“It’s already Friday. He’s not going to want to meet on the weekend.”
“Try.” He turned on my phone and passed it to me.
Several missed texts from Saraj and classmates flashed on my screen. My heart skipped a beat. Canaan was the most recent. I whispered, “He texted me.”
Saraj urged, “Open it.”
I glanced at him. “What if it’s not a good text?”
He tapped my desk twice. “Then you have your answer, and we’ll figure something out to tell your followers.”
Inhaling, I pressed his name. Relief and warmth filled me as I read his message. “He apologized and asked me to come back to him. He misses me too.”
“We’re back in.” Saraj bounced around the room. “Now, I can tell you that I ran into Emme at the Galleria, and she wasn’t happy.”
The sweet anticipation turned into painful dread in the pit of my stomach. “I’ve tried to call her, but she sends me to voicemail.”
“Well, she had a few choice words for you, and then I pointed to the diamond on her finger and asked about her man. That shut her up real quick, and she walked away.”
“What did she say about me?”
“Nothing worth repeating. So, don’t feel guilty about her. I mean it. Let it go, Kensie.” He kneeled before me. “You deserve to smile like the one Canaan gives you. Call that professor so you can go back to that sexy man for his birthday.”
I nodded, pushing the dread away, choosing to focus on me.
Dr. Radi smiled while he perused my part of the article he planned to submit to a journal. “This is really good.” He looked up at me. “Definitely worth the wait.”
“Thank you, and thank you for meeting me here on a Sunday.” We were sitting at a crowded Black Rock Café, discussing my research. “I can do whatever revisions you need and get back to you by tomorrow. I’ll start reviewing my data set for the dissertation when I return to Miami.”
He settled back in his seat, holding his iced coffee. “Do you live there now?”
“Just until after the race in May. Then I’ll have the summer back here to devote to my dissertation.”
He shifted in his seat. “It’s March, and I plan to go home to India for most of the summer. I’m not sure it’s realistic to expect you’ll be able to graduate by the end of the summer. You were supposed to have the data analyzed by now.”
I leaned forward. “I would still like to make the effort. I’ve been asked to teach at Howard in the fall, pending graduation.”
His brows met. “Oh . . . I didn’t know you had applied. What about the assistant professor position we have in our department?”
“I didn’t apply. I was offered an opportunity by Howard back in January. Some students reached out to me because of my book and social media presence. Although I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for my career, I would love to teach at an HBCU.”
“Our university is more prestigious.” He straightened in his chair. “You’ll get more opportunities here than there.”
“In my community, Howard is pretty damn prestigious and has well-known alumni.” I pushed my half-drunken energy drink to the side. “Do I need to rattle off a list?”
He looked away and rubbed his beard before placing a hand on top of mine. “I wasn’t trying to offend you. I had high hopes for us once you earned your doctorate.”
“Us?” Dr. Radi was a few years older and single. Most of the female students and faculty had crushes on him. I never did, though I considered him handsome. He was both my mentor and favorite professor, and I admired his career. Until now, he’d never expressed or demonstrated any attraction toward me. Maybe he still meant professional. “We can always collaborate while I’m in D.C. I think the research would be invaluable, comparing and contrasting two different private universities.”
He squeezed my hand. “I was talking more on a personal level. We work well together and can spend hours discussing people and politics. I kept it professional because you were my student. Soon, you won’t be anymore.”
“I’m engaged,” I said as if it were a fact.
“I understand the allure of Canaan Jackson, but do you really see long-term with him?” Dr. Radi scoffed, “He’s a race car driver. You can’t possibly be matched intellectually. You’re a gifted and bright woman who can run circles around most people.”
Lifting my chin, I accused, “You know nothing about him or me. I don’t look down on people who may not be as smart or gifted as I am. I value people for who they are. Besides, Canaan could probably run circles aroundyou. He’s a chemical engineer, a geologist, and a self-made billionaire because of hisresearchbefore he started racing.” I removed my hand from his. “He didn’t want me to come here, and I accused him of being jealous. As much as I hate when he’s right, he was right.”
He scowled. “Right about what?”
