Ramona grinned. “You said ‘when’ you propose.”
A blush darkened Quincy’s brown cheeks. “No, I didn’t.”
Ramona poked a finger into his arm. “Yes, you did. I heard you.”
“I heard it, too, dude.” Darius turned to Audra. “Didn’t you hear him?”
Audra sipped her coffee. “I heard the prelude to a proposal, the opening chords.” Her gaze moved between Ramona and Quincy. “When he proposes, and he will, you’ll recognize it for what it is. You won’t need to ask.”
The group stared at her in silence for a beat. Then Megan turned to Ean. “I want you to propose to me just the way Audra described. First the prelude, then the proposal.”
Darius doubled over with laughter. Ean and Quincy frowned at Audra in unison. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Audra swallowed her last bite of brownie, pleased with her contribution to the discussion. “Doreen, may I have another brownie for the road?”
“You sure can.” Doreen’s response was rich with amusement.
Darius shook his head as his humor dwindled. “You’re dangerous.” He turned to Quincy. “How’s the faculty search going for your replacement?”
Quincy drained his coffee. “They’re narrowing down the candidates.”
“Will someone be in place before you leave?” Darius wiped his mouth with a napkin.
“I think so. They have strong candidates. One of them is a professor from New York University.”
Darius arched a brow. “Why would an NYU professor apply for a position at Trinity Falls University? TFU can’t match that salary.”
Audra accepted her extra brownie from Doreen and rose to pay her bill. “Maybe the professor’s tired of the rat race and is looking for a more comfortable community.”
Ean nodded. “It’s been known to happen.”
“You haven’t returned my calls.” Simon’s voice rang with petulant accusation.
Darius’s worn gray swivel chair squeaked as he spun to face his father later Friday afternoon in The Trinity Falls Monitor’s building. He found the older man frowning in the threshold of his office cubicle. “Your message wasn’t urgent.”
Simon infringed farther into the close confines of Darius’s workspace. “I didn’t realize I needed to leave a life-and-death message to have my son return my call.”
Darius dropped his pencil to his desk. “What do you need?”
“I’m running for mayor.”
“You’re circulating a petition.”
Simon didn’t seem to hear him. “I’d think you’d want to interview me for the newspaper.”
Darius studied his father. Was he wearing a new suit? He didn’t recognize the dark blue pin-striped outfit. “I don’t want you to run for mayor.”
Simon’s brows knitted. “Why not?”
Darius saved the Word document he’d been editing for the newspaper’s Saturday morning edition before returning his attention to his father. “Come with me.”
He led Simon to a small, unoccupied conference room. Its dingy walls and ceiling afforded them more privacy than his cubicle. He closed the door behind Simon and watched his father make himself comfortable at the table. “Why are you doing this?”
Simon huffed a breath. “I’ve already told you.”
“I want the truth this time.” Darius leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
Simon glared up at Darius, biting the inside of his cheek. “Trinity Falls deserves a true mayoral contest, not a one-person race.”