Free Nova by Delia Delaney Page A

single word about the cards.
    T he most impressive thing I learned abo ut Austin was that he had his MB A. He was only twenty-three and had earned his masters in business a year prior. I was pretty impressed, and I even told him so. It didn’t really seem like a big deal to him though, like it was just a fundamental achievement. I even asked him why he took it so lightly.
    “Lightly? Nah, I worked hard for that certificate.”
    “How in the world did you get it already? In four years?”
    “No, I went through six years of college. I just completed two of it while I was still in high school.”
    “Really? Wow, I wish I could have done that. I guess I’ve heard of high schools that were allowed to do that, but mine didn’t. You’re a brainiac, aren’t you?” I teased.
    He slightly smiled. “I do okay with the right motivation.”
    I raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what does that mean?”
    “My parents pretty much held everything over my head,” he chuckled. “Whether or not I got to do anything was based on my grades. But high school was easy for me so it wasn’t a big deal. Getting my masters was a little tougher , but by then it was something that I wanted to do .”
    “Where’d you end up interning for that?”
    “The Speedway.”
    “Oh, I see. Well that’s cool that you were able to get on with them permanently.”
    He shrugged as the waitress brought our check. Before I could even pay for my share, Austin was already handing her a fifty. I tossed some money his way and he practically laughed at me. He picked up the cash , and the two business cards, and set them in front of me.
    “Save it for a rainy day.”
    I wasn’t sure which he was referring to—the money or the cards—but I just shrugged and stuffed them in my purse.
    “Well thank you for lunch,” I told him.
    “Anytime. And if you’d rather not eat at the diner next time either, just let me know. I’ll take you anywhere you want. ”
    “Next time, huh?”
    “If I’m so lucky to have a next time,” he shrugged with a smile .
    We got up to leave and I couldn’t help but glance at the table when he left a tip in the middle of it. It was a ten-dollar bill, and I almost made a comment about how poorly the waitress had served us, but I decided to leave it alone. He walked me to my car after that, said he’d see me up in Bakersfield, and left with a wave.
    I sat there for a moment, feeling a little unsettled for some reason. I guess it was because my time with him was over, and I was already wishing I’d decided to go up with him for the weekend. But I told myself my choice was good. I didn’t even know much about Austin, so why would I put myself in his car to be left at his mercy?
    I glanced at the road when I heard an engine rev by. T he car that roared up to the stop sign was a brand-new Camaro , and after it barely stopped, it took off on a right turn to race to the freeway . For some reason that made me think of Bakersfield and Dr. Stevens, and I couldn’t remember if I was supposed to make the call or Dr. Stevens was going to. I guess I should have asked Aus tin a few more questions, but it was too late now since I couldn’t see where he was parked. I decided I would wait until seven o’clock for a call, and then I would take the initiative mysel f.
    Dr. Stevens did call me and it was way sooner than I expected. It couldn’t have been more than an hour later, and I’d just lain across my bed to do some homework. We talked for almost twenty minutes, and I answered all of his qu estions quickly and efficiently. We discussed several options for how I could get some hours in, and he even gave me some pointers about my letters of recommendation when it came time to apply for veterinary schools. Austin was right. I liked Dr. Stevens and I hadn’t even met him yet. With all of his advice and suggestions, I really felt like he wanted me to succeed.
    Then we began discussing the equestrian aspect of his career. I admitted that I