My office phone rings. Londyn looks up, but I nod to her, indicating I will answer it. I already know it’s Jake from the caller ID.
“Hey, Jake.”
“Hey. Priscilla is worried you are mad at her. You okay after what happened?”
“I’m not angry with her. She couldn’t have known it would turn out like that.”
“She said at work Jordan comes across really serious. She works hard and talks about meeting a nice man. She has no idea where this other stuff came from.”
I chuckle. “Don’t worry and tell Priscilla not to either. I haven’t even given it another thought. Although, my shirt was definitely ruined.”
“I already told her to drop the matchmaking shit. She just wants you to be happy. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I do and I really appreciate it. She’s a wonderful woman and you are lucky to have her.”
“I know. Even if she meddles at times.”
“Just tell her it’s okay. Really. I’m busy with my work anyway.”
“Okay, I’ll tell her. Anything else going on?”
“Just work. Speaking of, I should get back to it. Tell Priscilla everything is fine.”
“Will do. Talk to you soon.”
“Bye.”
Hanging up the phone, I glance up at my new assistant. I wonder what’s going on in her mind and what she thinks of me so far. I want her to work out- desperately. I decide to give her the first of many assignments to see if my instincts about her are correct. My only concern at the moment is that she seems so skittish. To work for me, she’ll need to develop a backbone. Perhaps I can toughen her up.
While she reads a document I gave her, I watch as she moves a wisp of her dark brown hair off her face and tucks it behind her ear. She chews absentmindedly on her bottom lip, a habit that is slightly distracting. Although there is nothing overtly sexy about her, she does have a certain allure. Her eyes are big and round, displaying bluish green orbs that look like marbles when the sunlight hits them just right. She keeps her hair clipped back and dresses very demurely. I would venture from her demeanor that she spends more time cultivating her mind than her style. I’ve always believed a beautiful person starts with intelligence. It’s easy to be attractive on the outside, as evidenced by gold digging Barbie. It is a shame, though, to see a girl such as Londyn have such charming features and hide them beneath plain packaging.
Londyn glances at me and I quickly look away. I gather the work I need her to do and drop it on her desk. This is her chance to prove to me that I made the right decision. I hope over time we can build a lasting relationship that is mutually beneficial.
THE PROFESSOR DROPS A stack of papers on my desk and tells me to read and understand its contents. It’s an outline of the professor’s entire schedule and responsibilities for the semester. Staring at the daunting task, I know it will take me most of the morning to complete. I lay it all out and begin reading page by page, making notes as I do. I’m told that after lunch, I have orientation paperwork to complete from Human Resources. As I work, occasionally I glance up at the professor, who sits quietly across from me, engrossed in his own reading materials.
I find this silence between us calming and comfortable. Maybe working for him won’t be so bad at all. So far, he seems reasonable enough. Earlier when his phone rang, I wondered if I should have left. I tried not to listen to his conversation, but my curiosity won’t allow that. It’s obvious it was a friend and they were discussing something that happened, but nothing specific I could pick up on. It’s nice to hear the professor being pleasant and casual with someone. It only makes me wonder that much more what he is like when he isn’t at work.
Occasionally he glances over at me, so I smile, assuring him I can handle the tasks he has given me. Just as I start to truly relax, the professor’s angry voice cuts through the silence, making it clear that my tranquil thoughts were premature.
“Dammit! I thought this was resolved already!”
I look up, startled and frozen by his angry tone. I’m sure I couldn’t be the cause of it so soon. He lifts the receiver on his phone and presses the number keys down forcefully.
“Bethany? Luca. I thought we resolved my lecture schedule last semester?” I watch as he listens for a moment. “No, it’s still wrong. Unless there is some technology I am not aware of, I really don’t see how I can be in two places at once.”
He looks up at me and locks his gaze with mine. I have that feeling again, the one that tells me I should run, but I don’t. There is something so intense and intimidating about him, but I am positively determined to overcome my doubts.
“Good. I expect it to be done and all the student’s schedules updated accordingly within the hour.” He releases a frustrated sigh. “I’m not at all interested in your lunch plans. If it was fixed when I asked, we wouldn’t be having this discussion, would we?” He hangs up the phone without further ado, startling me with his abruptness.
“What are you looking at, Miss Harper?”
“I, um.” I decide I better say something intelligent and quickly. “I noticed some of the dates in the paperwork weren’t updated from last semester. Would you like me to fix it?”
“Well, I didn’t hire you to stare at me all day,” he snaps.
“Right, okay. I’ll work on that now.”
A moment later, he asks, “When did you plan on eating lunch?”
“When you say I can.”
“I’m going now. During the semester, I will expect that we go at different times so you are available if something arises while I am away. For now, you are free to go as you please.”
Looking down at my watch, I realize it’s nearly 12:30. Madeleine will be restless by now.
“Now would be great, thank you. How long do I have?”
“An hour.”
“Wonderful.” I grab my messenger bag and pull out my phone to text Devon first. We agree to meet in the courtyard.
Gathering my things, I start to walk out, with the professor following closely behind me. I start to wonder who he will eat lunch with today. Does he go alone? Does he have friends? Certainly, he doesn’t have a female in his life based on what I witnessed with Nico today. Ooh, or maybe, Nico is his secret lover and he has a wife at home who is none the wiser. Yes, that’s it! A giggle escapes my lips as we walk down the hall together.
“What is so amusing, Miss Harper?”
“Nothing at all, Professor. Enjoy your lunch.”
“You as well.”
Professor Di Roma holds the heavy wooden door open for me and I walk through to see Madeleine sitting on a bench nearby, obediently reading. She looks up and waves, before closing her book. I turn back and glance at the professor, who still walks near me, and decide the polite thing to do would be to introduce them, even though he didn’t do the same for me.
“Professor, would you like to meet my friend?”
A perplexed expression briefly crosses his face before he speaks. “Why not?”
“Well, you don’t have to, but it is polite, you know,” I say. How’s that for using my assertive bone, Professor Grumpy Butt?
A faint smile crosses his lips. “I would be delighted to meet your friend.”
We approach Madeleine, who quickly runs her hands over her hair and straightens her clothing. Her pretty smile graces her face as she turns on the charm machine.
“Professor Di Roma, this is my best friend, Madeleine Simonton. Madeleine, the professor.”
The professor extends his hand and shakes Madeleine’s properly. “Ah, so not named after the city of your conception?” he states.
Madeleine laughs heartily whilst my face burns crimson red. I cannot believe he remembered such a minute detail about me, much less that he’s willing to openly tease me about it.
“No, my parents are rather traditional.”
“If you two are quite done with your laugh at my expense, we need to go meet Devon.”
“It was nice meeting you, Madeleine,” the p
rofessor says before turning to me. “I’ll see you in an hour.”
“Yes, Professor.”
We part ways as we start to cross the courtyard and the professor walks in the opposite direction. Madeleine loops her arm through mine as we walk.
“He is not ugly and old and he is far more than attractive enough. Londyn, that man is delicious! Do you not see that?”
“Delicious? No, I don’t see that.”
“How can you work for a man who looks like that? Even his clothes are magnificent. He’s so sexy.”
I glance back at the professor for a moment. Is he? “His clothes?”
“Yeah! He doesn’t dress like any professor I’ve ever seen. Those trousers looked Italian to me. He’s got class and his face is downright dreamy. I don’t get how you’re blind to it.”
“His looks don’t distract me in the slightest. Unlike the man who stopped by his office today. I was truly gobsmacked.”
“Really? Is he a student? A professor?”
“No, he’s…” For whatever reason I decide to keep my theory to myself. “He’s a friend of the professor’s. He was divine.”
“Will you see him again?”
“I do hope to.”
We see Devon approaching us and I can literally feel Madeleine tense in excitement.
“Speaking of divine, there he is in the flesh,” Madeleine says, giggling.
I just laugh in response. I’m quite used to girls going on about my brother’s good looks, especially Madeleine. Growing up, it was obvious to me that Devon was popular with the ladies since he had a constant swarm of them around him. In secondary school, I realized quickly that girls befriended me just for the hope of an invite to my house. How many times was I asked by my so called friends if we could go sit in the garden? Every time, it was to stare at Devon swimming his laps.
It’s hard for a sister to determine if her brother is handsome. In some ways, I look like him. We share the same brown hair and blue-green eyes, and we each have a dimple in our left cheek. When he was younger, he was constantly tanned, as much as one could be living with dreary English weather. Now that he spends all his time inside a lab, he is downright pasty. Just the same, to Madeleine, he is a GQ model.
Devon’s face fills with his smile upon seeing us. I hug my brother and chuckle quietly as he hugs Madeleine, her grin a mile wide. One of these days, I may have to ask Devon just what he thinks of my friend.
“What’s for lunch, ladies? I’m starved,” Devon says as we walk together.
“I’m up for anything,” Madeleine says.
“There are quite a few places across the way,” Devon replies. We turn left across the courtyard and get on queue for a popular sandwich eatery.
As we wait, Madeleine giggles and flirts with my brother, as per usual, and he seems completely oblivious to it. Also usual. I stifle my giggle to avoid embarrassing my friend, although, somehow I think she wouldn’t be at all. The girl has nerves for days.
We each order and find a nice spot to eat at a table outside. The weather is still a bit warm, but a pleasant breeze drifts through, making it much nicer to sit outside.
“What say you, Londyn?” Devon asks. “How is the first day going so far?”
“Thus far, it’s been fine. I have to share his office for a bit. The professor is a bit aloof, but I hope over time he will warm to me. I have several tasks already.”
“He’s been kind to you?” he asks.
“Sufficiently pleasant. He’s not the most talkative chap. From what I’ve seen so far, he’s very focused on his work and doesn’t chit chat.”
“I don’t suppose you have as much career success at such a young age without working hard,” Devon states.
“You would know,” I say, grinning. “Tell us what’s going on with you.” I know that Madeleine is far more interested in Devon talking than me.
Devon tells us about his latest research and Madeleine is enthralled by every word. I know she has no idea what he is talking about. Neither do I, for that matter. Looking across the square, I spot Professor Di Roma sitting on a bench under a tree. He’s reading a book and eating what looks like a sandwich from here. I notice his comfortable demeanor and relaxed pose as his leg crosses over the other. His fingers slide through his hair, moving it away from his face as the slight summer breeze blows it about. His glasses lay on the bench next to him and I find that for some odd reason, I can’t tear my eyes from him. Madeleine was right. He is quite attractive.
As I watch him, I wonder what kind of relationship we will have. Will I make him happy? Will he be kind to me? He looks up in my direction and I quickly shift my eyes away.
“What are you looking at?” Madeleine asks and looks in the direction of the professor.
I turn my attention back to my lunch companions. “Nothing. I have to go back to work. What are you going to do the rest of the afternoon, Maddie?”
“Hmm, well. I’m not sure.”
“Would you like a tour of the lab?” Devon asks.
Madeleine’s eyes open wide. “I would love it!”
“Right then. Let’s go. See you later, Londy,” Devon says, before kissing my cheek.
Madeleine waves at me with a look on her face like she just won the lottery. It makes me laugh. I start my walk back to the professor’s office.
Climbing up the stairs, I see a few more office doors open and other faculty members moving in. It won’t be long now before the semester starts. I enter the office quietly and see Luca behind his desk, staring intently at the papers on it. He looks up briefly, his glasses back on his face, and then looks down again. I go to my desk and get back to the assignment I was given this morning. I work quietly for fifteen minutes or so before the professor breaks the silence.
“When will you be done with that stack?”
“Soon. I just want to look it over again and make sure I didn’t miss anything. Is there something else you need me to do?”
“Yes.” I watch him stand, and as he does, my eyes follow the length of his body until he is upright. He’s really quite tall. “Here is your orientation packet,” he says placing a manila folder in front of me. “After you finish that, you can start this.” He hands me a sheet of paper that I take. “I send welcome letters to my registered students in addition to the syllabus. I don’t have my confirmed list yet, but can you type this up to have it ready?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Thank you.”
“Certainly.”
I go back to my work and do my best to meet his expectations. A few hours go by and I’ve finally finished the tasks he gave me.
“Excuse me, Professor?”
He looks up at me, his face still a neutral canvas. “Yes?”
“I’ve finished. Would you like to look over the letter and see if you like it?”
“Yes, although I’m sure it’s fine.”
“Okay.”
The professor returns his attention to whatever he is doing as I sit, unsure of my next task. Even though he isn’t much for conversation, I find that I don’t mind sitting across from him. If anything, as Maddie pointed out, he is pleasant enough on the eyes.
He looks up at me and smiles and I am taken aback. “I’m really impressed with you so far, Miss Harper. In fact, I’m going to give you a raise.”
“A raise! How delightful.”
“Yes. You deserve it. I’ve never seen such a finely crafted letter. Your work is downright genius.”
“Genius!”
“You are the best assistant ever.”
“Am I?”
“Miss Harper? Miss Harper, are you okay?”
Opening my eyes, I look over at the professor who sits at his desk, looking in my direction. I curse myself as it dawns on me that I was having another one of my silly daydreams. It was an awfully good one, though.
“Oh, yes, perfectly fine.”
“Good. Do you plan to attend my lecture the first day?” he asks out of nowhere.
“I had
n’t thought about it yet. I suppose it depends on my work load.”
“Why don’t you. It should be interesting for you. I’d like to hear your thoughts afterward.”
I’m a bit surprised he cares about anything I think or say. “Why?”
“Because I would like to see you apply your education. Is that so surprising?”
“No, I suppose not.” I look up at the clock on the wall. “Professor, it’s nearly five. I’d like to wrap up for the day if that’s alright. My friend is still waiting for me and Nico is waiting for you.”
The professor’s brow furrows again. “Yes, you can go.”
“Did I do alright today?”
“Yes, Miss Harper. You did fine. See you tomorrow.”
“Yes.” I close down my computer and gather my things whilst the professor does the same. “I hope you have a pleasant evening, Professor.”
“I hope the same for you.” He sighs. “I’m sorry I didn’t introduce you earlier. I just prefer to keep my work and personal lives separate.”
“I understand.” No, I don’t at all, but what else am I supposed to say? He doesn’t have to introduce him as his lover. Friend would suffice. Professor Mysterious. “Well, good evening, Professor.”
“Good evening.”
I walk outside and see Madeleine waiting under the same tree for me. She jumps up and smiles, bouncing towards me. “How was your first day?”
“It went pretty well, I think. How was yours?”
“Grand. I spent two hours with Devon then I came out here and met some fun people. I’m meeting them out later.”
I laugh. Only Madeleine could accomplish that much in such a short time. “I’m exhausted and ready to go home.”
“Let’s go.
Walking towards the T stop, I look back at Boylston Hall just in time to see the professor coming out. He stands on the pavement for a moment, looking around, before putting his sunglasses on. His hands slip into his pockets as he turns and walks away. The early evening sun bounces off his black hair and olive toned skin and there is that moment again where I realize how stunning his looks are. There is something very tortured about him, though. Something just below the surface that he strains to keep under wraps. I’m sure I’ll never know what it is. If I’ve learned anything at all about him, it’s that he is very private.
Londyn Falls Page 6
