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Now I was going back to the drawing board and it burned my ass that Ellen was sitting at her desk smirking.
Bitch.
She’d probably added a few comments of her own.
“It’s okay,” Corrine whispered. “Everyone’s first draft gets annihilated.”
“Not mine,” I grumbled under my breath, staring down at the papers in front of me.
Dr. Matello liked to do things old school, so I’d be printing everything out every time we did a draft. I thought it was a waste of paper, but he didn’t like digital editing tools, so this was what I had to work with.
“It’s going to be fine.” I was surprised to feel Dr. Matello’s hand on my shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze as he walked by. “Take it home, look at my comments, and then mull it over at hockey tonight. Tomorrow morning, you’ll have a fresh perspective, and the next round will go more smoothly.”
“Thank you.” I nodded, grateful for his mentorship even when the criticism burned.
If I was honest, everything was more jarring today because I’d been away from all things academia for nearly a week, spending time with Joey, at hockey camp, and with Boone.
Boone.
My thoughts immediately drifted to last night.
It had been our second official date and we’d gone to the movies. So simple and spontaneous, yet somehow perfect. We’d chosen a new action movie, had the requisite argument about whether Marvel bested DC or vice versa, and then held hands like teenagers. Then we’d gone back to his place and he’d shown me a totally different kind of superhero.
I smiled just thinking about it, my hand drifting to the spot on my neck he seemed to focus on more than any other.
I’d seen him every day since that first night we’d slept together, even if it was only for a little while at hockey camp. We both had busy schedules, but he went out of his way to be attentive. A quick text, a wink from across the ice, something to let me know he was thinking about me. Jarvis had never been like that.
I stared down at the mass of papers in front of me, chewing my lip.
Maybe Dr. Matello had a point.
I should read his notes and then take the rest of the day to mull them over.
I was picking up Joey at five o’clock to go to hockey camp anyway, and I had errands to run as well as laundry to do. I probably could have spent the day helping Ellen, but my focus had begun to shift as I got closer to reaching the finish line of my PhD.
It was time to be selfish. I had to think about the next steps. Where I would do my postdoc work. If I truly wanted to leave St. Louis and my family. There were always opportunities at Johns Hopkins in New York, and one of my undergrad professors was there now, having extended an open invitation to visit anytime. I didn’t know how I felt about the Big Apple, though. Sure, I loved a good weekend of Broadway shows, shopping, and great restaurants, but was I cut out for that hustle and bustle every day? The opportunities that came with a big-name university could change the trajectory of my career, but I was a Midwestern girl at heart.
Of course, it might be time to explore something different. I’d never lived outside of St. Louis, so maybe I had to think bigger.
I studied the first few pages of notes, frowning as I tried to figure out what changes I would make when I started editing. An insistent buzzing diverted my attention and I realized my phone was ringing.
“Hey, Hadley.”
“Hey! I know it’s a workday, but you said your schedule was flexible.”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“A few of us decided to take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese and I thought you might want to come.”
I laughed. “Need an extra set of legs to chase them around?”
“Maybe.” She laughed too. “But mostly it’ll be a nice opportunity for girl talk while the kids are busy. Sheridan, Lucy, and our friend Nina are coming too.”
I barely hesitated. “Sounds great. I’ll meet you there.”
“We’re thinking around eleven thirty.”
“See you then.”
The well-known children’s entertainment center was fairly quiet today, so we squeezed into a couple of tables in the back. Hadley ordered pizza for the kids, passing out some tokens before watching them scatter. I’d never actually been here, though I knew lots of people who had, and it seemed like the perfect way to let kids burn off excess energy.
“I’m so tired of being pregnant,” Sheridan moaned, resting her hands on her stomach. She was due fairly soon, though I didn’t remember the exact date.
“Same.” Hadley smiled. “But Wes is over the moon about the baby, and his excitement is so sweet. Makes me fall in love with him all over again.”
