“Isn’t it wonderful?” she said, almost dreamily. “He’s going to run. And he’s going to win. I just know he will.”

Jake shook his head. “Sinclair could be a problem. He seems dead-set on keeping the program out of politics.”

Laying a hand on Jake’s arm, Amy said, “You set up a meeting with Sinclair. Let Franklin talk to him. He can charm anyone into doing anything.”

Jake stared at her. “What’s he charmed you into?”

Amy’s eyes went wide for a moment, then she laughed lightly. “Jake, you’re jealous!”

Suddenly feeling flustered, he replied, “I guess I am.”

“And possessive,” she added, more gravely.

He had no response for that.

“Do you want me to go home with you? Is that it?”

Of course that’s it! he shouted silently. But he couldn’t say it out loud. One roll in the hay doesn’t mean you own her, stupid. She probably just did it to get you to help Tomlinson.

He heard himself ask, “Are you sleeping with him?”

“Is that important to you?”

“Yes.”

She was gazing steadily into his eyes, as if searching for something. Her eyes were almost greenish, he saw, with flecks of brown in them.

“Come on,” Amy said. “Let’s go to your place. I’ll follow your car.”

“Are you sleeping with him?” Jake repeated.

“No,” she said firmly.

He thought it was a lie. But he didn’t care. Not with her standing so close that he could feel her breathing, sense her perfume, take her for his own.

At least for this night.

December (Second Part)

DECEMBER

Astronomy 101

ASTRONOMY 101

The months flew by. Jake stayed as close as he could to Bob Rogers, absorbing everything the physicist had to tell him about MHD. They even started meeting at the gym every Wednesday afternoon for an hour of one-on-one on the basketball court. Although Rogers was ten years older than Jake, he was in much better condition; he delighted in running rings around Jake, leaving him puffing and sweaty.

After a few weeks Jake began to do a little better. By god, he told himself, I’m getting back into shape! On the rare occasions when he was on campus, Tim Younger joined them and ran both of them ragged. It was the only time Jake saw Younger laugh.

Jake had expected Tomlinson to declare his candidacy in October, but the man kept postponing the announcement. Part of the problem was that Professor Sinclair was being very evasive about meeting with him.

Glynis Colwyn was working as liaison between Jake and the professor. But while Bob Rogers and even the surly Tim Younger spent hours with Tomlinson and brought him out to Lignite to witness a run of the big rig, Sinclair sent one excuse after another through Glynis, postponing a meeting with the would-be candidate.