Ouch. She was being brutally blunt - and honest. What had possessed him to insult her that way - feelings of superiority? No, he didn't think he was superior…not in intelligence, anyway. Obviously he thought his education was superior. His face was hot as he picked up one of the papers and began reading.
It was a non-fiction manuscript about the forest and the animals that lived in it. At first he wondered if it was actually her work. The grammar was excellent - not at all like the way she talked. And yet, as he read, he could hear her voice in the text. It sounded like the way she thought. It was informal, informative and interesting. He couldn't have written anything so eloquent.
He stopped reading and looked up at her. "I'm afraid that it was my ignorance on display as I spoke, not yours. This is good - really good. I hope you'll accept my sincerest apologies and forgive me for my arrogance."
Her cheeks flushed and she looked at the paper, gnawing at her lower lip. "You really think it's good?"
"I think it is. Have you tried submitting it to someone?"
She frowned. "I ain't got no…" She hesitated. "I don't have any way to get it into a format that can be submitted. They don't accept handwritten work anymore. Anyway, I'm not done with it yet."
He wanted to help, but he was afraid of offending her again. If he was going to help, he needed to know more. He met her inquisitive gaze.
"Can you type, and do you know how to use a computer?"
She nodded. "Yes, but we ain't…we don't have electricity to run it."
He nodded. "But a laptop with a battery…I could recharge it for you - maybe get a spare battery."
She bit her lower lip and turned away. "Why would you do that?"
He had caused her to doubt herself. He sighed. "Because I think you have something important to say, and the way you say it is interesting - and professional."
She turned and looked at him, searching his face - probably to determine whether he was being honest. Finally she began gathering the papers. "Thank you."
He leaned forward and looked up at her face, giving her his best chagrinned smile. "Am I forgiven?"
Her smile was tight, but her eyes were warm. "I guess so."
A lock of hair slid down her neck and rested on her chest, reflecting the evening light with copper highlights. As she gazed into his eyes, her smile softened. In that moment, she was more than pretty.