“And Susan here works for USA Today. Before that she was several years at the Chicago Tribune. She was also one of my students,” Dr. Mires explained cordially.
Liz smiled on the outside while on the inside she was freaking out. First Brady. Now this. Holy shit! She was meeting people who worked her dream jobs. She would kill to get a job at the Times or the Washington Post. And Dr. Mires was introducing her to these people as if it were no big deal. In fact, as she looked at Professor Mires, she realized it was no big deal to her. These were her colleagues, her friends, her students. These were the people she was introducing to Liz because Liz was also all of those things.
Liz wanted to be a reporter, and as her advisor, Dr. Mires was ensuring that she didn’t just become a reporter, but a damn good one.
“Liz, why don’t you come to lunch with us and discuss your work and future aspirations? I’m sure my colleagues would be able to point you in the right direction for your scholarship internship hours next year,” Professor Mires said.
“Oh yes, we’re always happy to meet with Lynda’s students,” Nancy said.
“I would love to join you. Thank you,” Liz responded. She felt as if all the pieces to her life were falling into place in this moment, and it felt incredible.
Liz knew that she shouldn’t go to the politicians’ panel. She should find something else to do with her time. She had just had lunch with Dr. Mires, Nancy, Bob, and Susan. They had all been interested in her work on the paper and her interests in political journalism. They had even given her their business cards and told her to keep in touch. It was definitely a step in the right direction. Walking into the politicians’ panel was the exact opposite of that.
But she couldn’t stay away from Brady . . . not when the opportunity to see him was staring her in the face.
Extra credit was being offered to most of the journalism classes for attendance, and when Liz ducked into the back of the room, she picked out a ton of her classmates and a large chunk of the newspaper staff.
Liz plopped down into the seat next to Massey with a sigh. She hadn’t seen Hayden all day and prayed that he wouldn’t show up to this. She knew that he had class most of the day and his electives wouldn’t let him out for the presentations. They didn’t care that he got extra credit that he in all honesty didn’t need in classes other than their own. He thought it was pretty ridiculous, considering he would be graduating in less than two months. Her heart stopped at the thought, and she pushed it away. She could clam up about graduation until it got closer.
Her thoughts trailed off as a side door opened and Brady walked into the room. He took a seat and she couldn’t even remember what she had been thinking.
Massey’s sharp intake of breath was enough for Liz to know that she had noticed how fucking attractive he was. “Holy shit!” she squealed in Liz’s ear. “He’s so hot.”
Liz nodded.
“Oh, please, just because you have Hayden doesn’t mean you can deny pure male attractiveness. You guys aren’t perfect enough for that.”
Liz swallowed. “I didn’t deny anything.” And she couldn’t. She couldn’t even pull her eyes from his face.
She had missed him.
Christ, she wasn’t going to think about that.
“Why is he a politician? He can just come right over to get work done in my bed,” Massey said with her sorority-girl giggle. “I promise we’ll be more effective than Congress, baby.”
Her friends next to her snorted through their laughter, and professors turned around to give them nasty looks. It just made them laugh louder.
“I’ll avoid a government shutdown, if you know what I mean,” she said, nudging Liz.
“That doesn’t even make sense,” Liz said, allowing herself to laugh a little.
“Whatever. I’d do it for that body.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“I feel a little bad for Savannah. Having a brother that hot must suck,” Massey whispered, glancing around to see if Savannah was in attendance. Liz hadn’t seen her all day. Liz wondered if she was hiding out because her dad and brother were here.
“I doubt she even notices.”
Massey rolled her eyes. “Puh-lease.”
The room quieted down as Dr. Mires stood to begin the roundtable. The main topic was the November election. Each politician gave their thoughts on what had happened, the role of the media in the election, and their early projections for the presidential election next November.
As much as it pained her to think about Brady, she was glad that Hayden wasn’t here to witness it. He read her like an open book. She couldn’t hide what was warring inside of her. She couldn’t lie to him, and she wasn’t ready to tell him. She wasn’t sure she would ever be ready for that.
It wasn’t as bad as Liz thought it was going to be. Brady didn’t look in her direction once . . . if he even knew that she was there. It hurt, of course. But really it was for the best. She certainly wasn’t going to ask him a question during the Q&A.
“What do you think about asking, boxers or briefs?” Massey leaned in and asked.
Liz swallowed. She had some firsthand experience with the answer to that question. It made color rush to her cheeks.
“Oh my God, Lizzie,” she joked. “I’m not actually going to ask him that. I’m not that embarrassing!”
Liz just shook her head and tried to hide her own embarrassment. Somehow Massey managed to pull herself together to get a question out to Brady.
“Congressman Maxwell,” she said.
Brady looked over in their direction and Liz felt his eyes flicker over her face. Her heart stopped as her blue eyes met the dark depths of his chocolaty brown ones. She felt her world spin in that one look before he passed over her and turned to address Massey.
Liz didn’t even hear the question. Massey had it written down, so Liz could grab it from her later . . . and it probably wouldn’t be essential to include in her report anyway. But all she could see were memories flashing before her eyes. The lake house, Fourth of July, the moment he slid his key into her hand, the feel of his hands on her body, the sound of his voice when he said that he loved her. It all came rushing back so perfectly.
She thought about the chain sitting in her jewelry box on her dresser and the meaning of each of those charms inside the locket: an airplane, the number four, a key, and the November birthstone. Brady had given it to her on the beach in Hilton Head as a gift, maybe even a promise of a future that they had never had. She had worn it every day for months. She never took the damn thing off except to shower. Even then she felt lost without it. But after the election she had forced herself to stop wearing it. It didn’t make any difference. In that moment, she wished desperately that she was wearing it. Her eyes stung as she fought to hold back her tears.
She hadn’t felt like this in months. The last time had been when she found out about Brady’s new girlfriend, and before that New Year’s. She had moved on. But then why did she feel as if she was being torn to pieces with just one lingering look?
The panel concluded and Liz numbly followed Massey out of the auditorium. She was hanging with a group of sorority girls Liz didn’t really fit in with, but the benefit of that was that she didn’t have to say anything. They carried on the conversation just fine without any input.
The lobby of the campus conference center was full of people milling around after that last panel. There were two more panels after it, but Liz had assumed they would be smaller. A lot of the students wouldn’t be attending them. Liz was only going because she had helped Dr. Mires put the entire thing on, so she didn’t think she would be able to sneak away.
Liz caught sight of a head of long dark hair and smiled. Savannah. So she was here. Ever since the day that Liz had told her that she had actually voted for Brady, things had been different between them. Both girls had relaxed around each other at work and the few occasions when they hung out. Liz found that she actually liked Savannah best of anyone else at the paper. They had similar work ethics, and each was more determined than the other to prove herself.