I might not have let the self-doubt rise, but I’ve yet to let go of obsessively replaying conversations, and Maverick’s words have been on a loop in my head for days. I’ve agonized over where I went wrong or what I missed, and I might not be able to think straight, but the feeling of the truth is overwhelming.
He knew.
Somehow Maverick found out, and he ended things, either so I wouldn’t have to make that choice or because he believes them. My stomach turns at the idea of him even thinking he’s the reason I didn’t get that job, because he’s never cared what anyone thought about him until now. Until it costmesomething.
An older woman in a tweed skirt sits upright at her brown desk, typing quietly, glancing over the rim of her glasses from time to time. Linden Creek is an old university, but the waiting room outside of the department heads office feels ancient.
When the office door swings open and a man with freckly hands and burnt red hair opens the door, I stand.
“Ms. Cooper?”
“Yes, hi.” I extend my hand as I head toward his office. “Iappreciate you being able to meet with me on such short notice.”
“You caught me on a good day, I suppose.” He gestures for me to sit in a low back leather chair. “What can I do for you, Ms. Cooper?”
“I just wanted to talk to you about the TA position for Professor Soto’s class…”
His face doesn’t immediately give anything away, but he busies himself by flipping through manila envelopes.
“I know this isn’t typical, but I was wondering if you could explain to me what it was that I could have done better, or if there was something that I was lacking?”
He opens a folder with a note paper clipped to the inside, closes it, and then looks up at me.
“Just…you know, so I have a better understanding for next time,” I try.
“You’re right, Ms. Cooper. This is highly unusual. But, since I happen to know you’re a long time friend of my nephew, I feel I can share this information with you.”
I hold my breath, schooling my face not to show the disdain I have for Nathan, but only because I’m desperate for the confirmation.
“You had all the qualifications and attributes of someone who would normally be a shoe-in for this position. From what I could tell, you were the best suited for the job. However…” He folds his pasty hands on the desk. “We’re looking for someone who represents the kind of character we want in the department.”
I swallow a thick lump in my throat. “I’m sorry. Could you clarify what you mean by character?”
Professor Peterson looks me dead in my eyes. Not a hint of embarrassment, or a lick of shame, and says, “Who you align yourself with matters.”
My jaw falls, and I run my tongue along my teeth. For a moment, I sit in utter shock. Partly because I know Nathangot in this man’s ear, though I’ll never be able to prove that, but mostly because he had the audacity to tell me to my face that I didn’t get the job because of who my boyfriend is.
Was.
“Thank you, professor. You will be hearing from me again.” I force a smile, stand, and head to the door. “For the record, the next time you preach about character, you should make sure you’re not damning the one guy who has more character than anyone.”
I turn on my heel but not before catching his face fall.
43
maverick
I gotmy shirt pressedand my car cleaned. I might be broken on the inside, but if I’ve learned anything from my friend, Willie, it’s that he shows up with his best foot forward and he deserves this. I grab the bag of books I picked up for him from the back seat as a sorry-for-my-shitty-attitude gift and head inside.
Monica is sitting in her usual place, with her usual black button-up, but her face looks different.
“Hey, Monica.” I reach the front desk, and when she looks at me, her red-rimmed eyes fill with tears.
I set the bag down, placing a hand on her shoulder across the desk. “Hey.”
“I’m sorry.” She sniffs, reaching for a tissue. “I’m sorry, Maverick. I know you had plans to take William out today.”
“Fuck the steak. What happened?”
