Untrue Love Page 20

  “Hello?”

  She heard her building manager’s voice on the other end. He sounded tired. “Ellie, I’m sorry to call you so late, but I just got some news that I thought I should share.”

  “All right,” Ellie answered uncertainly. Involuntarily her pulse picked up in anxiety at what he might be about to tell her.

  “Mrs. Wilson passed away this evening. I know you’re as shocked as I am. She was supposed to come home in a few days, but complications set in. There was some sort of infection in her lungs, and now she’s gone.”

  It took a while for Ellie to place the name, but then understanding clicked in. “The owner of…the dog and the cat.”

  “Right. You’ve been so nice to take care of them. I want you to know that you don’t have to worry about it, I’ll find long-term homes for both of them. It might take me a week or so, but I’ll take them off your hands as soon as I can.”

  “Oh,” Ellie replied. Her heart twisted in a way she had difficulty understanding. Was she sad that a little old lady had died, or was it something else? “It’s been OK. We’ve gotten used to each other.”

  He chuckled. “Well, you’ve been very neighborly. I’ll be in touch about the pets.”

  “OK,” Ellie answered, then hung up. She knew that Usher was curled up asleep in the corner. Madeline would probably be in her favorite place behind the couch. They would never see their owner again. That thought did make Ellie sad, and she misted up for a moment.

  “Hell of a day,” she muttered, and continued on to bed.

  69

  ELLIE’S PHONE BUZZED on her desktop. She didn’t need to glance at it to see who it was. Paul was a creature of habit and structure. He called her at the same time every day.

  She was surprised that he still hadn’t realized that she had no interest in talking to him.

  The phone stopped its buzzing and she picked up the conversation with the student seated in front of her.

  “I think this will be a good research area for you, but we need to drastically narrow the scope. You would need to cover most of Western literature otherwise.”

  The girl gave her a stubborn look. “I can do it.”

  Ellie smiled at her tolerantly. “Maybe you could, if you had ten years to spend on the project.” The phone buzzed again and she glanced at it long enough to see that it was Paul, calling yet again. She reached out and slipped the phone into her purse, where the buzzing would be less distracting. “Like I was saying, this is just a term paper. Don’t over-think it. You have the rest of your life to set the world ablaze. For now, be content to do something that you might finish by the end of the term.”

  Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a head poke inside her office door. She looked up, ready to scold whoever was impatient enough to disturb her meeting, but was surprised to see Karen Jefferson standing there.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you,” the other woman said, “and I won’t take up your time, but I wanted you to know. I just got some good news!”

  “Oh?” Ellie couldn’t imagine what it could possibly be. The first place her mind took her was to thoughts of her father—Karen’s boyfriend, apparently, though Ellie still preferred not to think too closely on that revelation—but what sort of father-related good news would she not hear from him first?

  “I just got off the phone with Ernest Morrison.”

  “You know him?” Ellie asked. She had an entire section in her bookcase for Ernest Morrison’s works. Of the three leading lights she hoped to attract to her conference, he was the one she had always dreamed of meeting. It had never occurred to her that someone she knew might have a personal connection with the man.

  “I had the privilege of taking some of his classes when I was in college, and we’ve stayed in touch since then. Anyway, I emailed him about your conference proposal, and he’s interested in attending. I think we should ask him to deliver the keynote presentation, don’t you?”

  “Yes! God yes,” Ellie responded, her eyes wide. This was huge! As soon as word got out that Ernest Morrison was delivering the keynote, everyone else in the field would want to be there. They would have people fighting for seats! This was a dream come true.

  Karen flashed a smile at her, the first real smile that Ellie could remember seeing on the woman’s face. “Great. I’ll confirm with him, then. Talk to you later.”

  The student’s eyes were shifting back and forth from Ellie’s face to the now-empty doorway, wondering if their meeting would continue or she should quietly slip away, but Ellie barely noticed her. Ernest Morrison! She could barely contain her excitement. Her dream of reuniting with Jackson was now dead, but there were still things worth hoping for. Success in a plan this bold would really accelerate her career. As organizer of the conference she would have the opportunity to connect with the most powerful and influential figures in her field, even beyond the increased prestige she would enjoy on campus. All she needed now was the money.

  She grabbed a slip of paper and wrote herself a note for later: “Call Philip.”

  70

  THE OFFICE WAS stunning. It was possibly the most masculine design Ellie had ever seen, with dark metallic surfaces stretching to sharp angles and highlighted by pools of light. She couldn’t deny the effect this environment was having on her. She was flashing back to how it felt in junior high, hanging out by her locker and seeing a boy she liked heading her way.

  “Mr. Baptiste will be with you in a few moments,” his secretary murmured. Ellie had spent her time in the office lobby trying to talk herself out of feeling jealous of the spectacular redhead, who wore a black business suit expertly tailored to fit the lush curves of her voluptuous figure.

  She was beginning to feel nervous despite herself, and took a deep and calming breath. She gave the secretary a half smile while wondering whether she was a natural redhead.

  Ellie had been thinking about this meeting all day. She had found herself thinking about Philip a lot lately. She was having a hard time remembering what it was she had found so enticing about Paul. In retrospect he was Jackson all over again. He was strong and forceful and full of deception. He made her tingle and he lied to her. She was getting tired of men and their secrets.

  Philip, though. She had no illusions where he was concerned. He was polished and suave and wore his money well. She knew that he had designs on her. In truth, she was beginning to entertain designs on his designs. She didn’t need to close her eyes too tightly to see herself on his yacht, in his mansion, and at his side.

  Ellie had no interest in being some man’s arm candy, but she was open to the idea of a man being the candy on her arm. She was open to anything that promised to deliver her a future that didn’t include endless years spent slipping over ice-clad sidewalks.

  The office door opened and the man was there, smiling warmly and extending his hand to her. Ellie snuck an admiring glance at the shiny gold watch on his wrist before she reached out to let him take his fingers in hers. His skin was warm and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

  “I’m very happy to see you,” he murmured, pulling her inside his office and closing the door behind them. “I hope you have good news for me.”

  Ellie noticed that they were standing very close together, and she took a step back. His blue eyes were boring deeply into hers and she didn’t want the situation to get out of her control. “I think so,” she answered. “I like your idea of securing private funding for the conference. I think it’s the way to go. Whatever you need from me to make it happen is yours.”

  She blushed a little after that last sentence. It wasn’t what she’d been planning to say, but something in the situation had her feeling a little intoxicated. She trusted that Philip would not take her promise too literally, but felt a nervous tingle in her stomach at the thought that he just might.

  His eyes twinkled. “That is marvelous news, Ellie. Simply marvelous. And I hope you won’t hold it against me that I anticipated this decision.”

  She quirked h
er head at him. “What do you mean?”

  He smiled more broadly, pleased with himself. “I’ve already set up a meeting.”

  “With whom?”

  “With a man who takes his privacy very seriously. Trust me, you’ll know very soon who he is, but for now I must respect his wishes that he remain anonymous. We’re scheduled to spend the weekend at his estate.”

  Ellie was taken aback. “The weekend?”

  Philip seemed to be enjoying himself. “That doesn’t make you uncomfortable, does it?”

  “Should it?”

  He shook his head. “My intentions are honorable, Ellie. You have my word on that. We’ll fly down there to meet with my associate, we’ll discuss business and make plans. Nothing else.”

  “Nothing?” She wasn’t convinced.

  He took a step toward her, his face serious. “Nothing that you don’t want. But if you do want more—”

  “Yes?” she asked, a little breathless. The space between them suddenly seemed very small and charged with electricity. Half of her wanted to flee the room, the other half to step forward into a kiss that she could already nearly taste on her lips.

  “I won’t lie to you, Ellie. I find you intoxicating. I want to know you better. Much better.”

  She smiled. Her heart was racing. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about this situation, but there was no denying the excitement that set her pulse to pounding. “I think that maybe I want that, too.”

  Philip beamed at her. “Maybe isn’t the word I was hoping for, but I’ll take it for now. Can you be ready to leave by 6:00 on Friday evening?”

  She nodded. “I can. What should I bring?”

  “Pack for warm weather, and include something nice to wear. Our trump card is how gorgeous you are. I want you to be stunning.”

  She gave him a mock-suspicious look. “I thought my brilliant mind was our trump card.”

  He stepped forward and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. “You are brilliant. You are also gorgeous. You are both of those things, and together they make you unstoppable. Don’t be afraid of your power, Ellie. Use every bit of it to get what you deserve.”

  Even in her heels Ellie had to crane her head back to meet his eyes. The scent of his cologne enveloped her like a warm and gentle cloud. She was hovering at the edge of a precipice, beyond which her lips would be hungrily pressed against his.

  The moment passed. She gave Philip an apologetic smile and stepped out of his grasp. She felt a mixture of relief and disappointment that nothing had happened between them, but the weekend was certainly beginning to take on interesting dimensions.

  “Thank you, Philip. I guess I’ll see you on Friday.”

  He nodded and smiled in a way that said: Yes, we will see each other on Friday, and then we’ll see what else our time together might hold.

  71

  KAREN’S OFFICE WAS a jumble of books and papers, the sole exception being her desk, which was immaculate. Ellie found the other woman seated behind it, reading glasses perched on her nose and an academic journal open in her hands.

  “Can we talk for a moment?” she asked from the doorway.

  Karen gave her a searching glance before she inclined her head to the empty seat on the other side of her desk. “Of course.”

  Ellie sat, hoping that her discomfort didn’t show on her face. “I wanted to thank you. For filling in on my class that one day, but most of all for putting in a word for me with Ernest Morrison. I really appreciate it, and I’m so impressed that you would do that for me after…”

  Karen looked amused. “After what?”

  Ellie gestured expansively. “After everything. We haven’t exactly seen eye to eye since I got here. To be honest, you would be the last person I expected to help out on something like this. Especially since you spoke out against the idea in the faculty meeting.”

  Karen nodded gravely. “That’s fair. I didn’t much like you when you first showed up. You blew in here like you were the Second Coming, way too special for any of us and determined to turn this place around. I wonder, did you ever stop to think how that would make the rest of us feel, the ones who have been here for years?”

  Ellie shook her head. “I didn’t, and I feel bad about that. That was pretty awful of me.”

  Karen looked thoughtful for a moment, then let out a sigh. “You weren’t wrong.”

  “What do you mean?”

  The older woman gazed out the window, her mind focusing on a memory. “I was you, once. When I first came to teach here, I was sure that this was just a stop along the way. I was Harvard-trained, and I was sure that soon I’d be tenured at a top school while my books would be required reading in classrooms across the country. It didn’t exactly work out the way I planned.”

  Ellie gave her a sympathetic look. “You could still write those books. There’s still time.”

  Karen shook her head. “No, that world-changing spirit isn’t in me anymore. I lost it right around the time when my husband died. Part of me is buried with him, and the part that remained thought this place wasn’t so bad.”

  “It’s not,” Ellie said. “It’s actually really pretty sometimes.”

  Karen laughed. “Yes it is, at least when it’s not encased in an inch of ice. But what you need to understand is, when you arrived on campus in the Fall, I saw myself. You were a younger version of me. And I hated you for reminding me of everything I used to dream of, and then gave up, and tried to forget.”

  Ellie found herself on the brink of tears. “I’m so sorry. I’ve spent all this time thinking that you were terrible to me, but I’ve been terrible to you, too.”

  Karen waved her hand dismissively. “It’s done. At least, I’d like it to be. That’s why I called Ernest. I wanted it to be a peace offering. Because you and I have to find a way to work together.”

  “And because of my father,” Ellie added.

  Karen took a deep breath. “Yes, there is your father. What has he told you about him and me?”

  “Only that you like each other, and that you have a good time together,” she lied. He had also told her about the sex, but she didn’t see any reason to mention that here.

  The older woman nodded. “We do have a good time together. It’s a long time since I’ve had a good time with a man. I suppose I have you to thank for that, since the only reason he’s here is because of you.”

  “Have you and he talked about what will happen when he leaves?”

  “A little bit. Not much.”

  Ellie considered her words carefully. “I want us to work well together, Karen. I also want my father to be happy. If you’re a part of that, I will welcome you.”

  The two women regarded each other in silence for a long moment, a half-smile on each of their faces. They still weren’t friends, and they weren’t quite allies, but they were in a better place than they’d been before, and for now it was enough.

  72

  ELLIE WHIRLED INTO the airport with an energy that belied the fact that she didn’t know where to go or who to look for. Behind her she pulled a two-wheeled bag that contained three times as much clothing as she strictly needed. This was a big weekend, one that could send her life down new and exciting avenues. She didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity because she didn’t bring the right pair of shoes.

  It wasn’t until she was inside the terminal and staring blankly at the “Departures” terminal that she realized she didn’t know where she was going, or with whom. Her mind had been so firmly focused on the future that she hadn’t followed up on the details of her trip. She was supposed to meet Philip, but where?

  “Professor Stanton?”

  She turned at the sound of her name to find a man, immaculate and stylishly dressed from head to toe in black, waiting silently with his hands behind his back.

  “Yes?” she answered.

  He extended a hand and took her luggage. “Mr. Baptiste has asked me to personally conduct you to the plane.”

  Ellie fell in bes
ide him as he marched away. “Before we get to the security gates I’ll need to get a laptop out of my bag.”

  He shook his head. “No security,” he said cryptically and led her off in a direction against the flow of would-be passengers headed toward the departure gates.

  Ellie was curious but she kept her questions to herself as they walked past baggage claim, down a long and narrow hallway, and out through a double door that led to the tarmac. Deftly her guide produced an umbrella and opened it above her before setting off again in the direction of a stubby little prop plane being prepared for takeoff.

  “Is that our plane?” Ellie worked hard to keep the displeasure out of her voice. She didn’t like to admit it, but air travel made her nervous even when conditions were perfect, and flying in a small plane was much worse.

  “No, ma’am,” her guide answered. “You’ll be flying in that aircraft over there.”

  Ellie looked where he was pointing, and her eyes settled on a sleek white dagger of metal and glass. This plane was still much smaller than the jumbo jets she was used to flying in, but even her irrational self was impressed. The craft absolutely radiated power and speed. She couldn’t help but smile broadly as they walked up to the boarding ramp.

  Philip appeared in the aircraft’s open portal. “The guest of honor is here! Now we may depart.”

  “I’m not late, am I?” Ellie asked as she climbed the stairs.

  “Not at all, but I’m anxious to get started. The saddest sight in the world is a private jet, all gassed up but sitting on the ground. Let’s fly!”

  She took his outstretched hand as she reached the top of her climb and allowed him to lead her inside. The cabin was just as luxurious as she had expected. There was seating for six in large white seats that looked so plush that you might sink right into them. To her left she could see a flight attendant pouring two flutes of champagne.