Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
I nod before shrugging off my backpack and pulling out my book and notebook. Even though this is my least favorite subject, it has nothing to do with the instructor. What I’ve discovered these past couple of weeks is that Dr. Holloway is a really nice guy and easy to work with. There are a few other statistics professors in the department who have the reputation of being hard asses. Since this class is a graduation requirement for most majors on campus, it doesn’t make a difference to them if you pass or fail.
“That sounds good.”
Eyes dancing with humor, he rubs his palms together. “Then let’s get to work, shall we?”
For the next forty minutes, we go over the latest assignment in painstaking detail, making sure I understand each concept before moving on to the next problem. I actually did pretty well on this one, earning a whopping seventy-six percent. Unfortunately, that’s not going to do much to nudge my grade in the direction it needs to go.
“Does that make sense?” He glances up, searching my face for understanding.
I’ve scooted my chair around the side of his desk so we can both look at the problems together.
“I guess,” I mumble, knowing that as soon as another quiz is placed in front of me, all of the numbers and terms will blend, and the second guessing will begin.
After ten more minutes, Dr. Holloway removes his glasses and sets them on the desk. “I think we’ve tackled enough for today. I haven’t announced it yet, but we’ll be having a quiz on the material later next week. So, let’s plan on getting together at least one more time before that happens, all right?”
I nod, realizing I could hire a private tutor and study for ten hours straight and it still wouldn’t be enough.
“I have faith in you, Elle,” he says, interrupting the whirl of my thoughts.
The snort slips out before I can stop it. “That makes one of us.”
He releases a deep chuckle and the laugh lines around his eyes become more prominent. Now that I’m taking a closer look, I understand what Mike sees in him. The man is attractive in that nerdy, sexy professor type of way.
“You’ll see. All the effort you’re putting in will pay off in the end.”
I really hope so. At the moment, I’m not so sure. I’ve been spending so much extra time studying statistics, I’m starting to slack in my other classes.
It’s not a good situation.
Certainly not one I can maintain for the long term.
Dr. Holloway rises to his feet before swinging around and grabbing his leather jacket from the coat rack in the corner of the cramped office as I pack up my things, shoving them into my backpack. Once his briefcase is in hand, he moves around the metal desk before extending an arm toward the door.
“After you.”
With a quick nod, I hustle over the threshold. He follows me out, stopping to lock up. I’m tempted to take the stairwell, but he keeps up a light chatter as we head to the elevator and ride to the first floor. When I’d arrived almost an hour ago, the sun had been in the process of sinking below the horizon. A mixture of red and orange had been splashed across the skyline, creating a stunning picture. With the sun no longer shining, it’s turned dark, and the temperature has dropped.
After descending the wide stairs in front of the mathematics building, we both pause on the walkway as a slight wind whips through campus.
“Thanks again for meeting with me,” I say, ready to head back to the dorms. If I weren’t so tired, I’d return to the theater. My guess is that everyone is still hanging out there. They’ve probably ordered a couple of pizzas so they could continue practicing late into the evening.
“It wasn’t a problem,” he says, shoving one hand into the pocket of his khakis. “That’s what I’m here for.”
I shift from one foot to the other before pointing in the general vicinity of the residence halls. “I should probably get moving. I have a couple more assignments to finish up.”
As I take a step in retreat, prepared to swing around, he says, “I was just about to get something to eat. Between play practice and here, did you manage to wolf down dinner?”
My footsteps falter as I blink, parroting the word back to him. “Dinner?”
His lips quirk as I continue to stare. “I know the cafeteria on campus closes by six o’clock and it’s a little after that. I was going to grab something before heading home. Do you have any interest in joining me?”
Join him?
For a meal?
“Oh.” I nibble at my lower lip, uncertain what to do. I’ve never spent time alone with any of my professors. Off campus, that is. The exception being when he drove me home from the party. But we were only together for a few minutes. “Um...”