Jackson heard Elisabeth's car pull up and hurried out to meet her.
She walked around the car and handed him the keys. "If you drive I can work on my presentation."
He squeezed her hand and grinned. "What if I hit something?
"Well, you'll just have to give me my pick of your cars while this one is repaired."
"Fair enough." The two exchanged pleasantries, their discomfort apparent. Once they reached the highway, Elisabeth opened her laptop. Jackson asked, "Do you get nervous before your lectures?"
"A little, I have been doing this for quite some time though, so it's fairly routine. Today I'll probably be more nervous with you there."
"I don't want to upset you. Should I stay out of the lecture hall?"
"No, I'll be fine, unless you'd rather do something else and meet me later."
"Actually, I was looking forward to seeing you in action."
"Then it's settled."
They drove in silence while Elisabeth worked on her presentation. When she closed her laptop, Jackson said, "I thought after, we could head toward the water and find a restaurant for lunch, then walk the beach if it's not too cold."
"Mmm, that sounds wonderful. No need to worry about the temperature. Cold doesn't bother me any more than it does you."
"Huh, I guess I hadn't thought about that. So you're able to spend lots of time outside in the winter?"
"I can cross the frozen tundra."
Jackson loved being out in the snow, whether skiing or just walking. Thinking about enjoying winter outdoors with her and not having to worry about her freezing cheered him. He wondered about the different temperatures of their bodies. She was so warm, holding her felt like being out in the sun. "Does the coldness of my skin bother you?"
She held his hand to her cheek and closed her eyes. "It's like a cool breeze on a hot summer day." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.
***
Jackson helped set up the presentation on the stage, and then took a seat at the back of the lecture hall as the students meandered in. The groups of boys stopped upon seeing Elisabeth and elbowed each other. The girls acted the same way when they spied Jackson. A group of four coeds sat three rows in front of him whispering about the hot guy, until one got up the nerve to talk to him. She sat in the seat directly in front of him and turned. "Hi, I'm Michelle."
"Hello Michelle, I'm Jackson." He held out his hand to shake.
"What a great name."
"Thank you."
"Are you a student here?"