Page 5 of Trip Me Up

“Samantha. I thought I’d get your voice mail. Didn’t you have some party this afternoon?”

“I—I’m all done.” I led Bilbo Baggins to a bench and sat down, easing off my heels.

“Good. Good.” I could practically hear his brain switching back to research mode. I’d always liked my adviser’s focus on what was important.

“We need to talk about your research. Monday morning at nine, my office.”

My stomach gurgled like I’d eaten the bad cheese, too. “I know it hasn’t been going that well, but—”

“Don’t worry, Samantha. It’s an opportunity.”

The last opportunity he’d given me had taken me down a rabbit hole, and I was still trying to steer the project back in the right direction. “An opportunity.”

“You’ll love it. See you Monday.”

There was no question in his voice. He oversaw not only my stipend but also my doctorate. Without his signature on my dissertation, I’d be the Ph.D.-free version of Samantha Jones, unable to get the research position I needed to escape. “Okay,” I said.

He’d already hung up.

I dropped the phone into my pocket. “Let’s go home, Bilbo Baggins.” I toed back into my shoes and stood. Passing the row of black Mercedes and Bentleys and Jackson’s garish yellow Lamborghini, I trudged toward the nearest bus stop.

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