From the edge of her vision, she was vaguely aware someone was watching her. Her eyes quickly darted towards the door, which caused Matt to look as well, but he had the guilty look of someone who was caught in an illicit act. Standing in the doorway was none other than Sarah! Her sneer seemed to fill the room like a cold draft. Her perfect rosebud mouth was puckered into an angry pout, indicating displeasure, as with forced cheerfulness she walked over in her two-inch-high heels, which clicked on the oak floor like the sound of an approaching train. Sarah laid a proprietary hand on Matt's shoulder, leaned over and whispered something in his ear, then straightened herself up. Leering, she added, “There's something you must see outside.”
Matt brushed his hair back away from his forehead with one quick movement of his hand and grinned, peering sidelong at Sarah. “Of course. I'll just be a moment Jillian.” Sarah slipped a hand around his as they walked out.
Jillian remained behind, warming her feet by a fire whose flames had quickly died to smouldering embers, and could hear the chatter and laughter outside in the quadrangle. From the doorway came a familiar voice: “You're not going out with them?”
She didn't answer. She kept her head lowered, staring into the fireplace and giving no sign of having heard, until the speaker was standing right before her. Still she refused to lift her head.
“Jillian?”
“Oh, what do you want to know Andy? There's nothing to see.” she replied sadly.
“Who was that guy you were dancing with?”
“Oh, him? His name is Matt something,” she replied vaguely.
“He's not a graduate. Who invited him? What's he doing here?”
“Well, I don't know,” she replied, getting a bit annoyed. “Someone invited him, I guess.”
She knew he meant well and decided she had better humour him; so she got up and walked with him back down the corridor until they reached the double door that led to the quadrangle. It was open, and a gust of cool night air blew into the building.
“Jillian!” Matt cried as he spotted her, “I'm not finished with you.”
“I was just about to leave,” she called back apologetically.
“What?” Matt sounded genuinely surprised. He walked quickly in from the quad and over to her. She saw the smile on his face falter; he was staring at Andrew. Could he be jealous of Andrew? she wondered and found she actually liked the idea. In the animal kingdom two rival males often fight to the death over the female. She smiled to herself. Matt regarded Andrew critically, summing him up. “Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt.”
Silence.
“Andrew is an old friend of mine,” Jillian explained, smiling broadly. “Matt, meet Andrew; Andrew, meet Matt.” Andrew nodded and gave Matt a slight bow, and they shook hands. More awkward silence followed.
“I hope I didn't interrupt anything!” Matt ventured at last.
“But you didn't, really,” Jillian replied matter-of-factly. “Andrew was just leaving.” She looked up at Andrew with hopeful appeal. “Right?”
“Ah, yes! That's right, I was just leaving.”
“Jillian, I'd like you to come and see something. You can actually see the planet Venus in the sky,” Matt insisted.
“You've seen one planet, you've seen another,” quipped Andrew.
Jillian laughingly protested, “I'd love to, Matt.”
“Now, don't make a fuss. I'll carry you.”
“Really, Matt, I can walk for myself. I have two perfectly good feet.” But her words fell on deaf ears and suddenly crouching down, he lifted her up in his arms, and all the while Jillian was laughing and protesting: “Matt, please put me down. Don't be silly.”
“This little mouse has to come out and see Venus,” he teased.
Andrew lingered behind silently and watched Jillian being carried away. She sensed his eyes following her and peered briefly over Matt's shoulder. In that instant her eyes met his gaze and caught a curious startled flicker, as if Andrew no
Matt brushed his hair back away from his forehead with one quick movement of his hand and grinned, peering sidelong at Sarah. “Of course. I'll just be a moment Jillian.” Sarah slipped a hand around his as they walked out.
Jillian remained behind, warming her feet by a fire whose flames had quickly died to smouldering embers, and could hear the chatter and laughter outside in the quadrangle. From the doorway came a familiar voice: “You're not going out with them?”
She didn't answer. She kept her head lowered, staring into the fireplace and giving no sign of having heard, until the speaker was standing right before her. Still she refused to lift her head.
“Jillian?”
“Oh, what do you want to know Andy? There's nothing to see.” she replied sadly.
“Who was that guy you were dancing with?”
“Oh, him? His name is Matt something,” she replied vaguely.
“He's not a graduate. Who invited him? What's he doing here?”
“Well, I don't know,” she replied, getting a bit annoyed. “Someone invited him, I guess.”
She knew he meant well and decided she had better humour him; so she got up and walked with him back down the corridor until they reached the double door that led to the quadrangle. It was open, and a gust of cool night air blew into the building.
“Jillian!” Matt cried as he spotted her, “I'm not finished with you.”
“I was just about to leave,” she called back apologetically.
“What?” Matt sounded genuinely surprised. He walked quickly in from the quad and over to her. She saw the smile on his face falter; he was staring at Andrew. Could he be jealous of Andrew? she wondered and found she actually liked the idea. In the animal kingdom two rival males often fight to the death over the female. She smiled to herself. Matt regarded Andrew critically, summing him up. “Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt.”
Silence.
“Andrew is an old friend of mine,” Jillian explained, smiling broadly. “Matt, meet Andrew; Andrew, meet Matt.” Andrew nodded and gave Matt a slight bow, and they shook hands. More awkward silence followed.
“I hope I didn't interrupt anything!” Matt ventured at last.
“But you didn't, really,” Jillian replied matter-of-factly. “Andrew was just leaving.” She looked up at Andrew with hopeful appeal. “Right?”
“Ah, yes! That's right, I was just leaving.”
“Jillian, I'd like you to come and see something. You can actually see the planet Venus in the sky,” Matt insisted.
“You've seen one planet, you've seen another,” quipped Andrew.
Jillian laughingly protested, “I'd love to, Matt.”
“Now, don't make a fuss. I'll carry you.”
“Really, Matt, I can walk for myself. I have two perfectly good feet.” But her words fell on deaf ears and suddenly crouching down, he lifted her up in his arms, and all the while Jillian was laughing and protesting: “Matt, please put me down. Don't be silly.”
“This little mouse has to come out and see Venus,” he teased.
Andrew lingered behind silently and watched Jillian being carried away. She sensed his eyes following her and peered briefly over Matt's shoulder. In that instant her eyes met his gaze and caught a curious startled flicker, as if Andrew no
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