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“Ten, you know me and early mornings.” I admit.
“Yes, I do. Eat breakfast and we’ll leave around nine-thirty. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good. We’ll either need to cab it or catch the El, though.”
Frowning, he looks to Alice, “Where is the University of Chicago?”
; Alice frowns darkly, “Hyde Park, sir. Right through the southside.”
Grant looks at me as if I’ve betrayed him. “No fucking way. You aren’t going there.”
Now I feel betrayed. “You said I could, you promised.”
“That was before I knew it meant going through the heart of the southside. Only five miles on the other side of the school people are dying at a rate of two and three every damned day.”
This wasn’t fair. He promised. “I need to go and talk to real advisors and real students. I’ve already done the online way and it didn’t work. What am I supposed to do?
“This is my future, not yours, my future I have to figure out. My clock is ticking here. I can’t just keep fumbling around hoping it will work out. You promised!”
Very ungentle hands are on my hips yanking me into Grant’s hard body. “God damn it, woman, this is your safety and fuck all your ticking clock. Don’t. Damn it.”
I’m crying and I hate myself for it. I hate him for making me cry and tell him so as an arm slides around my waist. He uses a tissue to wipe my tears. “Fuck.” He exhales as his head rests against mine. I can feel him vibrating as he thinks. “Calm down and eat your breakfast.”
I brace a hand on the table, not ready for him to break his hold on me. As he heads to his office, I wonder if I pushed too far. If it was worth it, and if I’ll regret it.
Alice slides a plate of eggs whites in front of me, with wheat toast. Alice has never fixed me egg whites and wheat toast before. I’m sure I’m being punished. The coffee she sets down with half and half confirms it, it could strip paint. At least she still gives me my fresh squeezed orange juice, but I’m guessing it’s because it’s already prepared.
I don’t argue with any of it though, because I’m miserable. Hating that I argued with Grant, hating that he’s mad at me. I take a gulp of the coffee, willing to suffer through the punishment I deserve.
Pushing my clean plate away I sit wondering what to do. Neither yoga or a book appeals now. I don’t hear anything until Grant grabs my hair and pulls until I’m looking up at him. He’s not angry, his eyes are actually smiling. The words come out of me in a rush. “I’m sorry I got all... you know.”
His kiss is soft and light against my lips. “I promised. I keep my promises to you in the best way I can. We aren’t going to the University of Chicago, we’re going to Northwestern. It’s a better university, better advisors. It’ll be a little later, another hour.”
I want to argue, but don’t dare. Grant was giving me what I asked for in the way he felt he could give it to me. “Thank you.
“You’re welcome. I’m sorry, too. I should have known what I was agreeing to. I thought you meant the University of Illinois at Chicago.” Seeing my eyes sparkle at his mistake, he tugs at my ponytail. “Brat.”
“Why aren’t we going there, then?” I wonder aloud, curious.
With a quick move, he steals the elastic hairband holding my ponytail in place, letting my hair loose the way he likes it. Wrapping my hair around his hand he pulls me up by it and we go into the living room. “Like I said, better university, better advisors.”
“Okay, it’s just I could afford a state university, no way could I afford Northwestern.” Grant sits in the big comfy chair and pulls me into his arms.
“Sweetheart, I thought this was about finding something that appealed for going forward. You don’t necessarily have to go to Northwestern and you could afford it. Spending money on a good school is worth it in the connections you make alone. Networking starts in school.”
I consider what he says. “I don’t doubt you’re right, but I think it would depend on what I want to do. I’m sure if I’d done the accounting at Northwestern I could have found a better job. I saw the looks on the faces of the interviewers when it came to my degree. It didn’t matter it came from a real university, not one created online. It wasn’t hard for them to figure out if I was in Boston then I couldn’t get a degree from a school in another state. They always asked as if they really needed me to clarify it for them.”
“Are you sure you’ll even need to go to school? Why don’t we take one day at a time? We’ll go to Northwestern, you’ll take a look around. If something interests you then we’ll go from there.” Grant runs his hand through my hair the way he likes to do when we were lying in bed.
I bury my face into Grant’s neck, inhaling the scent of him. This is nice, Grant all around me as he holds me close, a large hand cupping my ass like he loved to do when he held me. We both become comfortable enough we slip into a doze, only waking when Grant’s phone begins to buzz. Wrapping my arms around Grant’s neck I pull him closer, not wanting to let him go.
Grant’s arms tighten around me. “Sweetheart, we have to go. The car is downstairs waiting.” I pull him down for a kiss. It’s hot and sweet and too short. “We’ll pick back up tonight.”
“Tonight.” I promise as I nip at his neck. He pays me back with a tweak of my nipple as we get up from the comfy chair.
Grant opens the front door for me, yelling at Alice not to worry about dinner tonight.
