by Lynn Cahoon
A text beeped on her phone and she pulled it out, taking off her mitten so she could access the message. She sighed as she read the message. Her class had been cancelled due to a broken pipe in the lecture building. She considered going back to the coffee shop and Michael. But then she’d look like she’d lied, and really was looking for a relationship. This being friends with the opposite sex was filled with landmines. No, better to go back to her apartment, do laundry, and work on the book.
She smiled at the thought of writing a novel. Maybe that was what this would turn into. If she gave it some time to grow. She hurried back to the apartment and to her work.
It was about five when she broke for food. She glanced out at the darkness outside her window. She was on the third floor and could see the lights of the campus from the sliding glass door that led to her tiny balcony. Right now, it was just a large, cold window, but on summer nights, the doors could stay open, and she could sit out on the balcony in her one chair and read. It was heaven. Especially after living at home all her life.
She took a frozen piece of lasagna from the servings her mom had packaged for her. She put it in the oven to warm and made a quick bagged salad to go with it. As she did, she dialed her dad’s number. He’d be off work by now and sitting in his hotel room, bored. “Hey, Dad, how was your day?”
“Mine was good, but it sounds like your mom had a hard day. Why don’t you give her a call after we hang up? I bet she’d love to hear from you.” Her dad started telling her about the new computer system and the new bells and whistles. She half listened as she poured herself a glass of wine to go with her dinner.
By the time the call ended, her dinner was ready. She sat in the living room, away from the dining room and her laptop. She needed a break from the fantasy world she was creating. How did real authors do it? She’d get so lost in the story she’d forget to eat. And then other times, she would be writing away and hit a brick wall, not knowing where to go next. Today had been an easy writing day. Cat liked the story and her characters. And if this was only for her own enjoyment, at least she was entertaining herself. She put the phone on the coffee table as a reminder to call her mom right after she finished dinner.
Except when she woke up the next morning, her phone sat dead on the coffee table next to her half-eaten dinner. The salad was gone as was the wine, but she’d only gotten through some of the pasta when she’d kicked her shoes off and laid down for just a second to watch the home improvement channel.
Stretching the night away, she turned the television off using the show guide as her clock. Time to get showered and dressed for class. Cat needed to be awake enough to teach in a little over an hour.
Heading down the stairs to the sidewalk to make her way to the campus, she remembered her promise to her father. She texted her mom, hoping she’d catch her before she headed to the library. Sorry I missed you last night. Still on for dinner?
The response came quickly and eased Cat’s guilt for not calling. Of course, dear. See you at five at The Diner.
Whatever had been bothering her must have seemed less of a problem after a good night’s sleep. Sleep reset the world. At least it did for Cat. She hurried down the street and hoped she’d have time to stop at the coffee cart inside the English building before class.
Coming in the building, she saw Michael sitting on a bench in the lobby, watching for her. Two cups of coffee sat next to him. She crossed the marble floor and met him. Standing, he handed her a cup. “Thanks.”
“You didn’t come to the library last night,” he said as he watched her. “I missed you.”
She smiled as she checked her watch. She had a few minutes before she needed to get upstairs to class. “I worked on the novel and then talked to my dad for a bit. I guess I was really tired because I fell asleep on the couch.”
“Okay, now I know I’m in the friend zone because you just chose sleep over being with me.” He glanced at his Rolex. “I’ve got a class. Are you busy tonight?”
“Dinner with my mom.” She walked with him toward the stairs. “Sorry.”
“You’re killing me, Catherine.” He headed to the door and before he left the building, gave her a quick wink.
Stephanie Andrews, another TA in the English department, stood beside her. “He’s not giving up.”
“Well, he needs to learn to live with disappointment then, because I’m not dating for a while. It’s too soon after Seth. I see him everywhere around town.” She headed upstairs with Stephanie. “Except here on campus. It’s the only place I don’t have memories of him and me.”
“This guy really did a number on you, huh?” Stephanie wasn’t from Aspen Hills and hadn’t gone to Covington for her undergrad. Which was one of the reasons Cat liked hanging with her so much.
“Actually, Seth was amazing. Which makes him all the harder to get over.” Cat nodded to the door where she had to go. “Do you want to grab lunch together and talk about our project?”
“Sounds good. I’ll meet you at the cafeteria. I’ll be over in the corner by the windows. I’ve got office hours until noon. See you there?”
“Perfect.” She needed to work on her fiction project to show Professor Henry on Friday at class. She couldn’t tell him she’d been writing a witchcraft academy story. He’d laugh her out of the classroom. She headed into the classroom to start her day.
Cat arrived at The Diner about fifteen minutes early, but her mother was already there. And worse, she had a margarita in front of her. Cat didn’t know her mom to drink all that much. Maybe she did on date nights, but Cat hadn’t been invited to those. She kissed her mom’s cheek and found it wet. She frowned and sat down, pulling her heavy coat off as she did. “What on earth is wrong?”
Her mom brushed her cheeks with her hands and pasted on a smile. “What gave me away?”
“The tears. Your drink. Dad said something last night.” Cat ordered a cup of coffee when the waiter came over. She set down the menu he’d given her. “Sorry I didn’t call. I fell asleep on the couch.”
“You’re pushing yourself too hard. Getting a masters in two years and working the teacher assistant position is a lot.” Her mother tapped the drink glass with a painted nail. “And don’t worry about this. I took a taxi here.”
“If I didn’t work the TA position, I’d have to go into debt just so I could sit around and study all the time. I’m not taking more money from you guys. Believe me, I’ll be fine. It’s only two years. I can do anything for two years.” Cat put the menu on the table. “Let’s get back to you. Why didn’t you come from work? What happened?”
“Mr. Hines eliminated my job. I’ve got two weeks left at the library.” Her voice hitched. “It had been such a good day. I got to see you for breakfast. Then Charlie came in and told me he really loved my banana bread. The man has a huge heart.”
“He what?” Cat couldn’t process what she was hearing. “You got fired? Why?”
Her mother shook her head. “Budget cuts. There just isn’t enough money for a second librarian and since I don’t have the right degree, I was the natural choice to let go. Besides, Tina hadn’t been there as long. She makes less than I do.”
“He fired you over money? That sucks.”
“Catherine. Your language.” Her mom sipped her drink, then smiled at her. “But yes, it does suck.”
Cat took a sip of the coffee she’d ordered then glanced at the menu. “I’m buying dinner tonight.”
“No, you’re not. I’m celebrating my new independence. I can get a job that actually pays me real money now without feeling guilty about leaving all my regular patrons. Your father and I have already talked and even if I decide to stay home, we’re fine financially. So don’t you worry about that. And unless you order one of your favorites, I’m going to order for you so you don’t skimp just to keep the bill down. Are you sure you don’t want a drink? I can have the taxi drop you off.” Her mother looked hopeful.
“I’m sure. I’ve got to write tonight. Last night I
had one glass of wine at dinner and you know how that turned out.” She set the menu down. “I’m having the shrimp plate. If that’s not too much.”
“I was thinking about the same thing. Jinx.” Her mother smiled and gave their order to the waiter along with ordering another margarita. “And don’t think we’re not having dessert. You father never lets me order dessert, so we’re having it tonight.”
Cat hoped her smile looked bright to her mother, but inside, she was worried. How was a fifty-something-year-old woman supposed to start a new career? Cat knew how hard it was for her at the beginning of her career. She needed to have a talk with Mr. Hines and get him to change his mind about firing her mom. With the beginnings of a plan circling in her mind, she focused on the conversation and having a good time with her mother.
3
Alfred Hines, in addition to being a library board member, was the only practicing lawyer in Aspen Hills. He did wills, estates, land contracts, business filings, and other legal matters for town members, but his biggest clients were Covington College and the city of Aspen Hills. Cat had met him when she’d had to sign her employment contract for the teaching assistant job at Covington. The contract was over ten pages long and filled with a lot of promises of confidentiality. Cat thought those safeguards were more for the science TA’s since the professors conducted a lot of research work. English classes never changed and never had proprietary information to disseminate. Even so, she’d promised not to do that.
She was in the administration building on campus, dropping off a direct deposit slip with accounting when she passed by Hines’s office. On a whim, she knocked and tried the doorknob. A young female voice answered the knock with a friendly, “Come in.”
Cat opened the door and found herself in a waiting room, rather than the lawyer’s actual office. She approached the desk where a woman Cat’s age sat keying paperwork into a computer. She reminded Cat of the secretaries on that fifties series about advertising. Right down to the floral scarf wrapped around her neck. “Hi, is Alfred Hines in?”
“He is, but he’s with someone.” The girl leaned closer and whispered. “This drop-dead handsome guy comes in a few minutes ago dressed in a suit that must have cost the same as my car. He smiled and winks at me, then points to the door. He asks if he’s in and I nod. Then he just walks into Mr. Hines’s office. I didn’t even have time to buzz him that he had a visitor.”
Cat glanced at the door. She could hear raised voices. She turned back to the desk and saw a nameplate. “You’re Molly, right? Are they arguing?”
“Yes, that’s me.” She seemed to collect herself and realize maybe she’d said too much. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”
“I’m Cat Gibson. I’m a TA in the English Department. I was wondering if I could get a copy of my contract. I’ll be applying for jobs soon and wanted to really see what a college contract looks like. I’m afraid I didn’t read mine when I signed it.” Cat shrugged.
“Of course, you can get a copy.” Molly studied her keyboard. “Do you want a hard copy or just a second copy to your email? That’s where the first one was sent.”
The voices in the office were getting louder. Cat blinked. “Wow. Sorry, that’s so distracting.”
“I know. He’s had several people in his office lately unhappy, including the president of the college.” Molly stared at the door. “I’m afraid I’m going to lose my job.”
Like Mom. Maybe Mr. Hines was just in a bad mood because of whatever was going on here, and maybe she actually had a chance to change his mind and convince him not to let her mom go. Hope filled her as she refocused on Molly. “I’m sure they won’t get rid of you, regardless of what happens. Anyway, can I get a hard copy? I think my spam filter must have eaten the last one.”
“Not a problem. My printer is down so I have to go next door to get the printout. I’ll be right back.” Molly popped up from the desk and left the room through the door Cat had just come in.
Cat leaned closer to the desk to see what Molly had been working on. It appeared to be donation pledges. The university must be doing well in fundraising based on the size of the pile. She turned the top one and realized it wasn’t a pledge for the university, it was a pledge for Aspen Hills Public Library. She thumbed through several pages. They were all pledges for the library. And recent ones. She tried to run through the numbers in her head. From the size of the donations and the size of the stack, there was over a hundred thousand or even more just sitting here.
If they had a such a large amount of donations earmarked for the library budget, why was Alfred Hines’s firing her mother due to budget issues? She pulled out her phone and fanned several pages out on Molly’s desk. She took a picture of the individual pages as well as the pile. Then she straightened it and moved closer to Hines’s office door to see if she could hear anything of the conversation.
“You’re a…cheat. Lying lawyers…the …family…” The words didn’t make much sense since she’d apparently missed several of the words in between and the context. Except Hines was a cheating, lying lawyer. And she’d have to agree with that, even though she didn’t know the man.
The door opened and she stepped closer to meet Molly on her way out. Cat smiled as she reached for the papers. “Thanks for this. I’m glad I don’t have to stay here and listen to that all day.”
Molly sighed. “I think I’m taking my break now. Maybe he’ll be gone by the time I get back.”
Cat glanced at her watch. She had to be in class in ten minutes. She held up the contract. “I really appreciate this. I’d buy your coffee, but I’m teaching in a few. Maybe I can stop by tomorrow?”
Molly brightened. “I’d like that. It’s my first job here at Covington and I’m finding it hard to find my place. I know you’re probably getting a teaching job somewhere else, but it would be nice to have someone to talk with for at least a while. Come by when you’re free. I can take my break most anytime.”
As Cat left the office, she felt bad. She’d invited Molly for coffee to talk more about the library donations. But honestly, she could use a friend as well. Maybe Molly wasn’t friend material, but you couldn’t tell from one interaction. She’d always been so focused on getting her degree so she could get into a good master’s program. When she’d had free time, she’d spent that with Seth. Her folks had encouraged her to expand her friend lists, but she just hadn’t had time. Or, to be honest, she hadn’t made the time. She’d stop by tomorrow. And, yes, she’d ask about the library donations, but she’d also learn more about Molly.
Leaving the admin building, she tucked the contract into her tote. She hadn’t lied, totally. She did need to look at her contract, but she could have copied the one in her jobs file on her computer. A limo sat at the curb running, blocking the handicapped spots. Did it belong to Molly’s very attractive man in the expensive suit?
She was still staring at it, standing off on the grass so she wouldn’t be blocking the busy sidewalk when a voice sounded near her ear.
“It’s even more lovely inside. Do you want to go for a ride?”
She turned and looked into the deepest blue eyes she’d ever seen. And the rest of the man wasn’t bad either. He was in his forties, at least, if she could trust the touch of grey at his temples. But that was only one thing that betrayed his age. The way he carried himself, his confidence, said he’d been around the block a few times.
“Sorry, I’m teaching a class soon. I’m afraid I’d get lost in all that premium leather.”
The man chuckled which made Cat like him even more. “Leave it to me to find the one coed on campus with a responsibility code.”
“I’m not a star-struck coed. I’m a graduate student who knows better than to fall prey to a handsome wolf on campus.” She turned to leave. “Maybe you’ll have better luck over by the student union.”
“I’m Marcus Cornelio.” He pulled out a card and handed it to her. “In case you change your mind about the ride.”
Cat smiled and took
the card, not wanting to be rude. And he was amazingly handsome. “Cat Gibson. But I won’t be calling.”
He winked and moved toward his limo where a man now stood to open the door. He paused before getting inside. “You never know, Cat. Have a good class.”
She hurried to the Language Arts building and stopped at the coffee cart to grab a cup before class. She’d stayed up late last night, unable to stop her mind from racing so she’d worked on her book. She loved the way that sounded. Her character Tori’s story could be a book. It was fun and exciting and a perfect distraction.
She turned the card back and forth between her fingers. Would Marcus Cornelio tell her what he was arguing with Mr. Hines about? Cat thought he might, but she knew there would be a cost. A dinner out, a coffee date. She’d be asked for something in return. She tucked it into her wallet as she got the cash out to pay for the coffee. Something to add to the list of things to think about.
First, she needed to teach this class. English 101 wasn’t the most exciting class, but it was a building block. For both her and her students.
Later that afternoon she sat at her desk for her weekly office hours. None of her students ever came by to talk about the class or the materials, so usually, she used the time to do her own homework. Which was what she was doing now. She had her literary journal publication class tonight and she still hadn’t read the stories she’d picked up last week. They were in the submissions section of the class where they read every story sent in over the last six months. Only twelve stories would be chosen out of this pile of over five hundred, so a lot of the good stories were passed on. Three slots had been reserved for their anchor authors, but they hadn’t turned in anything yet. Which was another thing on her list. Emailing the authors or their agents and asking about the upcoming deadline.
