Yes, Lila knew Julie. The girl who spat fire with her eyes, hitting Chase with each shot. A girl who desperately craved his attention. Every moment he spent not looking at her in class, Julie’s anger appeared to sink in a little deeper, her cheeks growing a little redder.
“I didn’t realize you had someone with you,” she said, giving Chase a look.
Chase widened his eyes and put his hand on the small of Julie’s back, leading her in.
Lila’s eyes went to Julie. “Hi, I’m Lila. I believe you’re a student in my Human Sexuality class this semester?”
“Professor James?” Julie’s eyebrows shot up. Her eyes flew to Chase, and when they eventually moved back to Lila, they were full of fire. “You’re Lila?”
Lila looked at Chase accusingly. “Don’t believe a word he’s said about me.”
Julie scoffed.
Lila was taken aback. “Contrary to popular opinion around here, I am not a total monster.”
Julie turned to Chase, crossing her arms tight.
Lila crossed hers, too. “What’s going on?”
“Julie needs help.”
“I don’t need help. Not from her. Or anyone.”
“What’s happened to you?” Lila demanded, for the first time seeing the distress Julie had done so well to hide away in her eyes. Lila’s gaze went to Chase. “Leave us, please.”
“I’ll be right outside. She’s cool,” he said softly, pushing away Julie’s nervous hands as she attempted to stop him from leaving.
Julie finally allowed Chase to go, watching him close the door. She kept her back to Lila. “I liked him, you know. I really, really did.”
“I’m sure he likes you very much as well.”
She scoffed again, turning back to her. “He doesn’t give a fuck.”
“Then why did he bring you here? Try to be kind to yourself.”
Julie’s eyes traveled Lila’s body, and her cheeks reddened. “What are you, like, forty?”
“I’m sure you don’t mean that.” Lila circled the desk and took her seat, motioning to the empty chairs. She recognized the venom this young stranger was tossing at her, and it made her ache for the days when she’d counseled the kids at Dalton back in Manhattan. None of them had been perfect. They’d all been deliciously deep, flawed, and human. Julie reminded her so much of them. Lila found herself smiling at her, hungry to peel away all of her prickly layers. “Why don’t you have a seat, Julie?”
Taken aback by how calmly her harsh words had been received, Julie faltered, and then hesitantly took her seat.
--
“Lila, thank you for being my lesbian date, again.” Chelsea looked over to Lila as they climbed the steps of one of the oldest buildings on campus later that evening. They were both channeling Vanna White in their slinky black evening gowns. Lila’s hair was pulled into a neat bun while Chelsea allowed her blonde locks to flow free.
Red flags touting the name of the employee gala hung down from the large white columns that lined the front of the red brick building.
The quarterly gala was exclusive to Harvard faculty, a way for the university to give their thanks, inform them about university updates, and introduce any new leaders that had joined over the semester. Chelsea was one of the keynote speakers that night and, once again, dateless.
She clutched Lila’s arm in hers as they made their way inside. “You know, we haven’t had a bad date yet. Is this a sign from God? Maybe we should give this thing a fair shake, you and I. I think I could get used to the taste of pussy, if I worked hard enough at it. What do you say?”
Lila laughed out loud as they made their way into the packed ballroom. It was filled with beautifully decorated tables and chairs. The color scheme was, predictably, red and black, and there were already hundreds of staff milling about the large open room. The stage at the end of the room was empty.
Dinner would be served in less than ten minutes, and Lila finally responded as she searched for their nametags on each table they passed. “As tempting as that is, Chelsea, the only woman on Earth I know who loves cock more than I do… is you.”
“That’s just downright vulgar.”
“What can I say? You bring it right out of me.” Lila waved her clutch with a small smile.
“On a scale of one to ten, how badly has your being my lesbian date to all of these events affected your sex life?”
“Well, I’ve missed out on at least a dozen Friday night dates. So I’d say we’re running a solid seven on a scale of one to ten. Easy.”
“I’m sorry,” Chelsea said with a frown. “I swear to god, I’ll find a man soon.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m worried.”
“The right one will come along the second you stop…” Lila’s words slowed to a stop, “Looking. I mean, you’ve got to be fucking joking right?”
Chelsea was alarmed at Lila’s sudden change in tone and subject, and couldn’t help but look over her shoulder to see what had gotten her so upset. When she caught sight of Jack and her sister hamming it up on the other side of the room, she turned back to Lila.
“Did you know they would be here?” Lila asked.
“No…” Chelsea dragged on.
“Why would you do this to me?”
“You need to make nice with Kelly.”
Lila lowered her voice. “Are you fucking joking?”
“I am not.”
“I can’t believe you knew they would be here and allowed me to…” Lila stumbled. “I was your lesbian date!” she cried, grabbing the attention of intellects all around.
“Okay, keep your voice down?” Chelsea looked over her shoulder at Jack and Kelly once more, just to make sure they hadn’t been spotted. She took Lila’s arm and pulled her across the room, into a quiet corner.
“Have you not been around these last few days, Chels? You know, these last few days, where I’ve discovered that your sister’s fiancé is a man that’s been the bane of my existence for as long as I can remember? A man who I was stupid enough to have sex with. On a desk. In my place of employment. A man that makes me feel like my brains have chain-sawed their way out of my skull and run amuck, leaving me to make the most short-sighted, idiotic decisions that a human being could possibly make. Were you not there these last few days? Was it just me?”
Chelsea was slowly nodding her head, allowing her friend to have what appeared to be a mini-nervous breakdown. “Yes, Lila. I was there. And it’s been awkward for everyone. Which is all the more reason you should be here.”
“Why? So I can create more misery for everyone involved? Including myself? Your sister already thinks I’m sleeping with her fiancé.”
“Well, you did sleep with him once.”
“Before I knew he was married! Now that she saw Jack and me coming down the stairs of my house together, there’s no doubt she thinks we’re still fucking, which we are definitely not.”
“Of course not. I thought we agreed you were working on the baby cub now. What’s his name? Chad? Chance?”
“Oh for the love of god.” Lila gazed helplessly at the doors of the building, desperate for escape. If the sight of Jack Almeida hadn’t been enough to make her stomach turn on end, the thought of his little brother easily finished the job.
“Like I said, Lila, I brought you here to make nice with my sister. You remember my sister, right? The one who isn’t on the ad hoc committee for the assistant professor review you have coming up in a few months?”
“Fuck. I swear to god, every time that man walks into my life, it goes completely to pieces. It. Never. Fails.” Lila groaned from the deepest, darkest part of her. “I forgot all about Kelly being on the fucking ad hoc committee.”
“I noticed,” Chelsea sang, giving her friend a moment to collect herself. “Lucky for you, I’m around to keep your dreams at the forefront of your mind and, lucky for me, you’re around to keep me sane when I’m forced to be amongst my demented family members on nights like tonight.”
“That’s not true. Not if you find some way to make it perfectly clear to Kelly that Jack Almeida is the last thing on your mind.”
Lila was now shaking her head vigorously, her mind racing. “No. I’m not going to suck up to your sister. You know why? Because my performance review is going to be an objective dialogue between professional men and women about my contributions as a lecturer at this university. My being awarded assistant professor is going to be decided based on my talents as an intellectual and an educator. Whether or not your sister likes me is irrelevant when it comes to making that decision.”
“Now it’s my turn to ask you if you’re fucking joking,” Chelsea said. “Please tell me you don’t actually believe a single word of the bullshit you just spouted, Lila. You are way smarter than that, my dear. You were more on the money when you labeled that job good as gone.”
“So you agree? There’s no point in trying to make things right with Kelly. She already has her mind made up about me. There’s nothing I can do to stop her from voting no.”
“At this point, you haven’t got a damn thing to lose. Don’t be so sure all hope is lost. My sister is book smart, not street smart. I’m sure we could figure out a way to pull the wool over her eyes and make her like you, even though the man she’s marrying is clearly in love with you.”
“Why do you hate her so much?”
Chelsea seemed genuinely confused. “I don’t.”
“Look. Jack and I don’t know how to exist in the same space peacefully. He and I are worse than fire and kerosene. We are not capable of maintaining an appropriate distance. My being around is only going to cause more problems for me, and for your family.”
“Lila, if you don’t make an attempt to fix this now, I can guarantee that you’ll be kissing that position bye-bye. All it takes is one ‘no’ vote. Just one, and all of your dreams will be dashed. Is that a sacrifice you’re really ready to make? For a man that you call the devil’s spawn?”
Lila stared ahead, twisting her clutch in slow circles under her fingers as she thought long and hard. In seconds, her eyes fluttered slowly closed as the horrible truth crashed in all around her.
--
They were halfway through the dinner.
Jack and Kelly were seated at a different table than Lila and Chelsea, and Lila was thankful to avoid another painful conversation.
Maybe, if she played her cards right, she could avoid Jack altogether. Pretend he didn’t exist. She wouldn’t even look at him. Soon, she’d forget he was even in the room at all.
That plan was working beautifully, until the Vice President of Harvard’s legal team took the stage.
As he spoke, Lila stared up at the stage, heart at the floor, wondering if she was really hearing the horrifying words coming out of his mouth.
“Though we’re sad to see Diane Lopez retire after thirty-seven years with the university, we’re eternally grateful to have reaped the rewards her staunch dedication, perseverance and professionalism brought to her position as Deputy General Counsel at Harvard, year after year. Diane, you will be truly missed. It’s with great pleasure that I introduce the brilliant young man who will be taking your place, Mr. Jack Octavio Almeida.”
As applause erupted around the room, Lila’s mouth went dry.
Even when Jack stepped onto the stage and shook the Vice President’s hand, she couldn’t accept it.
When he came up to the podium, squinting against the spotlight, his eyes zeroed in on her. He unbuttoned his jacket, holding her gaze.
She still couldn’t believe it.
“Thank you. I’m not really one for speeches,” he said into the microphone. “During my shaky law school years at Harvard six years ago, I was the supervising editor for the law review, so it goes without saying that I saw my fair share of drama.” He broke his gaze from Lila when the crowd laughed, eyes searching the room as he flexed his fingers against the podium. “In terms of sheer drama, Law and Order and Alley McBeal had nothing on us. We were at each other’s throats on a pretty consistent basis.” His eyes shot right back to Lila as he said those words. “Even so, I’m thrilled to accept the position as Deputy General Counsel here at Harvard, and I can say, with utmost confidence, that I will do everything in my power to keep it as professional as possible, and not turn my career into a never ending episode of Law and Order.” He paused for the laugh that time, and Lila nearly vomited. “I’m thankful for the opportunity. And, if I may say this, I’m also very thankful for my wonderful, brilliant fiancé, Kelly Hannigan, not just for alerting me to the job opening, but also for saying yes to the, slightly awkward, ever so slightly clumsy, marriage proposal that followed soon after.”
A chorus of aaaaawwwws floated across the room, and Chelsea clapped a secret hand on Lila’s thigh from under their table, right in the nick of time. It was the only thing that stopped Lila from standing and leaving the room.
“I’m going to be sick,” Lila grumbled.
Chelsea spoke through a fake smile. “Do you not know a bullshit speech when you’re hearing one, doll? The man is looking you dead in your eyes, all the while professing his love for his fiancé.”
Breaking his gaze from Lila, Jack motioned to Kelly as the crowd continued cooing at his words. “Thank you, sweetheart. I’m thankful for you, above all else, and I’m also thankful to call Cambridge, and Harvard University, my new home.” His eyes met Lila’s again and stayed there. “Come say hello if you’d like, I’d love to meet everyone."
He stepped away, and applause erupted, mixed with scattered laughter. This event had been mind numbingly boring. The crowd was clearly thankful for Jack, his stupid gorgeous face, and his--in Lila’s opinion--very lame television-dramedy jokes. With one thirty-second speech, he’d woken the entire room up.
As Lila’s heart thundered against her chest, she realized he’d woken her up, too. Unlike everyone else in the room, she would’ve much rather stayed asleep.
She’d convinced herself that he’d had only come to Cambridge to make her life a living hell for a little while. Until he got bored. She’d convinced herself that it was only a matter of time before he got on his broomstick and flew back to Manhattan where he belonged, fire blazing behind him. There was nothing here in quiet Cambridge for a spitfire like Jack Almeida.
She’d had him all wrong.
Not only was he staying, but he was also now working for the legal department.
“I need some air,” Lila grumbled, standing from the table and heading for the balcony doors.
8
Lila stood on the balcony, feeling the cool night breeze lapping her hair and soothing her cheeks. Her nails clawed against the balcony’s stone railing as she took in the beautiful landscape of Harvard’s campus. Students taking night classes moved along the walkways below, clutching books and bags, enjoying the beautiful evening. She truly loved it here. She’d loved it since the moment she’d arrived.
Now she felt like it was all in danger of being ripped right out from under her, all because of him.
“Hello, Lila.”
Lila’s head flew towards the door of the balcony. When she caught sight of Kelly, she looked away.
From the corner of her eyes, she saw Kelly’s blonde hair wafting next to her.
“It’s good to see you again,” Kelly said.
“Let’s cut the bullshit already.” Lila faced her, tightening her fingers around the clutch in her hand.
Kelly’s eyes widened, but she faced Lila as well. The hierarchy that existed between the two of them was hard to ignore. Kelly had the power to end Lila’s career tonight if she wanted to.
Lila was beyond caring. She couldn’t take it anymore. Jack. Chase. Harvard. The review. It was all too much, and if she didn’t get this off her chest, she was going to drive herself insane.
“I�
��m not sleeping with your fiancé. I don’t want anything to do with him. You don’t have to play nice. I know you’re not being sweet to me out of the kindness of your heart. You’re doing it to keep me close because you think I want your man, so I’m telling you now that there’s no need to waste your time.” Lila cut her eyes at Kelly. “He’s all yours.”
Kelly took in Lila’s words. “There’s nothing I appreciate in a woman more than biting honesty.”
“I hadn’t noticed,” Lila said. Kelly had been the farthest thing from honest since the moment they’d shaken hands at her housewarming party. Lila knew she’d just laid her job right on the line in saying what she’d just said, and she braced herself for the hit.
Instead of hitting, however, Kelly sighed. “Truth. It’s so much easier than beating around the bush, isn’t it?”
“If only more people knew.”
“Since you gave me biting honesty, I suppose it’s only fair I return the favor,” Kelly said. “I know my fiancé used to date you. He hasn’t confirmed or denied it, but I don’t need him to. It was foolish of me to let my insecurities drive me to judge you unfairly, and I apologize for that.”
Lila cut another look at her.
“I also know you’re best friends with Chelsea.” Kelly chuckled. “So I’m sure you’ve heard that I’ve been engaged before Jack.”
“Once or twice.”
“Seven times, actually.” Kelly admitted, giving another pain filled laugh. “And I won’t let this one be the gateway to the eighth.”
“I’m sure it won’t.”
“I suppose I’m so worried it will, that I’m driving myself completely out of my mind. Even so, you should know that no matter how crazy I’m capable of making myself in my personal life, I would never allow it to cross over into my professional life.” Something in Kelly’s eyes changed. “Not in any capacity.”
Lila wasn’t supposed to know that Kelly held her professional future in the palm of her hand, but she did, so she wasn’t unaware of what Kelly was alluding to.
To the untrained ear, Kelly’s words sounded like words of reassurance, but Lila saw them for what they were.
Thunder Rolls (The Almeida Brothers Trilogy Book 2) Page 10
