Page 48 of Be My Valentine

“The rumor that Annie is trying to catch my brother is well known, instead; she’s getting more and more ridiculous… evil, I’d say. I can’t believe it.” Emma shook her head vehemently “She knew full well what Kate did after high school, but to you she said she hadn’t done anything! How could she be so sure you wouldn’t find out?”

“That woman has a remarkable excess of self-esteem,” said Paul Arrow “Perhaps fueled by the knowledge that she is definitely excellent at her job, I can’t deny that. She keeps everyone in line in exemplary fashion. She was counting on Kate’s silence, that much is clear, and on the fact that no one would get close enough to her. I think you two,” he looked at his children, “have definitely messed up her plans. She’s not foolish enough to hope that the matter hasn’t come up at this point. I wonder what she’ll come up with to get out of it.”

“It’s not defensible.” Emma scowled.

“Definitely not,” agreed her mother, “but you and I know her well. And being women, we know what she’s made of.”

Paul Arrow scowled.

“Are you saying I’m not capable of understanding?”

“Not you, honey,” she tried to calm him down, “but if she keeps collecting men, I’d say there’s a reason.”

“A pair of boobs will reset your neurons.” Emma finished, sourly.

Her husband coughed, perhaps as a reminder that he existed too.

“Now we have to solve two problems: one will be simple.”

Simple? Kate thought that this was the most complicated and absurd evening she had ever had, although to tell the truth, the evening at the pub would remain memorable for a long time.

“We have to find you an outfit for Saturday and it has to be am-az-ing! It’s going to knock her out!” Emma exclaimed.

Kate felt sick. She should have known Annie Carson wouldn’t miss it; as usual, she hadn’t thought of it until then.

“No, I’m sorry, no! I can’t do this. I just want to get out of the legal studio. Enough is enough. It’s not my intention to offend anyone, I know it’s not your fault, but enough is enough.”

“You won’t be alone. I’m not going to leave you,” Mark said, “Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

You thought I was a prostitute, that’s why you jumped on me. You knew I’d be right there.

“Kate,” Judith intervened, “don’t let that woman think she’s got you.”

“Let her believe what she wants, I don’t care.”

“I care!” Mark didn’t hold back “you’ll come and she’ll be there, you know what the saying is, don’t you? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer!”

“He’s right!” Emma allied herself to her brother “They say it in the movie “The Godfather”!”

“It’s The Art of War, honey.” Her father shook his head.

“Sun-Tzu…” murmured Kate and looked at Paul Arrow “Bait the enemy with the prospect of advantage and win him over with confusion. If he is solid, prepare to fight him; if he is strong, avoid him. If he is choleric, show yourselves yielding; if he is humble, arrogant. If he is lazy, tire him out; if he is compact, disperse him. Attack him when he is unprepared and appear suddenly’.”

“It’s all right if you limit yourself to English literature only,” said Emma, and Kate sketched a smile, “Anyway, we can go up after dinner, and you can choose from one of my dresses. Will you help us, Mom?”

“With pleasure, dear.”

Dinner? How much longer was she going to be there? They planned everything, as if she didn’t exist.

“The second problem is not easily solved:” Emma continued undeterred, “how do we get your ass back to Columbia by March? You heard the old man, he was out of his mind, but he wants you as an assistant, it’s clear he already has your path in mind, don’t let him hand it over to anyone else!”

“And who was the old man?” Phil asked.

“I think…” his wife replied, “a Professor Ross.”

Phil noisily dropped his fork onto his plate and Kate jerked again. My God, she was a bundle of nerves.

“He’s one of the greatest Coleridge scholars, his texts are used everywhere, and that’s rare. It’s a great calling card for a graduate student.”