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Package Deal(10)

By:Kate Vale


She tried to ignore his grin as she reached for the pages in his hand. “Would you like me to read it over?”

“My newsman colleagues would kick me out of the department if they knew I was allowing an interviewee to fact-check my work.” He gave her the papers, brushing his fingers against her hand. “But go ahead.”

Amanda read the pages, marked a couple of sentences, and handed the work back to him.

“You have a great eye for editing. Maybe I should show you the other articles. Have you ever thought of ditching the dowdy English department and coming over to journalism where we’re more up-to-date?” He grinned at her.

“I’m not sure my colleagues would appreciate your description, and the answer is an emphatic ‘no.’ I know how to edit because I have to know that, when I’m doing magazine articles.”

He sat up in the chair as he glanced toward the partially open door. “You have a customer. I’ll wait outside.” He rose, vacating the seat, and moved aside as the student entered.

“I’m sorry, Professor Gardner. I didn’t want to interrupt.” The student’s flip-flops slapped against the floor as she sat down and pushed her rain cape off her shoulders.

“That’s okay, Nancy. What do you need?”

“I was wondering if I could write my paper as a poem, like Emily Dickinson.”

“A great idea! Let’s see what you have started.” She took the paper from the student, made a few suggestions, and returned it to her.“When it’s done, you’ll want to share that with the other class members.”

The student smiled shyly at Marcus as she left.

He slipped back into the office. “I’m glad she left so quickly. I need coffee or I’m going to fall asleep. Want to join me? It’s almost three.” He smirked at her.

“I’d like to, but Cecelia is due any minute, so we can walk home. When you called, I forgot she has a scout meeting tonight.”

“It won’t take long, and she can come, too. Does she like her coffee with cream and sugar, or just cream?”

Amanda smiled. “Neither. She’ll want soda, but I prefer that she have milk or maybe juice.”

“You’re no fun, Amanda. Let her live a little. Pop now and then won’t hurt her. And if she’s going to the Campus School, she probably needs to learn to drink coffee, so she can keep up with those kids who stay up till midnight because their parents insist they get As in every class.”

“Cecelia holds her own just fine, without coffee. Besides, she’s my daughter, and I’ll decide what she drinks.” But she grinned as she glanced sidelong at him.

“You’re the boss.” He reached for her hand just as Cecelia entered the office.

“Hi, Cece. Are you ready to go?” Amanda pulled her hand away.

“Yes.” Her daughter craned her neck to look up at Marcus. “You again?”

“Yes, me again. I wrote an article about your mother and she had to check it.”

“Why couldn’t you check it yourself? She checks her own stuff—what she writes.”

“You’re a very smart girl. Sometimes we writers like to get a second opinion.”

“Do you work here, too?”

He nodded. “Not in this department. In journalism. Do you know what that makes me?”

“A newspaper writer,” Cecelia replied, her blue eyes wide as she stared back at him. “You need a haircut.”

“Cece! That wasn’t polite,” Amanda gasped, feeling her face flush with embarrassment.

“Don’t get on her case, Professor. She’s right.” Marcus brushed one hand through his shaggy hair. “Thank you for reminding me, Cecelia.” He bowed to the little girl, who giggled in response.

“Want to go for coffee? As a thank-you for your mother checking my article?”

“Can I have coffee, too, Mom?”

“No, Cece, you can’t. But if you are quiet while Professor Dunbar and I are talking, you can have a small glass of juice, or maybe soda.”

Marcus gave Cecelia a thumbs-up.

Her daughter laughed out loud. “Okay. I’ll be quiet. Where are we going?”

“To the union  —it’s close,” Marcus offered. “My treat.”

“Goody,” Cecelia replied. “Come on, Mom, hurry up.” She stood by the door while Amanda shoved the papers she had to grade into her briefcase.

The three of them left for the student union  , Cecelia skipping beside Marcus.

As they walked, Amanda imagined what her mother might say if she could see the three of them together. Marcus definitely was someone she wanted to get to know better. It would make her mother happy to know that she was seeing someone, maybe even getting close to dating again. Except she needed to be careful, and not jump into something that might end badly. Especially with Cecelia in the picture. Maybe it was too soon to consider getting involved, particularly with another faculty member. For all she knew, Marcus might hit on every new instructor who appeared in September. After all, this was her first appointment. She intended to concentrate on her classes and her writing so that she met, maybe even exceeded, her chairman’s expectations.Still, Cecelia seemed to like Marcus and he seemed to like her. That was a good thing. She could never get close to someone Cecelia didn’t like. Her daughter’s happiness came first. But didn’t her daughter need the influence of a father figure in her life?