The events of the entire day played over in Misha’s head as he struggled to fall asleep. The surprise encounter with Kayden at the diner did things to him. He couldn’t think clearly, only too much, and that had caused some probably irrational behavior.

After Misha had finished his meal, he’d made a too-generous move to tip Kayden highly. First, he’d asked, “Are you required to split your tips?”

“Not here in Utah, no.”

He’d pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. “Great, then this—“ he retrieved a twenty dollar bill and folded it once, pinning it between his index and middle fingers to present it to her “—is yours.”

Kayden had held up a hand defensively, waving it back and forth with wide eyes. “Oh, no way! That’s way too much! It’s more than your bill!”

“Nonsense.” He pivoted his hips, reaching a foot forward to inch out of his seat. “You deserve more than minimum wage. Besides, it’s what I would have spent on my date, anyway.” He stood up, the fingers of his left hand still perched on the table with his wallet loosely hooked in his ring and pinky fingers. He had stood too close to her. “In case it hasn’t been very clear—“ he raised the folded bill to her eye level “—I’d rather spend it on you.” The grin on his lips was subtle.

She’d gawked back at up him—all four inches shorter than him—before hesitantly accepting the generous tip.

Why had he almost tucked it into her front pocket himself? Intimately? That would have been way too forward. Had he lost his mind?

Misha stared through his skylight at the starry Milky Way galaxy streaking above him. A small voice in the back of his mind reminded him to be careful. He sighed deeply, grumbling aloud, “What am I doing?”

He snatched the extra pillow beside his head and covered his face with it, muffling his frustrated groan. Why was he suddenly losing his composure? Why couldn’t he just maintain his professionalism?

By the next day, however, he had completely foregone his concern and his reasoned restraint.

During her office hours—and conveniently without Damien present—Misha appeared in the doorway of the TA’s office shortly after noon, casually lifting and resting his arm on the bookcase beside the door.

“Hey, I’ve got a question for you.”

Kayden glanced up from the project on her laptop and stared at him semi-suspiciously from under her brows. “Okay?”

“Do you play video games?”

Her demeanor brightened instantly as she gave him her full attention. “Uh, hell yeah I do! Well, whenever I have time, anyway.” Her excitement was overshadowed by surprise as her eyebrows scrunched. “Wait a second… do you?”

Internally, he cheered for having another thing in common with her. He folded his arms and leaned his shoulder against the door frame, grinning mischievously. “Hey now, should I be offended? I think my feelings are hurt,” he teased. “Am I really that old?”

She chuckled and waved a hand dismissively at him. “Oh please, no one is ever too old for video games. That’s not what I meant. It’s just that you’re so… reserved… and a bit…” She fiddled with the hair resting on her collarbone as she glanced to her desk. “A bit, um…”

 “Boring?” he suggested, still grinning.

Her hand dropped to her lap with a snarky glare. “No, I was going to say ‘posh’.”

“Ah, yes.” His arms unfolded as he lightly shrugged. “The one unfortunate side effect of my upbringing that I can’t seem to shake.” He took a step toward her. “You should’ve heard me my freshman year of college: you likely wouldn’t recognize me.” He reached into his back pocket to retrieve his cell phone. “In any case, I’d love to play online sometime with you. Call yourself so you have my number and can show me your collection.” He extended his arm out, thumb over the phone’s home button so that it unlocked just as he reached her.

She instinctively reached for his phone but stopped herself, pulling her hand back to hover over her chest. “Wait… what is this, exactly?”

Concerned, he lowered his hand near his hip. They’d been so comfortable. Was this the line? “What do you mean?”

“Well…” she pushed back from her desk slightly, spinning her chair so that she was fully facing him. She held up a palm. “Last night you told me you’d rather spend your date money on me,” she lifted her other palm, “and now, today, you’re literally asking for my number.” Her head tilted to the side as she widened the distance between her upturned hands, trying to highlight her point as if it was a physical entity. “You can probably see how that could be interpreted a certain way.”

He held back his grin. “Yes, I can.”

“Great.” She shrugged before wrapping her arms around her ribs. “So, help me out here and tell me this is normal.”

He hooked the thumb of his free hand into his front pocket. “If it makes you feel any better, I also have Damien’s number. But to be honest: I enjoy your company far more than his.”

Kayden’s eyes darted away from his with uncertainty.

“I like when you stop by to visit me in my office. You’re an interesting, funny and bright person. I enjoy our conversations, and…” He shrugged one shoulder. “Frankly, I would miss them over the long summer break.” What was he doing? What had he just told himself the night before?

It looked like her neck flushed almost as red as her face before she unfurled her arms and interlaced her fingers in her lap, eyes locked back on his.

Good. If she rejected him, he wouldn’t have to think about possibilities anymore. “But I would never want to put you in an awkward position—" he shifted his weight to his back leg, beginning to step away “—or make you feel uncomfortable.” He raised his right hand, with his phone, up in surrender. “So, obviously you are free to turn me down. I just hoped we could continue this friendship outside these walls.”

Hovering a few feet away from her, he held her gaze intently, awaiting her explicit response. She broke eye contact first, biting her bottom lip pensively.

Misha’s heart tried to run out of his chest. This was a bad idea. She looked uncomfortable, indecisive. He wondered what kind of thoughts were going through her head. He shouldn’t have put her in this predicament in the first place. But maybe this could be his ‘out’.

As he began to take another step backward, she reached her hand out, palm up, and grinned at him, decision made.

“Okay, then, Misha. You get your wish.”