"Please, please, please, please." Four pleases and still I wasn't sure that I wanted to help her out. Like I had the time to anyway. It was stupid, and childish, and something we did back in high school a few times. I loved my sister, but today, I was hating her for even bringing it up.
"So, why do you want me to go to your class for you?" There was always an agenda for her, always something, but to uncover it would be the real puzzle.
"Because, just... please. I can't do that class and you're smarter than I am." Switching places shouldn't happen. We were adults now and switching was something younger identical twins did. But as I looked at her light dusty brown hair and those greenish tinted hazel eyes, the heaviness weighed into my heart as I looked into my mirror. Sisters, right?
"This will never work." Biting my bottom lip, the situations of what could happen played through my mind. The biggest one, getting kicked out of college for something so childish and immoral.
"Please. I will never ask you to do this ever again." Her slender fingers thumbed the hood of my deep, dark blue pickup from my twenty-first birthday.
Looking at her made me feel ugly. She was the beautiful side to us. Her silky toffee hair was always neatly styled, always dressed in the latest fashion showing off the wonderful curves that we were blessed with, and her makeup was always impeccable. Me? My life consisted of living out in the barn with the horses, blue jeans, flannel shirts, and cowboy boots.
"If we can get away with it tomorrow, I will do it. If anyone notices, then you will have to suck it up and do the class yourself." Why was I even offering to swap places with her? Probably because I couldn't do calculus and she was the math brain. I didn't stand a chance at passing any type of math class. "Calculus is at one on Tuesday and Thursday."
"I love you so much. And besides, Calculus is easy. I've taken it already."
"Good, then I better not get lower than a B." Rubbing my forehead to dull the instant throb she put there, I gritted my teeth knowing this was not going to be so easy. Geology. Crap. Now I had to take that class and hoped like hell this didn't get out. Jacki's classes were mostly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, all except for this one. And why in the hell did she leave this for the last year? I took my science classes in the first year just to get my generals out of the way.
This year, I took three classes on line and calculus was the one that I needed to have in the classroom because I really was bad at it; at math in general. Any kind of math and I was stumped.
"You are going to have to dress yourself up a little and do something with your hair. And..." Her eyes shifted over my dusty jeans with the hole in the knee and my red and black flannel with the red tank top on underneath. The disgust curved in her lips and she grumbled under her breath. "And, um... you will need to dress a little more like me."
So, she was a ten and I was a seven even though we looked exactly alike. I knew that by all the guys who were constantly sniffing around her. it was the easiest tell we had. Jacki was always surrounded by guys, and not horses.
"I can't go to class nude!" That sounded a lot better in my head, and I cringed as soon as the words left my mouth.
Her hand flew at me slapping me in the arm. "Wow! I was going to let you rummage through my clothes, but you are on your own now, honey."
"You know I don't have any time to get something to wear." I flipped my wrist checking my watch, the one piece of jewelry that I actually wore and it wasn't dainty either. Working outside as much as I could, I couldn't afford to have a good, expensive one. I liked my nylon, Velcro strapped watch that took a beating day in and day out.
"I tossed some clothes in your room already. Just go find something and..." Her eyes shot straight down to my muck covered boots I had for the past five years. "Wear your knee-highs. You new ones until you can get some descent shoes."
"Tell me why you don't want to take this class."
"Just because... you know me and science things don't get along. It is two hours, three days a week. I am sure you can manage not seeing a horse for that long." Instead of a vehicle for her twenty-first, the day before mine, she wanted a place in the city for the last two years of college and the parents had agreed on paying mortgage. I hated to admit, but the house was perfect for her and she liked living in the city more than on the farm. "You haven't worn those boots I gave you for your birthday out in the barn, have you?"
Oh, how I wanted to, but I didn't. They were too pretty. Black leather and suede with buckles. I managed to save them for something special seeing as how much they cost Jacki. And I wanted a nice pair of boots just in case I was given the chance to go out somewhere special. "No. Now, what if someone finds out? You know we are risking failing these classes and getting kicked out of school."
"No one will find out. I promise." She kissed my cheek and urged me to go. I had to get ready if I was going to be in class on time. I couldn't miss the second week and with some of the professors, you didn't want to be late at all.
Going into the large ranch style home, I went up to my room thankful Mom was out running errands while Dad was out working with a few new horses. As long as I didn't have to run into them, we would be fine. And my mirror better be thankful I was willing to risk this for her. She had it made with this switch. She had her own place. Me, on the other hand, was still under my parents' roof and they could tell us apart. Well, most of the time.
Closing my bedroom door, I looked at the skinny jeans and the shirts on the bed. At least they were something that I would wear. But skinny jeans? I hated tight clothing, but she looked nice in them, so I should too. We were curvy, but in a nicer curvy way. With my working on the farm all the time, I had a lot more muscle than she did, but she ran all the time, too. This could work out. Besides, it was just geology. How hard could it be?
I had taken the extra time to put my hair in a nice clip and decided on the blue shirt that hung looser around my neck and bunched at my waist. The jeans were darker and I slipped into them easily. Dressing up wasn't that bad, but makeup. I was bad at makeup. She did show me a few times how to do it, but I never practiced and I never really paid attention. I never had the need to wear makeup.
Sucking in a deep breath, the tingles ran through my body and the butterflies woke up in my belly. I grabbed the book she left off the desk and headed out the door. In college, our last year, and we were switching places. This was going to be bad, really bad, if anyone found out.
The drive in was exhausting. How was I going to make two hours of lecture without falling asleep? With a few extra minutes, I stopped at the gas station and grabbed a bottle of soda. That should help, but my stomach was growling already. I was working out with the new horse and I hadn't grabbed lunch when Mom called. Grabbing a candy bar also, I paid and went out to my truck. Ripping it open, I shoved as much in my mouth I could. I worked for a living and lately, it seemed as if I was always busy and constantly missing lunch.
Getting over to the backside of the college, I parked in an open spot in the lot nearest to the brick building that held the science department. Taking my soda and my book, I shoved the rest of the candy bar into my mouth feeling the soft vibration in my pocket. Checking the message, my heart slammed hard. I hadn't even thought about assigned seating as some professors were notorious for.
Jacki: No assigned seats. I sat in the front the first week. Trust me, not a place to sit. Professor Johnston spits when he talks and seems to always have boogers in his moustache.
Great! A boring professor.
Jacki: By the way, he smells bad too and DO NOT call him Mr. Johnston.
Wow! She could have told me this before I agreed to the switch. I wouldn't have gone through with it then. I hated those kinds of professors. They weren't there for the students and the majority of the class always failed. I worked a lot and I had three other classes to tend to. Having a boatload of homework from this class was something that would happen with PROFESSOR Johnston.
Jacki: Like cigarettes and coffee and I don't think that he brushes his teeth.
It just keeps getting better. I couldn't wait to see this professor. If he was anything like my first biology teacher, it would be a very long semester. Very long, but he never paid attention to the students and the switch would be a piece of cake.
Rushing to the building, I hurried through the double doors, around the first corner, and right into someone coming out of the professors' hall. Falling back hard on the dull carpeting, the wind rushed out of my lungs bringing a loud groan with it. Just get up and go before you are late, I told myself. Professors like Professor Johnston do not like tardy students.
Just as I opened my eyes trying to hold back the scorching heat crawling up my face, a pair of the most gorgeous blue eyes stared back at me. His black hair looked as if he has been raking his fingers through it all day. And that scent of soft cologne danced through the air taking what breath I had left in my lungs away from me. The facial hair that covered his smooth jawline hadn't taken away from him either.
My heart accelerated and my chest burned from the lack of oxygen. Pretty sure that he wasn't Professor Johnston at all. I hoped it wasn't Professor Johnston anyway. From what Jacki said about her professor, smelling and boogers wouldn't even be a turnoff if this was the guy.
His deep red dress shirt molded to the muscle underneath as he was holding his right hand out to me waiting for me to take it. His left brow cocked with the corner of his lips tugging trying to hold back a smirk. Reaching up with his other, he straightened the knot of the black tie at the base of his thick neck as his eyes stayed glued to mine. Shaking my head, I bit down on the lip that was between my teeth as I slipped my hand into his. The shock hit so hard I slipped through the brief connection slamming back against the floor causing him to let out a little laugh. Heat engulfed my body as the embarrassment crawled up, settling into my cheeks. Bending over me, his hand slipped behind my back as he grabbed my hand easing me up to my feet.
"Are you alright?" His deep voice that was hinted with a slight accent vibrated through me causing every nerve ending to tingle from exposure. I've dealt with many people in my years of working with my father and I have never heard a voice that sexy before, one that made me damn near wet my panties. And looking at those eyes of his... good lord, this man was gorgeous, panty-dropping, drooling, heart melting, gorgeous. The kind of man my sister attracted. Not me.
"I am fine. I am..." Managing to rip my eyes off him, I glanced at my watch as the air shot out of me. I was late. I had thirty seconds to get to the class and for as stern as this professor was, I knew I couldn't be late. "I have to go. Sorry about that."
"Watch for open doors next time." He called after me as I rushed down the hall to the room Jacki told me. Oh, that voice with that accent started replaying in my head like my favorite song on the radio. For the first time today, I was glad I changed places with Jacki. At least there was one man who hadn't laid eyes on Jacki first.
Getting into the classroom in the nick of time, I slipped into one of the back seats hoping that I hadn't been caught. The older man sat at the front looking over his wire framed glasses watching me, knowing I had one second to spare before being late. I could see what Jacki said about him and I was glad that I sat in the back.
"Seeing as we are all finally here," his voice drifted out of him as I could almost see his breath hanging around the damp and thick science scented air. Still beady dark eyes were staying on me for some reason. "Mr. Smirnov will be taking over for the rest of this semester. I've caught him up on where we are in the class so he will be picking it up from here on out."
The door to the right of the white board behind the professor opened bringing my heart to a screeching halt. It was him. This semester had just gone from bad to worse. I would rather deal with the stuck up, stinky breathed, boring professor than one who made me damn near slide off my chair. I practically drooled when I looked at him and now, I would have to be in the same room with him, three times a week for two hours straight a day.
"Sir." He tipped his head slightly as he laid his notebook on the front lab table. Professor Johnston said his goodbyes and walked out leaving us in the hands of this sex god. "Well, hello students."
Putting my head down, I sucked in a deep breath of air hoping like hell he didn't see me. If I wasn't bad enough I had to run smack dab into the door he opened and now, I suffer through the class hoping like hell he didn't remember me.
"I will get straight to the point. I prefer you to be here on time." His blue eyes shifted over the front row of girls, to the next, and the next, and finally to me. "Oh, hell. You know all this stuff here. It is on the paper Professor Johnston had given you on the first day. Everything is right here that you need to know. It all says what this class is. Now, go to work. Get the chapter two reading done and we will have a twenty question quiz in an hour. Plenty of time to know all of the information."
The groans came loudly making that sexy smirk spread over his handsome face.
"No? No quiz? Would you rather I teach?" Pressing his hand to the front of his shirt, I caught a glimpse of the muscle that was hiding underneath. The muscle that made the girls in the front sit straight up pushing their chests out and their eyelashes fluttering at him. Jacki would have been right there with them if she had known this was going to be teaching the class. "Alright then. I suppose we will do this the boring way and I will lecture for the first hour. Then, you will have the rest of the time to work on your labs."
Shrugging, he covered a yawn as he glanced over the class again getting more familiar with the people spread out amongst the five lab tables. "I am Sergei Smirnov. I do not mind to be called Sergei. My father was born in Russia and he moved here when he was in his early twenties. That's when he met my mother and they got married. So, after my brother and I were born, they decided to take up residence in New York. My father is a professor in Geology and we have been all around the world on expeditions with him. So, I know a thing or two about geology as I studied with him, and ended up following right in his footsteps. So, enough about me, and let's get to work."
Going to the computer cart by the wall, he unlocked the computer and started the slide show. It was a long hour, but at least he made jokes. Going around the room after he finished his lecture, he asked questions to see how well we were paying attention and if we were understanding. When he pointed to me, my heart slammed hard taking my breath right out from my lungs.
"What is your name?" His blue eyes danced as he waited, but I couldn't talk. Hell, I could barely breathe just looking at him. He was perfect. He was nothing like I had seen before. It was like talking to another student, a very hot and sexy student. There was no way that he was old enough to be a teacher. He couldn't have been no more than a year or two older than me.
"Ja..." Oh crap. I almost said my name. I forgot. I had to be my sister for this class. "Jacki."
"Jacki..." He rubbed his chin and when I hadn't answered, he motioned for more. "Jacki..." Oh how he said her, my sister's, name. Drawing that "e" sound out at the end in that sexy, deep accent of his. A ping shot through my side wishing to hear my name from his lips.
"Um... Jacki. Jacki." Was I dumb or what? How much more of an idiot could I be?
"Jacki Jacki. Spelled the same or no?" His eyes narrowed in on me, those blues darkening into a deep oceanic coloration that I saw only in photographs.
Giggling erupted from the front row of drooling females as they all glared at me. The burning in my face intensified and my eyes scorched with the water that was building up inside of them. This man had me to the point where I couldn't even talk. His eyes shifted over to the gander of giggling geese.
"It is okay. I will let you catch your breath, wake up from my boring lecture, and rethink the question." His eyes softened as they came back to me. Sinking down in the chair, I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth wishing I could slip under the table and hide. "Jacki is your first and last name?"
"No. I... it's... I..." How was this possible? What the hell was wrong with me? How could I have forgotten my name? Well, yeah I did forget my name. I almost told him my name. "Shit."
"Oh, I do not believe that is your name. You stay behind today. I will get you to answer later." Turning his look onto the guy to my right, he smirked. "You?"
"Jason Hurt."
"Good! A plus for the day!" He rattled off a question I remembered him saying during the lecture, but Jason didn't answer. It slipped through my lips before I could catch it earning a loud grunt from him. "Jacki Jacki, how come you are able to answer this, but not an easy question? I give you A plus-plus." Turning on the heel of his black dress shoe, he went back to the front closing his notebook. "Enough fun for today. You can stay and work on the first lab. If you don't want to, that is fine also. We have two more days for this lab and you will have more time on Friday."
I sat there while everyone else got up and ran to the door. What the hell was I even still doing there? Oh, that was right. He wanted to talk to me. When I saw Jacki next, I was going to pulverize her for getting me into this mess. First, it was the stinky breath Professor and now, I have the teacher who I couldn't stop drooling over.
His soft blues drifted up as he lazily walked over to the back table where I was still sitting. Pulling the rolling desk chair from under the lab table in front of me, the warming smile spread over his face. "I do not bite. Nor, am I a big, scary man. That is my father. I like to have fun in class. I know the first days can be a bit nerve racking."
"Montgomery." My last name flew out of my mouth as if I would win a prize for answering correctly.
His thick, black brow shot up as the tug at his lips made my heart pound in my chest even more. "Jacki Montgomery. I just wanted to take today to get to know everyone. I didn't do it to humiliate you. Everyone falls asleep and I understand, especially with Professor Johnston. As long as you stay awake with me, you won't have any trouble."
Oh hell to my sister. She had fallen asleep through the first week of class. That was the whole reason why she didn't want to take this class. If she had been awake, she would have seen Sergei and stayed in her class. And if I ran back and told her about him, she would want to switch back and I would never pass calculus.
Maybe staying in the class as Jacki wouldn't be that bad. I can handle this. And I wouldn't have to suffer through a class I was sure to fail.