Chapter Two

Ford

I sat at my desk, elbows propped on the wooden top, staring at the wall instead of my computer screen. The office was silent except for the occasional rustle of papers as a draft meandered through the room, causing me to shiver involuntarily. But the quiet only amplified my inability to focus on work. Instead, my mind echoed with thoughts about my new administrative assistant, whose smile could warm any room, or heat the blood of any man.

Bonnie Kelly, with her shoulder-length, thick, dark brown hair that contrasted with her perfect ivory skin and framed big brown eyes that sparkled with curiosity and energy. She laughed easily, her voice a melody that filled whatever space she occupied. The curves of her petite frame were more captivating than any celestial body I had ever studied, and lately, they seemed to orbit the forefront of my mind with a gravitational pull I couldn't escape.

With a bark of laughter at my own ridiculous metaphors, I took off my reading glasses and polished them with my sleeve. Ridiculous was exactly what I was being.

"Focus, Kingston," I muttered, trying to steer my thoughts back to the research paper on my screen, but the words kept blurring into meaningless squiggles. I was a man of science, of control; yet, here I was, unable to concentrate because of a business school student who also happened to be a vibrant, ambitious young woman who saw the world not as a series of equations, but for all the people in it, each of whom she seemed to genuinely like and appreciate. I, on the other hand, was probably at least ten years older than she was, and I'd already seen my fair share of what people could do to know I preferred to keep my attention on math. Even the most complex formulas could be solved with enough hard work, and answers were either right or wrong. There was no in-between. However, people were different. Especially when it came to women, I was always left confused. Nothing they did seemed logical, and no amount of effort on my part had ever helped me figure them out. Priding myself on my intellect, I wasn't used to not understanding something, and I didn't like it one bit.

I glanced up at the clock. It was getting late, much later than I'd realized. The time felt symbolic, ticking away the seconds while I grappled with an attraction that was as off-limits as it was unexpected. My past was a testament to the perils of mixing personal entanglements with my academic life. Greer had left a scar, a stark reminder that when it came to matters of the heart, I was out of my depth.

"Damn it," I hissed under my breath. This wasn't me. Dr. Ford Kingston didn't get distracted; he didn't let emotions cloud his judgment. And yet here I was, doing both. Over Bonnie Kelly.

I needed advice, a sounding board. Someone to talk sense into me before I did something foolish. Rising from my chair, I felt the weight of my own resistance. Seeking counsel was not my style, but neither was this unsettling preoccupation.

"Case will know what to do," I said to the empty room, trying to convince myself as much as anyone else. One way or another, I had to get a handle on this situation.

I snapped the laptop shut decisively and snatched my coat from the back of the chair, sliding into its familiar weight. I made my way through the intricate hallways of the building housing the physics department and exited onto the campus green.

Outside, the sky was a muted gray, and a light snow was falling. The tiny white flakes clung to my coat, melting instantly into the thick brown fabric.

My best friend Case Sullivan's office was just across the quad in the history and political science building, the lights within signaling sanctuary. Or at least, the closest thing to it I'd hope to find today.

I rapped sharply on his door and waited impatiently, knowing that he didn't have a class scheduled at the moment.

"Come in," Case's voice called from the other side, steady as always.

With a turn of the handle, I entered the small room, finding him entrenched in the pages of what looked like a new historical tome. His sandy hair fell into his eyes as he glanced up from the book.

"Hey, Case." I said, managing a half-smile.

"Ford." He said, his blue eyes bright with welcome. "What brings you here? Shouldn't you be aligning stars or something?"

"Something like that," I muttered. I closed the door behind me and fell into one of the worn leather chairs in front of his desk with a sigh.

"Uh-oh." Case marked his page and set the volume aside, giving me his undivided attention. "What's got your panties in a knot?"

"Har har," I said with a scowl. "Very funny."

"So it is a woman," he replied. "I knew it. Only a member of the female population could get you this out of sorts. Tell me, who is it?"

"My new work-study assistant," I began. "Her name is Bonnie. She's enrolled in the MBA program. I feel an...attraction of some kind between us."

"Oh really?" Case leaned back in his chair, one eyebrow arching, every bit the picture of calm deliberation as he steepled his fingers together. "I must hear more."

"We're…getting to know each other," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. "Nothing has gone past the level of friendship. Heck, I have no idea if she feels the same chemistry between us that I do. But the more time I spend around her, the more I want to spend."

"And what's the problem?" Case prodded. "Besides the obvious fact that she's your employee, of course. If it came right down to it, either one of you could always put in a request that her work-study be transferred without necessarily revealing the specific reason why."

"Frankly, I don't even want to go there," I replied. "Imagine the rumors."

"True," admitted Case. "But you've lived through worse."

I smirked. "Don't remind me. I'm still trying to put my life back together after the shambles Greer left it in last year. It's not something I intend to repeat."

"What else?" Case continued. Damn, the man knew me too well.

"She's engaged," I said morosely. "I have to stare at a big fat diamond on her ring finger three mornings a week. At least seeing it there is holding me back from doing something really stupid like making a move on her."

"Engaged?" He whistled low, the sound cutting through the silence of the room. "Dude, you really know how to pick 'em, don't you?"

"No kidding." I raked my fingers through my hair in frustration. "The problem is, I can't seem to get her out of my head, and believe me, I've tried."

Case's lips twitched with wry amusement. "The untouchable Dr. Kingston, brought down by Cupid's arrow. Who would've thought?"

"Laugh it up," I said dryly. "But this is serious, Case. I don't know what to do. I really don't need this distraction right now, either. You know how hard I'm working trying to get funding for my research center."

"All right then," he said, leaning forward, the levity fading from his voice. "In all seriousness, don't do anything foolish. Remind yourself of the stakes here, Ford. Your reputation, your career. And let's not forget the woman involved."

"Exactly why I came to you." I sighed, feeling the weight of his words. "I needed perspective."

"Consider me your North Star," he replied, a smile spreading across his face as the jokester in him surfaced again. "Just keep in mind, some orbits are meant to remain separate, no matter the pull."

I rolled my eyes. "That's awful, funny man," I said, rising. "But thanks."

"Anytime," he called before I let myself out and exited his office into the hallways of the university which were largely empty now due to the lateness of the hour. The silence was a stark contrast to the cacophony of thoughts that clamored for attention in my head after the conversation with my friend. Bonnie's image danced before my eyes—her laugh, her intense focus as her fingers flew over the keyboard while I dictated memos, the way her hair moved with every turn of her head.

"Get it together, Kingston," I muttered under my breath, shoving my hands into the pockets of my coat and feeling the bite of the cold as I stepped outside, a reminder of the season's indifference to human turmoil. This too shall pass. I repeated the old adage silently as I walked back to my office, my resolve against the memory of Bonnie's smile. She was sunshine in human form, burning through the frost of my self-imposed exile from anything resembling a personal life. But I couldn't forget what Case had said, nor could I afford to ignore the wisdom behind his words.

"New year, new you," I scoffed at the triteness of another cliché, even as I let it anchor me to the present moment. Greer's specter loomed like an eclipse, darkening the edges of my heart, reminding me of the risk inherent in vulnerability.

I pushed open the door to my office again, the familiar scent of old books and stale coffee wrapping around me like a protective cocoon. My gaze flitted over the organized chaos of papers and journals, landing on the photo of a distant galaxy that adorned my wall—an entire world existing in quiet splendor, unaffected by human folly.

"Research," I reminded myself, taking a seat at the desk that had become my sanctuary from emotional entanglements. "This is your love. This is your passion."

Bonnie would be just fine without me clouding her future with complications. And I—well, I had stars to chase, universes to unlock, and a reputation to rebuild. No more distractions, no more detours; it was time to focus solely on the cosmos that had never once let me down.

"Women aren't worth it," I declared to the silent room, the conviction in my voice faltering only slightly. I powered up my computer again, letting the glow of the screen cast away the shadows that lingered in the corners of my office and mind alike. It was going to be a long night, but I welcomed the solitude, the clarity, and the return to a life safely contained within the parameters of logic and reason.

"This is how it has to be," I whispered, forcing myself to delve back into my work, the equations and theories spreading out before me. Here, at least, I knew where I stood. Here, I could make sense of the chaos. Here, my heart was safe from the pull of a bright, forbidden star named Bonnie Kelly.