Be still my heart.It’s nice to have a man who doesn’t buy her excuses. More than nice, from the way my pulse is fluttering.
“You know how much of my attention goes toward taking care of your father,” Linda says, like that makes everything better.
Todd gives her shoulder a supportive pat. Griffin’s expression doesn’t just say she’s an idiot, but a despicable idiot.
Okay. So he’s an equal-opportunity grouch who thinks badly of everyone.
“If you’re that upset, I’ll throw you a birthday party this year,” Linda says.
That would be something to see. She’s done all sorts of petty things to make sure I feel excluded and unwanted, and forgetting my birthdays is the least of it. She wouldn’t have come to my graduation—and made sure Dad wouldn’t have either—if it weren’t for Grandma. But then, Linda always sucked up to Grandma, since she controlled the purse strings.
“You know, I think I’ve made up my mind. We could use some more guidance with the new product launch, and I need somebody to help crunch our data.” I flutter my lashes at Griffin Lasker like he’s my hero. “I think I’ll go with Charles’s pick.”
“But!” Todd exclaims, then stops. He gestures wildly with his arms. “Don’t you want your…things to be classy?”
“There are different types of classy. In this case, I don’t think iambic pentameter is going to be a good fit for our marketing campaign.”
In my peripheral vision, I note Griffin looking at me and Todd like we need to return to our asylum. I want to tell him it’s my ex-husband who’s crazy, but I rein in the impulse. No need to get into a mutual-blame shouting match with Todd.
“I doubt econometrics can help with what you’re doing here,” Griffin says, every syllable dripping with disapproval. From the cold expression on his face, he probably thinks he’s hiding his disgust well—but he isn’t.
For some reason, it makes me want to push all his buttons. Just to see if any of them lead to an “angry professor.”
“I disagree.” Giving Griffin an extra-sunny smile, I move toward the students that have been milling around this whole time. “I think these econometrics students will do an amazing job sorting our data and giving us some ideas for product development.” I put a hand on the shoulder of the student standing closest to me, a sign to Todd that I’ve made up my mind, and it isn’t changing.
My ex clenches his hands and glares at the student like he wants to leap across the distance and backhand the poor kid. Meanwhile, Linda is texting and Griffin’s face is scrunched, his lips tight.
He’s furious he’s stuck. He’s made it clear he doesn’t want to be here, but we all have to do things we don’t like. Best just to put a good face on it, I always say.
“Dan, why don’t you help Linda, Todd and his English class go where they need to go”—I gesture toward the main door—“and then process the econometrics students and give them visitor’s passes? And Heather, once that’s done, please show the students around.” I turn to Griffin with my most charming smile. “I’d like to have a conversation with Professor Lasker about the direction of this…er…case.”