Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94624 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94624 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Once her macaroni and cheese was baking, she started getting ready to go, but I lured her into staying with a glass of her favorite red wine and a charcuterie plate. We sat across from each other and talked and ate.
“What’s wrong with you?”
She stared at me. “Why do you think something’s wrong?”
I squinted at her. “Because I know you.”
“It’s just because I was late.”
Shaking my head, I smiled at her. “Tell me now.”
She bit her bottom lip.
“Kids all right?”
I got a nod.
“Your folks? Sister?”
Another nod.
“I know Dane’s fine, I talked to him yesterday because he’s trying to top last year’s Mother’s Day, and I told him to calm down and make dinner and get you liquored up.”
She reached across the table to take my hand. “Thank you. I loved flying to New York on Aaron’s jet for dinner and seeing a Broadway show with Dane and the boys, but really, just a simple evening in, eating, drinking, is even more lovely.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “So…spill it.”
After a deep sigh, she explained that this past Thursday, a new colleague had come into her office right after work, when she was on her way out, confessed feelings for her, and tried to kiss her.
“Wait. Go back. Tried to kiss you?”
“Well, he grabbed my arms, yanked me forward, leaned in, and I kneed him in the groin.”
“Good for you.”
“No. Not good for me. It’s his word against mine that something happened.”
“Did you leave him fetal in your office?”
“He crawled out the door.”
I grinned at her.
“It’s not funny. It’s already a whole thing.”
“Did you talk to the dean already?”
“I did. I put everything in an email, and then went directly to talk to him.”
“And?”
“And because I didn’t want the man fired, he wasn’t, but he’s putting my account in the man’s file, so the chances of him getting tenure are very much off the table.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
“Neither do I, but he––”
“What’s his name? I can’t keep calling him the man.”
“William Burgin.”
“Okay. Go on.”
“Well, William has already assured the dean that I flirted with him and coaxed him into acting on his desire.”
I nodded. “And?”
“And what?”
“Tell me what the dean said.”
“He said that was preposterous, and now it’s going to arbitration.”
“At the school, right?”
“That’s right.”
“I have no idea why you’re sweating this. They will find in your favor.”
“Yes, but…” She trailed off.
“Oh,” I said suddenly, understanding what happened. “You didn’t tell Dane.”
She added her other hand to the first and was now holding my hand with both of hers. “No. And now I’m worried that he’ll think––”
“Stop. You are not,” I told her. “You know him better than that. What he’s gonna be pissed about is that you didn’t come home, cry all over him, and ask him to fix it.”
She sighed deeply. “Yes.”
“He’ll be hurt you didn’t confide in him.”
“Yes,” she repeated and put her face down on her arm.
“He likes to be consulted, and he loves to ride to your rescue more than anything. The problem is, with you being so damn capable, he rarely gets the opportunity.”
“I think he’d like it if I fell apart once in a while.”
“I know."
She lifted her head to look at me. “Sam’s the same.”
“Very true.”
“Okay,” she said with a sigh, pouring herself a second glass of wine. “I guess I should go home and talk to him.”
“I’ll have him come over here,” I told her, pulling my cell from the back pocket of my jeans. “That’ll be better.”
“But you’re having a party.”
“We’re having people over. It’s not a big deal,” I said and saw Sam come in from outside where he was prepping the grill to look at what meat I had bought. “Watch this,” I whispered, and then called over to my husband. “Hey.”
He turned to me, scowling.
“Aja wants to stay and eat with us, and I’m gonna call Dane.”
Instantly his face transformed, and the smile was blinding. “That’s great.”
Aja broke into tears then, and Sam slammed the refrigerator door and charged over to her, crouching down beside her chair.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
And because she was a bit overwrought, holding it in for two days, and was worried about how Dane would react, she told him the whole story, with tears—that I knew were frustrated ones, not sad ones—and ended up being hugged tight by Sam.
He was not happy.
His glare told me so.
The fact that he had her in his arms and was texting with one hand was not great.
Did I think he was texting his office or anyone there? No, I did not. Did I think it was worse and he was texting his main partner in crime, Duncan Stiel? Yes. Yes, I did.
I forgot that I’d pressed the Call button, too busy watching Sam and Aja, and so was surprised when my brother answered on the second ring.