Her tone is incredulous—did she strike him as a nervous flyer? What part? The part where she tried with all of her might not to brush up against his elbow? When she tried to make conversation by randomly bringing up the time she kicked a ball into her own face when playing in a kickball game? When she offered to share a room with him? Yeah. No. Her nerves had nothing to do with flying thousands of feet in the air and had more to do with holding a normal conversation with Mitch Morgan.
Her last name did not go unnoticed. She had heard him use students’ last names in his lectures–but not once had she heard him refer to any adult but herself by last name. What the hell did that mean and why did she even care?
“I am not strapped for cash—”
A bold faced lie with a roll of her eye. This wasn’t some rescue mission. He didn’t have to swoop in and pay for shit–even if he did need to swoop in and did need to pay for shit.
“Besides, there’s a million ways to get a free drink in a bar.”
And she left it at that–eyes wandering around the relatively empty establishment. A few patrons scattered throughout–people who obviously knew the airport well…a sense of familiarity in their motions. Though her eyes shot back at him when he heard his request to the bartender—she couldn’t even be mad at him for his smart remarks… because—-he wasn’t playing the hero card. He was just doing it. Just booking the flight. Just booking the hotel. Just buying her the drink. He wasn’t—trying to rescue her.
“Thanks. I’ll take a vodka tonic.”
She’s quiet. Ordering the drink in an effort to impress. The drink she orders when making a statement. Not a cheap beer–which she wasn’t above doing. But beer is for a marathon–this was a sprint. Something to calm her nerves and make her forget about putting her foot in her mouth.
Those nerves were pushed to the back of her mind when she heard Mitch’s last question. There was an edge to it. Something. Something was there that she hadn’t heard before. And Jamie found herself smirking. Amused.
“Had you not been here–might have been able to get it in three.”
It’s not a complaint–or even boasting. But it’s something. What was she trying to achieve? Was she trying to—-make him jealous? No. That was stupid. Two seconds ago he was calling her ‘Ms. Campbell’. He was not jealous.
“Don’t act like you’ve never had a drink sent over to you, Professor. I’m sure you’ve had your fair share of free drinks with you being the way you are.”
God, what the hell did that even mean, Jamie?!
He muses, unable to help the smile that found his lips. There was that eyeroll, almost a reward for pushing her buttons. He did enjoy the back and forth, not that he’d admit it. Though he’d like to deny it, the two of them were far from professional.
His brows raise as she mentions her drink, not that he was profiling but he assumed she’d go with a pink or peach wine. Though, he supposed people didn’t always pair with alcohol like they did with dogs in 101 dalmatians.
“There’s a drink that’ll knock you on your ass.”
He spoke from experience, of course. To be fair, any drink will after about 3 too many. He watches the bartender make their drinks and plucks the bright cherry out of his own, biting down on it and letting the stem hang out his mouth. Something about the sweetness soaked in alcohol was his favorite part.
“You’ll have to give me some tips, then. I’d love to pick up a new hobby.”
He chuckles, now he regretted intervening so soon. He wondered what kinds of tricks she had up her sleeve. He nearly swallows his cherry stem at her next comment, luckily he just coughs it into a napkin. He hadn’t even had a sip and his face felt warm.
“And just what does that mean?”
He begins, a question he was surprised he didn’t ask her every time she opened her mouth. His brain was now working overtime to find the loophole that this wasn’t, in fact, flirting. His question didn’t need an answer, in fact, he didn’t really want one.
“If I could talk my way to free liquor I’d quit my day job.”
He jokes, taking his first bold gulp of his drink. It stung but he managed to only make a slight face at it. He should have saved the cherry.
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