Quinn takes a step closer. “Partnerships like this between faculty and staff can change the students’ lives. I know it’s against Billings culture, and that’s intimidating for a lot of people. When I say I love Billings, I mean it, but we can make it better if we’re willing to work together.”
Sydney looks out over the garden, leaving the two of us in suspense for a moment that feels like an eternity. But finally, she turns to Quinn, stretching a hand out to her.
Looks like we can flip the color of one of our pawns.
As we walk through the Borghese Gardens, I peek at her over Sydney's shoulder and mouth,One down.
Three to go,she mouths back.
11
QUINN
JUNE — EIGHT WEEKS TO WIN OVER THE FACULTY
Damn,I’m good.
I may still have a shit ton of work to do to win over the faculty, but I am the uncontested queen of choosing AirBnBs. I can’t be topped.
The greens and yellows of the rolling hills stretch out before me, peaking and dipping between each other like waves on the ocean. The scent of jasmine floats up the hill to where I’m perched on our terrace, fighting for dominance over the espresso wafting up from my hands. I close my eyes, savoring the cool breeze and the escape from the heat of Rome.
This last-minute mini-vacation is worth every cent.
A few days ago, I dropped down on the lawn of the Borghese Gardens next to Inez. “Can we go on vacation?”
She laughed, and rolled onto her stomach, propping her chin on her hands. “Is Rome not enough for you?”
I nudged her with my foot. “Of course it is, but the past month has been stressful for both of us. We deserve to get away for a couple days. Dr. Guarino and Dr. Aguilar are taking thestudents to Venice and Verona this weekend. Let’s go somewhere, too.”
She chewed on her lip. “I was actually planning on taking the train to Florence for the day on Saturday.”
“Tuscany’s perfect! We can find a villa, drink good wine, and not think about work for two whole days.”
Inez started picking at her nails, something she always did when she was nervous. “Well, I was actually going to visit someone.”
I widened my eyes at her. “Inez García, are you going to see a boy?”
She rolled her eyes at me and pinched her lips against a smile. “No, nothing like that. I can’t seem to find any luck in that area. Just an old friend I’m meeting up with. But maybe we could do the whole villa thing. Bring Colton, and you two can hang out on Saturday while I’m gone.”
I nodded. “Okay. I’ll find something perfect for us.”
And, at the risk of sounding full of myself, I delivered. The house itself is small, more bungalow than villa with three tiny bedrooms and a living room we can barely fit in, but it’s cheap and comfortable, and the interior isn’t the pull, anyway. Every bit of the indoor squeeze is worth it for the incredible outdoor space, set at the top of a hill with views in every direction. There’s a terrace with a stunning pergola and creeping vines, the perfect spot for a morning coffee. The other side of the house faces a wide lawn with a pool, the deck lined with lounge chairs. The edge of the property is dotted with Italian cypress trees, like tall, skinny sentinels set up to defend us from the stress of the outside world.
We rented a car and headed up Friday, spending the entire afternoon and evening lounging outside and swimming in the pool. That night, the three of us piled into the small kitchen to make aglio and olio pasta, which took all of four ingredients but still felt like a massive accomplishment when none of us arecooks. As I looked around at my best friends—my family—I thought life couldn’t get more perfect.
And it won’t end here. This will be our life forever. We’ll head back to Boston and get together for home-cooked meals and laughter over wine. The three of us will lounge on the quad on those warm summer days when students flee campus, and in the evenings, Inez and I will force Colt to watch the latest Netflix rom-com with us, as entertained by his sarcastic commentary as we are by the movie itself.
I’m feeling hopeful. The type of hope I haven’t felt in years. A professor is on board. Truly, fully on board. Yes, I still have three more to go, but after getting Sydney’s buy-in, it feels possible for the first time. I’ll come back from this weekend refreshed and ready to dive in.
A splash comes from around the corner of the house, and I round it to find Colton swimming laps in the pool. I’ve just made my coffee, and this boy’s already getting a workout in. The energy levels are honestly absurd.
He stops after another lap when he spots me, throwing me that smile with the dimple that makes my whole body heat like I’ve thrown myself into a giant pizza oven. Colton pushes himself up and out of the pool, the water sluicing down his toned chest and stomach, and my mouth goes completely dry. He grabs a towel off the lounge chair, and even from twenty feet away, I can see the way his muscles bunch as he runs the towel over his hair.
I want him. Want him so badly that I don’t think I’m going to be able to stop myself from doing something stupid, and that thought is terrifying enough to make me want to beg Inez to take us with her.
What if I let myself indulge in him the same way I’m going to indulge in Tuscan wine this weekend? Just once. I think of the look in his eyes while we were at the Borghese, indulgent as always, but with an undercut of hunger that seems to have been there consistently since we got to Italy. It doesn’t feel one-sided.
“Enjoying the view?” Inez says from behind me, and I jump, my tiny cup of espresso flying into the air before tipping and pouring the hot liquid down the front of my pajamas.
