I lightly tossed my pen toward them, breaking their long, searching gaze. “While you may be tempted, there are still far too many people in here for you to attempt ravishing each other on the desk.”
With a bright blush, Hannah laughed and—tugging Roger with her—left the building.
I stared from my notebook to my pen on the floor. I spun my chair slowly and peeled myself up to retrieve it. An article on theinvasion of internet mass media? A look into student involvement in environmental protection?
Or—yes! What if it was something combined? How the internet and mass media support student involvement in environmental protection?
With awhoop!I swept up my pen. It almost felt hot in my hand with all the thoughts streaming toward it, begging to be written.
A step before my desk, the chief caught my eye, beckoning me over.
“Yes, chief?” I asked, stopping in front of him. He stood solidly in the doorway, arms folded.
“You were in here until late last night, are you planning to be again?”
I nodded my head. “I also have the feature article you requested me to write.”
“Ah, that.” His frown lightly dented his brow. “Let me stress again, writing it is not assurance you will get the features editor position.”
I clicked my pen. “But if I wow you, I have a chance, right?”
“Right.”
I stopped clicking. “Then my article will be in your email by no later than midnight, Friday, the fifth of December.” I turned to leave, but a hand clamped down on my shoulder. I glanced back at the chief, his lips in a firm line.
“The office will be closed over Thanksgiving weekend.”
“Oh.” A shame, but as long as I organized myself, I could work from home, so it wasn’t the end of the world. I slipped from his gentle grip. “Okay.”
I worked another hour until it was only me, Jack, and the chief. At nine, Hunter texted. He’d just finished basketball practice and wanted to know if I was up for a drink. I texted back that I was still working, and fifteen minutes later, Hunter rolled through the doors.
“Shut that thing,” he said, chin jerking in the direction of my laptop. “We’re going for a drink.”
“I can’t, I have to plan this article—”
Hunter’s chest puffed up as he folded his arms and directed me a hard look. “Can’t or won’t, Liam?”
I pushed up my glasses. “This article has to be perfect or my father won’t let me work for him.”
Hunter nudged his chair forward, pressed save, and shut my laptop. I just watched, twiddling my pen as he did it. “You’re smart, there will be other people to work for.”
Numbly, I nodded, but when Hunter slipped my laptop into its gray skin, I shook my head. “I don’t think it’s just about the position,” I said quietly. Standing up, I packed the rest of my bag and followed Hunter to his van.
He drove with purpose and speed—in theoppositedirection of home.
“Where are we going?” I asked, gripping my seat belt as we whipped around a corner.
“Cryptions. A bar on Liberty Avenue.”
“Since we could get a drink on Ellsworth without the detour, I am guessing something else is at Cryptions. Perhaps asomeoneelse?”
Hunter grinned, looking at me from the corner of his eye. “Mitch texted me. He said he’s working there and wants to see me.”
“And I am here because...?” I clung onto the arm of the door as Hunter swerved around a deep pothole.
“Because I like your company, you need a stiff drink, and I like having someone to yak with until Mitch gets a free moment.”
The parking lot was busier than I thought it would be for a Tuesday. Inside, a thick crowd of mostly male students undulated to noisy music. I stuck close to Hunter as we threaded our way through the crowds. Thankfully, most were decent enough tomake way for Hunter’s chair, though Hunter’sYou better fucking movelook was likely helping.
