her desk, going through a stack of papers. “How’s it going?” she asked, her smile unaffected by any unpleasantness with Elena.
“Brother Ferreira is still in Japan. He doesn’t out-and-out say it, but I think he resents working in Father Xavier’s shadow. He wants to win a few souls for Christ himself.”
“It sounds like Archeology Department politics. Some things never change.”
I knew it wasn’t my business, but I was curious. “Is that what’s going on with Elena.”
“She definitely likes to be in the spotlight.” Nina sighed and pushed her papers aside. “Elena could be the best student in the department but she gets distracted easily.”
“You mean by Dr. Stewart?” I immediately regretted bringing him up. The last thing I wanted to know about was a sordid departmental affair.
Nina smiled. “She’s not too subtle about it, is she?”
“Does she stand a chance?”
Nina looked at me a moment, as if considering how much to share. “I don’t know.”
The man made me want to throw up. “It doesn’t seem very ethical, getting involved with one of your students.”
“Dr. Stewart never has a relationship with a student he advises.”
“But anyone else is fair game?”
“I think you’re judging him too harshly. He never makes promises or shows favoritism.”
I was surprised by Nina’s naiveté. “Does he pass out his ground rules with the syllabus?” I said. “’Here’s what you can expect when you sleep with me.’”
She offered me an odd little smile, as if I was the naïve one. “He’s always very honest about his feelings, though I’m sure some women still fall in love with him.”
“You know a lot about how he operates.”
“That’s because he and I were lovers when we were in North Korea.”
I stared at her in shock. I had stereotyped her as a conservative Asian woman. She certainly acted and dressed the part.
“My mother would probably have a similar expression if she knew,” Nina said, “and my family would stone me or at least run me out of the country. My father was a diplomat, so we lived all over the world. I was exposed to many other cultures and ideas. I lost my virginity when I was fifteen. I always knew I couldn’t be satisfied with just one man so when I met my husband and we fell in love, I asked for an open marriage.”
“Wow,” was the only response I could muster.
“His reaction was a little more pronounced, but he finally agreed. We’ve only been married for five years, but so far the arrangement has worked well.”
“Why did you and Dr. Stewart break up?” I managed to ask.
“Working on the Magoa excavation was very intense. I would describe it as a spiritual experience, though Dr. Stewart might argue with me. But I did see that it affected him. When we left North Korea, he ended our relationship. I knew he wasn’t the same man I first met in Seoul, but I’m still not sure what kind of man he’s become.”
~*~
I was barely aware of my surroundings on my twenty-minute walk home. I had a difficult time focusing on anything but Nina’s story. I couldn’t imagine Matt and me reaching the same agreement as Nina and her husband.
Would I want to? The question jarred me. I had always been what I described as a serial monogamist. In 17 years of marriage, I had been tempted occasionally, but nothing had gone beyond a little semi-innocent flirtation.
Would I choose Ashland Stewart? my inner voice asked again.
I didn’t answer. Even if I did find him attractive, I would never want to be involved with a womanizer like him.
~*~
For most of the next week I buried myself in Brother Ferreira’s journal. The Japanese were welcoming and friendly but uninterested in the God he and Father Xavier were trying to sell them. The monk, in a fit of honesty he likely assumed his superior would never see, wrote that he was confused about why he had been called here by God. He began to feel his faith flagging and found it difficult to maintain the
“Brother Ferreira is still in Japan. He doesn’t out-and-out say it, but I think he resents working in Father Xavier’s shadow. He wants to win a few souls for Christ himself.”
“It sounds like Archeology Department politics. Some things never change.”
I knew it wasn’t my business, but I was curious. “Is that what’s going on with Elena.”
“She definitely likes to be in the spotlight.” Nina sighed and pushed her papers aside. “Elena could be the best student in the department but she gets distracted easily.”
“You mean by Dr. Stewart?” I immediately regretted bringing him up. The last thing I wanted to know about was a sordid departmental affair.
Nina smiled. “She’s not too subtle about it, is she?”
“Does she stand a chance?”
Nina looked at me a moment, as if considering how much to share. “I don’t know.”
The man made me want to throw up. “It doesn’t seem very ethical, getting involved with one of your students.”
“Dr. Stewart never has a relationship with a student he advises.”
“But anyone else is fair game?”
“I think you’re judging him too harshly. He never makes promises or shows favoritism.”
I was surprised by Nina’s naiveté. “Does he pass out his ground rules with the syllabus?” I said. “’Here’s what you can expect when you sleep with me.’”
She offered me an odd little smile, as if I was the naïve one. “He’s always very honest about his feelings, though I’m sure some women still fall in love with him.”
“You know a lot about how he operates.”
“That’s because he and I were lovers when we were in North Korea.”
I stared at her in shock. I had stereotyped her as a conservative Asian woman. She certainly acted and dressed the part.
“My mother would probably have a similar expression if she knew,” Nina said, “and my family would stone me or at least run me out of the country. My father was a diplomat, so we lived all over the world. I was exposed to many other cultures and ideas. I lost my virginity when I was fifteen. I always knew I couldn’t be satisfied with just one man so when I met my husband and we fell in love, I asked for an open marriage.”
“Wow,” was the only response I could muster.
“His reaction was a little more pronounced, but he finally agreed. We’ve only been married for five years, but so far the arrangement has worked well.”
“Why did you and Dr. Stewart break up?” I managed to ask.
“Working on the Magoa excavation was very intense. I would describe it as a spiritual experience, though Dr. Stewart might argue with me. But I did see that it affected him. When we left North Korea, he ended our relationship. I knew he wasn’t the same man I first met in Seoul, but I’m still not sure what kind of man he’s become.”
~*~
I was barely aware of my surroundings on my twenty-minute walk home. I had a difficult time focusing on anything but Nina’s story. I couldn’t imagine Matt and me reaching the same agreement as Nina and her husband.
Would I want to? The question jarred me. I had always been what I described as a serial monogamist. In 17 years of marriage, I had been tempted occasionally, but nothing had gone beyond a little semi-innocent flirtation.
Would I choose Ashland Stewart? my inner voice asked again.
I didn’t answer. Even if I did find him attractive, I would never want to be involved with a womanizer like him.
~*~
For most of the next week I buried myself in Brother Ferreira’s journal. The Japanese were welcoming and friendly but uninterested in the God he and Father Xavier were trying to sell them. The monk, in a fit of honesty he likely assumed his superior would never see, wrote that he was confused about why he had been called here by God. He began to feel his faith flagging and found it difficult to maintain the
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