“Hello, Anysha.”
As is with anyone deeply engrossed in a book, to Anysha the voice seemed far away but also unusually close by. She looked up to see Professor Zharim. Her heart jumped. He was tall, with a trim beard (with a touch of gray in it) and piercing eyes, and very tan. He looked vaguely South American. She had taken him once, for discrete math, and during that time she had had the biggest crush on him….
“Oh! Hi!” Anysha couldn’t think of anything else to say. She looked at the giant book in his hands. It was about twice as thick as a textbook, and the cover was completely black except for the word “DENIAL” in bold white letters. Anysha, being a bit of a nerd, recognized the font as Helvetica.
“What are you doing in the library on a friday night?” asked Professor Zharim, shifting the book to his side.
“Oh, um, you know…studying,” Anysha answered meekly. “What is that book?”
“This is for a behavior science study I’m doing. Fascinating stuff really,” he said, opening the book and flipping the pages. “It’s about how people respond differently when they want something.”