Page 41 of The Arrangement
“Nope. It turned cold during our walk, and we headed to the car. He dropped me off at home. And that was it.”
“Oh.” There was no missing her disappointment, but I couldn’t guess what she was disappointed about. “Do you have your next date lined up?”
I shook my head. “This week is Thanksgiving. He’s got plans with his friends. I thought I’d set up a date for next week.” An idea brightened my mood. It might kill two birds with one stone. “Do you think he’d let me do a dinner at my place and video games night for a date? You know, sort of what we did as kids.”
Emily sat for a couple of seconds before nodding. “That could be a good idea. Make a yummy meal and video games in a comfortable, private environment would be good. It would give you a chance to talk about the past with him. Air out those old grievances so you can move on.”
And this was why Emily was such a good friend. We thought along the same lines.
As we discussed the pros and cons of my new date plan, the security lock for the door beeped, and we turned at the same time to see our boss stride into the lab wearing what looked to be another lovely Chanel suit and a determined expression.
“Liam, we have a problem.”
I swallowed hard. “Is there an issue with the new dig site we have planned for this spring?”
Linda rocked her head back and forth for a moment, as if considering it. “Possibly, but that’s not what I’m talking about. It has been a month since I set you on the task of getting a donation out of Rome Ashbridge’s foundation, and I have yet to see a check cross my desk. There has been no contact from the foundation about making a donation or supporting the museum. What is going on? I didn’t expect you to drop the ball on this so horribly.”
Yeah, that was the other part of this fiasco I was trying not to think about. While there was a chance of Rome and me becoming friends again, there was also the looming shadow of ugly truth that I started this entire mess because I was trying to wring money out of him so I could keep my job.
“I’m sorry about my slowness. Rome has mentioned some resistance to expanding the number of organizations that he’s currently supporting. However, I have another meeting with him after Thanksgiving. I’ll bring up the matter and explain how important we are to the children of the area. I think I’m close to winning him over.”
Well, close in the way that I’d nearly completed my dating obligation.
Dr. Case didn’t appear pleased. “This can’t be your first time wrangling donations. I would never have expected an accomplished scientist like yourself to be so slow about this matter. Especially with your job hanging in the balance.”
“I’m sorry. When Rome and I began speaking, we weren’t on the best of terms. It has taken time to rebuild that trust and respect,” I explained.
She made a little noise of acceptance, though it was obvious from her frown that she still wasn’t happy. “Very well. ButI think it might be best if you hurry things along. Get that donation to the department prior tothe Christmas holiday. I’m sure none of us wants this matter looming over us as we head into that busy season.”
With one last tight, fake smile, Linda turned and strode out of the lab before filling us in on what the potential problem might be for our future dig. Of course, that problem could very well be a lack of funds, which I would fix by tapping Rome for a fat stack of cash.
I turned to my computer and began pulling up the work I needed to accomplish today, my back hunched and my head down. Everything I’d done with Rome recently, the headway we’d made in becoming friends again, suddenly left a sour taste in my mouth. Did he think I was only doing this for the money? That I was faking all the enjoyment I’d felt? Yes, I’d gone into this for the money, but I wouldn’t pretend to have fun or be nice to him for it.
Emily’s gentle voice suddenly invaded my thoughts. “Don’t worry about the donation. I’m sure you’ve got this.”
She was right. Rome was a nice guy. I had a feeling that if I picked up my phone right now and called him, asking that he cut a check for five million dollars to save my job, he’d do it. Without me promising to see through the last two dates.
But I didn’t want to cut corners and take advantage of his good nature. I wanted to see this through because I was banking on a substantial bonus at the end of this journey I hadn’t counted on. I was going to get my childhood friend back.
Except things were becoming more complicated than that. I was feeling things I shouldn’t.
“Em.” I paused and licked my lips. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure.”
“When…no, how did you know you were a lesbian?”
“Well, mostly, it was the way my heart raced and my body tingled each time I saw certain girls. I mean, have you everreallylooked at Michelle Pfeiffer? God, that woman was so hot in the nineties. Not to mention Charlize Theron. And I’ve got such a thing for Cate Blanchett. But I digress.” The tension attempting to strangle me eased to hear the lightness in my voice at that moment. “At first, I claimed I was bi, but I think I clung to that because I knew my parents wouldn’t accept me being a lesbian, but it didn’t take long for me to figure out that there weren’t any guys that I was drooling over the way I was with women. As for the timing, I think I knew as a teenager, but I didn’t embrace it until college and I was away from the watchful eye of my parents. I could be me without horrible consequences.”
“Are they still…terrible to you about it?”
“Eh.” I peeked past my shoulder to see her shrug. She’d turned her back to me as she spoke, working on cleaning up a cephalopod we’d received from a local amateur fossil hunter. “They’re better than they were. You can tell they’re not thrilled about it, but my girlfriend might have let it slip that she wants kids one day. So, my parents are appeased so long as they end up with grandchildren. My dad won’t admit to it, but I swear he’s started searching for worthy Chinese sperm donors.”
I huffed a laugh. “Good luck.”
“Definitely.”
A long silence filled the room, and I tried to force my brain to focus on science things. At that moment, I would have even welcomed one of Rome’s stupid meme texts.
