you."
"Not really. That's why I'm
in awe of those who are."
His face fell.
"May I pin a flower on your
lapel?"
He smiled again. "Yes."
He walked away, looking proud of
his white flower.
I pulled the water bottle out and
shook my head. I quickly chugged the water because my Scottie McHottie was
waiting next, and Troy wouldn't let him up until I was done and the camera
could catch me without the water bottle. I shoved the bottle between the
cushions and smiled my readiness.
Troy signaled him on, and I began
to realize that Troy was just as much their point man as he was mine.
I looked at his nametag as he
approached. "Liam, have a seat, sir."
"Thank you." He sat
down. "I'm afraid we forgot about the introductions outside."
"I think I was too busy listening
to the bagpipes and your accent to care."
He laughed. "I'm glad you
liked what you heard."
"Are you from Scotland,
originally?"
"Yes. My father moved to
Scotland when he was twenty, met my mother, and married her. My siblings and I
were all born over there, but we all have US citizenship through our father. I
came over here after earning my degree."
"Why?"
"I was studying geology, and
my father's family is from Colorado. The university in
Boulder has an excellent graduate geology program."
"I bet they do. So is that
what you do for a living, work with rocks?"
"Mountains, actually. I work
to compare and contrast mountains in different ranges, of different heights, at
different latitudes and longitudes. I also work a bit with volcanoes."
"Do you do that through
university programs?"
"Yes. I've worked with a
couple of different universities over the years. I have my doctorate, and
sometimes teach summer programs or run field studies."
Oooh, Dr. Scottie McHottie.
Sexy. "Do you ever think of doing that work back in the
highlands?"
"I have. I went back for a
year to work through the University at St. Andrews. That's where I began my
studies."
"You don't stay on staff for
very long?"
"I go where the
opportunities are, and I like the variety. Someday, I'd like to study the Alps
and the Himalayas."
"I could get onboard with
setting up camp in other countries for awhile."
"That's good to hear. Have
you ever been out of the United States?"
"Yes, I went to Spain in
high school. Other than that I stuck my toe in Canada to see Niagara Falls, and
I island hopped in the Caribbean on a cruise."
"You travel all the time. You
must have a list of places you'd like to visit."
"Scotland is actually at the
top. I've been infatuated with the country for years. And then, I'd like to
cruise around the Mediterranean Sea. And, I'd like to take a cruise down to
Antarctica, one that stops and lets you get off and walk around. I just want to
be able to say that I've been there."
"We could make a
globe-trotting pair, you and I."
"Sounds wonderful to
me," I said, and meant it.
Troy stepped in Liam's line of
sight and touched his watch, time to go.
Phillip was up next. He was lean
and hot. And in our conversation, he told me he could cook.
"Can I have that pink flower
back?" I asked.
He gave me a strange look.
"Sure."
I unpinned it, swapped it out for
a red one, and pinned it on.
He laughed loud enough to draw a
few looks from the other guys. "Is this an upgrade, or a downgrade?"
he asked.
I just winked at him, "I
look forward to cooking with you."
James, Mitch, and Tyler all took
their turns on the couch with me. I was halfway through with this portion of
the night before I had to call a halt to the production.
One of the other guys was just
about to approach when I held up my hands to form a letter T, "Time out."
Troy stepped away from the rest
of the crew. "What do you need, Princess?"
"Princess needs a potty
break. The last time I went, the sun was still out." Thank God, the guys
were indulging me with their laughter tonight. Not that I thought it really
mattered, my bladder was past the point of embarrassment.
At some point, I'd slipped off
the shoes and curled my
"Not really. That's why I'm
in awe of those who are."
His face fell.
"May I pin a flower on your
lapel?"
He smiled again. "Yes."
He walked away, looking proud of
his white flower.
I pulled the water bottle out and
shook my head. I quickly chugged the water because my Scottie McHottie was
waiting next, and Troy wouldn't let him up until I was done and the camera
could catch me without the water bottle. I shoved the bottle between the
cushions and smiled my readiness.
Troy signaled him on, and I began
to realize that Troy was just as much their point man as he was mine.
I looked at his nametag as he
approached. "Liam, have a seat, sir."
"Thank you." He sat
down. "I'm afraid we forgot about the introductions outside."
"I think I was too busy listening
to the bagpipes and your accent to care."
He laughed. "I'm glad you
liked what you heard."
"Are you from Scotland,
originally?"
"Yes. My father moved to
Scotland when he was twenty, met my mother, and married her. My siblings and I
were all born over there, but we all have US citizenship through our father. I
came over here after earning my degree."
"Why?"
"I was studying geology, and
my father's family is from Colorado. The university in
Boulder has an excellent graduate geology program."
"I bet they do. So is that
what you do for a living, work with rocks?"
"Mountains, actually. I work
to compare and contrast mountains in different ranges, of different heights, at
different latitudes and longitudes. I also work a bit with volcanoes."
"Do you do that through
university programs?"
"Yes. I've worked with a
couple of different universities over the years. I have my doctorate, and
sometimes teach summer programs or run field studies."
Oooh, Dr. Scottie McHottie.
Sexy. "Do you ever think of doing that work back in the
highlands?"
"I have. I went back for a
year to work through the University at St. Andrews. That's where I began my
studies."
"You don't stay on staff for
very long?"
"I go where the
opportunities are, and I like the variety. Someday, I'd like to study the Alps
and the Himalayas."
"I could get onboard with
setting up camp in other countries for awhile."
"That's good to hear. Have
you ever been out of the United States?"
"Yes, I went to Spain in
high school. Other than that I stuck my toe in Canada to see Niagara Falls, and
I island hopped in the Caribbean on a cruise."
"You travel all the time. You
must have a list of places you'd like to visit."
"Scotland is actually at the
top. I've been infatuated with the country for years. And then, I'd like to
cruise around the Mediterranean Sea. And, I'd like to take a cruise down to
Antarctica, one that stops and lets you get off and walk around. I just want to
be able to say that I've been there."
"We could make a
globe-trotting pair, you and I."
"Sounds wonderful to
me," I said, and meant it.
Troy stepped in Liam's line of
sight and touched his watch, time to go.
Phillip was up next. He was lean
and hot. And in our conversation, he told me he could cook.
"Can I have that pink flower
back?" I asked.
He gave me a strange look.
"Sure."
I unpinned it, swapped it out for
a red one, and pinned it on.
He laughed loud enough to draw a
few looks from the other guys. "Is this an upgrade, or a downgrade?"
he asked.
I just winked at him, "I
look forward to cooking with you."
James, Mitch, and Tyler all took
their turns on the couch with me. I was halfway through with this portion of
the night before I had to call a halt to the production.
One of the other guys was just
about to approach when I held up my hands to form a letter T, "Time out."
Troy stepped away from the rest
of the crew. "What do you need, Princess?"
"Princess needs a potty
break. The last time I went, the sun was still out." Thank God, the guys
were indulging me with their laughter tonight. Not that I thought it really
mattered, my bladder was past the point of embarrassment.
At some point, I'd slipped off
the shoes and curled my
Similar Books
