Page 40 of A Twist of Faith
“My pleasure, Ms. Mitchell.”
“But Dr. Murdock, play nice.” She paused in her turn and leveled him with her turquoise stare. “You’re onmyhome turf here, and I’ve played this game before.”
Lunch provedto be fairly uneventful, except for Alex declaring Daphne’s café quaint, hitting it off with the waitress, Rainey’s sister Emma, and unreservedly flirting with an unresponsive Rainey. Scratch that. Rainey responded with wit and sarcasm to make the mighty Alex Murdock squirm in his Ralph Lauren loafers.
How could Rainey live with such confidence and contentment in this little town? Maybe…maybe it wasn’t about a place. Appalachia. Charlottesville.
Maybe it was about something much deeper.
“Is he always so obvious?” Rainey waved as Alex drove away from the café after lunch.
“Pretty much.”
“And arrogant?”
“Yep.”
“And you worked as his assistant for four years? Ugh.” Rainey closed her eyes and released a long-suffering sigh. “I pride myself on being forbearing, but I don’t know how long I could handle him. It’s like talking to a cologne salesman or something.”
“A cologne salesman?”
“You know, those guys who dress in sexy suits at the cologne counter in posh department stores.” Rainey snagged a grin. “They look like they walked out of GQ. Every line, every compliment hasbuy more colognewritten between the lines.”
Dee grinned and watched Alex’s car disappear out of sight, taking her place on the passenger’s side of Rainey’s jeep. Rainey brought an ease to friendship, a genuineness which encouraged Dee to relax and enjoy the process. “He’d probably benefit from being in Ransom for a while. A little authenticity would do him good.”
“Ooh, and expose all of the flaws behind his perfect appearance?” She wiggled her brows, turning the key in the ignition. “Sounds likemykind of game.” Rainey sobered. “So, is he your competition?”
Dee’s stomach dropped. How much had Rainey heard of Alex’s conversation? “What do you mean?”
“Well, I know you don’t have plans to stay in Ransom forever. Is he the man who determines where you’ll be next fall? Do you have to impress him or something?”
Dee worried her lip, weighing her words. “His opinion could influence the Chair’s and Dean’s decisions, but most of the responsibility for advancement falls on me.”
“You don’t like small towns?” Curiosity seemed to fuel her question, not accusations, so Dee released her worry on a sigh.
“A more rural community really doesn’t meet my plans or interests. It’s like trying to imitate a foreign accent. It doesn’t come naturally, so I have to work at it to make it fit.”
“I get that. Country life isn’t the right place for everybody.” She stared ahead as they drove through the quaint downtown streets of Ransom. “And you can’t force someone to fit.” Rainey shrugged off whatever shadow darkened her countenance. “So, whatdoyou like? You’re interested in researching accent mod, enjoy learning, and you seem to like teaching?”
“Idolike teaching.” The thought lured a smile. Watching students come alive earned one of the top spots on Dee’s favorite-things list.
“What else? Besides speech pathology?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, hobbies? Movie interests? Music? Favorite vacation spot?” Rainey turned the jeep into the university parking lot. “If you didn’t have to worry about fitting into those designer clothes, what dangerously delicious food would you eat all of the time?”
“I don’t know that I’ve thought a lot about it.” Dee laughed her surprise but when the humor settled, her mind drew a blank. “I’ve been focused on getting through school.”
“Come on. That’s not an answer.” Rainey brought the jeep to a stop and killed the engine, turning to face Dee. “You’re not a country music fan, I’ll bet.”
Dee grimaced.
“Okay, and I’d say going to this football game has a much higher purpose than watching a bunch of three-hundred-pound men fall on each other over a pigskin. Do you even know what a touchdown is?”
“Ha, ha. As a matter of fact, I do.” Dee crossed her arms in front of her chest and then relaxed her shoulders in assent to the truth. “But that’s about all I know.”
“If you were trapped in an elevator, what music would you want to listen to?”
