revised chapter eight on my desk by the day after tomorrow."
She shut her eyes and ground the heels of her hands into them. Releasing an inaudible sigh, she said, "But how can I have it on your desk? I'm home on break." She had a feeling she knew the answer.
"I realize that. That's why I'm allotting you two days, rather than insisting on seeing it today."
Reese looked around the room desperately, not really seeing anything, except red. The man was such an incurable ass! Now he expected her to come all the way back to school just to put something on his damn desk. What if she'd gone somewhere besides New Jersey? Would she have to come back then? And what about Kenneth? He was staying in New York over break, but was Kimble bothering him twenty-four-seven? Somehow she doubted it.
Of course, she knew she could simply refuse, but it wouldn't benefit her. As Kimble's graduate assistant, she'd need a glowing letter from him to the doctoral committee, when the time came. "Is all of this clear?" he asked, sounding a bit impatient.
"Mmm-hmm," she mumbled miserably.
"Good. I look forward to seeing my work." She would've laughed at that, but she was suddenly too blue to crack a smile. "Until then. Good-bye."
After he hung up, Reese had to remind herself that throwing her cell against the wall would be only a temporarily satisfying release of emotion. So she laid the phone on the kitchen table, sank into a chair, and buried her face in her hands.
Who was she kidding? She would never have time to start that novel she'd always dreamed of writing. Kimble would keep her way too busy.
"Reese, what is it?" Angela said, concerned. She set aside the plate of éclairs, and hopped off the counter to come closer. "What's wrong?" she asked, touching her sister's shoulder.
Reese looked up hopelessly. "Nothing. I'm just wondering at exactly what point my life took a turn for the absurd."
Angela grinned. "Sing it, sister." Reese grinned back, and realized she was probably being slightly melodramatic. Angela tugged on her hand. "Come on. We're gonna go eat. My treat."
"Where are we going?" Reese asked, coming to her feet.
"Somewhere with ambiance," Angela said. "Then we're gonna talk. You're gonna tell me more about your school problems." Reese groaned. "And I'm gonna tell you about how my husband has morphed into a complete pain in the ass."
"Oh." Reese stopped, suddenly concerned. "Why? What's going on?"
Angela shook her head, not even looking that upset. "Come on; let's eat first. I can't male-bash on an empty stomach."
Reese laughed. In a weird way, she felt better already.
* * *
They were sitting at the Laughing Frog, finishing their third round of banana daiquiris, and life didn't seem so grim anymore.
In fact, Reese was finding everything downright hilarious at the moment, while Angela was enjoying her brownie fudge cake too much to be depressed. "This is fun," Reese said, slurping up the icy remnants in the bottom of her glass.
"I know," Angela said, breaking off a big chunk of fudge brownie covered in mocha ice cream. "This is the most fun I've had in forever." She stuck the whole overflowing forkful in her mouth at once, and Reese cracked up again.
Reese had told Angela about the misunderstanding she'd had with Brian Doren at the cafe, and Angela had found it funny. She definitely agreed that Reese needed to clear it up as soon as possible, her argument being: "You have to clear it up—it's too dumb not to clear up."
Reese had also admitted that she and Brian had semi-made out two years ago. She apologized profusely for not saying anything sooner, but considering Ally's big mouth, Angela understood Reese's need for discretion.
The part that Reese left out, however, was her current and burgeoning attraction to Brian. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't feel ready to discuss it. She only casually remarked, "He's pretty good-looking, huh?" and Angela absently replied, "Yeah, he's sort of cute."
Then they'd talked about
She shut her eyes and ground the heels of her hands into them. Releasing an inaudible sigh, she said, "But how can I have it on your desk? I'm home on break." She had a feeling she knew the answer.
"I realize that. That's why I'm allotting you two days, rather than insisting on seeing it today."
Reese looked around the room desperately, not really seeing anything, except red. The man was such an incurable ass! Now he expected her to come all the way back to school just to put something on his damn desk. What if she'd gone somewhere besides New Jersey? Would she have to come back then? And what about Kenneth? He was staying in New York over break, but was Kimble bothering him twenty-four-seven? Somehow she doubted it.
Of course, she knew she could simply refuse, but it wouldn't benefit her. As Kimble's graduate assistant, she'd need a glowing letter from him to the doctoral committee, when the time came. "Is all of this clear?" he asked, sounding a bit impatient.
"Mmm-hmm," she mumbled miserably.
"Good. I look forward to seeing my work." She would've laughed at that, but she was suddenly too blue to crack a smile. "Until then. Good-bye."
After he hung up, Reese had to remind herself that throwing her cell against the wall would be only a temporarily satisfying release of emotion. So she laid the phone on the kitchen table, sank into a chair, and buried her face in her hands.
Who was she kidding? She would never have time to start that novel she'd always dreamed of writing. Kimble would keep her way too busy.
"Reese, what is it?" Angela said, concerned. She set aside the plate of éclairs, and hopped off the counter to come closer. "What's wrong?" she asked, touching her sister's shoulder.
Reese looked up hopelessly. "Nothing. I'm just wondering at exactly what point my life took a turn for the absurd."
Angela grinned. "Sing it, sister." Reese grinned back, and realized she was probably being slightly melodramatic. Angela tugged on her hand. "Come on. We're gonna go eat. My treat."
"Where are we going?" Reese asked, coming to her feet.
"Somewhere with ambiance," Angela said. "Then we're gonna talk. You're gonna tell me more about your school problems." Reese groaned. "And I'm gonna tell you about how my husband has morphed into a complete pain in the ass."
"Oh." Reese stopped, suddenly concerned. "Why? What's going on?"
Angela shook her head, not even looking that upset. "Come on; let's eat first. I can't male-bash on an empty stomach."
Reese laughed. In a weird way, she felt better already.
* * *
They were sitting at the Laughing Frog, finishing their third round of banana daiquiris, and life didn't seem so grim anymore.
In fact, Reese was finding everything downright hilarious at the moment, while Angela was enjoying her brownie fudge cake too much to be depressed. "This is fun," Reese said, slurping up the icy remnants in the bottom of her glass.
"I know," Angela said, breaking off a big chunk of fudge brownie covered in mocha ice cream. "This is the most fun I've had in forever." She stuck the whole overflowing forkful in her mouth at once, and Reese cracked up again.
Reese had told Angela about the misunderstanding she'd had with Brian Doren at the cafe, and Angela had found it funny. She definitely agreed that Reese needed to clear it up as soon as possible, her argument being: "You have to clear it up—it's too dumb not to clear up."
Reese had also admitted that she and Brian had semi-made out two years ago. She apologized profusely for not saying anything sooner, but considering Ally's big mouth, Angela understood Reese's need for discretion.
The part that Reese left out, however, was her current and burgeoning attraction to Brian. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't feel ready to discuss it. She only casually remarked, "He's pretty good-looking, huh?" and Angela absently replied, "Yeah, he's sort of cute."
Then they'd talked about
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