. Except for Samuel. “Let’s focus up,” he said in his teacher’s voice.
Yolanda groaned. “We’re trying to have a little fun, Sam.”
“I understand that,” he said in a measured voice. “But we have an objective.”
Her head dropped backwards as she rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
“Sam, duck under my arm,” Julia instructed. “I’m tryna see something.”
Samuel followed her directions, but twisted Yolanda’s arm. “No, that won’t work. Sarah needs to unwind herself so we can see where Yolanda goes.”
Sarah untied herself and faced the inside of the circle, but she spun Yolanda into Samuel’s solid chest. The sturdy wall of muscle almost knocked the breath out of her upon impact. A shiver went down her back as she met his warm torso. Instinctively, she looked over her shoulder at his face. His eyes met hers and his strong jaw clenched. Just seeing the small movement in his face sent a wave of arousal through her body.
WTF?
Dennis spoke up next. “Gibson is straight, but we’ve got a situation with Watson and Morris.”
You damn right there was a situation. Something about being pressed against his front was doing something to her body that she didn’t appreciate. She had been close to him in their cabin, when she was ordering him to kill a spider, but this position was quite different. She wasn’t in control.
A powerful gust of wind blew through the field, lifting Julia’s hat away from her head. Instead of letting it fly away, Julia yelped and released Dennis’ hand. Before anyone could stop her from upsetting the group’s delicate balance, Julia pitched forward and toppled them like dominoes. Dennis went down first, and Brenda followed.
Samuel fell backwards with Yolanda in his grip. She twisted just in time to land face-first on top of him. Together, they hit the grass with a hard “oomph.” Sarah was the only one who stayed on her feet as Julia crawled off Dennis. “I got that hat at Neiman Marcus,” she cried in the distance.
“We win!” Peter Leonard called out. “We win!”
Yolanda barely heard the other team’s cheers because she was in a solid trap between Samuel’s powerful arms and chest. He’d caught her as she fell upon him. They laid in the grass, face to face, breathing hard. “Are you okay?” she whispered.
His eyes darted between her eyes and her mouth. “Yes,” he said in a husky voice. “Are you?”
Let’s see… She planted her hands on his pecs, trying not to massage the firm muscles beneath her sweaty palms. Yolanda tried not to do a lot of things in that moment: Don’t touch his face, don’t look at his lips, and do NOT move your hips. “I’m fine,” she breathed.
His hands were at her ribs, but they moved downward. His heavy palms traced a slow path along her sides until they reached her hips. Yolanda sucked in a breath as she quietly followed the sensation in her mind. “I’m just gonna…” he trailed off, as he lifted her pelvis away from his.
When she realized what he was doing, her face burned with embarrassment. “Oh my god,” she said. “I’m sorry if I hurt—”
“—No,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut. “It’s fine—”
She scrambled away from him, finding safety in the grass. “Did I—”
“—Yolanda, you’re fine,” he said, sitting up.
She snuck a covert glance to his pants and noticed his discreet adjustment to the crotch as he sat criss-cross applesauce. “I’m going to help Julia find that fucking hat.”
He nodded with tightly pressed lips. “Sounds good.”
Jesus Christ… Yolanda pulled herself from the ground and went after her friend, who was chasing down a hat in the Wisconsin fields. Their team lost champagne, Julia lost her hat, and Yolanda gained a bunch of questionable feelings. Most of them made her hot in the face, her breasts heavy, and arousal uncoil within her womb.
Hearty TB, my ass.
* * *
“What did I learn today?” Samuel muttered to himself as he jotted notes on Joanne’s Daily Reflection questionnaire.
- My partner is a Leo and deathly afraid of spiders… extremely competitive
- I didn’t feel listened to during Winner/Loser
- The Human Knot game was disastrous
- I’m not sure what I’m supposed to get out of this week.
Samuel folded his paper in half and waited for Joanne to come by and collect it. He was ready to retreat into the Fox Cabin and sleep off Day Two of the retreat. This was more human interaction that he was accustomed to, and the stimulation was already exhausting him.
