Sunday Snippet: It's Academic

Had a less than productive week after having two teeth extracted. It's strange because they really weren't difficult to remove—well, one of them ended up being a little harder than the other—but it still threw me off. I think because they were on opposite sides with one on top and the other on the bottom, which made eating a tad challenging.

I also took time away on Friday to meet my daughter so we could do early voting. Very happy to have that done! I voted to raise my taxes for the school and emergency services levies.

Work stayed busy with some cleanup on two drafts and two copy edits. I also checked changes on two proofreads. Those were kind of dropped in on the fly.

Didn't quite make a full round of my usual shows this week, but I did get through about half.

Watched another episode of Mr. and Mrs. Murder and it was one I'd seen at least part of. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Caught another London Kills and I'm liking this show. The overarching mystery of what happened to the DCI's wife folded into the two cases is interesting to me. I'm a little worried about the trainee DC. Things could go really sideways for her if she's not careful.

Enjoyed another Death in Paradise episode. I kind of feel like this is the season where Commissioner Patterson gets a lot more screen time. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I enjoy him.

Finished the second half of Silent Witness and, whoo boy, what a ride this two-parter was. I'm going to be very interested in seeing if there's any fallout from everything that went down.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from It's Academic, a novella that brings polar opposites together as a couple.

Here's the miniblurb:

Chaos and control don't mix, but Kari Pride and Thorn Summers must find a way to balance the two or drive each other mad when they become roommates. By the end of the semester, Thorn tempers Kari's sloppy habits and she makes him yield his ruthless organization for some much-needed spontaneity. When their relationship gets personal, they have to figure out how to navigate new territory.

And a preview snippet…

Thorn narrowed his eyes when his roommate retreated out into the hall.

He turned and met Markum's gaze. "Thanks for personally showing me to the dorm." A nice gesture even if the elder wanted to impress Thurston more than anything else.

Arnold inclined his head. "Your stuff will be arriving any moment." He looked upward then around the room.

Sure enough, Thorn's neatly packed boxes and suitcases appeared in the space.

Markum chuckled. "That word your grandfather asked for before he left?" He lifted his chin toward the items. "That's what it was about." With a bow of his head, he turned and left Thorne to get settled.

Happy to have his personal items without having to make several trips, he started organizing. He hung clothes and put them in the built-in dresser along the wall then broke the boxes down and stashed them in the closet to use at the end of the semester. He made the bed up and folded his towels and added them to the cubicles above the drawers along with his shower stuff. His books and other belongings were precisely laid out on the coverlet.

Taking a moment to study the shelves next to the cubicles, he rearranged a few of the stacks. "Let's see if I can do this…" And not get caught.

Practicing magick before classes began could get him into trouble. But he might as well take advantage of being a legacy student. If Thurston Summers could break rules by conjuring Thorn's boxes to his dorm, why shouldn't Thorn push boundaries also?

He pictured where he wanted things to be and uttered an incantation. Opening his eyes, he made a quick dash to keep one of his books from falling off the edge of the shelf. He placed the heavy tome on top of the dresser.

Moving back, he gave a nod. "Okay, not quite perfect but damn close." And he really shouldn't be practicing. "My roommate could've returned at any moment." But he'd saved a lot of time by taking the chance she wouldn't.

Satisfied with everything, he sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm rooming with a woman." The idea didn't faze him, but he wondered how they'd get along.

And he didn't know what to make of his roommate—other than thinking she had striking features. "Especially her eyes." The color reminded him of the dense forest surrounding his grandfather's house.

She also had a slightly pointed chin, high cheekbones, and a mane of dark hair that framed her face. Her clothes were functional, which intrigued Thorn. A pair of olive-drab cargo shorts, a red tank top, and a long-sleeved multicolored cotton shirt tied around her waist. A pair of flip-flops rounded out the outfit. His mother would feign a stroke before being caught wearing anything like Kari's ensemble. Thelma Summers had a preference for boring monochromatic clothes.

Thorn grinned. "Gonna be nice to have some color in my life now." If nothing else, having Kari as his dormmate would challenge his status quo, which he welcomed because he'd come to Stonebridge to escape the trappings of normal life.

Kari definitely piqued his curiosity. She claimed to be showering after moving all the boxes, but she didn't have a drop of perspiration on her.

He huffed out a breath. "Interesting." Leaning back on the mattress, he viewed his side of the room again—very happy with the pristine state of his stuff.

A couple of knocks sounded on the door and Kari entered, her hair still damp and tousled. "Figured we should have a two-knock warning until we figure out comfort levels." She tossed her damp towel on the footboard of the bed.

Thorn grunted. "Probably a good idea." He got up and thrust his hand out. "Nice to meet you, by the way."

She slid her palm against his and gave a firm shake. "Same. Sorry I cut out earlier." She let go and walked over to one of her boxes. "I'm a little lost in this huge building. Wanted to explore a little and get my bearings." Pulling out a pair of capri-length leggings, she went back to the container and grabbed another tank top in a turquoise shade.

Turning her back to him, she slipped the leggings on then dropped her robe and slid the shirt over her head.

Thorn did his best not to stare and failed. Sleek muscles and rounded curves drew his gaze. If he had a type—and he didn't think he did—he might have to consider her.

She sat on the edge of her unmade bed. "So … Thorn? Unique name. When I first saw it on the check-in list, I wondered if you had siblings?" Her mouth twisted in a wry grin. "And if they had interesting names, too. Like Briar or Bramble."

Thorn laughed. "Uh, no. I have one sibling, and his name is Thrace. The whole T-H thing started with my great-grandfather Thrummond. My grandfather is Thurston. My mom's name is Thelma."

Kari leaned forward, putting her elbows on her knees. "A tradition. That's kind of nice."

Thorn rolled his eyes. "It's kind of pretentious." A lot like his pompous grandfather.

Kari chuckled. "Sounds like you don't take it too seriously."

Thorn shrugged. "Not really, no. How 'bout you? Any siblings or weird familial quirks?"

I'm enjoying this soon-to-be couple. I love writing forced proximity when the duo doesn't have a lot in common with each other.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye