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“Yeah, JJ hasn’t realized yet that he really is the man of her dreams. It may take a little more interaction with him on a regular basis. You do know that’s the premise of all the great love stories,” she said as she sighed.
Dr. Chare leaned back in his large leather desk chair, carefully stroking his head with his hand.
“This is real life, young lady, not some fictional love story you’re dealing with.”
“Yes, sir. I’m keenly aware of the difference between the events of a romance novel and real life.”
“Wasn’t it Oscar Wilde,” Blake asked, “who said life imitates art far more than art imitates life?”
The small group fell silent. Chare scratched his head.
“Dr. Chare,” Alex said, “I believe there is chemistry between JJ and Professor Cooper. It’s just going to take time.”
“This is not within the realm of a department chair. My job is not to worry about romances between professors. Let alone be complicit in fostering them.”
Alex slumped in her chair. Blake reached for her hand. He was ready to offer words of consolation, when Chare spoke.
“Debbie, get JJ back on the phone. Tell her every other candidate has already been grabbed up by another school or is unavailable to teach. Heck, you’re the creative liar of the group. Tell her anything, but make sure she’s here in time next week to teach the nine a.m. Historical Conspiracy class that is team taught. Just try to avoid the words ‘team taught’ and above all don’t mention that Kenn Cooper will be her partner.” He sounded like a general gathering and commanding his troops for combat.
He raised an eyebrow as he turned his attention toward Alex and Blake. “How does that work for you?”
Alex rose to leave. “Thank you so much.”
Blake jumped up, took Chare’s hand, and pumped it vigorously.
“Thank you, sir. Thank you very much.” He paused.
“Is there something else, young man?”
“Why, yes, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble?” And then he posed his question, causing the chair to chortle.
“Yes, if JJ agrees to this, I certainly can arrange for that. It would be the least that I could do.”
****
The chair stood as the three of them left the room. Once alone, he slumped into his seat, wondering what he had just done.
“Well, at least it’s for a good cause. Young love.”
Then he pulled out his copy of JJ’s second book,Love’s Revenge,opened it to where his bookmark lay, and continued to read.
Chapter 20
Kenn panicked when he heard his mother was on line one. And when he heard the click of Deb’s receiver leaving him hanging, he felt as if he were going to have a panic attack.
It’s not that he didn’t love his mother. He did. But he knew what awaited him on the other side of that telephone. He didn’t have the emotional energy to deal with it. He was still recovering from the surprise dinner party. But the line wouldn’t stop blinking at him.
Suck it up.He raised the receiver to his ear and pushed line one. “Hi, Mom.”
“Son, so good to hear from you. Remember Sofie Addelmyer?” His mom wasted no words on small talk.
“No, Mom, and hello to you, too.”
“Sofie and you sat next to each other in the first grade, in Mrs. Brown’s class.”
“Are you talking about the mean girl with the frizzy blonde hair who always kicked me when we went out to recess? That Sofie Addelmyer? The one who wore those horrible-looking pink glasses with glitter?”Could there possibly be two Sofie Addelmyers in this world?
“Yes, hon, she’s the one,” Mrs. Cooper said without skipping a beat. “Well, I saw her mother at Zingo’s supermarket the other day. And she’s a reference librarian in Wilmington, Delaware.
