“And that’s for…?” I ask.
“Our first strategy meeting,” he says, looking over the junk with a serious expression, like the pile holds the mysteries of theuniverse. “We have four people we need to sell. It won’t happen by eating bitching M&M’s.”
He flattens out the paper, which I realize is a comically large tourist map of Rome, complete with cartoon images of the top sights. He places the figurines in the middle of the map.
“Welcome to your war room,” he says with a giant, almost boyish smile. “Hold that thought.”
He stands from the bench, running off into the park until he grabs something off the ground, coming back with a large stick.
I bite back my smile. “And that’s…” I gesture to the stick.
He looks offended. “It’s our plotting rod. To push the figurines around.”
“It’s a stick.”
He scowls. “Don’t judge my plotting rod. This was a last-minute plan.”
“I think you watch too many medieval TV shows, Colton.”
He ignores me and starts organizing the figurines around the map. “We’ve been going about this the wrong way. We can’t rely on them seeing and appreciating your work. First, we need them to like you so they want to help you.”
“Is that why you’re helping me? You like me?” I ask with a teasing voice, like we’re middle schoolers talking about the upcoming dance. I flutter my eyelashes at him.
He grabs another M&M, this time intentionally hitting me right between the eyes.
I rub my forehead. “Ow! When did your aim get so good?”
He smirks and turns back to his map. I swipe the black queen and knights off the table and hold them up in question.
“Where did this all come from?”
“I have a chess set back at the apartment.” He snatches them back. “You’re the queen, obviously. Inez and I are your knights.”
“And the professors are all pawns? Oh, they’d love that.” He chuckles. “How does this work?”
“We woo them. Take them to places around the city that youhave special access to.” He pushes a figurine to the Borghese Gardens. “I say we start with Sydney Larsen. She’s tenured, so switching sides won’t be a risk for her. And you have some killer connections for museums to warm her cold, art-loving heart.”
I stick my thumbnail between my teeth, chewing on it while I think through Colton’s situation. “This is a risk for you, Colt. You’re actively plotting with the staff.”
His brow furrows, and he stares off for a few seconds before shaking his head. “I’m not worried about that. Have you met me? No way I’m not getting tenure.”
But I can see the cracks in his confidence. He laid out his fears so many times over the years. I know how stressed he is about making the payments for his mom’s house, how he wakes up in a cold sweat from nightmares about his pre-tenure reviews going poorly. He literallyjustmentioned he was scared of the insecurity of the field, and now he’s putting on a brave face. Risking his greatest fear for me.
“Colton—”
“It’s not a risk,” he says, cutting me off.
“Yes, it is,” I say fiercely.
A soft smile takes over his face. “Fine, it’s a calculated risk. We succeed or fail together. I believe in you, and it won’t be risky for me after you win over all the professors. What do you say?”
A wave of peace settles over me. For the first time in a long time, I’m not fighting this fight alone.
A slow smile creeps over my face. “I say it’s time to woo some stuffy professors.”
10
COLTON
