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Authors: Tasha Black
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town.
They all knew she hadn’t spoken to her parents in years. She hadn’t been there near the end. And bringing it up sometimes felt like they were just rubbing salt in the wound.
Seeing Carol reminded Ainsley that her parents were important to a lot of people, and many of them had their own reasons to grieve. It wasn’t always all about her. Ainsley made a note to not be such an insufferable bitch to people who cared about her.
Carol looked around surreptitiously. Ainsley followed her gaze. Julian was thumbing through his notes slowly at the podium as though he was looking for something. Or maybe he was biding his time, waiting for Ainsley? Her pulse quickened.
Carol cleared her throat and continued.
“Well, it’s a pleasure to see you, Ainsley. You know, I remember when your dad let you nap under that very podium when you had the flu. I gave you my cough drops and you said they tasted like candy.”
“Oh yes, and that little box with the wax paper was so fancy.” Ainsley laughed.
“Ainsley, we haven’t yet had the time, or frankly the heart, to clear out your father’s office.” She put a hand on Ainsley’s arm. “Would you be interested in looking through his things? I know there are some personal items. And maybe you’d like his copies of the classics?”
There was a lump in Ainsley’s throat. Of course she was overwhelmed with stuff to go through as it was, but the idea of spending time in her dad’s beloved office and being allowed to look through his books and notes was comforting. She managed to nod her head.
“I’m so glad, dear.” Carol patted her firmly on the shoulder. “Let me give you a ride home. My car is right out back and we can work out getting you a key to your father’s office.”
“Excuse me, Carol,” Julian interrupted smoothly. “Miss Connor and I were planning to go for a stroll after the talk. She brought up some ideas for my new book and I was hoping to hear more.”
“Oh dear,” Carol exclaimed. “I didn’t realize you had plans. Well, of course, Ainsley. We’ll find another time to chat and get you a key, dear.”
“Thank you, Carol,” Ainsley said, after throwing a dirty look at Julian behind Carol’s back. He just gazed back at her calmly with that insolent half-smile.
Carol gave her arm one last squeeze and headed out to the hallway to clear up paper cups and turn out lights, as she always did after campus talks. Ainsley turned to Julian.
“What was that about?” she whispered angrily.
He gave her a lazy smile, then closed the distance between them in a long stride. She could feel his breath on her neck and couldn’t make herself pull away, even though she thought she should want to.
“I’m sorry, Miss Connor,” he said in her ear. “Were you hoping to reminisce about cough drops, and go moon over your father’s books?”
Ainsley was speechless.
“That’s not why you came here. And it’s not where you want to go after, is it?”
“I…”
“Go ahead, smooth that skirt down again, and tell me that you want a ride home in Carol Lotus’s Volvo.”
His warm breath on her neck was shattering her concentration. He slid his hand down to the small of her back and led her to the podium. He touched a finger to her chest, just above the cleavage. Her skin tingled in response.
“Stay.”
He gathered his papers and neatly arranged them in his leather briefcase. He turned to her and snapped it shut.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Wordlessly, she tucked her hair behind her ear and followed him.
Carol waved at them enthusiastically from under the card table where she was gathering dropped paper cups.
“Do you need some help, Carol?” Ainsley asked, almost hopefully.
“Not a bit. I’m just about packed up here. You two enjoy your discussion.”
They continued down the hall toward the gigantic wooden doors.
Chapter 19
A insley stepped through the door as Julain held it for her politely. A rush of fragrant,
They all knew she hadn’t spoken to her parents in years. She hadn’t been there near the end. And bringing it up sometimes felt like they were just rubbing salt in the wound.
Seeing Carol reminded Ainsley that her parents were important to a lot of people, and many of them had their own reasons to grieve. It wasn’t always all about her. Ainsley made a note to not be such an insufferable bitch to people who cared about her.
Carol looked around surreptitiously. Ainsley followed her gaze. Julian was thumbing through his notes slowly at the podium as though he was looking for something. Or maybe he was biding his time, waiting for Ainsley? Her pulse quickened.
Carol cleared her throat and continued.
“Well, it’s a pleasure to see you, Ainsley. You know, I remember when your dad let you nap under that very podium when you had the flu. I gave you my cough drops and you said they tasted like candy.”
“Oh yes, and that little box with the wax paper was so fancy.” Ainsley laughed.
“Ainsley, we haven’t yet had the time, or frankly the heart, to clear out your father’s office.” She put a hand on Ainsley’s arm. “Would you be interested in looking through his things? I know there are some personal items. And maybe you’d like his copies of the classics?”
There was a lump in Ainsley’s throat. Of course she was overwhelmed with stuff to go through as it was, but the idea of spending time in her dad’s beloved office and being allowed to look through his books and notes was comforting. She managed to nod her head.
“I’m so glad, dear.” Carol patted her firmly on the shoulder. “Let me give you a ride home. My car is right out back and we can work out getting you a key to your father’s office.”
“Excuse me, Carol,” Julian interrupted smoothly. “Miss Connor and I were planning to go for a stroll after the talk. She brought up some ideas for my new book and I was hoping to hear more.”
“Oh dear,” Carol exclaimed. “I didn’t realize you had plans. Well, of course, Ainsley. We’ll find another time to chat and get you a key, dear.”
“Thank you, Carol,” Ainsley said, after throwing a dirty look at Julian behind Carol’s back. He just gazed back at her calmly with that insolent half-smile.
Carol gave her arm one last squeeze and headed out to the hallway to clear up paper cups and turn out lights, as she always did after campus talks. Ainsley turned to Julian.
“What was that about?” she whispered angrily.
He gave her a lazy smile, then closed the distance between them in a long stride. She could feel his breath on her neck and couldn’t make herself pull away, even though she thought she should want to.
“I’m sorry, Miss Connor,” he said in her ear. “Were you hoping to reminisce about cough drops, and go moon over your father’s books?”
Ainsley was speechless.
“That’s not why you came here. And it’s not where you want to go after, is it?”
“I…”
“Go ahead, smooth that skirt down again, and tell me that you want a ride home in Carol Lotus’s Volvo.”
His warm breath on her neck was shattering her concentration. He slid his hand down to the small of her back and led her to the podium. He touched a finger to her chest, just above the cleavage. Her skin tingled in response.
“Stay.”
He gathered his papers and neatly arranged them in his leather briefcase. He turned to her and snapped it shut.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Wordlessly, she tucked her hair behind her ear and followed him.
Carol waved at them enthusiastically from under the card table where she was gathering dropped paper cups.
“Do you need some help, Carol?” Ainsley asked, almost hopefully.
“Not a bit. I’m just about packed up here. You two enjoy your discussion.”
They continued down the hall toward the gigantic wooden doors.
Chapter 19
A insley stepped through the door as Julain held it for her politely. A rush of fragrant,
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