“…and there he stood, for hours on the side of the road.” Peter threw his arms out in amazement, shaking his head until his glasses wobbled. “Hours! Bundled up like the nerdiest snowman you’ve ever seen. Utterly convinced that his bright-pink genetically modified pines would be a huge success as Christmas trees.”
“I don’t think I want to head to the science facilities anytime soon,” June commented. “RUMINT says the new genetics professor is, er, even more eccentric than the rest of us.”
“I’ve heard the same. And she’s got some dual specialty in bio-computing.”
“Whatever that is,” she said drily. “Campus suddenly feels a cyberpunk novel.”
“An entrepreneurial one.” He dropped a wink. “Might even work.”
“Speaking of, I need to grade papers.”
The next twenty minutes passed in companionable silence but for the sound of clicking keyboards keys. A hollow pop as a corn worked free, the splashing and the clink of glass as peaty notes of scotch wafted through the living room turned office.
“Fine. Fine.” June fiddled with a pen before stabbing it through her messy bun. “Barbie pink? Pale pink? Magenta? All different shades? How’d he do it, anyway?”
“Love, there are men who know what magenta means, but I’m not one of them.” He sipped the scotch and gave a satisfied grunt. “Kind of reminded me of raspberries. Including the scent, actually. Which might answer your question.”
She couldn’t decide if he was merely teasing and tapped her lip before she could bite it. “No, no, that definitely raises more questions…”
***
I’m not sure where this is going yet, but had fun with this week’s prompt from AC Young. Mine went to Parrish – check it out over at MOTE!
