True Love Hunting

Chapter 8

The following morning I walked to the college and made it to the classroom before Spencer. The halls had been filled with excited chatter over the party the previous night. I felt grateful that Liam hadn't found me in the hall to pester me about it. I unpacked my things and sat down to read until Spencer arrived to let me into his office to continue working on filing papers. From the looks of the growing stack on my desk, there was much more to do. I was engrossed in my book when I heard the door open but didn't look up.

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Spencer entered his classroom, and the scent of vampire hung in the air. His eyes roved the empty seating. Lenny was sitting at her desk, nose-deep in a book. He slowly walked over to her, and the smell grew stronger. She smiled at him and stood greeting him.

He gave her a smile asking, "How was your evening last night? Getting settled in?"

"Yes, thank you. I stopped in to see my friend Aurora, the Barrett's housekeeper and talked with them as well. They will help me get some seeds to plant a garden next to the cottage. I'm rather excited about it. Cassius walked me home through the woods. Apparently, he used to live in the cottage before me, and all of the books there belong to him. We had a good chat about literature." Spencer nodded.

So that's where the vampire smell was coming from. Cassius, huh? That was odd. Spencer had never once seen that vampire even around a human other than their housekeeper, which he protected like family. Cassius had to of touched Lenny quite a bit to leave that much scent on her. The idea that a Chivute would allow a vampire to touch them, especially a lot, was shocking to him. She probably wouldn't have allowed him to touch her if she knew what he really was. What was he missing in the scenario?

"Do you know the Barrett brothers well, then?"

"Aurora sort of filled me in on a lot about them."

Did she know what they were then? She had to; she was a Chivute. One touch and she would have known without a doubt.

"Yes?" Spencer asked.

She continued, "And Cassius and I had a great chat at the mansion and on the way to my cottage. It was nice getting to know him more, especially when we were at the cottage." Spencer felt irritated with the situation; for some reason, he had a hard time placing, beyond just the fact that they were vampires. He felt irritated that Lenny had spent alone time with the vampire.

"Will you be seeing them again soon?"

"Cassius is bringing me the seeds tonight after work. I'll probably start working on the garden tomorrow."

"Would you like some help with your garden sometime, or do you prefer the solitude?"

A smile lit up her face, and she answered, "I enjoy gardening with others who enjoy it."

"What about people who have no idea what they're doing? I've been meaning to learn more about it, and I assume you are quite knowledgeable with your background?" His heart leapt a little when she laughed through her smile and nodded an affirmation at him. The thought of getting to know her more drew him like a moth to the flame.

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I looked at Spencer, unable to prevent the laugh that bubbled out of me, and I gave him a nod. Did he want to spend time with me? A book or the internet would do if he just wanted to learn about gardening. The thought of spending time with him gave me butterflies in my stomach. It excited me, and I had never felt like this at the prospect of spending time with someone.

"I would like that. Maybe tomorrow after work for a little while? I won't have much time, and it will just be the boring beginning work, but you are welcome anytime you would like to come." His responding smile made my knees weak, so I leaned against my desk.