Page 31 of Director's Cut

Maeve doesn’t even notice. And as the screen door clicks shut, I’m alone with her again.

I wait maybe ten seconds, expecting Charlie to pop back up and save me. For Trish to call me. But it’s silent out here other than the birds’ chirping and the pool water lapping. Eustace pushes his way through the dog door and jumps onto Charlie’s chair. Maeve notices, smiles, and holds out her hand for Eustace to sniff. He licks her without hesitation. It makes my insides melt more than I expected.

“He’s really cute,” she says. “What is he?”

“About last night,” I say.

The smile my dog put on her face falls.

“I hope we didn’t go too far off the rails. I was having so much fun just getting to know you, but I know we’re coworkers. I respect your work so much. In fact, I…” I don’t know if I’ve said this out loud. “I might want to teach more. Really, seriously make a career of it.”

Eustace jumps into Maeve’s lap, and she occupies her hands petting him. Homophobic prick. She smirks at me.

“I figured as much after I saw you after your first office hours. The other celeb guest professors never so much as look at papers. But that’s quite the career change.”

I flash back to last night, how Maeve described all the responsibilities she has years prior to achieving tenure. “I think it’s the right move.”

“Well, I’ll keep my eyes open for you.”

Oh my god. “Really? Even after last night?”

“If anything, I was inappropriate.” She blushes. “You were perfectly wonderful, as usual. If you’re fine with what happened, I think we can keep getting to know each other.” She takes my hand. Under the table, like a secret even we aren’t supposed to know about. “I can’t thank you enough for what you said about dating bisexual folks.”

Her hand is soft. It’s so, so soft. She has moisturizer hands, elegant hands, and she’s holding my hand tight. I feel like I’m having a holiday romance with a stranger, like the intimacy has built too fast because it’s not supposed to last. It lies uneasy in my gut; I’m afraid someone’s going to yell cut because this isn’t real.

Turns out director me yells cut. I pull my hand away.

“Of course,” I say. “But we can keep the topics a little lighter if you want. You have any passions outside of work and the state of California?”

Maeve’s eyes pop open wide, and she seems to realize the same thing I have. Her hand retreats to my dog. “Music. I was in choir all through elementary and middle school. By high school, I worked through the stage fright enough to be involved in every musical my high school put on.”

Somehow, I can picture little Maeve so easily in those velvet dresses on overcrowded school stages. I’d peg her for an alto and wonder if I’ll ever find out. “Were you any good?”

She shrugs. “Good enough for small-town Ohio high school. I actually played Belle in our Beauty and the Beast production my junior year. So, I’m biased, but your animation lecture was my favorite so far.”

She does have silly little opinions after all. “Any other fun facts?”

“Hmm.” She taps the side of her glass a couple of times. “I was devastated to learn that you can’t own hedgehogs in Cali because that was my childhood dream—the reward I planned to give myself for ‘making it’ in adulthood.” She scratches under Eustace’s chin. “But this boy is almost as good as a hedgehog.”

“He’s evil, and I don’t know why he’s being this sweet,” I say. “Also, if you can sing, why the hell didn’t you harmonize with me during Little Shop?”

She laughs. “If you want me to harmonize with you about the woes of the lower-middle class, just say the word.”

“I’d rather hear you sing Belle’s part.”

“Only if you tell me what the hell Stardew Valley is.”

I shake my head, a smile spreading across my face. “Nope. You have to commit to playing SV with me for two hours before I explain what it is.”

“So you’re a gamer, then?”

“Yes.”

Eustace leaves Maeve and climbs into my lap. I take a sip of my smoothie.

“Are the children on your Instagram really your niece and nephew, or are they secretly your kids?”

I laugh. “My niece and nephew.”

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