I definitely needed to follow his lead on this—showing only as much commitment and emotion as he did.
It was kind of like making sure I bought the right kind of boots. I wanted to fit in to Montrose’s life as much as I wanted to look like the Bribury girls.
So of course I didn’t text back asking where he was going this afternoon.That’s too bad. But lots there to keep me busy.I replied. Cool. Casual. All business. I had to physically put the phone down so I wouldn’t keep texting.
I have to meet with the rest of the department to learn the new grading system. Though I suppose you could probably show me that.
I probably could.I was tasked with ways of breaking the system, so probably not the best person to show you how to use it correctly.
Is that what you’re doing today? Breaking the system I’m taking the time to learn?
Kind of. I’ll be careful not to take down anything you might need later.
Big of ya.
All for the greater good of my fellow Bribury students.
There was a pause, and I put my phone down again, thinking that if the conversation was over, I wasn’t going to be the one typing over and over “Are you still there?”
Sorry.He finally typed.You just reminded me you’re a student. As if the faculty event last night wasn’t reminder enough.
I wanted to deflect and distract him from the fact that I was a student, but really, there was no deflecting it. It was a fact. Instead I textedHow was the event last night?
Good, actually. Much as I would have liked to stay exactly where I was.Which was on his office couch, kissing the crap out of me.I really enjoyed it. Of course, with that group, the subject of books we’ve read recently came up and so that was a good conversation.
Anybody read the new John Irving and have anything to say? I finished it over break.
You worked two jobs AND had time to read Irving’s latest? He’s not exactly a quick read.
I TOLD you I could handle two jobs and classes.
Yeah, if you can handle Irving, what’s a little Advanced Chem?
Haha.
Actually, yeah, I heard someone talking about the new Irving book. It wasn’t in the group I was sitting with, though, so I didn’t catch what they were saying.
Too bad. I’d like to hear someone in the literary world’s thoughts on it.
What are YOUR thoughts on it?
He’d spent the evening amongst Bribury’s strongest literary minds and wantedmyopinion? Umm…no. I wasn’t going to open myself up like that. I wasn’t about to make him question my suitability for this job by trying to sum up a very complex author’s newest masterpiece.
I probably should get back to work here. Systems to break, after all.
Sure. Of course. But one more thing about last night.
Yes?
There were a bunch of times when I thought to myself, “Syd should be here with me, she’d love this.” And then I would remember that you couldn’t be with me. Not as my plus one or anything. But…well…I thought about you.
That’s nice.It was more than “nice” to me, but again, I wasn’t going to show my cards this early into the hand.
Did you think about me?
So much for showing my cards. Before I could stop my fingers, I texted back.I think about you all the time.
A moment of inactivity. I willed the dots showing he was typing to start growing, but nothing.
