how they’d stood so close to each other before he left her apartment, the way she was almost certain she could feel the energy radiating off of him. She couldn’t ever recall being so aware of someone’s energy like that; as though it were something tangible she could reach out and touch. Even with Aidan, who she felt had understood her in a way that no one else really had.
Chapter 16
The next afternoon, Sky went to get some lunch at Turntable , one of the popular cafes for art students to hang out at. It was one of her favorite places when she was in school and sometimes she liked to go and sit at one of the tables and pretend she was still a student.
It was Stephanie Greely, a girl that Sky had gone to school with. "Hey, Stephanie," Sky said. The girl looked away but then looked back and gave a little wave.
" Hi," she said.
Sky paused, but then kept walking toward the table. Though she and Stephanie hadn’t really kept in touch after school, they’d always gotten along and had sometimes studied together at the library when they ran into each other there. Sky stopped when she got to the table and looked down at the girl, scrutinizing her face. Yes, it was Stephanie, and for some reason, it seemed that Stephanie was having a very hard time meeting her eye.
"How’s it going?" Sky said.
" I’m good." Stephanie lowered her head. "Things are good."
" Are you still working at that gallery in North Beach?"
" Yes."
For a moment, neither girl said anything. The silence stretched. Sky cleared her throat. "Is everything okay, Stephanie?" she finally asked.
Finally, Stephanie looked her in the eye. " I’m fine," she hissed. "But I don’t know how you are able to show your face! Especially around here."
" What? What are you talking about?"
" You know what I’m talking about!"
Sky frowned. "No, I don’t."
Stephanie looked around; as though she were nervous someone might see her talking with Sky. "Sit down," she said. Sky sat, trying to figure out what on earth Stephanie was referring to.
" People are saying things about you," Stephanie said, her voice low. She raised her eyebrows. "About what you did. "
Sky gave her a blank look. "Which would be...?"
"Are you really going to make me say it?"
" Yes, because I still have no clue what you’re talking about!"
" That you sleep with people to get ahead! That you’re a whore!"
Sky laughed. "Seriously? Who’s saying that?"
" I’ve heard it from more than one person. It’s pretty much common knowledge now that you’re working for Josh Davis. Do you know how many people would kill for that job? And that you slept with several of your professors."
" You don’t really believe that, do you?"
Stephanie shrugged. "It’s hard not to when you hear it from a bunch of people. I mean, I didn’t think that you were like that, but I heard it from Amy at Beachgrass Gallery , and Liz from Studio C , and..."
" Wait a second." Sky shook her head. "You’re telling me that all these people I barely know are going around saying that I’ve had sex with all these people just so I can get ahead?"
" Yes! And that’s how you got the job with Josh Davis. Did you really sleep with him?"
" No!" Sky exploded. "I haven’t had sex in months!" Several people from nearby tables stopped what they were doing and looked at her curiously. "The last person I slept with," she said, lowering her voice, "was my ex-boyfriend. Who I had been with for a while. Who I was faithful to. And Stephanie, I am telling you the truth: I have never slept with a professor. Never. I’d like to know who the hell is telling everyone this, because it’s not true!"
" Liz said she heard it from Talia."
" Talia Murphy?"
" Yes."
Sky nodded. "I see," she said, the pieces suddenly falling together. "You do know that Talia is best friends with Ashley from Prelude ? Where I used to work?"
" Right. And she fired you because she caught you trying to sleep with her husband!"
" That is not true." But she
Chapter 16
The next afternoon, Sky went to get some lunch at Turntable , one of the popular cafes for art students to hang out at. It was one of her favorite places when she was in school and sometimes she liked to go and sit at one of the tables and pretend she was still a student.
It was Stephanie Greely, a girl that Sky had gone to school with. "Hey, Stephanie," Sky said. The girl looked away but then looked back and gave a little wave.
" Hi," she said.
Sky paused, but then kept walking toward the table. Though she and Stephanie hadn’t really kept in touch after school, they’d always gotten along and had sometimes studied together at the library when they ran into each other there. Sky stopped when she got to the table and looked down at the girl, scrutinizing her face. Yes, it was Stephanie, and for some reason, it seemed that Stephanie was having a very hard time meeting her eye.
"How’s it going?" Sky said.
" I’m good." Stephanie lowered her head. "Things are good."
" Are you still working at that gallery in North Beach?"
" Yes."
For a moment, neither girl said anything. The silence stretched. Sky cleared her throat. "Is everything okay, Stephanie?" she finally asked.
Finally, Stephanie looked her in the eye. " I’m fine," she hissed. "But I don’t know how you are able to show your face! Especially around here."
" What? What are you talking about?"
" You know what I’m talking about!"
Sky frowned. "No, I don’t."
Stephanie looked around; as though she were nervous someone might see her talking with Sky. "Sit down," she said. Sky sat, trying to figure out what on earth Stephanie was referring to.
" People are saying things about you," Stephanie said, her voice low. She raised her eyebrows. "About what you did. "
Sky gave her a blank look. "Which would be...?"
"Are you really going to make me say it?"
" Yes, because I still have no clue what you’re talking about!"
" That you sleep with people to get ahead! That you’re a whore!"
Sky laughed. "Seriously? Who’s saying that?"
" I’ve heard it from more than one person. It’s pretty much common knowledge now that you’re working for Josh Davis. Do you know how many people would kill for that job? And that you slept with several of your professors."
" You don’t really believe that, do you?"
Stephanie shrugged. "It’s hard not to when you hear it from a bunch of people. I mean, I didn’t think that you were like that, but I heard it from Amy at Beachgrass Gallery , and Liz from Studio C , and..."
" Wait a second." Sky shook her head. "You’re telling me that all these people I barely know are going around saying that I’ve had sex with all these people just so I can get ahead?"
" Yes! And that’s how you got the job with Josh Davis. Did you really sleep with him?"
" No!" Sky exploded. "I haven’t had sex in months!" Several people from nearby tables stopped what they were doing and looked at her curiously. "The last person I slept with," she said, lowering her voice, "was my ex-boyfriend. Who I had been with for a while. Who I was faithful to. And Stephanie, I am telling you the truth: I have never slept with a professor. Never. I’d like to know who the hell is telling everyone this, because it’s not true!"
" Liz said she heard it from Talia."
" Talia Murphy?"
" Yes."
Sky nodded. "I see," she said, the pieces suddenly falling together. "You do know that Talia is best friends with Ashley from Prelude ? Where I used to work?"
" Right. And she fired you because she caught you trying to sleep with her husband!"
" That is not true." But she
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