CALLIOPE POV
So close to done...
The beginning of the week flew by in a rush of appointments, one on one sessions with students, and working on my Dissertation.
Wednesday finally came and after the final class I had a two hour gap to get my own work done before grabbing pizzas ordered from a local place along with some drinks and cups. As usual, it was organized chaos.
"Callie?" Professor asked as he returned to the office after a faculty meeting.
"Yes, sir?"
He offered me a smile and handed over a can of Coke. "Caffeinate yourself, Oomnyashka."
I smiled at the sweet endearment, slightly surprised to hear the Professor call me a clever one in Russian. "Thank you. I need to go grab the pizzas in about an hour but I am sure the study session will go smoothly. Heading home to your sweet wife?"
Professor Ivanov nodded, shrugging into his coat after packing his laptop. "She wants to have dinner with Mike and his girlfriend Gracie tonight." I heard a heavy sigh before he continued, "So at least I will have a good meal and then can go home and relax."
"Enjoy your night. I'll email you if there are any issues or if I observe anything interesting." I stood as he left, but choked back a laugh as he almost ran into someone about to knock on the door jam.
He froze, then his posture relaxed. "Valentin! Sorry to have missed you. Your Mama and I are heading out for dinner with Mike and Gracie."
Val chuckled at his father, shaking his head. "Enjoy yourself, Papa. Want me to work on your laptop?"
Professor shook his head. "Sorry, Son. I need to get work done tonight, but thank you for offering."
"If it's okay then I'll stick around and hang out awhile. I have some work I can do and was kind of looking forward to pizza..." Val's voice trailed off as he met my eyes with a boyish smile. "Have a great night and tell Mama I love her, Dad."
Val came into the office and slid his hand into his backpack, bringing out a package of Double Stuf Oreos. "Hey, Callie." The greeting was casual as he asked, "So, how does this work?"
"The pizza place will have the order ready in about an hour so I was about to head out and grab some plates and cups as well as two liters." I paused, tilting my head at him. "Want to join me?"
He nodded, setting down his bag and the cookies while I grabbed my coat. "Can I leave my stuff here?"
"Sure, I will lock the office door and the building has security."
Val followed me out to the main walking path of the university in front of the office building. We kept in step with one another easily, chatting about his company and my Doctoral work.
"So are you nervous to defend your Dissertation?" he asked as I grabbed a basket and we wandered through the nearby Bodega.
"Absolutely terrified."
My answer was immediate and caused him to laugh louder than I would have expected. "I can't blame you." Val paused while I grabbed a two pack of paper towels, plastic cups, and a package of recyclable paper plates. "Well, if you want to do a dry run I'm happy to listen."
His comment made me stop and study him carefully.
Val has always been quieter than his brothers. He thought more than he spoke. I appreciated the silence and his peaceful presence. They were all handsome men, steel gray eyes and dark hair, but Val kept his hair longer and he had glasses like his Dad that were sometimes replaced by contacts. While each of the Ivanov sons have different personalities, I felt like I had the most in common with Val.
