Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Jen asked, "Who do you think will win?"

Stoddard replied, "At this point, Sammy seems to have the upper hand."

Jen didn't say anything, but it was clear she agreed.

By the fifth minute, Roseanne had finished four problems and was starting on the fifth.

Sammy got stuck on the fourth problem for a few seconds, putting him slightly behind.

Roseanne managed to pull ahead, though her lead was slim.

By the sixth minute, both were stuck on the last problem.

...

With only ten seconds to spare before the seventh minute, Roseanne wrote down her answer, finishing the challenge.

Sammy's forehead was slick with a thin layer of sweat when he finally exclaimed, "Done!"

Unfortunately, he was ten seconds too late compared to Roseanne.

He took a deep breath, wiped off his sweat, and said with a smile, "It's alright. Speed isn't everything; accuracy counts too, and I'm confident in that." However, when the results were announced, Roseanne got everything right, while he missed one.

Sammy was flabbergasted, feeling like he'd been hit by a tornado!

But he had to admit-

"Roseanne, your mental math skills are incredible. Did you really only learn this as a kid?"

Stoddard watched the entire event unfold, silently nodding in approval.

Besides her skills, Roseanne's composure under pressure was what really set her apart. In that respect, Sammy was at a definite disadvantage. Jen teased, "Sammy, you've got to admit defeat now, right?"

Sammy quickly conceded, "Absolutely, fair and square_"

Losing to Stoddard, a senior researcher and math whiz, was normal, but losing to Roseanne, an undergraduate? Sammy had never expected that.

Jen patted him on the shoulder,

ting, "Win some, lose somet

You'll get her next time. But

let's not

postpone dinner for a rematch."

That was the real point of concern.

Sammy declared, "You got it, dinner's on me tonight! But Roseanne, how did you solve that last problem so quickly?"

He thought his method was fast, but she had found an even faster way!

Roseanne shared her technique generously, enlightening him.

Sammy had an epiphany, "I had no idea you could do it like that!"

"Why not? A good catch makes a good cat."

"I've learned something new today."

Stoddard then asked the burning question, "Are you sure you've never systematically studied mental math?"

Roseanne met his gaze and shook her head, "Never."

As a child, she discovered her ability

to calculate faster than her peers, offering solutions in seconds that took others minutes.

We

"I have a set of notes on mental math that I've compiled myself. Interested?"

Jen chimed in, "Aren't those your prized notes, Stoddard? You've never shared them with anyone. Why offer them so freely now?"

Stoddard waved off the concern, "Good tools are for those who can use them well. Right?"

Roseanne was visibly moved. "Really? Can I?"

Stoddard urged, "Just say if you want them!"

"Of course!" Roseanne replied immediately.

Hesitating even a second would be disrespecting the offer.

Sammy, who hadn't heard of these notes before, felt speechless. "Do I not qualify?" he thought.

Jen, all smiles, suggested, "Shouldn't we decide on what to have for dinner?"

"Are we going out to eat?" Another voice joined the conversation from the doorway.

Everyone turned to see Owen, dressed in a shirt and trousers, slipping on a white lab coat as be walked in, asking, "So, have we decided where we're eating?"