in the hallway, I leaned against the wall and exhaled. When I was sure I could walk, I headed to the quad to find an unusually clear sky. I relished the feel of the sun on my face. A girl could almost take off her sweater without getting goose bumps. Almost.
I sat under a tree and took out my Mythology book, planning to read ahead for the next lecture. As I turned the page, a deep voice broke my concentration. “May I join you?”
I looked up to see him . Ull Myhr, who never spoke to anyone, was speaking to me.
“Join me?” I looked around. “Are you serious?”
Ull chuckled, looking pointedly to the ground next to me. “May I?”
“Don’t you want to glare at me for a while first? Make me feel like I stole your Granny’s favorite baking sheet?”
He sighed. “Please?” It was the first nice thing he’d said to me.
“Uh… um… fine. Have a seat,” I gestured feebly, shock keeping me from standing like etiquette would have dictated. His grin made my stomach flip as he sat next to me, leaning against the tree. I was instantly and immeasurably self-conscious.
“I am sorry, I should introduce myself. I am Ull Myhr. Fourth Year, majoring in Classics. I did my first two years at the University of Oslo, Norway. And you are?”
By some miracle I found my voice again. “Um… uh.” I had actually forgotten my own name. “I’m, uh, Kristia. Kristia Tostenson. Sophomore, History of Art, visiting student from the U.S. – Oregon.” I forced a welcoming smile on my face, but it faltered quickly. “Sorry, I’m not trying to be difficult, but this is just weird. Is there something you want?”
Ull looked surprised. “Why is this weird?”
“Um, because you’ve spent the last week glowering at me? And avoiding me? Why do you suddenly want to talk to me?”
“Kristia, I am sorry if I gave you the impression that I have ill feelings towards you.” Ull’s sincerity threw me off balance. “Nothing could be further from the truth. I do not even know you.”
“I know!” I threw my hands up in frustration. “That’s why I’m so confused.”
Ull laughed, a hearty laugh that bounced through the trees. It was a wonderful sound. “Well I am sorry I have not been friendlier. This week has been unusually difficult for me. But it is no excuse to have made you uncomfortable.” He stuck out his hand. “Can we start over?”
“Do you want to start over?”
“I would not have asked if I did not.”
“Oh. Okay then.” I eyed his hand warily before I shook it. The instant our palms touched, an electric pulse charged my skin. It raced up my arm and into my chest, spiking my already overworked heartbeat. Every nerve ending in my body sprang to life, leaving me with the feeling of pins and needles from tip to toe. It took ten slow breaths to calm my heart.
Ull assessed my reaction with guarded eyes. Then he gently pulled his hand back. “Since we are starting fresh, may I ask you something else?”
“What?” I didn’t mean to sound so suspicious.
“Well, my pen gave out mid-lecture. Would you be willing to e-mail me your notes? You type so earnestly, yours must be worth reviewing.”
Okay, now this conversation made sense. He wanted my notes. I should have been offended he was using me, but he was just so good looking, I couldn’t muster up the appropriate level of indignation.
“Oh. I guess.” I handed him a pen and he jotted down his e-mail address. Our hands brushed as he handed me the scrap of paper, sending another jolt to my poor heart. I pulled back quickly. No point in hyperventilating again before I could tell Emma about this small miracle. The legend himself had given me his e-mail address. He wanted to talk to me again! What had changed since we met in London? Though I didn’t want to destroy any good will building between us, I desperately wanted to ask him about London – he may have been having a bad week at Cardiff, but that didn’t explain why he’d been so rude at the