Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“She even gives me a run for my money,” Mark adds. “You should read the papers she writes. Mari is incredible.”
“Still!” Jane says indignantly. “You must do things differently at NYU. At the University of Alaska, we don’t encourage our students to attend academic conferences until their junior year at the earliest.”
“I think it depends on the student,” Mark argues.
“Besides, Mari is a junior research assistant. She has just as much of a right to be here as you do.”
Jane puckers her lips. “Well, if you say so. I just hope Mari isn’t overwhelmed by the content of the conference. It can go over your head if you’re not prepared for it.”
“No need to worry, Jane. Mari has it under control.”
I nod, uncomfortable with the current conversation. I don’t have it under control, and we both know it. I also hate lying. I’m not a research assistant. In fact, I had no idea there were research assistants in the English department at NYU. Maybe there aren’t. This could be something John made up to get Jane to back off.
I appreciate he wants to defend me. I just wish he didn’t have to lie to do it.
“Well, Jane, it was a pleasure meeting you, but Mari and I have to get going to our next session.”
“Nice meeting you, as well. Mari, do let me know if you need any help during the conference. I’d be happy to explain things to you.”
“Thank you,” I reply. “That’s kind of you to offer, but I have two great mentors here with me. I’m in good hands.”
Jane’s face sours. “John, do you need to scurry off as well? I’d love to talk more about the paper.”
John shoots Mark and me a look. I’m not a mind reader, but if I had to guess, I’d say the look means “get out of here while you can.” So that’s exactly what Mark and I do.
Once outside the dining hall, I blow out a heavy breath.
“I feel bad about leaving John with that woman.”
Mark laughs. “Jane is harmless. I’ve met tons of people just like her. Academics can be weird.”
“I got a vibe from her, though. And she kept looking at me suspiciously. You don’t think she guessed that the three of us aren’t just here together at the conference, do you?”
“You mean you think she knows we’re in a relationship?”
I nod. “I don’t know how to explain it. I just…I felt like she was watching me with knowing eyes.”
“I don’t think so, Mari. It’s not like we were touching or anything. And no one was around when we talked about our relationship. I think you’re reading too much into it.”
I chew on my lip. I want to believe that Mark is right, but I can’t shake the feeling that Jane is up to something. She seemed desperate to get John to write a paper with her. What if she’s willing to go to great lengths to do so? She could blackmail him into an agreement if she knew the truth.
“Are you sure?” I ask Mark.
“I’m positive. Academics are cutthroat, but our personal relationship is of no consequence to Jane. If anything, she might’ve seen you as a professional threat.”
“Okay. I’m trusting you on this.”
“Good. Now let’s go. I really don’t want to miss this lecture.”
I follow Mark to the lecture room, but I still feel uneasy. I’m usually pretty good at judging people. My mom says I have a heightened sense of empathy, which means I can sense how a person is feeling.
And I got a sinister vibe from Jane.
But maybe Mark is right. Maybe it’s all in my imagination. I could be projecting because I didn’t like how handsy Jane was getting, so I want to believe she’s bad.
That’s the logical explanation. This isn’t some crazy conspiracy where Jane is going to cause our downfall. All she wants is to write a paper with John. She’ll probably try to wear him down until he agrees.
I need to stop worrying.
Too bad that’s easier said than done.
15
Mari
I don’t want the conference to be over.
It’s the last day of programming, and I’m overwhelmed with sadness. I walk slowly to the panel I’m going to attend, knowing this will be my last one.
It’s crazy how fast the week has gone by. It’s true what they say about having fun making the time go by faster. I’ve had the most amazing week with Mark and John.
Last night was particularly great. We tried something new in the bedroom where they both penetrated me at the same time… I loved it more than I thought I would, and I can’t wait to try it again.
Unfortunately, the next time we’ll be together is when we’re back in New York. I’ll miss the freedom that Alaska has allowed us. Sure, we had to be careful at the conference itself, but when we were at our hotel, we could be affectionate and show our relationship to the world. Thankfully, we never got any weird looks. People just let us be.