Steelhands - Jaida Jones [136]
Also, if I stopped to think too much about my plan, then I’d probably chicken out, but as long as I kept my feet moving and my courage screwed up, then I could see it done.
Even if Adamo didn’t have any solutions for me, I’d feel better once I got everything off my chest. And maybe all I needed was for someone to point out how batshit I was acting for me to be able to snap right out of it and start living my life the way I always intended—getting good sleep and not twitching at every shadow.
I stopped by the hot-drinks kiosk on my way from the mail room heading to Cathery, getting a hot chocolate for me and a black coffee for Adamo. As funny a face as he’d made after tasting the sweet stuff, and as much as I might’ve wanted to see it again, if I was planning to get him in a good mood, I figured I’d better try something that had a real chance of working.
The man behind the counter was the same one who’d been there the other night, looking just as cold as ever. When he tried to give me too much change, I dumped the difference into a little jar for tips.
My experience with the dorm leader was still stinging me, and I wasn’t about to start taking money just because someone liked the way I looked.
There was a fierce wind kicking up in the courtyard as I made my way across the stone path, and I tucked my head down to protect my face. I nearly rammed into a group of third-year girls, all of them with buttons on their coats that matched the ones on their boots, and hats jammed onto their neatly curled hair.
“ ’Scuse me,” I said, but they were too busy talking to hear my apology, or to make one of their own. I wasn’t snoopy like Toverre or anything, but I couldn’t help overhearing their conversation.
“He’s so violent,” one of them was saying, tugging at her wool cap. “I don’t like the way he shouts at all. I think you’re mad.”
“You just don’t have any appreciation for a real man, Flora,” said one of the others. “I think I’ll stop by his office later, ask him what sort of strategy he’d recommend for ensnaring one of the famous airmen.”
“You wouldn’t really,” said Flora, covering her mouth with a gloved hand.
“I would, too,” the other girl said. “Maybe I’ll try it tomorrow, just you watch.”
“ ’Scuse me,” I repeated, louder this time. Without waiting for an answer—in my experience, idle gossips never had any manners—I shoved past the three of them so that I could get in the door.
I never understood why groups of people felt the need to gather right in the narrowest part of the street or mill around in doorways, but I was too huffy even to think about that. The nerve of some people really got under my skin—especially those that were older than me, and meant to know better. If I hadn’t wanted my hot chocolate so badly, I might’ve accidentally spilled some of it on one of them—ruining their fancy boots, too—but it wasn’t any of my business what other people thought of Adamo, and they’d surely learn for themselves that he didn’t have any interest in their silly games.
At least, that was my opinion of him—which was apparently higher than any of theirs.
This time, I didn’t need to walk into anyone’s offices or interrupt any private meetings, seeing as how I already knew which one was Adamo’s. A part of me wanted to barge in on purpose and see whether that student and professor were going at it again, but both my hands were full, and I didn’t want to spill a hot drink anywhere if I got too much of an eyeful.
I hadn’t actually thought about the problem full hands were going to give me until I was standing there in front of Adamo’s door, with no way of opening it or even knocking. The paper cups were filled all the way to the top, and just big enough that I couldn’t fit both of them in one hand. I could’ve kicked the door to let him know I was coming, but it seemed disrespectful, and I didn’t think Adamo’d appreciate me leaving my mark that way.
I shifted to one side, real slow, to see if I could bang my shoulder up against the door instead. I’d’ve had to move my whole body