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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-knownchildren’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.”
“Not ready for that,” Lucy said, shaking her head. “Kon and I are going to take the summer to explore Europe. Fifteen countries in six weeks.”
“Holy shit,” I breathed. “That sounds amazing.”
“It’s a little rushed, but the whole point is to see as many countries as possible. And we can adjust our schedule if we want to stay somewhere longer since we’re driving for most of it.”
“How exciting,” I said. “I’ve never been out of North America. Europe is at the top of my list, though.”
“Lars has it in his head we’re taking the babies to Sweden this summer,” Sheridan said, chuckling. “I don’t think he has any idea what’s about to happen to our lives. He’s romanticized it in his mind.”
