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Excerpt:
Jael returned to the office Friday morning feeling less than
enthusiastic about having to come back a day before the weekend. Technically
she was losing a vacation day, but it couldn’t be helped.
Today was a crisis day. The entire photo spread she’d
planned for the next issue of International
Explorer had been axed for legal reasons, and she had to find a decent
substitute fast.
At least her time in Salem with her girlfriends had been
fun. Too bad the fun was over. She yawned with boredom. The reality of a job
that had lost its creative edge was beginning to get to her.
She hunched in front her large-screen computer, quickly
scrolling through hundreds of stock wildlife photos, liking none of them. Most
of the photos were immediately familiar and had already been used too many
times in International Explorer’s
magazine and television network promotions. “I should be looking at my own
original photos. I need to get out of the office and work,” she muttered.
“It’s true. Those should be your photos.”
She swiftly turned and saw Kypton looking directly at her
with brilliant blue eyes and an almost breathless expression on his face.
“Good morning.” She gulped a stunned breath. “Everything’s
fine,” she mumbled. She felt a nervous smile burst across her lips. Holy crap,
Kypton was gorgeous up close and a bit taller than she remembered. “Believe it
or not, I’m not having any IT problems today.”
Kypton moved a little closer and smiled. He carried the
fresh, clean scent of some decidedly masculine deodorant soap and mint
toothpaste. “Do we have to have an IT problem to say hello?”
She was shocked. Kypton seldom initiated conversations. “Not
at all.”
“I’ve seen some of your photography.” Kypton looked away
shyly. “When I did the data retrieval on your crashed computer last summer, I
saw your photos.” He blushed. “I wasn’t spying or anything like that. I was
just making sure the files would open for you.” He swallowed uncomfortably.
“Your photographs of the Grand Canyon and the Moab desert were stunning.” He
glanced at his shoes. “I think you’re very talented and brave to fly over the
canyons to get those pictures.”
“I was pretty scared flying an ultralight that close to the
ground.”
“That’s normal. Most people are scared until they get used
to the feeling of hitting a warm updraft and soaring higher. It’s total
freedom.” His face lit with excitement. “Once you’ve felt that, you’re hooked.”
She looked at the shy, quiet urbanite, thinking it highly
unlikely, but asked Kypton anyway, “You sound experienced. Have you flown an
ultralight?”
“No.” He suddenly looked uneasy and stepped away from her
desk.
“Do you have a pilot’s license?”
“No.”
“Have you flown in a glider, perhaps parasailed?”
“No.”
“I just got back from Salem, so I’ll take another angle. Do
you fly on a broomstick?”
“No.” Kypton actually laughed, exposing a fetching dimple on
the side of his sweet smile.
She wanted to know more about Kypton. He was something of an
enigma. He spoke so little and never just wandered over to her desk simply to
talk. If she missed this opportunity, it might never come again. “So tell me,
how are you flying?”
Kypton spread his arms wide, flapped them up and down, and
screeched loudly like a pterodactyl.
People down the hall craned their necks to see what was
going on in the art department.
Jael laughed out loud at Kypton’s unexpected antics. This
was so unlike the usually dignified and reserved man. Somebody must have spiked
the poor guy’s coffee. “You’re a total geek!” The words blurted past her lips
before she could stop herself.
Kypton stopped flapping his arms and appeared sobered. “Is that what you think of me? I’m not a demigeek. I’m a total geek?”
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