Page 77 of No Ordinary Love

I raised the glass to my lips, tasting the bubbly sweetness of the French 75 with just enough tartness to make me pucker. Gemma held up her glass in a toast, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"To you getting some tonight." Her tone dripped with amusement.

"Whatever." I clinked my glass against hers.

"You happy?" Gemma asked.

I thought about it and nodded. "I…he's really made an effort, you know?"

"I know."

"I still can't believe Basil helped him with that women's health communication project idea." I swirled my drink and watched the bubbles float up.

"Why?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't think you guys liked Lucas. He's not…you know, an academic and is probably a little spoiled."

"You mean like Jax?" Gemma stated.

I smiled. "I guess. We all like Jax."

"Andwe all like Lucas. We didn't like that he hurt you. We don't doubt he loves you, Amara. I think he's being sincere when he tells you how he's working on himself."

"I'm working on myself, too." I lifted my glass and took a sip. "I'm getting better at telling him how I feel and not assuming he can read my mind."

"This is why I don't do relationships," Gemma declared.

"Oh, please." I rolled my eyes. "You and Basil are in a relationship."

"We're friends who have sex," she protested.

"That's the definition of being in a relationship," I said, exasperated.

Gemma burst out laughing. "OMG! That's so true."

We settled into our usual banter, which came easily after years of friendship. Gemma filled me in on her latestsituationship—a term she'd coined for her struggles with a colleague who she was working on a paper with. The colleague, a male, expected Gemma to do all the work, but he wanted his name as the lead author. The dean had suggested a male lead author would make the paper more readily accepted by journals, which was a reality in our world, regardless of how unfair it was.

"I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if I'm in the wrong university, you know?" Gemma finished her drink and waved to Ritchie for a refill, who nodded at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think, as an African American woman, I'd do better in California or New York? Maybe Chicago?"

"Our Chancellor is a woman of color, Gemma. No matter where you are, there are inevitable struggles in academia and the corporate world. I'm not going to pretend discrimination doesn't exist at our university—it does. But with professors like us, we'redriving change. Young women look at us and see that one day, they could have our jobs."

Gemma sighed and thanked Ritchie when he set a fresh drink in front of her.

"I just feel like shit today. I'm tired of constantly being in conflict with this asshole."

"Can't blame you there." I put a hand on her shoulder. "But hey, at least you're not giving up. That's more than most people can say."

"Let's hope I have something to show for it."

I was about to respond when the bar's door swung open, letting in a blast of cool evening air and two women I'd been hoping to avoid.

Kath and Shelby made their way to the bar, all sharp heels and sharper looks, and I felt my stomach tighten involuntarily.

Everyone knew everyone at Magnolia's and that familiarity could either be a blessing or a curse. Tonight, it was the latter. I looked at my watch and moaned inwardly because Lucas, Basil, and the others wouldn't be here for another half hour, which was when our dinner reservation was for.

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