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Maybe I’m being a prick because Rena said she’d show anddidn’t.
Tuesday, I nearly got knocked out by Jake because I had the focus of a toddler before he’s learned objectpermanence.
After, I’d iced my cheek while leaving another message with the dean at UW about myposition.
Wednesday evening was parent-teacher meetings after debate, and I spent the time getting jerked around byparents.
Thursday, Rena showed up at school looking like something out of a comicbook.
When she dropped that text and flashed me miles of leg plus a hint of the curve of her ass, every logical thoughtevaporated.
I wanted to press her up against the lockers and do something that would get mefired.
(It might be worth it. If I ever come to this girl, it’s going to be like a damexploding.)
Then Terry showedup.
Herfather.
She conveniently failed to mention that the man who was one of my dad’s best friends, the same person who arranged to get me the job at Baden, is herblood.
Needless to say. By Friday, I’m not in the best ofmoods.
After making a few last notes, I head for thedoors.
It’s windy out, and I wrap my jacket around myself as I leave thecafé.
I’m heading back to my lab from my solo interview when the call comesthrough.
“Wes. It’s the Dean of Biological Sciences at the University of Washington. I’m calling about your jobtalk.”
My hand tightens on the phone. “Thank you for following up. Have you found adate?”
“It’s more complicated than we thought. It turns out that there were some dissenting factions within the hiring committee that extended you the offer in thespring.”
I pull up on the street, ignoring the mutters of some guy bumping into me from behind. “My application was impeccable. I have a better publication record than researchers withtenure.”
“That’s just it. They felt you were too perfect. The academic ideal is evolving. Universities are looking for faculty who are well-rounded. Who have experience in the world beyond the ivorytower.”
When I hang up, I’m in a worse mood thanbefore.
I hate when people let youdown.
Which is only possible when you rely on them in the firstplace.
But it’s not the dean who’s pissing me off. It’sRena.
Because I let her in. And she flaked on me by not showing up after she failed to let me in on an important piece of information—that her father’s the man I owe my present employment to. The one whose help I need to get me out ofhere.
If we didn’t know one another, I could dismiss it as flaky. But she hid that information from me onpurpose.
I’m caught between deleting her from my phone and my life and stalking down to her office, dragging her into a room and demanding to know what the hell she wasthinking.
My phone buzzes on the way back with atext.
Carly:Hey, are you coming to drinkstonight?
Shit.Iforgot.
