[ me: slow updates, guys.

also me, a few hours later: here's chapters one, two, and three because I accidentally drank a coke right before bed and can't sleep ]

☆︎

I'VE GOT MY OWN LITTLE BORING NERD.

"SO," Himari said, sliding her fingertip around the rim of her glass as she gave Scott all her attention. She nodded to his polo shirt that was hugging his broad chest firmly — he'd removed his ball cap with the same logo. "What's StormPAR? Sounds fancy."

Scott raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised she was interested in his work at all. But maybe she was just making small talk to pass the time before leaving him high and dry, getting a free drink out of him.

Javi would smack him for thinking so negatively about himself and his chances with a woman as beautiful as Himari.

"We're a startup company," he explained. "We're collecting data on tornados in Oklahoma using Precision Approach Radars and hoping to create a 3D model to predict how future storms will move."

Himari's eyes went a bit wide, not expecting something so scientifically advanced. Of course, she didn't have a goddamn clue as to what all that entailed, but Scott seemed confident with his answer, so he knew what he was doing.

"What? Are you a meteorology genius or something?" she asked, grinning at him.

"Oh, no. I'm the chief engineer," he told her, looking a bit bashful. "I helped deign the PARs and am helping test them in the field."

"So you are a genius," she mused, crossing her arms. "That's hot, Scotty."

He let out a huff of a laugh and shook his head. "I don't think anyone's ever thought engineering is hot."

"Come on," she said, nudging him with her knee. "You're gonna change the world of meteorology and technology with your mind and shit. That's impressive — own it."

"Well, what do you do?" he asked, wanting the topic off him. Besides, he was dying to know something about Himari.

"I'm a senior at the University of Arkansas," she explained while gesturing to her shirt with the school's emblem on it. "Getting my degrees in Mass Comms and Marketing in four years? Not fun."

Scott's eyes went a little wide at that — because getting two degrees actually was hot to him. He was attracted to a mind just as much as a body. "Two degrees in four years? I'd say that makes you a genius too."

She rolled her eyes playfully, scrunching her nose up in a way he adored. "Nah. Put numbers in front of me like the ones you work with, and I'd pass out. You'd have to catch me in your big strong arms."

He glanced at his arms for a moment, trying not to get embarrassed. Scott, despite his looks, didn't get compliments much. That was his fault, for the most part. He had a fairly abysmal personality and was off-putting, always glaring at new people. But clearly, Himari liked what she saw, and he wasn't sure how to handle the attention.

"So, um, if you're at Arkansas, why are you in Oklahoma?" he asked her curiously, changing the subject off his looks.

"Oh, just an internship thing," she said, waving him off. "Nothing that interesting."

Truthfully, Himari didn't want to mention the Tornado Wranglers. What if there was the off chance that Scott was a mega fan since he worked in the meteorology field? No way was she losing out on the chance of a night with Scott because he was too excited asking her questions about growing up with Tyler Owens.

"But it's my first day here," she went on.

"And how are you finding Oklahoma?" he questioned.

She smirked and blatantly eyed his body, not trying to be subtle at all. "I'm enjoying the sights, safe to say."

Himari adored the bashful look that adorned his face once again. She was going to tease him, but then a new song came on, and she couldn't help but gasp as she grabbed his wrist.

"I love this song!" she exclaimed. "Dance with me, Scott?"

His eyes went wide as his mouth hung open. "I don't really dance."

She pouted pleadingly at him, his eyes drawn to her lips. "Please? Don't make me dance alone," she said, rubbing her thumb back and forth along the inside of his wrist, making him swallow thickly.

"But I don't know how," he admitted.

Himari's grin was all-consuming as she pulled his larger frame off the barstool. "I'll teach you," she assured him while dragging him toward the dance floor.

From his spot in a booth with a few other coworkers, Javi thought he was drunk and hallucinating as he saw Scott's ridiculously large and awkward frame move to the dance floor.

Scott Miller didn't dance.

He stood uncomfortably still as they reached the center of the dance floor. Himari grinned up at him while moving her hips to the beat, her arms raised. And as he remained stiff, she just laughed.

"Loosen up, Scotty," she said while grabbing his arms. She pulled them back and pushed them forward to the beat until he relaxed a bit, getting the hang of it. "Now, the hips."

His breath caught as she hooked her fingers in the belt loops of his jeans and pulled him closer, hips pressed to hers. It took him a moment to overcome his shock, but then he began swaying back and forth as she was. Himari laughed at her success, and he thought her laughter was addicting.

Taking things further, Himari turned in Scott's arms and backed up, dancing against his hard body with her eyes closed. She reached one hand back, it finding purchase in his hair as she kept him close. And slowly, he slid his hands onto her hips, gripping them tightly as he got lost in her.

Scott bent his head down a bit, lips brushing her ear. Just barely over the music, he heard her take in a soft breath as she pulled on his hair a bit. So, testing the waters even more, he slid his larger hand over her exposed stomach, pulling her even closer against him. He let out a groan as her ass brushed his crotch, and before she could do it again, he held her still and pinned to his body.

"Careful there, Sweetheart," he murmured, his eyes screwed shut.

Himari smirked and looked at him over her shoulder, covering his hand on her stomach with her own. "Maybe I don't want careful." Then, she turned in his arms and wrapped her own around his neck, standing chest to chest. "Maybe I want the cute nerd from the bar to give me a real good Oklahoma welcome."

He snickered at her lack of subtlety before pressing his forehead to hers. "I'm staying at the motel across the street," he offered in a surprisingly soft tone. "Might be more welcoming than a bar."

She hummed and pretended to think it over while toying with the hair at the base of his neck. "You drive a hard bargain, Scott Miller," she said. "Lead the way."

☆︎

Five minutes later, with their tabs paid, Scott and Himari were walking across the street, Scott's large hand wrapped around hers. And as they walked, she could tell his over-sized brain was over thinking.

"Scott," she hummed, looking at the way he frowned and drew his eyebrows in. "You don't really have to take me back to your room if you don't want to."

He blinked a few times as they stopped in the parking lot, just a few feet from his door. "It's - it's not that," he said. "I don't do this. I mean, take home girls. I - we don't even know each other."

"Well, let's change that some more," she said with a nod. "My favorite movie is 'Step Brothers' and I like blue and pink."

Scott stared at her for a moment before nodding, appreciating her attempt to make him more comfortable. "I like gray and watching 'Star Wars'."

Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Gray? Your favorite color is gray?" she asked, exasperated. "Is your favorite candy black licorice and your favorite drink water?"

"I mean, I like Dr. Pepper with my black lico—"

Himari burst out laughing as she realized she'd guessed his favorite candy even if it was disgusting in her opinion. "And you like 'Star Wars'. God, this is great. I've got my own little boring nerd."

Scott rolled his eyes and led them toward his room. "I am an engineer, remember. Not so hot to you anymore?"

"I'll allow you to be complex enough to be hot and dorky," she joked, leaning against him. "And it's not that bad — I had a total crush on Anakin growing up. You could totally pass for Hayden Christensen's cousin or something. Or Clark Kent."

"Superman might be pushing it a little," he said with a small, shy smile. "And I don't even wear glasses."

"Lucky. I hate mine," she said, thinking of the golden, wire-framed, circular glasses that she owned. She'd left them on her nightstand and shoved her contacts in her eyes that morning, not wanting to have to deal with them while flying.

Scott raised an eyebrow and studied her face. "No, I bet you look gorgeous in glasses," he decided. "Though I can't imagine you ever not looking perfect."

"Why, Scott Miller, are you finally flirting back?" she asked with a delighted grin as he unlocked his room.

"Just being truthful," he said softly while looking at her features again. "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever met."

Himari's cheeks heated up over such a simple but honest compliment, and Scott considered it a success, as she didn't seem easily flustered.

"You're sweet," she murmured as he opened the door for her. Himari reached for his hand, pulling him inside by his fingertips as she looked around. "Last guy I dated just always called me sexy. Not nearly as romantic as beautiful, so you get points for that."

"Hate to say I'm not good at romantic," Scott admitted as they came to a stop in the middle of the neat motel room. He stood right behind her, chest pressed to her back. "Or anything that has to do with girls, if we're being honest."

Himari hummed and turned in his arms, trailing her hands up his strong forearms. She got lost in his earnest blue eyes that were fixed solely on her, him looking so eager but nervous at the same time.

"Then I guess I'll just need to be good enough for the both of us."