Page 1 of Tight End

Taylor

The first day on a new job always made me nervous.

Okay, so today wasn’t the real first day I was teaching at the University of Utah. That wasn’t until next week, when the summer semester began. But today was the first day I was actually here, walking around the paleontology department!

I hefted my leather briefcase—every new professor had to have a briefcase!—and gazed around the building. Utah wasn’t as old as some of the Ivy League schools in the northeast, but it still felt old. At least, the paleontology department did. Dark wood walls and waxed floors. Oil paintings on the walls. The scent of old books hanging thickly in the air.

I had uprooted my life to come here. My career at UC Davis was slowly building momentum—going to all the right faculty parties, becoming best friends with the department chair. My class enrollment was high. I wasn’t teaching the courses I really wanted to, but tenure was on the horizon.

But then this position came along. And I couldn’t pass it up.

And against all odds, I was selected.

My heels echoed through the empty halls as I made my way to the faculty offices. The lights were on inside, so I let myself in. I smiled at the names on the offices. There were a lot of big-time archeologists at Utah. John Conningsworth. Lamar McHolmes. Even Topher Holkins, who had been digging up dinosaur bones since before my mother was born.

Seeing their names reiterated that my move was a good one. This was the right career path for me.

At least, I hope so.

When I reached the Dean’s office, I found the door open and a man seated behind the desk. He had sheet-white hair and a healthy number of wrinkles on his face, and he blinked from behind his spectacles as I knocked.

“Dean Armbruster?” I asked.

“I’m sorry, dear, but my office hours are over,” he replied absently. “If you have a question about your final exam, you may bring it up at the assigned meeting time next week.”

He thinks I’m a student. I knew plenty of people who would have taken offense at that, but I chose to live my life with overwhelming positivity. I did look young, especially compared to Armbruster himself.

“I’m not a student.” I strode forward and extended my hand. “I’m Taylor Fox. The new associate professor in your department.”

He slowly shook my hand and frowned. “You’re Professor Fox?”

I knew that look. He thought I was a man. It wasn’t the first time someone had made that assumption, and I’m sure it wouldn’t be the last.

But like I said: I was an extremely positive person. I wasn’t going to let myself get rattled five seconds after meeting my new boss.

“I sure am!” I said. “Please call me Taylor.”

“I apologize if I appear flustered,” he said while shuffling papers. “I have never heard of a woman named Taylor before.”

I grinned. “Not a fan of T-Swifty?”

He stared at me in confusion. “Pardon me?”

Note to self: don’t make Taylor Swift references to your older colleagues.

“Nothing, it was a silly joke. I just wanted to tell you I’m thrilled to be working in your department,” I said. “To teach alongside greats like Holkins and Conningsworth… It’s a dream come true.”

Dean Armbruster nodded once and bluntly said, “It should be.”

When he didn’t offer any other comment, I went on, “In your email, you mentioned giving me a tour of the science buildings. I’d love to acquaint myself with the radiological dating facility, if you have the time.”

“Unfortunately, Ms. Fox, I am quite busy grading papers,” he said, like a drowning man grasping for a life jacket.

“But you said we need to have my photo taken, for the department website,” I insisted.

“It’s only May,” he said. “You aren’t teaching any real classes until the fall, so we can take care of all those minor details then. But for now, I really must return to my own work…”

Before I could respond, there was a knock on the door and another elderly man in a tweed jacket poked his head in. “You ready for some trivia tonight?”

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