Chaos Theory (Nerds of Paradise #2)(18)
“Yeah, but if it’s not true, won’t he see that eventually?”
Melody stopped moving and let her shoulders slump. “I guess. I just wish he could see the truth now.”
Calliope chuckled. “And what is this truth, oh Great Wise One?”
Melody sent her a snarky grin. “The truth is that this competition has opened my eyes to a lot of things. I want to do well. I want to really push myself to see how physical I can be. I’m more than just a happy-clappy botanist with curly hair and a nice smile.”
“Everyone knows that.”
“Not everyone.” Melody pointed at her sister, then poked her finger onto the tabletop. “I’m convinced that William S. Darling thinks I’m a fruity, ditzy blonde who is going to cause him to lose this competition, probably by distracting him with sex.”
Calliope burst into laughter. “Is that what he thinks?”
Melody’s frustration melted away as she saw the silliness of her statement. She laughed along with her sister. “Who knows. But I still think he doesn’t like me.”
“And I still think that’s nonsense.” Calliope reached for her laptop, sliding it back in front of her. “I think what’s more likely is that he’s one of those stiff, shy nerd-types who doesn’t know how to talk to girls, and that he not only likes you, he really likes you, but doesn’t have a clue what to do about it.”
Melody let out a breath, sinking her weight to one hip as she did. “Maybe you’re right.”
“I’m always right.” Calliope winked. “And I think you’re perfectly fine to wear the running shoes while running in town, even though you’ll be wearing hiking boots for the competition. There isn’t a lot of pavement in the forest, but there is in Haskell. Use the right tool for the right job.”
“Yes, mother.” Melody rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t keep the grin off her face.
“Now go.” Calliope made shooing motions at her. “You have an uptight nerd out there with your name on him. Have at.”
Melody laughed and turned to leave. One conversation was not going to bring her a solution to all of her problems, but talking things out with Calliope always made her feel better. Strangely enough, physical activity made her feel better too. Who would have guessed?
As soon as she was out in the weekend afternoon sun, she broke into a jog. She’d never seen herself as the sporty type. The artsy type, yes. Even the science-y type, although few people ever glimpsed that part of her. Gym class in school had been the stuff of nightmares—mostly because of their mean, old lush of a gym teacher, Mrs. Risley. But jogging was okay. It gave her a chance to breathe fresh air and feel the sunshine on her face.
Will was waiting for her at the station bridge, just as they’d arranged. He was using the bridge’s railing to stretch. Part of Melody wanted to sidle up to him and make some sort of comment about how delicious he looked in shorts and t-shirt, muscles rippling, and how she couldn’t wait to get him alone tomorrow. That was probably the worst thing she could do if she was going to get him to like her, though. No, if she was going to figure out a way to get on Will’s good side, she needed to tamp down her raging hormones and prove to him she was a competitor. Once she did that, well, then the chase was really on.
She put on her game face and slowed once she reached the old train station. Casual. She could play this super casual.
Will straightened from his stretches and sent her a curt nod as she approached. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she replied, as nonchalantly as she could with him looking so tasty. “You ready to run?”
He nodded and gestured for her to precede him off the bridge. “I figured we could take Elizabeth Street to the east and head out to some of the more—”
He was interrupted by a businesslike ringing from his pocket. No fancy tunes or cute sound effects for Will. The corners of Melody’s mouth twitched. He was definitely a monotone ring kind of guy.
Will pulled his phone out of his pocket. His expression darkened as he looked at the screen. His mouth went tight. “Excuse me,” he said, then turned his back to her and tapped the phone. “Dad.”
That was it. He walked away from her, back up onto the bridge. It wasn’t quite far enough to be out of her hearing, but he didn’t say much anyhow.
“I see,” he said, low and clipped.
Melody crossed her arms, frowning. His dad must have been a talker. And she wasn’t convinced Will liked whatever it was he had to say. His back and shoulders suddenly tensed to military-like rigidity.
“Yes, sir.”
She blinked. Damn. His father must have been military too. Several pieces of the Will Darling puzzle began to fall into place. She didn’t have to hear what Will’s father was saying to read the entire relationship between father and son in Will’s body language. It wasn’t a good relationship.
“We discussed this,” Will said, giving Melody the impression that whatever they had discussed, Will was being vetoed. “My choices were limited, so I took the job I thought was best.”
Melody’s heart sped up. Had Will had another offer besides Paradise Space Flight? And if he did, why would he choose to come work all the way out in the middle of nowhere for a start-up company instead of somewhere else? Curiosity bristled through her to the point where she was going to need to go for a run just to work off all the excess energy her questions left her with.